NEP Acquires Calrec's IP ImPulse Systems

NEP Group is building on its 30-year relationship with Calrec with the purchase of four IP ImPulse systems across 2022 to further expand its AoIP and remote production capabilities.

NEP is using the technology with its range of Apollo surfaces and has already installed ImPulse systems in mobile units Supershooter 6, Supershooter 17 and Supershooter 25. An additional system is being installed in the company's next-gen IP truck, Supershooter 7, that's slated to roll out in 2023.

NEP has been using ImPulse on a weekly basis since January, providing ST2110-30 flows over a 10Gb fibre link between the Supershooter 17 field acquisition unit onsite and the Supershooter 25 production/crew workspace at a centralized production facility. Both units are parked up to 2,500 miles apart and the ImPulse at the facility can provide control on up to four Apollo mixing surfaces, with another at the remote site.

While both Supershooters 17 and 25 systems are running as part of non-IP fabric mobile units, Supershooter 6 is fully integrated into NEP’s switch fabric.

"The future of broadcasting is utilizing ST2110 IP routing systems," said Pat Zollinger, Senior Systems Engineer, NEP Group. "All of our new production trucks and centralized production builds will be built leveraging IP technology and our in-house control system, TFC. Calrec has provided the support necessary for us to easily integrate the ImPulse core into our TFC system and represents a technological leap in I/O capacity in and out of the surface from the network fabric and control system.

"We're constantly updating and upgrading our fleet of mobile units and Calrec provides NEP engineers with direct access to Calrec engineers and support staff. During our 30-year relationship with Calrec we've used everything from the Q2, the Alpha, the Apollo and now ImPulse. We have great confidence with Calrec’s ImPulse product line and know that Calrec will be standing with us as we navigate the ever-changing IP landscape."

ImPulse is the most powerful DSP engine on the planet and has native SMPTE 2110 connectivity. Compatible with Apollo and Artemis consoles, it provides a simple upgrade path for Calrec customers moving to an IP domain. It provides 3D immersive path widths and panning for next-generation audio with height and 3D pan controls, and has flexible panning and downmixing built-in. ImPulse allows up to four independent mixing environments to run from a single core, wherever in the world it’s located, and each independent mixer can access up to 1458 paths.