EtherSound
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EtherSound is one of several Audio over Ethernet technologies currently used in audio engineering and broadcast engineering applications. EtherSound is developed and licensed by Digigram.
EtherSound is compliant with IEEE Ethernet standards allowing the use of standards-compliant hardware and cables. However, EtherSound is not designed to share Ethernet LANs with typical office operations data or Internet traffic such as email. Like all audio-over-Ethernet technologies, EtherSound adapts the non-deterministic nature of CSMA/CD protocols to provide a continuous stream of high-sample rate, 24-bit digital audio data. The Ethernet protocol allows every device equal access to the network (Carrier Sense Multiple Access) and accepts the inevitability of "collisions" as a result. Ethernet data is sent in bursts. Ethernet frames are sent in a serial stream (one after the other) and contain addresses, protocol control information and data. EtherSound's solution to the problem of using a non-deterministic equal-priority network to transmit deterministic, prioritized audio data is proprietary, as are the solutions adopted by other audio-over-Ethernet technologies.
Low latency is important for many users of audio-over-Ethernet technologies. This is especially true for situations where a musician can hear both the acoustic sound of their instrument (or voice) and an amplified version. EtherSound can deliver up to 64 channels of 48 kHz, 24-bit PCM audio data with a network latency of 125 microseconds. Each device in a daisy-chain network adds 1.5 microseconds of latency. EtherSound's network latency is stable and deterministic: the delay between any two devices on an EtherSound network can be calculated.
EtherSound is intended by the developer to be fully compliant with Ethernet standards, which are maintained by the IEEE 802 LAN/MAN Standards Committee of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers [1] as IEEE802.3x (CSMA/CD) standards. Just as the IEEE defines both 100 Megabit and Gigabit Ethernet standards, EtherSound is being developed as both ES-100 (for use on dedicated 100 Megabit Ethernet networks or within a Gigabit network as a VLAN) and ES-Giga (for use on dedicated Gigabit Ethernet networks).
[edit] Companies that use EtherSound
Fostex NetCIRA products [2] use EtherSound technology, as do products from:
- Allen & Heath [3]
- Archean Technologies [4]
- Audio Performance [5]
- AuviTran [6]
- Bittner Audio International GmbH [7]
- Bouyer [8]
- CAMCO [9]
- DiGiCo [10]
- Digigram [11]
- Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd] [12]
- Innovason [13]
- Klein + Hummel [14]
- Martin Audio [15]
- Mediachip Sistemas Multimedia LDA [16]
- Nexo [17]
- Peavey Electronics [18]
- Pinanson [19]
- Richmond Sound Design Ltd. [20]
- STUDER [21]
- Tesi [22]
- VTG Audio [23]
- Whirlwind [24]
- Wisycom srl [25]
- Yamaha Corporation [26]
