This article is a confirmation of the above answer, which is based on the current trends and requirements of the public address market and the features of top brand equipment:\u00a0Meyer Sound Galaxy<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>Outline Newton<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>L-Acoustics P1<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>XTA MX36<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and functionality leader DirectOut Prodigy<\/strong><\/a>, Maven<\/strong><\/a> and ACE<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Tower of Babel: Protocols and Conversion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the main problems of modern rentals is the \u201edigital Tower of Babel.\u201d At one festival, there may be consoles sending out signal after Dante, Soundgrid <\/strong>and\/or AES\/EBU<\/strong>, a transmission truck requiring MADI <\/strong>or RAVENNA<\/strong>, a PA system that works on AVB\/Milan<\/strong>, and a guest realizer with an analog outboard such as equalizers, compressors, preamps or whole channel strips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not all of the commercially available devices give you the ability to work with so many formats. Hardly, most of these devices work in the FIX domain - that is, they have fixed options for IN and OUT source connections, most often analog, AES\/EBU and Dante. The processors offered by the brand DirectOut<\/a> have the advantage of a modular design; that is, they have the ability to implement cards in every possible audio format available (available cards for Prodigy and Maven<\/a>). This is a kind of universal format translator, which we can adapt individually even to the event according to the needs and most importantly separating the clocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Getting back to the substance, i.e. what the rental company currently needs, it is worth taking care of a few features in the audio processor \/ matrix:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This way, the sound company doesn't have to worry about what format the FOH signal will come in - the processor will accept everything and give back what the amplifiers need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2 The heart of the system: DSP and PA tuning<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Another reason to own a dsp processor\/array is to fine tune a sound system. Each of the devices in question offers powerful processing power, but they differ in their approach and capabilities. A MUST HAVE for our processor:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Filters and their types:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n - IIR<\/strong> - The main feature is their recursiveness. This means that the output signal depends not only on current and past input samples, but also on previous output samples. In a nutshell: the filter \u201eremembers\u201d its previous steps and loops them, which theoretically makes the impulse response last indefinitely (hence the name). As a result, these filters perfectly mimic the behavior of analog electronic circuits<\/p>\n\n\n\n - FIR<\/strong> - Unlike IIR, FIR filters have no feedback. The output signal depends only on the present and past input samples. This filter \u201epushes\u201d the signal through a series of multipliers, which is mathematically called a splice. To achieve precise cuts, an FIR filter needs thousands of such points, which puts a heavy load on the processor, so not every commercially available DSP processor dedicated to the sound reinforcement market will be able to open more such instances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What about latency? Precision tools do not like compromises. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Comparison: FIR vs IIR<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Cooperation with Smaart software:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Imagine that your dsp processor is integrated with Smaart software and you can have all your data in one window. DirectOut is not trying to kick down an open door - instead of creating its own analyzer, the Globcon software that serves DirectOut-branded processors \u201egets along\u201d with Smaart through its API. This allows you to display measurement data directly on the equalization (EQ) window of a PRODIGY, MAVEN or ACE processor<\/p>\n\n\n\n Working with different clocks (SRC):<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n In a festival environment, we often have to deal with different sample rates (44.1, 48, 96,192 kHz). Function Fast SRC<\/strong> (Sample Rate Conversion), present in advanced DSP units such as DirectOut Prodigy or Maven, allows seamless combination of signals from different sources with different clocks without digital crackles (glitches). Such a feature also gives you the freedom to configure independent AoIP networks (e.g., Dante) when connecting the network responsible for live execution with the network responsible for transmission (transmission cart).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3 Security Above All: Redundancy and Other Features.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The most important function for a rental company is reliability. Failure of the main signal during a concert is a nightmare. Here the role of the \u201eswitcher\u201d is crucial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Devices such as XTA MX36<\/strong> were designed specifically for simple console switching. However, in large systems, automation of this function is needed so that the system engineer or FOH implementer doesn't have to think about keeping an eye on additional things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So which of the processors and matrices on the market have true power redundancy, signal switching, clock loss, and the option to work in mirror mode for large live and television productions ?<\/p>\n\n\n\n You'll find all of the above capabilities in Prodigy and Maven. DirectOut even came up with its own way of switching \u201elost\u201d signals, which it patented and called the EARS (Enhanced Automatic Redundancy Switching) function, which works well both as a function of the main processor but also as a playback switcher. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It's a \u201egame changer\u201d in security. EARS is not a simple switchover in the absence of a signal. It's advanced logic that can analyze pilot tone<\/strong>, digital status (BLDS) or audio level to perform a perfect, inaudible switchover to backup. No competitor device offers such advanced redundancy trigger logic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More about the EARS feature itself: <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"dsp](\"https:\/\/commercialaudio.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Projekt-bez-nazwy-97.jpg\")
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFeature<\/strong><\/td> FIR (Linear Phase) filter<\/td> IIR (Zero Latency) filter<\/td><\/tr> Phase<\/strong><\/td> Linear (no phase distortion)<\/td> Shifted (phase distortion)<\/td><\/tr> Delay<\/strong><\/td> Very high<\/td> Minimum \/ zero<\/td><\/tr> CPU resources<\/strong><\/td> High<\/td> Low<\/td><\/tr> Artifacts<\/strong><\/td> Pre-ringing (echo before sound)<\/td> Post-ringing (ringing after the sound)<\/td><\/tr> Stability<\/strong><\/td> Always stable<\/td> May be unstable<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n \n
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