Developed in conjunction with the Information Services Department at Melbourne University, the UniMix is designed to allow institutions such as colleges, universities and high schools to provide downloadable recordings - podcasts - of lectures and classes for students to access on a local area network. These recordings are typically taken from the classroom / lecture theatre sound system and saved to a computer in real time.
Several problems are normally faced in this application. Getting the correct recording level is difficult, given that the level requirements are different to those of loudspeaker systems and maintaining a steady input level to the computer requires continual monitoring to prevent digital overload., says the company.
ARX's design team have overcome these problems by integrating new Automatic Gain Control (AGC) circuitry into the Unimix's transformer isolated independent recording output. Specially tailored parameters ensure that audio levels remain constant, irrespective of microphone placement and user technique. The result is a consistent level for the recording, providing increased intelligibility, removing the need for full time monitoring and the risk of overload and distortion.
(Jim Evans)
