ISDN CODECS

AUDIO MEDIA continues this series with a look at the highly populated world of ISDN codecs.

With the rapid rise in TV channels, independent radio, and so on, it's no surprise that the area of ISDN codecs is still heavily populated with product. Many companies are looking past the simple rx/tx functionality to streaming, networked, and systems technology for the basic coding schemes, although there are still some who provide the solid, portable boxes for audio gatherers in the field - whatever field they may be concerned with.

With this Product Sampler, we've chosen a selection of the more popular broadcast and recording ISDN product types, leaving more esoteric or IT-based solutions for another time. Also, because of the sheer number of products, we've picked out manufacturers and attempted a brief summary of each one's ISDN codec activities, and even skirted into peripheral and POTS product where appropriate (a lot of the time, they are inseparable).

Manufacturer: MDO UK

Products: Audio TX range

Website: www.audiotx.com

UK Distributor: MDO UK

MDO UK has been dealing in codecs for some time now, and Audio TX Communicator is the first MDO produced product. It is a software-only ISDN Audio Codec, compatible with most other models. The software enables live bi-directional audio connections and requires only a standard sound card and ISDN card in a PC to function. As both are available in PCMCIA versions, the obvious lap-top considerations spring to mind. ISDN operation is MPEG 3, MPEG 2, G.722, and G.711.

In addition Communicator is also able to establish live audio connections over IP networks so the range of LAN/WAN and ATM networks, leased lines, ADSL, DSL, T1, Cable, and so on are all options.

Also coming along in the Audio TX range are AudioTX POTS (7.5kHz bandwidth over POTS connections), and the AudioTX Capture - an 'ISDN audio feed manager'. It takes incoming audio feeds unattended and will then action each incoming piece according to user requirements - e-mail or store the audio, for example. Actions can be set according to the ISDN number or MSN dialled.