Consumer audio trend setter Altec Lansing Technologies is making a hard pitch to capture “mind share” at the Fall’96 COMDEX computing technology exhibition this week. Altec’s focus is on the audio side of the new media convergence that is one of the big movements afoot at the show, which continues throughout the week in Las Vegas.

Convergence in this context means the combination of computing, multimedia, communications, networking, and home appliance technologies, to create new possibilities and impact in home entertainment and leisure activities.

Altec is offering its spin on new media technology with a multimedia theater presentation called “Sound Matters,” at its booth at The Sands Convention Center. Visitors are invited to explore a number of futuristic interactive computer systems demonstrating DVD-Audio, Dolby Digital Surround™, Internet Audio, and audio connectivity through Universal Serial Bus (USB), Firewire (IEEE-1394 protocol), and RF digital wireless technologies.

“We are announcing nine specific technology initiatives designed to provide advanced audio for emerging technologies,” says Edward Anchel, Altec’s President and CEO. “As a result of these initiatives, computer users will enjoy better quality audio than they have ever heard before because of the array of new technologies and products we will deliver to the computer market.”

A key introduction is a PC speaker system that Altec says will be the market’s first USB audio peripheral. Universal System Bus changes the computer audio environment by integrating speaker system functions with the host PC’s internal audio circuitry, allowing direct digital audio streaming to the speakers.

Altec’s first USB speaker system will include proprietary firmware and software, along with an Intel 80930AE chip. The software will function as a user-friendly control interface for the PC audio environment. The system will support multichannel sound streaming that will have applications for communications and video conferencing, as well as for music and gaming audio.

Altec Lansing has also announced that it will develop multichannel direct streaming audio to its speaker systems via the even speedier and higher-bandwidth “Firewire” protocol, also known as IEEE-1394.

Another of Altec’s new initiatives showcased at COMDEX demonstrates discrete multichannel audio delivered by DVD (Digital Versatile Disc). The demonstration focuses on Dolby® Digital Surround (AC3), encoded as six discrete channels, and streamed as compressed digital data to Altec’s USB speaker system. Altec will implement a system of this kind for home theatre applications.

The third key area of Altec Lansing’s COMDEX roll-out introduces high-quality wireless audio transmission for use with computers and home theater systems. The technology involves proprietary compression algorithms and modulation techniques to enable the delivery of audio via spread-spectrum digital RF transmission.

San Diego, CA. Pacific Research & Engineering today announced the roll out of AirWave™, their first on-air broadcast console targeted specifically to medium- and smaller-market stations.

The AirWave console is expected to hit the market in January 1997. It will be available in two models, each priced for the budgets of stations in middle to smaller markets.

Jack Williams, CEO of PR&E, touted engineering and manufacturing innovations as the keys to producing a high-quality broadcast solution while keeping it affordable for the nearly 4,000 radio stations in ADI’s 31-260.

“Our engineers have gone to great lengths to develop AirWave to the benchmark PR&E quality and reliability standards found in our high-end consoles,” commented Williams. “Fewer bells and whistles on this console, but standard features include all the technological essentials to provide operators with the flexibility and confidence to produce quality broadcasts day in and day out,” he added.

The console features welded steel construction which renders structural strength and stability for long-term usage. The steel mainframe completely encloses the electronics, providing shielding from radio frequency interference.

Much like its high-end console cousins, AirWave comes as a mainframe with a channel configuration determined by the customer. AirWave is a low-profile console designed for tabletop or inset mounting. Accessory blank panel positions give operators console customization advantages.

Other standard features include a unique preamplifier module containing five high-performance microphone preamplifiers with phantom power, balanced patch points, a stereo program-1 / program-2 / monaural output module, a dual remote line selector module, and a timer control module. AirWave also provides monitor facilities for control room, studio, co-host and guest headphone systems; four illuminated Sifam meters; assignable A/B input control logic; built-in cue-speaker and operator’s room headphone amplifier; and built-in studio talk-back microphone.

PR&E has also announced financial results for the third quarter of its fiscal year, which ended September 30. Revenue for the third quarter was $2.3 million (U.S.), up 51.9 percent over the same quarter last year. Net income after taxes was $65,000 (U.S.).

Williams attributed the sales increase to the recent approval of the telecommunications reform bill. “Radio stations and their ownership groups had placed equipment purchases on hold while this bill was being developed. With the approval of the bill allowing for multiple station ownership, we’ve seen an increase in demand for our equipment from new second-tier clients, and we’ve positioned ourselves to meet that demand and continue to grow.”

In addition to the AirWave console, the company has said that it will introduce a line of modular, ready-to-assemble studio furniture in early 1997.