A: See a comparison between both products that details specific differences between the two products.

A: Voice Over IP / Audio Over IP technologies have been around for some time and are now quite stable. However, the real-time nature of broadcasting has, in the past, presented challenges in the "new frontier" known as the Internet. Lots of work has been done in this field to improve reliability, stabilize connections and produce a smooth ON AIR presentation. Audio CompassTM allows direct control over its audio buffer, providing the greatest flexibility. The buffer can range from 0 to as many as 9999 milliseconds of audio. This allows you to adjust the buffer based on the needs of your broadcast. For a talk-show host this number would be quite low. In contrast, for a sports broadcast or single direction audio transmission, this buffer may be increased for stability. Although this technology is reliable and improving rapidly, the quality of your broadcast still depends on your connection to the Internet at both locations.

A: Audio CompassTM boasts several codecs for you to choose from, including broadcast quality apt-X, G.711, G.722, Speex, CELT and RAW-PCM. The default is Speex. This is the best sounding, broadcast quality speech codec, specifically designed for voice. After selecting the codec, choose the preferred kilohertz which determines audio quality. This ranges from phone line quality (8kHz) and surpasses ISDN audio to near studio quality audio (44kHz). Select your connectivity options and you're ON AIR!

A: It is true that many times a hardware solution is more stable than a consumer grade computer option. However, that's not the only consideration:

1. If you have hardware issues, do you want a computer (easily replaced or substituted) or a proprietary solution that needs to be sent back to the manufacturer? The computer can be replaced in minutes while the proprietary device may takes days or weeks to be repaired or replaced.
2. When you have a hardware solution, it's dedicated to the task at hand. You will need a computer out in the field to check news, email, sports scores etc. If you are already using a computer, you can do BOTH…one device out in the field, instead of two or more.
3. If you have trouble getting connected with a computer solution, any IT person can help you solve your problem. With a proprietary device, the IT folks on site may not feel competent or comfortable to troubleshoot it for you.
4. A software solution can be installed at a lower cost point than hardware any day. Example: Your main sports jock is sick; he has the hardware device. The backup guy is ready to go but to pick up the hardware may be 50 miles or minutes out of the way. Software saves the day once again. Remember that both software and hardware have their place ... the situation will help you decide what fits best for you.

A: With the buffer disabled in Audio CompassTM, the delay to encode and decode audio is approximately 70 ms. The delay will vary depending on the quality of the Internet connection; ranging from 100 to 500 ms. Due to the nature of the Internet, we cannot tell you what your exact delay will be, however, in the real world, as little as 200 ms is commonly seen. A LAN and Intranet has a lower delay where the Internet may have a longer delay.

A: Absolutely. You can send simultaneous audio to as many locations as desired. In other words, you can send single direction audio to multiple locations using the -c (Connect To) option in your Audio Compass P2PTM profile. Please remember, you'll need sufficient bandwidth for each simultaneous connection you initiate. The reason for this is Audio Compass P2PTM sends separate audio streams to each destination. If you send to five locations, you would need five times the single stream bandwidth.

A: Processor: Pentium 266 or better; OS: Windows XP/VISTA/7 - all versions; Hardware: Ethernet port / Wireless card (depending on your choice of connections); Sound card. The majority of computers easily exceed the above specifications and will run Audio CompassTM just fine. No proprietary hardware is required. In order to operate Audio CompassTM, you will need the software installed on two machines: one in studio and the other at the remote location.

A: No. We want you to experience exactly what Audio CompassTM is like out in the field. Offering you a fully functional version to try for 30 days does exactly that. Download and try Navigator or P2P. Navigator requires a test account to be setup by our staff. Contact us to setup your account, today.

A: Here are 9 reasons why you should buy Audio CompassTM:

1. Audio CompassTM was developed by radio professionals with the broadcaster in mind.
2. AC boasts separate send/receive codecs. Use a broadcast quality codec for the broadcast and a low bandwidth codec for the return IFB channel.
3. Remotely control audio switchers and send relay closures via RS232 Serial Ports; even get an acknowledgement that the command was sent successfully.
4. Set your audio buffer and change the packet size with a few mouse clicks to deal with those pesky connectivity issues. Buffers can be controlled at both ends of the link separately.
5. Broadcast quality codecs: apt-x, G.722, CELT… to name a few.
6. Use TCP Mode for STL's and longer delay broadcasts and make the transmission even better (rock solid).
7. Use a corporate solution that is more secure.
8. Audio CompassTM has simple configuration screens - change your sound card send/receive, increase/decrease the audio buffer, change codecs - you don't need to dive-down into complicated menus full of things that don't have anything to do with your broadcast/remote.
9. Real time statistics window - see how full your audio buffer is on the fly, verify your connection details, see how many packets are out of order or lost, see the min-max-average delivery times of your data, live on the fly.

Shall we go on and on? Try the 30-day demo of Audio CompassTM today!

A: Absolutely! Please look at our purchase page for details.

A: P2P: Minor upgrades are provided free of charge. Major upgrades will be offered at a nominal fee. However, the version you purchase may be used with no restrictions. Navigator: All upgrades are free and are included in your yearly license agreement.

A: Email technical support is provided with your Audio CompassTM software purchase, Monday – Saturday, anytime. Phone support is available Monday – Friday from 9AM – 5PM (Mountain Time). The online FAQ has answers to the most common questions.

A: There are various things to consider when troubleshooting this issue:

1. Make sure all audio cables are securely connected.
2. Verify that Audio CompassTM is running on both the studio and remote machines.
3. Make certain that both the speaker and microphone buttons are not muted. If they are muted, a red line appears. Be sure both the input and output sliders are relatively in the middle (not turned down all the way).
4. Check your network connections. A network engineer can resolve these problems with ease.
5. The most common cause is a software or hardware firewall preventing connectivity. You may need your network engineer to open ports for Audio CompassTM. Audio CompassTM can be configured to use any ports desired.
6. If you have audio that is garbled or white noise, verify the same codec is being used on both ends and that the audio quality parameters match. (P2P only)

A: There is only one codec dropdown in the AC settings window. Audio CompassTM allows for the selection of the send codec in the settings window. The receive codec is detected and matched on the fly from the sending end.

Example: You want broadcast (on-air) quality from the remote user to send to the studio. In the AC settings window on the remote machine, choose the apt-x 44KHZ codec and click OK. Remember, you are selecting the send audio codec in the settings window of each computer. On the studio computer, you want a simple codec that will provide queues but doesn't take much bandwidth. On the studio machine, select the speex 16KHZ codec and click OK. The receive codec is detected and matched on the fly on each end. Thus, the remote computer is sending apt-x 44KHZ and the studio is sending speex 16KHZ. Since the receive codec is detected and matched on the fly, the remote machine will receive the speex 16khz codec for the IFB channel and the studio machine will auto detect and match on the fly the apt-x 44KHZ codec.

Think of it this way: whatever you want to send, select that codec from that location.

A: Visit our support page to view a description of each codec with suggested applications.