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Four channels of stellar audio processing in a full-function WheatNet-IP BLADE-3

This single rack unit BLADE-3 gives you four mic processors that are accessible from anywhere in your WheatNet-IP network, or acts as a standalone processor. The M4IP-USB offers four completely independent channels of DSP-based high quality voice processing as well as four independent USB ports.

M4IP USB FRONT HEADON

The M4IP-USB Microphone Processor BLADE combines four high-quality microphone preamps, four channels of Vorsis Embedded microphone processing, four independent USB ports, and a WheatNet-IP BLADE interface, allowing you to place four microphone inputs anywhere in your WheatNet-IP Intelligent Network (although it also works just fine as a standalone processor). The preamps and processors are accessed and controlled from any point on the network via its Windows-based GUI.

The M4IP-USB is a great way to maximize your investment in on-air talent by combining four mic processors into a single rack space, accessible from anywhere. The M4IP-USB microphone processor is equipped with four matched Super-Quiet (SQ) microphone preamplifiers featuring an extremely low noise floor, very wide dynamic range, faithfully accurate transient response, and ruler flat frequency response. Operating in harmony with high quality 24-bit A/D converters and a 96kHz base sample rate, the M4IP-USB adds absolutely no undesired coloration to the signal and faithfully preserves the sound of any microphone and talent combination. It also features a four-section equalizer with high and low shelving EQ and two bands of fully parametric EQ, high and low pass filters, and de-esser and expander functions.

The signal path of the M4IP-USB includes four completely independent channels of Wheatstone’s smooth-sounding Vorsis dynamics processing. Adjustable from anywhere on your network, the M4IP-USB offers the security of password protected TCP/IP-based remote control and no front panel controls.

M4IP USB REAR

Wheatstone-designed Dynamics Processing tools


A high performance and fully adjustable downward expander, de-esser, and smooth sounding broadband compressor and selectable low distortion final look-ahead limiter round out the M4IP-USB to create powerful and authoritative presence to production or on-air microphones.

Processing Presets


A variety of ready-to-use factory processing presets are provided, carefully tailored for different processing goals and formats. You can select a factory preset, confident that it will sound great just as it is. Or use a factory preset as a starting point and create a custom sound for each announcer, then save the new settings as a personalized user preset. In a facility with multiple microphone processors, presets saved in one unit can be easily copied to the others.

Wheatstone-designed Equalization


Based on great-sounding designs built for Wheatstone’s other high performance professional audio applications, the M4IP-USB’s equalization section operates predictably and adds no noise, ringing, phasiness or other undesirable coloration to the sound.

WheatNet-IP Native


The M4IP-USB is a WheatNet-IP BLADE which gives it a great deal of additional functionality. All Wheatstone’s BLADEs are single rack-space interfaces that talk directly to WheatNet-IP control surfaces, other BLADEs and compatible third-party equipment. They contain features such as router control, logic control, gain control, two 8-channel utility mixers, silence detection and switching (among other things).

 

M4 ApplicationShot


Features

  • Four extremely high performance microphone preamplifiers with 48V phantom power

  • Four completely independent processing channels

  • Four independent USB ports

  • Four stereo analog line level outputs

  • Four stereo AES outputs

  • All digital, field proven Wheatstone-designed advanced processing algorithms

  • Phase Scrambler to correct asymmetrical voice waveforms

  • High- and low-pass filters


  • Fully adjustable downward expander

  • Precision de-esser sibilance controller

  • Four-bands of EQ: low-frequency shelving, two-band parametric, high-frequency shelving

  • Broadband compressor

  • Final precision peak limiter – can be defeated if desired for lower latency

  • TCP/IP-based remote control from anywhere via M4IP-USB Remote Control Software

  • Talent Control Interface software for preset recall without processor control

  • Front panel metering of input and output levels


  • WheatNet-IP BLADE-3 features include:

    — 12 Universal Logic ports (GPIO) 

    — Front panel headphone jack

    — Front panel LED bargraph metering

    — Built-in routing control

    — Two built-in 8-channel utility mixers

    — Gigabit Ethernet

    — Silence sensing can be applied to any output

    — Built-in Audio Clip Player

    — Front Panel Logic Indicators

    — LIO/SLIO Logging

    — Aliases

    — Associated Connections

    — Dual OLED Displays

    — Clock/Sync Indicators and more

M4IP-USB Software

Talent Control InterfaceGUI M4 mini

Voice talent can activate his or her own personal sound at the press of a button using the Talent Control Interface, a special GUI designed for preset recall only. The Wheatstone Talent Control Interface software can reside on an air studio/control room PC and gives talent the ability to recall presets from any Wheatstone microphone processor without allowing processing adjustments. 

 

M4IP-USB Control GUI

For the M4IP-USB, the control screen has tabs for each of its four channels, making it exceptionally quick and easy to set up each of your announcers and see the differences in the settings. You have control over parametric EQ, de-esser, filters, compressor and downward expander. There are also high and low pass filters and an overall output limiter (so you are ready if a screamer steps behind the mic.

M4IP-USB’s Control Software runs on an external PC and can be controlled remotely from anywhere there is an internet connection.

M4 Full GUI

WheatNet-IP Extends Wheatstone Processors’ Power

images/NEW_FOR_NAB_IMAGES/NAB_NEW_BLADES.jpgWith WheatNet-IP BLADE-3s, you get a virtual rack room in a 1-rack space box. They handle all the I/O (AES/EBU, SPDIF, AOIP, MADI, SDI and AES 67) and provide full routing capabilities. Each BLADE-3 gives you two 8x2 utility mixers, 12 universal GPI/O ports, 128 software logic ports, silence detection, built-in audio clip player, stereo multi-band audio processing, and much more, assignable anywhere on the network. With it you can create workflows that would require a ton of third-party gear.

Specifications

Specs For M4IP-USB:

 

FACTORY PRESETS
Factory presets are pre-installed and write protected.
New factory presets can be down­loaded from the 
Wheatstone-Processing.com web site and installed 
via the Windows-based GUI software.

USER PRESETS
Storage for 80 presets in on-board non-volatile memory, unlimited storage on host PC.

AUDIO INPUTS
Microphone XLR-F connectors: four
Electronic differential: >2KΩ (bridg­ing)
Optimum source impedance: 200Ω
Phantom Power: 48VDC, switchable on/off
Gain: -10dB to +70dB in 1dB steps
Frequency response: ±0.2dB 20Hz-20KHz
Equivalent input noise (EIN): -128dBu
THD+N: <0.03%, 20Hz-20kHz, -50dBu input
SMPTE DIM: 0.00007%

AUDIO OUTPUTS
Line-level output Two RJ45 to StudioHub standard
Reference Level: 0VU=-20dBFS
Output Sample Rates: 44.1kHz or 48kHz
Balanced: 110Ω AES-3 0VU=-20dBfs
Electronically balanced : <10Ω source impedance
Optimum load impedance: >600Ω
Maximum output level: +24dBu

FILTERS
Asymmetry filter Phase rotator, 4th order allpass, 
switchable in/out
High-pass: 24dB/octave Butterworth
Adjustable: 20Hz-1kHz
Low-pass: 24dB/octave Butterworth
Adjustable: 1-20kHz

DOWNWARD EXPANDER
Threshold Adjustable: -60dBFS to 0dBFS
Depth Adjustable: 0-40dB
Close Adjustable: 50ms-3s

DE-ESSER
Control: Recursive-style
Threshold Adjustable: -10dBFS to -60dBFS
Release time Adjustable: 50ms-500ms
De-ess frequency Adjustable: 20Hz-20kHz

 

 

 

 

PARAMETRIC EQUALIZER

Routable: Pre or post compressor

Band 1: Shelving 
Adjustable: 20-200Hz 
Boost/cut: ±14dB

Bands 2 and 3: Parametric 
Adjustable: 20Hz-20kHz 
Boost/cut: ±14dB 
Bandwidth: 0.2-3.0 octave

Band 4: Shelving 
Adjustable: 2kH-20kHz 
Boost/cut: ±14dB

COMPRESSOR
Control: Broadband
Threshold: -10dBFS to -50dBFS
Attack time: 0.2ms-1s
Release time: 33ms-1s
Ratio: 1:1-20:1

FINAL LIMITER 
Control: Zero-overshoot look-ahead limiter
Threshold: fixed at -6dBFS
Attack: automatic
Release: automatic

CONTROL
1000BaseT Gigabit Ethernet

USB
Four independent USB ports

PHYSICAL
Dimensions: 
19”/48.3cm wide 

1.75”/4.5cm high 

13.25”/33.7cm deep 
(15.25”/38.7cm deep w/rear connectors)
Weight: 10.35lbs/4.69kg
Shipping weight: 14lbs/6.4kg
Power: 90-120VAC, 50-60Hz, 22VA

 

Common Specs to all BLADE-3s:

 

LOGIC I/O
Connectors: RJ-45 (2), 12 channels
Voltage: +5VDC to GND 
 +5VDC and GND provided
Current: 100mA max source/sink

ETHERNET
Connectors: RJ-45
Cable: CAT5E or CAT6
Audio transport: 
Gigabit Ethernet 

1000BASE-T, used for all 
BLADE-3-to-BLADE-3 audio traffic
Utility interface: 100BASE-TX for future use

SYSTEM
Sample rate: 
44.1 or 48kHz, user-
selectable in software
Sync: 
Internal or external, 
External sync input
Reference level: 0dBFS=+4dBu (+4dBu=1.23VRMS)
Latency: 
0.5mS, BLADE-3 to switch to BLADE-3

PHYSICAL
Dimensions: 1RU 
 
19”/48.3cm wide
1-3/4”/4.5cm high 
13-1/4”/33.7cm deep 
15-1/4”/38.7cm deep 
with connectors
Shipping weight: 14lbs/6.4kg
Power consumption: 23VA, 12W

 

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