You could add a voicetrack studio, on-air studio, or production studio without the usual hassles. Or, set up a temporary studio within minutes. You could mix and produce audio anywhere and from any tablet or laptop connected to the internet, and maybe even simplify some of those more complicated workflows. But the pièce de resistance? You could eliminate racks of hardware and serve mix instances in seconds, all through our new VMX mix engine platform sitting on a server in your TOC and our new VML virtual broadcast console accessed via web browser from your laptop or tablet.

Let us explain.

VMX serves backend mixing for multiple surfaces as well as utility mixers throughout the WheatNet IP audio network. VML is a virtual broadcast console that can be quickly accessed through any web browser via HTML5 for mixing on a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer.

One mix engine platform for all makes it possible to mix things up, instantly, whether for a new voicetrack booth in the studio or for a laptop in the field accessing VML on a web browser. Moreover, by centralizing backend mixing, routing, EQ, and dynamics for all mixers throughout the network, VMX can radically simplify workflows. Easier access to mixing tools via web browser when and where they’re needed, better collaboration between talent and more consistency in sound quality are just a few of the benefits of a centralized platform that dynamically allocates shared mix engine resources across the network.

From an operational point of view, VMX mix engine platform running on a server can eliminate racks of hardware in the TOC, along with all the associated engineering, maintenance and support costs. Plus, VMX can automatically failover to a second server or appliance in an emergency, adding one more layer of redundancy to your operation.

VMX can be deployed on a regular commercial server, desktop PC or dedicated appliance made by Wheatstone. It’s hardware agnostic: Deploy VMX on an existing server or computer in the TOC to run multiple studios now, and add it to an appliance later for serving more studios. VMX is AES67 compliant for interoperability within SMPTE ST 2110 facilities and is part of the WheatNet IP audio infrastructure for maximizing audio quality, minimizing latency, and improving collaboration between devices and talent throughout the studio environment. We are essentially consolidating mix engine functions onto a single powerful platform for a smarter, more scalable approach to broadcast audio infrastructure.

VMX and VML are the latest additions to the Layers software suite, Wheatstone’s advanced development technology for virtualizing the broadcast air chain as an extension of the WheatNet IP audio network. Check out Layers VML and VMX at booth C1051 at NAB.