Linear Acoustic Intros UpMax II Reference and UpMax 5.1 Channel Upmixer

Linear Acoustic, the leader in television audio control from production to transmission, today announced two new upmixing products: the UPMAX II Reference Upmixer and UPMAX 5.1 Channel Upmixer.

Creating consistent, high-quality, continuous 5.1-channel audio is challenging. Listeners are aware of sound image changes in which stereo programs are only reproduced from the left and right channels of a 5.1-channel system. Linear Acoustic's UPMAX and UPMAX II solve this by creating a captivating 5.1-channel signal from a stereo source. UPMAX II is a reference-quality, fully-featured 2RU upmixer with extensive user control over the sound field, and the 1RU UPMAX provides simple, cost-effective, space-efficient upmixing. Both produce fully downmix-compatible left, right, center, stereo surround, and LFE channels from the two-channel main input.

UPMAX II Reference Upmixer

The new UPMAX II algorithm produces a very stable 5.1-channel version of two-channel inputs. Active steering, typically found in other upmixing products, is not employed in this algorithm. Audio elements are extracted using frequency domain filtering and time domain amplitude techniques. The bass enhancement signal for the LFE channel is derived from the left, center, and right channels, allowing quick creation of subwoofer channel elements without compromising full-range consumer playback systems.

The surround field can be infinitely adjusted via the Center Channel Width control and the Surround Channel Depth controls. This allows programming ranging from simple stereo to LtRt to be appropriately reproduced from a 5.1-channel playback system.

A full-color OLED display, rotary encoder, and four control keys provide for straightforward menu navigation and function adjustment on the unit. UPMAX II features an auto-ranging power supply with an option for a second redundant power supply. Bypass relays are provided for trouble-free operation in transmission-critical environments.

UPMAX II accepts three AES pairs of audio. It will upmix the first pair, and allows all three pairs to pass via a crossfade when upmixing is disabled. This allows the unit to remain in a 5.1-channel path. Upmixing and bypass can be controlled by GPI contact closure and applied metadata. UPMAX II also includes a utility encoder that accepts 5.1 channels and produces a two-channel LoRo, LtRt, or LtRt2 output; this encoder can be independent or it can be fed by the same channels applied to the upmixer.

Optional HD/SD-SDI I/O is available, allowing access to all 16 embedded audio channels. Audio can be processed or passed without modification from any embedded input pair to any embedded output pair, allowing utility channel pair shuffling.

UPMAX 5.1 Channel Upmixer

Based on the original UPMAX 2251, the 1RU UPMAX offers a stable and trusted algorithm in a cost- and space-efficient package, perfect for remote OB trucks. The upmixed output is completely downmix compatible; the downmixed result is nearly indistinguishable from the original two-channel input.

Upmixing can be controlled via the front panel, GPI inputs, or metadata from serial or VANC (SDI) sources applied to the unit. A bright LED display, rotary encoder, and four control keys provide straightforward menu navigation and function adjustment. Dual redundant auto-ranging power supplies are standard. Bypass relays are provided for trouble-free operation in transmission critical environments.

UPMAX also includes a utility encoder that accepts 5.1 channels and produces a two-channel LoRo or LtRt output. This encoder can be independent or it can be fed by the same channels applied to the upmixer.

Optional HD/SD-SDI I/O is available, allowing access to all 16 embedded audio channels. Audio can be processed or passed without modification from any embedded input pair to any embedded output pair, allowing utility channel pair shuffling.

For more information about Linear Acoustic, please visit www.LinearAcoustic.com.

About Linear Acoustic
Linear Acoustic is the leading authority in television audio control from production to transmission. The company designs and manufactures the AERO range of audio processing and loudness control solutions, UPMAX upmixing and downmixing solutions, LQ-1000 Loudness Quality Monitor and MetaMAX™ metadata processing products. The company licenses and OEMs key technologies to other companies in the broadcast industry. The company is actively involved in standards and practices creation as a member of the ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) and as a sustaining member of SMPTE. Linear Acoustic is proud to be a premier member of the Sports Video Group and is one of the founding members of its DTV Audio Group. Linear Acoustic provided its upmixing products and technical services for NBC's coverage of the 2008 Beijing Summer Games and provided 24 AERO.qc units and technical services for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games. More information about Linear Acoustic is available at www.linearacoustic.com.