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What is AES67?

Audio networking has been around for about 20 years and several methods of connecting audio systems together have come and gone.

Audio networking has been around for about 20 years and several methods of connecting audio systems together have come and gone.

What is AES67
What is AES67

All audio networks work in the same way – they allow you to send and receive many channels of digital audio along one network cable.

The problem has always been that each of these methods audio networking are different. So if you want to connect two pieces of equipment together then they have to use the same protocol.

If you try and connect equipment using two different protocols it simply won’t work.

It’s been like this for years. Different protocols have different advantages and disadvantages. There are some widely used industry standard protocols but there are also some proprietary ones where a manufacturer wants to connect only their gear together so they have complete control over the user experience.

The problem is that we don’t live in a closed world, we want freedom to connect all our equipment together. So in 2013 a new standard was published called AES67. However this wasn’t just another protocol to add to the confusion of incompatible protocols. Instead AES67 is a set of rules for existing and future protocols to follow.

It sets a minimum standard for communication to allow audio to pass between equipment.

The fact is that many of these audio networking protocols are quite similar. If they make small modifications then they can be AES67 compatible and thus pass audio to equipment using another protocol.

What is AES67
AES67

AES67 could be a means of connecting different networks and systems together.

AES67 allows individual items to be connected to a network that primarily uses one protocol.

AES67

Further Reading

AES67 could even allow a system to be made up of items all using different protocols.

Introduction to AES67 (feat. RAVENNA, Livewire, QLAN & Dante)

Introduction to AES67 (feat. RAVENNA, Livewire, QLAN & Dante)

This video provides a brief introduction to the concept of AES67, continues with a demonstration using AES67 to link four different networked solutions together and closes with practical advice on when to use AES67 and how to implement it smoothly. This video is designed for audio professionals and enthusiasts, but is also appropriate for neighbouring industries.

The video has been produced by Yamaha Professional Audio with the help of ALC NetworX (now Lawo), Axia Audio and QSC.