• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Breakaway hardware box

S

Shay O Boyle

Guest
Hi,
Anyone know if Breakaway still plan to bring the software to hardware so to speak? Any idea of time scale?
 
You can check their forums yourself:

http://www.claessonedwards.com/forum/index.php

That said, the head guy (Leif) over there keeps saying they're working on it but will never give any specifics as to the final product or timetable. Been that way for a very long time, so I hope it's not vaporware.

I liked the way the software sounds, but will not have my stations jump on board until parameters can be adjusted more than the current level of presets for 80% of all settings (hidden) + just a few available controls for users. It's like buying an Orban with everything permanently locked out except factory presets and less-more controls.
 
If you want to run it, you should probably build your own box. It's one thing to write some great software, but to mass produce and support a piece of hardware on top of that is difficult.

Build it with an Intel X25 SSD and you will be good to go.
 
VoiceOfReason said:
You can check their forums yourself:

http://www.claessonedwards.com/forum/index.php

That said, the head guy (Leif) over there keeps saying they're working on it but will never give any specifics as to the final product or timetable. Been that way for a very long time, so I hope it's not vaporware.

I liked the way the software sounds, but will not have my stations jump on board until parameters can be adjusted more than the current level of presets for 80% of all settings (hidden) + just a few available controls for users. It's like buying an Orban with everything permanently locked out except factory presets and less-more controls.
Click to expand...
I'd like that as well & would pay extra just to unlock all the hidden goodies in BBP. Although in all fairness, the available presets are pretty good. My favorite at the moment is New York with the Range & Power at 100, Final Drive at -4 and release at 10 or 15. I did swap emails with Leif a month or two ago & he told me the reason he's not been active on forums such as this is because they take up too much time that he prefers to spend working on the hardware box. He said the hardware box is very much alive & not to lose faith. I'd be willing to set up a client with this with the current preset offerings, but I have to have the hardware box. No matter how good this is (and make no mistake, it's good), I just can't set a desktop tower on the floor with a monitor/mouse/keyboard & announce "Here's Your New Processor!". BTW, if you use this without a DC coupled sound card (like the Marian Trace Alpha), it will overshoot on some songs. With the DC Coupled sound card, the total modulation meter will hang steadier than it will on an Omnia or Optimod. I'm not a salesman, but if I were forced to sell one product for a living, I think this might be it.
 
I am using their Live product on a stream I am setting up. Its a sports talk station, and with just the "Reference Classic" preset with speed and power around 75, the output VU's on the sound card don't budge. And it doesn't sound that processed. It sounds good and loud, but not crushed.

I'm considering their simple "Enhancer" version for a jukebox PC I have at home.

Hopefully the hardware box comes out before my group is in the market again - and priced competitively. Damn processing is expensive these days!
 
VoiceOfReason said:
I'm considering their simple "Enhancer" version for a jukebox PC I have at home.
Click to expand...
That's all the $29 one can do. When you go to set it up, the only input option it has is Breakaway Pipeline 1 which makes it impossible to feed with a sound card. I just set up a Live! stream the other day & the programming staff thinks it sounds better (and I agree) than the 8100A Optimod the station uses on their OTA feed.
 
BobOnTheJob said:
VoiceOfReason said:
I'm considering their simple "Enhancer" version for a jukebox PC I have at home.
Click to expand...
That's all the $29 one can do. When you go to set it up, the only input option it has is Breakaway Pipeline 1 which makes it impossible to feed with a sound card.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say "impossible" - it's more like "difficult".

The "Breakaway Pipeline" is a rebadged version of the Virtual Audio Cable. Use Google to find the VAC Audio Repeater application. It allows you to route any sound device output to the Pipeline. And the Audio Repeater is free.
 
VoiceOfReason said:
<snip>
Damn processing is expensive these days!
Click to expand...

I humbly disagree. Over course of the history of audio processing, the entry fee was always many thousands of dollars. No more.

Even the big manufacturers have gone out of their way to create very credible products at a fraction of the cost of their top-of-the-line offerings. And there's always the software solution, of course, at even lower cost.

Kind Regards,
David
 
I agree David. A small market broadcaster has NEVER had better options for great audio processors. The Omnia One and the budget Broadcast Warehouse processor is God's gift to small market radio. They can have nearly as good audio as the big stations for under 2000 dollars. Amazing actually they could make it that cheap.
 
It's been said before, but never has such solid level of processing been available for so little money as it is now. The entry level processors are dirt cheap yet offer a good quality sound that previously you had to pay much more for. When I remember the 8100s, the Omnia.jrs, the Inovonics boxes and other entry level processors, how much they cost back in a day and what did they offer in terms of sound, today smaller stations really have no reason to complain on what they can get and at what price.

Of course, the big boxes are expensive as they have always been, but there's a demand for them as well. Stations are willing to pay that price so obviously the customers are happy with the value they are getting.


Regards,
Goran Tomas
 
anyone know of a roll out date for breakaway in a box. Even a rough idea?
 
Roll your own...

Roll your own. Go pick up a cheap dual core Pentium or Celeron-D CPU, motherboard, CD drive and case and an M Audio Delta 192 audio card. Don't forget to do the filter mod on the '192 (Google it). Then get a 16 gB solid state hard drive (about 50 bucks) and a copy of Windows 2000 (don't forget the updates/service packs-even though M$ doesn't support 2000, you can find the updates online), Finally download the version of Breakaway you want (normal or low latency). You can use the free demo for evaluation/testing, and register it later.

Hint: Newegg is your friend.

One more thing-don't forget to download and install the (separate) Breakaway phase scrambler program.

So for about 500-600 bucks you have a state of the art audio processor (with two composite outputs).
 
I would consider it the 2nd preferred card.The Marian is not really expensiive.149Euro,now.That'a a bargain for this high quality card.This is the card of choice for the breakaway..
 
oldiesstation said:
I would consider it the 2nd preferred card.The Marian is not really expensive.149Euro,now.That'a a bargain for this high quality card.This is the card of choice for the breakaway..
Click to expand...
The Marian card is vital for best BBP performance. If you need convincing, play the first few notes of Three Dog Night - Black And White...even on the modified Delta card...and watch the modulation meter jump to 125%. After numerous emails swaps with Leif, he was able to duplicate it at his shop. He insisted that the Marian Trace Alpha would fix it. So I bit the bullet & paid the hefty overseas shipping and tried it. That same song doesn't begin to affect it. I've found NOTHING that drives the modulation past 100% at all. Try any card you like, but plan on having to eventually buy the Marian card unless you live in a third world country where an occasional 125% modulation peak is no big deal.
 
Re: Roll your own...

LA_Guy said:
Roll your own. Go pick up a cheap dual core Pentium or Celeron-D CPU, motherboard, CD drive and case and an M Audio Delta 192 audio card. Don't forget to do the filter mod on the '192 (Google it). Then get a 16 gB solid state hard drive (about 50 bucks) and a copy of Windows 2000 (don't forget the updates/service packs-even though M$ doesn't support 2000, you can find the updates online), Finally download the version of Breakaway you want (normal or low latency). You can use the free demo for evaluation/testing, and register it later.

Hint: Newegg is your friend.

One more thing-don't forget to download and install the (separate) Breakaway phase scrambler program.

So for about 500-600 bucks you have a state of the art audio processor (with two composite outputs).
Click to expand...

I ditto everything you said except the SSD.  Don't go totally bargain basement on this, because you want a reliable controller.  For $99, you can get the Intel V20 (a 40 Gig SSD).  I use it all over my building and it is great for speeding up computers (ie Audiovault) that build and access SQL Databases.
 
I don't have Breakaway, but I did talk to Lief about his product (he is the developer). From conversations with him, yes, the Marian Trace Alpha would be your best option. It's a little more expensive, but, in the bigger picture, not at all too expensive.

I've been told by others that the Marian hardware is used in the big players as well: Omnia, Orban, and Linear Acoustics.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom