Modular audio mixing console Polaris evolution is being showcased, with the focus on a new DSP engine.
The individual components of Polaris are connected via a standard Ethernet network and recombined with each other for mixing projects.
The components include the control surface Polaris access, which has 16 faders, 16 dual rotary encoders, 48 buttons and a display screen strip across the width of the console. The Polaris view touch screen upgrade can be docked at an angle onto Polaris evolution and provides a convenient user interface.
Polaris scala is the DSP engine of the mixing console, able to run up to 256 inputs, 128 matrix channels and 256 output busses. This can be increased to 640 inputs or beyond by cascading further frames.
Currently the Polaris scala interfaces with any physical AD/DA convertor via MADI. The scala is controlled by one or more Polaris access modules over a standard CAT5e Ethernet network. This can be either a single console surface or multiple independent
Polaris access surfaces. This enables different shows/productions to be run concurrently using only a single DSP core. The company said each input and output bus can be allocated freely per project to use the DSP capacity to its fullest extent.
Polaris scala is equipped as standard with the Live software package. There are also optional theatre and broadcast modules available, offering functionality such as show automation, N-1 and audio-follows-video. The company claimed that, because these modules run on the DSP, theatre/broadcast functionality is no longer limited by the console surface employed, but just by the scala DSP channels available .
The thermal design of the Polaris scala makes it completely fanless and noiseless, while the component comes with a redundant power supply.
