Limitless Potential: Transformative Performance of BSS Soundweb OMNI DSPs

Al Crain

Since its debut at Integrated Systems Europe 2024, the BSS Soundweb OMNI DSP platform has generated significant buzz. Its open-architecture design empowers system designers with unparalleled flexibility and control, making it a perfect fit for complex installations in hospitality, large venues, corporate, education, and government applications. Our continued BSS thought leadership series delves deeper into the capabilities and possibilities, providing you with the knowledge to unlock its full potential and achieve exceptional experiences.

Get a closeup look at the new flagship BSS Soundweb OMNI DSPs in this tour from ISE 2024.

The next-gen, 360-degree platform combines enterprise-grade DSPs, the most powerful ever introduced by BSS, and flexible I/O expanders, all enabled by AVX Suite to deliver Dante/AES67 networked audio, AMX MUSE automation, and a vast library of processing objects, including media playback, AEC, VoIP, and more.

Our team builds on the rich history of innovation in digital audio processing. Al Crain, Product Manager for Digital Signal Processing at HARMAN Professional Solutions, knows more about the BSS legacy and portfolio than just about anyone. Having played a pivotal role in architecting the Soundweb OMNI platform, Al offers unparalleled insights. In this series, we’ll tap into Al’s expertise to explore what truly differentiates these new DSPs and the experiences they bring to designers and integrators building Soundweb OMNI systems.

Al, before we dive into the details on these processing behemoths, can you share a DSP overview?
Sure. The Soundweb OMNI platform includes our two flagship DSP models, the 512p and 256p Open Architecture Digital Signal Processors. They both deliver exceptional processing power; redundant, load-sharing power supplies; redundant Dante and HControl ports; and high Dante/AES67 channel counts, up to 512×512 at 48kHz or 96kHz, and the channel counts do not change regardless of sample frequency!

When talking to designers and users, which features are you most excited to share with them?

Watch this overview inside the features and benefits of the BSS Soundweb OMNI Signal Processing platform.

  • One Project, Infinite Devices -The most important design principle of Soundweb OMNI is empowering creativity and providing limitless potential. Our goal was to free designers of the typical pain points and restrictions that most DSP platforms come with. With Soundweb OMNI, system integrators can add as many processors and expanders to a single project file as needed, while still enjoying the simplicity of a single canvas for creating the signal flow diagram. Additionally, Logic and Audio paths now exist on the same canvas. This is really a different way to imagine and build systems and we couldn’t be more excited about the possibilities this level of creative control offers.
  • Powerful Delay Matrix – Soundweb OMNI processors include a new processing object that BSS has never offered before – a matrix router/mixer with adjustable delays at the crosspoint as well as adjustable attenuation at the crosspoint. This matrix is scalable up to 64×64 channels. This is really a standout processing object that I think everyone should take a look at and get to experience.
  • Port Configurability – We also wanted to ensure that our Soundweb OMNI DSPs could be as flexible as we could make them to give you the freedom to utilize them in whatever way best suits your system design. So every GPIO port is format (analog or digital) and directionally (input or output) configurable. Any channel can also be configured to function as a digital binary, to provide 0 or 5 volts, or configured to receive or send any voltage between 0 and 12 volts.

Let’s talk about scripting support for the Soundweb OMNI platform. Why was the decision made to utilize the AMX MUSE scripting engine?

Check out this overview as Al Crain shares how the AMX MUSE Automation Platform scripting engine is utilized to build powerful BSS Soundweb OMNI systems.

At HARMAN Professional, all our core new products have been designed to complement each other to create a complete audio, video, and control solution. Soundweb OMNI and the AMX MUSE Automation platform were developed in parallel with that in mind. AMX MUSE supports scripts written in JavaScript, Python, and Groovy, and it natively supports Low-Code/No-Code development with Node-RED. So, the same technology developed to enable paradigm-shifting control and automation is now running natively in Soundweb OMNI processors, inheriting the same protocol bridging and scripting capabilities.

One of the key benefits that we get from including AMX MUSE within the Soundweb OMNI processors is backwards compatibility with older BSS and Crown devices that communicate over HiQnet. BSS Soundweb Contrio EC wall controller devices can be used to control new Soundweb OMNI systems and BSS Soundweb London DSPs and Crown DCi amplifiers can be controlled along with Soundweb OMNI devices using the AVX Control app and custom UIs developed with AVX Architect. This technology also provides control system programmers with a sophisticated scripting toolkit for interfacing with third-party devices and APIs.

You mentioned the new HControl protocol, Can you share more?
HControl is one of the key technologies that makes all of the core new products from HARMAN Professional work together seamlessly. In the past, products from our audio brands used HiQnet and AMX devices used ICSP. We engineered this new communication protocol to replace and improve on both. Why is it better? The HControl protocol is open, self-describing, human-readable, and standards-based. This intuitive, flexible, and powerful protocol enables all of our new products to work together natively, opens the door for 3rd-party interoperability, and simplifies integration for developers working at any scale.

These new DSPs feature an integrated LCD display that enterprise DSPs typically don’t include. Why was it important to include with Soundweb OMNI Processors?

The integrated LCD display in BSS Soundweb OMNI DSPs provides at-a-glance troubleshooting and diagnostics, editing of IP addresses for HControl and Dante, and much more.

Great question. Actually, none of the other commercial DSP platforms on the market today offer an integrated, full-color, interactive display. These displays give end users and commissioning agents a handful of truly useful and powerful tools, including:

  • At-a-glance troubleshooting and diagnostics information
  • Front panel viewing and editing of IP addresses for HControl and Dante
  • Because Soundweb OMNI processors contain a built-in, high-precision word clock, the display also has a clock page that indicates the current sample frequency, clock source, and clock leader status
  • The home page splash screen is customizable so that users can add their own logo and other graphics

Another feature not typically included with DSPs is an internal media player. How can users best utilize it?
Soundweb OMNI processors are equipped with 128 total channels of internal media playback, making both of the processors a powerful Dante/AES67 source device of pre-recorded audio files. These are played back directly from an internal, industrial grade, long-life 1TB(512p model) or 500GB(256p model) SSD. This is useful for audio effects, announcements, paging chimes, advertisements, background soundscapes, and more.

What was the inspiration behind adding support for AEC Channels and VoIP lines in the new DSPs?
For our corporate and education customers, high channel counts of Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC) are a must-have feature and the Soundweb OMNI 512p and 256p DSPs are up to the task, supporting 160(512p model) or 80(256p model) channels of full-bandwidth AEC. The integrated support for 64(512p model) or 32(256p model) VoIP lines, provides seamless integration capability with building-wide voice over IP phone systems to ensure efficient and reliable communication.

And Al, aside from these new DSPs, what’s a personal favorite product in the 40+ year BSS portfolio?

Explore Al Crain’s other favorite product from the BSS portfolio, the BSS BLU-50.

Sure. I would say one of my all-time favorite products is the BSS BLU-50 4×4 Signal Processor, now available as the BLU-50v2. This product was and remains a true game-changer for several reasons:

  • First, I believe its true power and flexibility is far too often overlooked. For example, a single BLU-50 could replace 24 BSS FCS-960 graphic EQs! By the way, 24 analog 960s would take up 72 RU of rack space, while the BLU-50 takes up only ½ RU.
  • Secondly, it supports 48 channels of BLU link and as indicated above, has plenty of DSP horsepower for signal treatment of those channels.
  • Lastly, this Processor can be powered with anything from 12-48VDC or PoE+, includes multiple mounting options, and since there are no fans inside, can be placed anywhere in a conference room, maximizing installation flexibility.

Thanks for talking with us Al.
It was my pleasure. I’d just like to thank the many loyal BSS customers, integrators and specifiers that have been there over the years to share their valuable experiences and feedback that helps us develop and innovate new technologies and features. We’re excited to see everyone get to experience the new Soundweb OMNI platform and build systems in the ways that work best for them to ultimately best support the end user.

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Al Crain

Al Crain is Product Manager for Digital Signal Processing for HARMAN Professional Solutions.

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