Comrex Road Warriors - Live & Local

....and on to New Hampshire!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:15:00 +0000

We are very very excited about the success our customers have been having with their Comrex ACCESS codecs used via the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE (Pantech UML290) modem.

Several major radio networks have been deploying this combo throughout Iowa and New Hampshire and other states that are holding US Presidential Primaries in January 2012.

We recently learned that NPR has been using ACCESS live on the air and came across this audio sample of one of their live reports on their flagship program "All Things Considered." In this audio clip, ATC's Melissa Block interviewed Ari Shapiro live at 5:06pm on Thursday, January 5th this evening as candidate Mitt Romney visited Peterborough, New Hampshire. Audio is here.

Comrex support personnel with be in Manchester, New Hampshire on Monday, January 9th and Tuesday January 10th to assist customers with setup and troubleshooting!!! You'll be able to find Andy and Paul from Comrex at the Radisson Hotel on those days or just give us a call at 800-237-1776.

Here we go a Caucusing!

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:14:00 +0000

We just love it when a good plan comes together. US broadcaster, NPR is currently in Iowa to kick off the 2012 Primary Season. Armed with their Comrex ACCESS Portables and some Verizon Wireless 4G LTE modems, they are literally inside the Caucuses to report the unfolding events to the nation.

We've managed to get our hands on the audio for a couple of their reports. Take a listen!

From downtown Des Moines. Audio is here.

· 12 noon from a high school in West Des Moines. Audio is here.

If you've got audio or photos using your Comrex gear from your Presidential Primaries coverage, send them to us so we can put them here on the Road Warrior Blog!!

Comrex Named Verizon Innovation Center Partner

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:44:00 +0000

Devens, MA – August 19, 2011 – Comrex Corporation has recently been added to the Verizon Wireless LTE Innovation Center Program. The Innovation Center, located in Waltham, Massachusetts, provides manufacturers of Machine-to-Machine (M2M) solutions with integration support for devices that utilize the Verizon 4G LTE Wireless Network. Comrex, the leading provider of high-quality audio and video codecs for professional broadcast applications says that the partnership has already produced results with new drivers for several Verizon LTE devices incorporated in the latest ACCESS IP Audio Codec firmware.

"The ultimate goal of the ACCESS product is to make wireless connections simple," said Comrex Technical Director, Tom Hartnett. "This partnership allows us direct contact with not only the provider of the best-deployed 4G network in the US, but also a relationship with modem device manufacturers for easier integration. 4G has substantial benefits for our IP audio codecs and will really shine when used with our forthcoming LiveShot IP Video Codec."

Comrex has recently launched a campaign called "4G Simplicity" which provides a plug-and-play experience on Verizon LTE. Customers purchasing ACCESS IP codecs receive hardware pre-programmed with the BRIC Traversal Server and configured to make "one touch" connections over Verizon 4G LTE and other 4G services.

Jesus Cabrera of Verizon Wireless gives Steve Richardson of Comrex a tour of the Verizon Experience Center (but not before they texted and posted to Facebook about it first).

Comrex Corporation, a privately held, employee-owned company, celebrates its 50^th year as a leading innovator in the development and manufacture of professional broadcast equipment used by radio and television broadcasters worldwide. For more information about Comrex products, contact Comrex Corporation: 978-784-1776, e-mail: info@comrex.com or on the web at: www.comrex.com

Colorado Public Radio's first use of ACCESS

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 16:44:00 +0000

CPR Puts ACCESS to the Test.

CPR Audio Producer, Dave Fender, posted on our Facebook wall today:

"This is the first interview we conducted with our new ACCESS Portable system. I met Gov. Hickenlooper in his office at the state capitol and used my HTC Thunderbolt phone as a 4G wireless hotspot, connecting to it with the WIFI antenna on the ACCESS."

Apparently, the interview went well because it sounded great to us! Dave also added, "So far, this is one of the best equipment purchases that I've ever made and I'm really looking forward to figuring out different ways to use it."

Thanks Dave and CPR!

CLICK HERE TO HEAR THE INTERVIEW

NPR uses ACCESS 2USB and Verizon 4G LTE to help "Fix The National Debt" and follow the President

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:26:00 +0000

At Comrex, we love happy customers. And these days, Washington, DC-based NPR is one of the happiest! On the April 7th broadcast of the public broadcaster's program, Talk of the Nation, United States Senator Kent Conrad (pictured below) was able to participate in the program live and in full studio quality thanks to NPR producer John Asante who grabbed his ACCESS 2USB and a Verizon 4G LTE card (Pantech's UML290) and set up the gear in the Senator's office at the Hart Senate Office Building.

US Senator Kent Conrad on NPR's Talk of the Nation

Commented Program Producer Scott Cameron to fellow staffers,

"I don’t know how things went behind the scenes, but on the air Sen. Conrad’s connection sounded great! Thank you for the help, and I hope we can make more use of this technology. Especially in cases like this where congress people can’t leave their offices."

LISTEN TO ACCESS 2USB being used on Talk of the Nation

NPR used the same technology combo on its flagship program, All Things Considered. The April 21st broadcast featured a segment with White House Correspondent Ari Shapiro who was literally on the move after President Obama's visit to Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, CA.

LISTEN TO ACCESS 2USB being used on All Things Considered

According to NPR Director of Operations, Charlie Mayer, "A month ago—before LTE—this interview would have been on a cell phone. The listening experience for our audience would not have been so good.

This is a preview of what we can expect from the 2012 election season. The campaign trail is where the mobility of the Comrex ACCESS and the speed of LTE change how we work and the quality of what we put on the air."

Calle Ocho! ACCESS is HOT in Miami!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 20:17:00 +0000

ACCESS and the new 4G LTE service have gotten together once again to benefit radio listeners and advertisers. This time in Miami. Comrex customer, George Corso, from Beasley Broadcasting just sent us this note:

"Sunday we used the ACCESS with our Verizon broadband card at Calle Ocho, an outdoor festival that brings over a million folks to 8^th Street in Miami. This year both our CHR station Power 96 and 99.9 KISS Country (“The Gringo Stage”) broadcast all day. We had two stages, 5 blocks apart, and cut-in live several times per hour. We never missed a break. Even with a third of the population of South Florida walking 8^th Street between 12^th Ave and 27^th Ave the Access never let us down!

Thank you,

George Corso, CSRE

Regional Director of Engineering

Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc."

WOR Rules the Air with Comrex ACCESS & Verizon 4G LTE

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 14:31:00 +0000

New York, NY – January 14, 2011 – WOR-AM successfully broadcast the two hour "Joan Hamburg Show" from the prestigious 21 Club via Comrex ACCESS utilizing the new Verizon 4G LTE wireless data service. The broadcast was originally scheduled to use a POTS codec with a 4G backup, but phone line issues forced a switch to the ACCESS system at the beginning of the broadcast, where it performed flawlessly.

"The skyscraper-lined streets of Manhattan have often presented special challenges for radio remote broadcasts," said Tom Hartnett, Comrex Technical Director, who participated in the test. "ISDN is difficult and expensive to install and 3G signals are notoriously overloaded. The new Verizon 4G service allows ACCESS to deliver incredible quality and low delay in environments that couldn't previously support any wireless remote broadcasts. The 700MHz band used by Verizon LTE provides for superior building penetration."

The WOR technical crew utilized the ACCESS portable codec with the Verizon Pantech UML290 4G adapter attached via USB. Tom Ray, Corporate Director for Engineering at Buckley Broadcasting/WOR said, "We had attempted ACCESS remotes on 3G in NYC before. It simply doesn't work well inside the city. So I was skeptical about using 4G in Manhattan. We were in an area that is notorious for poor cellular calls. But the 4G just - simply - worked. I must say that I'm impressed."

Support for the Verizon UML290 4G modem is included in ACCESS firmware version 2.8, available from the Comrex website at comrex.com

SPH Union Works goes LIVE & LOCAL in Southeast Asia

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 15:09:00 +0000

As an early SE Asia adopter of remote broadcast IP codec technology, Singapore’s SPH Union Works has been using the Comrex ACCESS system to great advantage over the last few months. We caught up with the broadcaster’s Director of Marketing, Dawn Lee SY, to see how things were going.

Why did SPH Radio invest in Comrex IP codec systems at this time?

SPH: Needless to say, all broadcasters are interested in fresh programming concepts. At SPH, we decided to add smart, mobile entertainment to our existing mix. We were especially interested in doing remote broadcasts from our many sponsor locations. We sought to liberate our DJs from the studio and get them out into the field. That would put the DJs in direct contact with the listeners and promote viral excitement for the shows while allowing us to target programming and advertising geographically.

To accomplish this, we needed an easy-to-use, totally mobile remote transmitting solution that provided crystal clear audio. After looking at everything available, we found the Comrex ACCESS system to be ideal for our needs.

Can you describe the benefits of this approach for your listeners?

SPH: This approach and technology brings Radio closer to the listeners allowing them to see our DJs in a cool, fresh, sexy way. Listeners get to see their favorite Radio personalities at work. This creates a terrific rapport between the talent, the listeners and the local advertisers. It’s been a game-changing strategy for us.

Can you give us some examples of your remote broadcasting strategy at work?

SPH: Sure, let’s begin with our first Comrex remote… A famous SE Asian snack food chain, Old Chang Kee (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Chang_Kee) wanted to reinforce their brand and build awareness of their latest F&B concept, "The Mushroom Café." A special weekend was planned for a "Healthy Morning Walk-About" at Mac Ritchie Reservoir where they catered to more than 150 people. Armed with their Comrex ACCESS Portables, our DJs Jianwen, Ah Dong, Xinying and Kemin, were walking with the participants as they did ‘live talk’ sets while allowing walkers to share their actual experience, on air, as it happened.

Next, we were invited by the Hong Kong Tourism Board to do a remote broadcast highlighting the Hong Kong Winter Fest 2010. Two of our DJs, Jianwen and Limei, flew to Hong Kong with an ACCESS Portable to do a special, four-hour remote segment. The DJs toured Hong Kong's iconic attractions while sharing their experiences and comments with our Singapore listeners. In that single effort, live broadcast was actually conducted at The Peak, Lam Kwai Fong, Central and Causeway Bay. Such a time-line was simply not possible with our previous OB equipment. The entire trip was also photographed so listeners could savor the Hong Kong spirit via our website and Facebook page on their computers or mobile devices.

Last month, our Radio 1003 was invited to visit a local museum by Singapore’s National Heritage Board as part of their 'I Love Museums' Campaign. With an objective to let Singaporeans see Museums in a ‘fun and different light,’ they got our DJs to wear a different hat and act as tour guides for that day. We used the ACCESS Portable for this project, where our DJs Kemin and Ah Dong did ‘live talk’ sets as they toured the museum – interacting with visitors and sharing their ‘observations’ to enhance the museum experience with our listeners. The event was also photographed and fed live to Facebook to incorporate listener comments into the program.

One final application I have to share is the broadcast for the Top Korean “boy band” – Super Junior Concert. Our Radio 1003 was the official radio station for the concert and -- as this was a highly popular group -- quite a number of media companies came to cover the event. The organizers for the event were ‘thrilled’ when we introduced a live mobile studio concept via our Comrex ACCESS system. This allowed real time updates to ‘KPOP’ fans instead of a delayed news update the next day. Our DJ, Ken, was also able to share the actual happenings on the ground, such as reporting crazy ticket queues. Comrex ACCESS helped us to stir up real time excitement due to easy, high quality local transmissions.

BBC World Service uses ACCESS for Commonwealth Games

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 14:21:00 +0000

According to the Jeff Brown from the BBC's World Service, having a Comrex ACCESS at the recent Commonweath Games, in Delhi, India was a great asset. Jeff sent us these photos and comments:

"First transmission for BBC World Service's Sports World at The Commonwealth Games, Delhi. Poolside at the Lalit. BGAN [had some technical difficulties with the ISDN service] before we went on air so we did 40 minutes on the Comrex with a Tata Photon 3G stick Worked a treat and saved the transmission!"

"The Comrex ACCESS (attached to 3G) is set up as the backup here. When it works, the BGAN is OK, but we've had a few instances here of it dropping off, so 3G is the next option. We're using Comrex's to report from venues where there are no ISDN's available and they are getting the thumbs up from our reporters..."

"This is BBC World Service's Sports News reporter, Alex Capstick, reporting live from outside the JN stadium, prior to to the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games."

You can connect to the World Service's Sports World page at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/sport/2009/03/000000_sportsworld.shtml

Radio New Zealand uses ARC for "Grab and Go" Reporting

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 20:52:00 +0000

Radio New Zealand, the country's public broadcaster, has been putting the Comrex ACCESS Reporter Codec, or ARC, through its paces as it has been giving it a trial run using some recently acquired Motorola Milestone Android-based smartphones. ARC had been used successfully in a couple of big stories recently... the aftermath of an earthquake and snow storm.

Here is a sample of one of the broadcasts using ARC:

http://www.comrex.com/downloads/audio/pool-19800101-1200-ARC_1-128.mp3

Radio New Zealand's web site can be found at: http://www.radionz.co.nz

98.1 WOGL/Philly puts ACCESS to work for Children's Hospital

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 15:12:00 +0000

Longtime Comrex user and our good friend Tom MacDonald sent us this email this morning. What a GREAT way to start off a work week!

"I was doing a telethon for Children's Hospital in Philadelphia for WOGL-FM using ISDN when we heard the story of a 14 year-old boy who was finally going to get a heart transplant. The producer on the scene wanted to go outside the operating room to talk to the parents. The first thing suggested was to pull out a cell phone. I wanted audio quality, so I suggested the ACCESS, since the hospital had an open WI-FI system available everywhere. A quick check of the battery, grab a microphone and run to the operating room with the talent. The unit connected seamlessly and worked without a dropout as we found out the young boy's new heart was beating. We were there to tell the story, and it was crystal clear thanks to Comrex and the AAC-ELD setting. The producer was amazed, I was happy, but I knew all the time with the portability and battery power of the Comrex ACCESS we were going to get the job done. It was amazing, using the hospital Wi-Fi...the producer called it a game-changer for this type of remote...next year they want to go to the different wards of the hospital and interview children who can't come to our remote in the lobby."

Tom MacDonald

TRM Corp.

The 98.1 WOGL Loves Our Kids Radiothon raised $475,030 this past weekend for The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. You can read, see and hear more at: http://wogl.radio.com/98-1-wogl-loves-our-kids-radiothon/

Also at: http://giving.chop.edu/site/PageServer

Up, Up and Away...with ACCESS!

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:44:00 +0000

Here at Comrex, one of our favorite "off the clock" pastimes is "Facebook stalking." We've checked with our attorney's and have learned that its perfectly legal. Anyway, an unnamed Comrex FB stalker...er...person stumbled across this lovely photo:

We weren't exactly sure what was going on in this photo. Perhaps a nice Remote Gift Basket? But wait! It appears that there are trees in the background...several hundred feet below.

Well, naturally we needed to find out more. After a bit of digging around, we sent a note to the owner of the Facebook page and received the following:

Please hang on tightly via the handy neoprene strap!

Dear Comrex,

I'm the news person at 610 WTVN who loves it when engineering lets me play with our toys, so I was quite blown away by your request and am VERY happy to help you. The Access is a fantastic piece of equipment.

The Giant Eagle is full of hot air.

We were invited to ride-along in a hot air balloon to help promote the Grove City Balloons and Tunes Festival near Columbus. When I got the assignment Thursday afternoon I ran straight to our engineering department and asked about doing a live shot from 2,000 feet up. It didn't take long for them to develop a plan and the first place they looked was the shelf with our Comrex Access on it. We'd tested it in the field a couple of times in the news department. The most recent use was a visit to a Columbus family's backyard by President Obama a couple of weeks ago. Our biggest concern was how the cell coverage would be in the air. We got up to about 2,500 feet and even over a rural area of Franklin County, Ohio we had decent cell service from AT&T. We had some droppouts, which we expected, but the unit did a great job, also as we expected. Thanks so much for making a GREAT product like the Comrex Access - so easy even a news person can use it!

Just a little corny.

I called our Chief Engineer, Greg Savoldi, to tell him about your request. He expects a new portable unit in exchange for the photos ;)

matt bruning

newstalk 610 wtvn
news reporter/anchor

Matt, thank you very much for the letter and the great photos!! Greg, you're an old buddy of ours and we really like you. But, come on! We might be able to scrounge up a very nice ARC t-shirt for you and Matt.

Comrex Lends Support for 2010 National Scout Jamboree

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:05:00 +0000

With nearly 50,000 Scouts, Scouters and volunteers gathering together at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Scouting in the U.S., the 2010 National Scout Jamboree became the State of Virginia's 13th largest city...virtually overnight. Scouts from all over the world arrived on the Jamboree site on Monday, July 26th for the 10-day event. As they arrived, they were greeted by music, news and information provided by QBSA, 102.9 FM, The Eagle! The low-power FM was operated under a Special Temporary Authority granted by the FCC to the Boy Scouts of America for the limited duration of the event under the call sign WB4XSA.

Scouts gather for the opening arena show

Tens of thousands of Scouts pour into the Arena

Earlier in 2010, Comrex was contacted by the Boy Scouts to find out about improving the quality and flexibility of QBSA remote broadcasts from around the sprawling encampment. With a couple of Eagle Scouts on the Comrex staff, how could we refuse? So, armed with some ACCESS Portable codecs, we took advantage of the AT&T 3G and Wi-Fi service that was specially implemented for this event. Not only were Comrex ACCESS codecs used for daily remotes but they were also used to broadcast the live arena shows which were carried live on QBSA and streamed on the web for worldwide broadcast.

Ed Evans interviews Scouts preparing breakfast

In addition to providing our own gear, other vendors were recruited to assist and were more than happy to help support this effort. Wheatstone, ENCO, Symetrix and BSW all provided equipment and supplies to help get the three studio facility on the air.

QBSA Morning Host Lars Lifrak

One of the primary missions of QBSA was to give Scouts the opportunity to "DJ" their own 15-minute air shift. Scouts were given a 20-minute training course to cover the basic of radio broadcasting and then allowed to select three songs to play on the air. All Scout shows were produced in the giant QBSA Boom Box from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Its estimated that between Scout air shifts and live interviews, nearly 2000 Scouts got on the air.

The QBSA Staff in front of the Boom Box

Expanding the overall reach of the station was a live web stream that was accessed from the Jamboree's home page. Listeners were tuning in from all over the globe and making requests on the QBSA Facebook page. Family and friends of Scouts posted their requests and shout outs from as far away as Saudi Arabia, Ireland, Sweden, Australia and all parts of the U.S. The station proved itself a vital link to Jamboree for parents of Scouts back at home. In just ten days, QBSA's Facebook page grew to nearly 2600 fans!

QBSA was truly at the heart of the Jamboree. The station featured live interviews with television host Mike Rowe (from Discovery's Dirty Jobs), rock band Switchfoot, and even an evening of Latin music called Latin Connection that was attended by Scouts from several Latin American nations.

QBSA Staffer Margaret Fletcher inteviews TV Personality Mike Rowe

QBSA Latin Connection night

Chris Crump interviews Scouts from Northeast Georgia Council

The next National Scout Jamboree is scheduled for 2013 at its new permanent home, The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve in West Virginia and QBSA will be there broadcasting live.

Comrex ARC Provides Practical Solution for NPR Program Contributor

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:23:00 +0000

Devens, Massachusetts – July 19, 2010 – Since the release of its new ACCESS Reporter Codec for Android® (or ARC) in late May of this year, hundreds of Comrex customers have downloaded ARC to allow them to connect to either a Comrex ACCESS or BRIC-Link audio codec via their Android 2.1 smartphone’s Wi-Fi or 3G/4G data connection. This free application provides wideband, fully bi-directional audio with very low latency making it perfect for audio contribution by radio news reporters, expert hosts and program contributors.

Recently, ARC was used to by James Fallows, National Correspondent for The Atlantic and NPR Contributor, to connect to NPR News’ All Things Considered for an interview with ATC host, Guy Raz. Mr. Fallows installed ARC on his Google Nexus One Android phone and connected to NPR’s ACCESS Rackmount IP Codec for the Saturday evening interview. The audio can be heard by following a web link found at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128133680

Click on "Listen To Story" to hear ARC in action on ATC.

ARC provides Comrex users the ability to add wideband audio contribution from various sources without having to allocate a hardware codec, such as the Comrex ACCESS Portable, for a short interview or news hit. Instead of having to depend on bandwidth limited telephone/cellphone quality audio, ARC significantly broadens the range and quality of audio contribution sources that are available to radio broadcasters without having to overstretch resources. Comrex also recently announced support for Media5 Fone, a soft codec for the Apple iPhone, which provides functionality similar to ARC.

Media5 Fone: Connect to ACCESS and BRIC-Link from your iPhone

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:40:00 +0000

For all of you iPhone users who have been suffering from "ARC Envy", you'll be happy to know that we've tested and approved a very cool app that will let you connect to your ACCESS or BRIC-Link codec with your Apple iPhone or iPod iTouch. It also works with the iPad but, personally, we think you'd look silly holding that thing up to your ear.

Media5 Fone is available from the iPhone App Store as a free demo download that will allow for calls of one minute in duration. If you'd like the unlimited call feature, you'll need to pay $4.99 USD for that luxury.

All of the details, including simple setup instructions for your ACCESS or BRIC-Link, are available at: http://comrex.com/arc/media5.html

World Cup: Eyes of the world are on South Africa

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:20:00 +0000

As the attention of the world focuses on the Republic of South Africa, so does that of radio and television stations from around the globe. Several Comrex customers have contacted us to let us know about the all of the World Cup excitement. We just received these photos from Comrex customer Radio Bio Bio in Chile. Pictured above is ESPN Radio Bio Bio Desportes commentator and former Chilean football star Patricio "Pato" Yáñez reporting from Nelspruit where Chile and Honduras will meet this week for their first round Group H match.

Below, Pato talks with ESPN Radio Bio Bio Deportes commentator Miguel Cajas Pino about the upcoming matches and what fans can expect from the Chilean national team.

If you're broadcasting from South Africa on Comrex gear and have photos you'd like to share, please send them to info@comrex.com

Comrex ACCESS Provides Vital Coverage in Chile

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Wed, 05 May 2010 18:21:00 +0000

Not unlike many new Comrex ACCESS customers, Bio Bio La Radio in Chile was very excited to put their new IP Audio codecs into use to cover late breaking news and sporting events. Not long after receiving their codecs, they were pressed into service to report on the Chilean Presidential elections and for coverage of the national soccer championships on ESPN Radio Bio Bio Sports. ACCESS even provided play-by-play of the Liberators Cup from Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela and Peru.

But when catastrophe struck the South American nation on February 27, 2010, Bio Bio used their ACCESS units to provide critical information to devastated listeners in a country torn apart by a massive 8.8 Magnitude earthquake that left hundreds dead and destroying much of Southern Chile. Journalists Maria Carrasco, Richard Jimenez, Rodrigo Pino, Jorge Muñoz used ACCESS Portable codecs to report on the devastation from Concepcion, Santiago, Talcahuano and Dichato. The journalists were deployed throughout the country in Bio Bio radio station vehicles and also in police vans to help establish vital communications. According to Alejandro Marnich, Bio Bio Manager of Operations, immediately after the earthquake “all of the cell lines were down for two or three days before we were able to start the news coverage of the devastated areas of the central region.” But once service was restored, he continues, “with the help of the Access we were permitted to go and cover where there was no other form of transmission. The most important for Bio Bio was the quality of the audio transmission.”

While everyone at Comrex were aware that their products had been used in situations like this around the globe, they were particularly impacted by photos that they recently received from Bio Bio. Says Comrex Managing Director, Kris Bobo, “We were setting up for the NAB show in Las Vegas when we received the photos from Bio Bio. We were awestricken by the utter devastation. We’ve all dedicated ourselves to making quality products for just these kinds of situations but there was something much more profound in seeing these photos.” She adds, “We are proud that our products were used to provide vital coverage in light of these tragic circumstances.”

More "gridlock" in DC!

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:07:00 +0000

Washington, DC -- On April 12th (while many of us were toiling in the desert of Las Vegas), with nearly 50 heads of state in Washington, D.C. for the Nuclear Summit, the city faced massive traffic disruptions. WTOP reporters fanned out in force to give guidance to harried commuters including reporter Tanya Snyder seen here patrolling downtown on her bike. That's her Comrex ACCESS unit strapped to the back, allowing her to file near studio quality audio [using 3G wireless]. Tanya regularly commutes from home to WTOP via bike.

Thanks to Brian Oliger from WTOP for sending this to us!

Tuesday Night Lights LIVE via Satellite!

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 16:24:00 +0000

It's always a wonderful thing to take a phone call from a happy customer especially when they have wisdom and cost-savings advice to pass along to the rest of the Comrex users of the world. Michael Love with Jasper, Texas' KJAS-FM called us to share the great results he had using a Hughes Directway satellite IP connection with his ACCESS portable to broadcast a high school baseball game. Read the article from the KJAS website (below) for the details.

KJAS engineer Michael Love made last minute adjustments to the satellite uplink on

Tuesday in front of the radio station, just a few hours before the first satellite

broadcast was made from Diboll.

"Those that listened to the Tuesday evening baseball game between Jasper and Diboll on KJAS radio did not know it, but they were part of history making event. On that evening, KJAS and Rayburn Broadcasting Company, became the first radio station in Southeast Texas or Southwest Louisiana to broadcast a local event by satellite. Even though the practice has been commonplace for television for some time, it was radio’s turn to move to the extraterrestrial mode.

The voice of the Bulldogs, Art Lay and all background sounds of the game were first converted from analog to digital by a Comrex ACCESS codec. The digital data stream was then transmitted from the ball field in Diboll, roughly 22,000 miles up to a satellite in geo-synchronous orbit. The broadcast came back down to an earth station in Germantown, Maryland and was routed by way of the internet back to a Comrex ACCESS rack unit int the KJAS studios here in Jasper.

Over the years, KJAS radio has used various means to bring audio from remote locations back to Jasper, including both vhf and uhf radio, along with analogue and digital transmissions over conventional telephone lines. KJAS has also used both cellular phones and high-speed network cards as well as the internet to deliver the audio. Unfortunately, sometimes, none of the above services are available at remote ball parks, preventing a broadcast from that location.

The satellite system now in place at KJAS gives the station the ability to go anywhere in the world and bring a crystal clear broadcast back to Jasper and the surrounding area."

Now, what Mike's article above doesn't mention is that he was able to put together the hardware for the Directway connection for less than $200 USD. The service that KJAS uses only costs about $60 per month with a data plan that more the covers the amount of data required for broadcasts using the ACCESS. Data plan limitations are based on download usage and NOT upload usage which is, for ACCESS customers, the important part of the equation. Michael also fashioned the satellite dish's tripod himself to provide a sturdy, stable and portable mounting solution. If you'd like to contact Michael Love about his innovative and cost-effective use of available technology, send him an email at: mlove@kjas.com

Thanks for sharing, Michael!

Comrex ARC is FREE!

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 21:38:00 +0000

At NAB 2010 in Las Vegas, Comrex will unveil our new ACCESS Reporter Codec for Android (tm)!

ARC lets you connect to an ACCESS or BRIC-Link codec using your Android
phone's 3G or Wi-Fi data connection. It's a simple utility that provides a
full-duplex, wideband audio connection between your Comrex-approved Android

phone and the studio. Oh!.almost forgot to mention..IT'S FREE!

To learn more, visit: www.comrex.com/arc/

Visit us in Las Vegas at Booth # C1920 in the Central Hall. You can take our "Geek Check Quiz" and be automatically registered to win a brand new Google Nexus One smartphone. See you in Vegas!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:08:00 +0000

Something cool is coming soon from Comrex! Standby for news!

Note from a happy customer!

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:45:00 +0000

We always like notes like this to start off our work week! It makes the Monday "blahs" mysteriously vanish! We recently got this note from one of our customers in Southern California:
"We are a religious broadcaster, and every weekday we have a call in program that the senior pastor and an associate pastor host. The senior pastor had a mini stroke and was in the hospital for a couple of weeks. The day he got out of the hospital he wanted to be on the air. We had an old POTS codec that we hurridly got set up, but we weren't happy with the delay and the quality, so we ordered the ACCESS rack and portable units and had them overnighted. By the next day we were on the air from his house using the ACCESS units and many of the listeners (and staff here at the station) thought he had come in to the studio. In fact, we had some staff walk by the studio to see if he really was in the studio.

Anyway, thanks for making a great product that works."
--
Marcos O'Rourke, CBRE, CBNT
Engineering
K-Wave Radio
KWVE-FM, KWVE(AM)

Chair
Orange County Emergency Communications Committee

From Harlem to Hilversum...ACCESS goes on the road...er...bike path!

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:16:00 +0000

Harlem - Recently, Radio DJ Giel Beelen mounted his bicycle and made a special trip to work. From his bicycle, which was built into a riding radio station, he set out to do his live radio show during his morning commute. He rode his bike from Harlem to the studio in Hilversum, a distance of 48 kilometers (that's about 30 miles) while broadcasting his morning show live to listeners all over the Netherlands. Giel hoped to arrive in the studio before 9, where the Norwegian singer Marit Larsen was that morning's guest.

The idea started in a conversation with Dutch singer Marco Borsato about the National Sportsweek. Giel promised the singer to practice sports a bit more. A bit later, when traffic reader Kees Quaks pointed out to Giel that it was possible to take the bike to your work, Giel decided to make his word reality. Giel used the Comrex ACCESS for the high quality audiolink to the studio. He could be followed on his journey live on Radio 3FM (national radio).

Thanks to our friends at Triple Audio for sharing this story and for providing great service and support for Comrex customers in the region!

Moby in the Morning...Live from Nashville

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:55:00 +0000

Comrex is live at the Country Radio Seminar with nationally syndicated morning show, Moby In The Morning. You can listen live at: http://streaming.1061wngc.com/_players/coxradio/index.php?callsign=WNGCFM

We'll be here February 25th and 26th from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. EST. We LOVE getting up at 3 a.m. No, really! :-)~

Comrex Provides ACCESS for Breaking & Entering Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Remote ACCESS) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:46:00 +0000

Rob Chickering, VP of Operations for the Kidd Kraddick Morning Show, has been a friend of Comrex for many years. Recently, just got his first ACCESS for the show and its been a game-changer in many regards.

Below, you can see and hear Kidd's "Breaking & Entering Christmas" which took place on December 21st using the ACCESS Portable.

Rob writes us, "All I wanted for Christmas was cool Access.....
we got it just prior to our kidds kids day contribution broadcast and there it began to make a difference in our on air product. We were live from the southwest airlines headquarters for 4 hours and it sounded amazing, as good as ISDN and just as solid. There was no way I was getting an isdn line installed at that location so Access was the only choice and it rocked!

Next big use was yesterday for our Breaking and Entering Christmas. every year we find a family in need though a letter written from a friend. This year it was a young couple living in a trailer in Keller Texas. This becomes a real technical challenge because part one of the broadcast begins at a location away from the home where we stage on air talent and crew. No power no internet no land lines.Then once the family has left the house we roll. The access stability and portability kept the host on the air throughout the process. From set up to "break in" to reveal to the family. The quality was amazing and the unit was stable for over 3 hours on 3g AT&T. We took the unit back outside and gave them a car later all on the air. This year crappy cell phone audio didn't reduce the experience to the listener. We had folks commenting that they felt like they were there while this great Christmas gift took place.

Please pass along to all involved in developing this product that this makes such a difference in the lives of folks. It brings radio back to people! Thank you guys for being a great company that makes amazing products for us in the trenches."

Rob Chickering

VP, Operations

Yea Network/Kidd Kraddick In The Morning

Hear the audio by clicking HERE!