Audio Interfaces
RAVENNA audio for mic-triggered camera switching
The microphone channels on a RAVENNA network can drive your cameras. VRA reads them through the RAVENNA or Merging driver on the Audio Manager machine and cuts to whoever is talking, without touching the audio.
What VRA does with RAVENNA.
Recognised by name
VRA recognises two RAVENNA shapes: the RAVENNA Receive WDM pairs, and the RAVENNA ASIO or Merging Audio Device driver.
Receive pairs or one ASIO block
RAVENNA Receive shows up as numbered stereo pairs, which VRA sorts and splits into single channels. The ASIO driver is one device with every channel; if several match, VRA takes the one with the most channels.
A trigger per microphone in one step
Accept the detected setup and choose how many channels to cover. VRA creates a trigger per channel, already bound to its device and channel, each with a placeholder command you swap for a camera angle.
Cameras cut to whoever is talking
When a mic passes its threshold, its trigger fires the camera angle, macro or playout command you gave it. Calibration measures the room's floor and the presenter's level, then sets the threshold from the gap between them.
Streams are subscribed elsewhere
VRA starts at the receive channels. Which RAVENNA streams reach them is set in the driver's own software.
How to set it up.
Requirements
- Audio Manager on a Windows or macOS machine that can open the RAVENNA device.
- The RAVENNA or Merging audio driver installed and working in the operating system.
- The microphones already routed to those receive channels on your console or audio network.
Install the RAVENNA or Merging audio driver on the Audio Manager machine and route the studio microphones to its receive channels.
Start Audio Manager and check that the channels appear in the studio's audio devices.
In Audio Triggers, accept the detected setup and choose how many channels to cover, or map the channels by hand. Each trigger is bound to its channel and starts with a placeholder command.
Name each trigger for its microphone and replace the placeholder with the camera angle or macro it should fire.
Calibrate each mic, quiet first and then talking, and test every microphone before you turn on automatic switching.
RAVENNA questions
Does the RAVENNA ASIO driver need anything extra in VRA? +
Yes, the studio's ASIO mode. It is Windows only and a Pro plan option on request.
Does VRA mix or route the RAVENNA audio? +
No. Your console and audio network keep the mixing and routing. Audio Manager only reads the levels of the input channels to see which microphone is open.
Can I map the channels by hand? +
Yes. Recognition is a shortcut. Audio Manager can use any input device it can open, and you can map each channel yourself.
ALC NetworX
About RAVENNA.
RAVENNA carries real-time audio over an IP network. A RAVENNA or Merging driver presents the receive channels to Windows, where Audio Manager can listen to each studio microphone separately.
What you can do with this connection
Automated camera switching for radio
Switch cameras from microphone activity and prepare PTZ shots off air.
More infoThe products behind it.
More integrations.
Dante Virtual Soundcard (VCS)
Dante Virtual Soundcard lists its channels as WDM pairs or one ASIO device. VRA reads either mode and makes each Dante mic a camera switching trigger.
Check your studio setup with us.
Tell us your camera models, video switcher and radio automation. We will check the connections and show you the workflow that fits your station.