Barix M400 combines SIP with Opus

Barix’s new M400 SIP Opus stereo encoder/decoder combines the Opus audio codec with SIP negotiation to free broadcasters from static transport links and legacy circuits. The second model in the manufacturer’s SIP Opus Codec family of audio-over-IP transport solutions, the M400 features the open-standard, royalty-free Opus audio compression format, which has gained popularity for its audio quality, bitrate efficiency and low latency. The new hardware device combines the advantages of Opus with SIP functionality to dynamically establish links across SIP-compatible telephone, radio or other communication systems, enabling the codecs to “dial” other SIP devices or phone numbers and automatically negotiate a transmission link for audio streaming. This can enable broadcasters and producers to move away from the common legacy approach of using costly and outdated ISDN circuits.

The M400 can be configured as either an encoder or decoder – switchable via the device’s web interface – and offers stereo, line-level analogue audio input or output with RCA-type connections. Interoperable with third-party, SIP-compliant, Opus-compatible products, the M400 also features integration functionality, including audio level supervision with SNMP trap generation and a serial tunnel (RS-232) for control of external devices or for transport of metadata from the encoder to the decoder.