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The Importance of Being a Good Networker

I’m sure you’ve heard it before. You’ve got to network. You’ve got to get involved. You’ve got to meet the right people. Well, here it is again. It’s really important to network. And get involved. And meet the right people. Because your skill will only take you so far, knowing the right people will take you farther.

This might seem intimidating at first, especially if you’re a bit of an introvert. But you can be the most amazing engineer on the planet, and if nobody knows it, you will continue to be the most amazing engineer on the planet without any leads. This is not to be confused with shouting from the rooftops that you are the bomb, this is about going out and making healthy human connections (which let’s face it a lot of times these days this is virtual).

When I first started, I would go up and introduce myself to ANYONE – and I was kind of shy, so that took a lot. I would think of any, and I mean any question – even one I knew the answer to, and I would go ask. If I went to a concert, I would locate the sound person. And if there was a free moment, I would go ask my question. If I loved an album, I checked the credits, found the engineer, and wrote them on Myspace (I just dated myself with that but anyway).

But the biggest and most important place to network and meet people is through professional organizations. Going to conferences, and signing up for meetings, for workshops – i.e. getting involved in your community is the best way to get ahead. Meeting people will not replace skill, so it’s a delicate balance. You have to meet people AND hone your craft because you have to be ready for the opportunity to knock on your door. But those connections you make are the things that will bring those opportunities knocking. You recall I said it wasn’t so much who you know, but who knows you? Well, that’s going to require getting out there and meeting people.

I know this looks a lot different these days since a lot of this happens virtually. But it’s not to say you can’t pop questions in the chat, or reach out after the fact. Some of the conferences I’ve seen have smaller breakout rooms that allow you to have closer one-on-one chats. And from what I’ve seen most people on panels are open to people reaching out and often give their social media.

Don’t be discouraged if nothing happens immediately. I remember one year I must have applied for what felt like hundreds of jobs, and I got no after no or just ghosted. I sat down with my therapist (therapy is important), and she said it’s ok, you’re planting seeds. At the time, I was angry, because I was like whatever, I want change – I want a job now. But, I’ve never forgotten that because you eventually do see results. See the interview process is almost in a way networking. I had tons of emails and direct contacts for interviews I had been on which resulted in jobs later on. Because instead of going through the internet, if I saw the job posted a year later, guess what – I had the email of the person I interviewed a year ago, so I just wrote them directly. Also, if you make a good impression on the recruiters/employers, it’s not to say they won’t contact you later.

This is why it’s so important to be cordial. Be careful how you speak and treat people because you never know when or where those people may pop back up in your future. You don’t want to burn any bridges. How you speak and treat people will follow you everywhere you go. There may be a lot of people across the globe, but the audio community is in fact very small.

They say that success happens when opportunity meets preparation. So make sure you’re ready,  and get out there (in person or virtually) and make some connections.

Alesia Hendley – From Live Sound to AV & IT

Make Audio Work for You – Don’t Work for Audio.

Alesia Hendley’s introduction to audio started with a traditional path. She learned about sound at her dad’s church in Connecticut and decided to study audio at a trade school in Texas after her family moved there. Even though the program was focused on music production, her career focus at the time was still live sound. 

Alesia recognized she needed to get her hands on live soundboards. “When I was in school, I got to work with SSL consoles and it was amazing, but I knew those boards weren’t at venues. I couldn’t walk into these places saying, ‘I’m an audio engineer, but I have no experience with the consoles you have.’” She kept note of boards she saw at local venues, searched the Guitar Center stores in the area to see what consoles they had, and got some hands-on time at the store. “One of my classmates actually had a job at a Guitar Center. I’d go in and get some work in. We were bouncing ideas off of each other and improving together.”

While in school, Alesia created a music label and a publishing company, but it was a major challenge to make a business out of it.“Everybody’s doing their own thing. I was an audio engineer with nobody to record,” She said. I’m not making any money here. So what the hell am I gonna do?”

She tried a few avenues for freelance gigs, saying yes to everything (including sound for hotel events and church services). She applied and got an interview for a part-time job opening at a multipurpose facility, even though she needed full-time work. “The technical manager should have never gave me his card because I kept calling him and was like, ‘I’ll take anything. I’ll take four hours a week. I’ll do whatever.’ That’s how I started. They brought me on part-time, and I just kept building up the hours. They saw what I can do. Six months later, I was full-time.”

The facility was a stadium, arena, and conference center for the school’s district’s major events (such as plays, football games, proms, and graduations). She started seeing audio outside the “traditional” box she had learned it in. She explains, “When I started exploring the other components of AV, I found all of these spaces and verticals need audio. Even though it’s not just me running front of house, I can still be a part of creating this overall experience, which is what I love about audio anyway. When you’re behind that board at front of house and you’re doing a gig whether it’s a band or a play, it’s just a rush. So I wanted to fill that rush, no matter what part of the experience I was in.”

Alesia recognized a major need related to audio: people who also understood IT and networks. “All these digital consoles – it’s all connected to a network. The network goes down, and nobody on our AV team knows how to fix it. We had to call the IT team of the school district, which was a language barrier because traditional IT doesn’t really like to play with our AV stuff. They don’t want the AV stuff on their network. So, the IT team had a learning curve as well.” She realized, “If I don’t learn networking, I’m going to be out of a job in this AV thing sooner or later.” Alesia took a risk, and applied to Access Network, a company she had been interested in for some time. “It’s basically an IT company, but everybody that works for this company is an AV person. They’ve been an integrator in some form or fashion.”

She landed a job. “What we do is we design networks for AV solutions. Everything lives on the network. About 85 to 90% of what we do is in the home because our clients are people who have home studios or have smart homes. The other 10% of what we do is on the commercial side, where you’re in those corporate environments, where there are Dante, Shure ceiling microphones. So it’s been very, very exciting to constantly pivot but let audio lead me through all of these different roles.”

She finds her company is welcoming to diversity. “Don’t get me wrong – I’m still surrounded by men because we’re in technology, but there’s more discussion of being diverse. They’re more open and more welcome, instead of you running into the knucklehead behind the console that doesn’t want to move aside because he’s front of house – he’s the sound guy.”

Alesia still has “traditional” audio in her life, including a podcast about a personal interest, digital signage. “I’m still creating. I host it, I create all the content for it, I do all the recording. Me and my team, we do the editing. We created the intros and outros. I still have a home studio, because now I can afford to invest in a home studio.”

On Pivoting out of Live Sound

It was a bunch of soul searching. It did take some time. I stayed in my facility job for an additional two and a half years. It takes time to really do that kind of soul searching and figuring out what is the next step to help you pivot.

Of course, I miss running front of house, but my pivot was for education. I needed to learn about a network. I didn’t want to just go join a random IT company, and they weren’t going to hire me because I have no IT background. I needed to get with a company that understands that IT needs to talk to the gear that I love. 

I started off with Dante. That was my first touchpoint with audio or AV on a network. When I transitioned to this company, the education continued to roll in with this company. They paid for a lot of training. The education came within that package.

Bringing AV, IT and Audio Together

I’m a SoundGirl at heart. I love audio. I love everything about it. But what I realized is I had to look at the bigger scope of this experience that I loved creating. That led me up to the point where I’m at now, doing the IT side of this AV/audio lifestyle.

I have people ask me all the time, ‘Do you miss running front of house? You do nothing with audio now.’ You can look at it that way, or you can look at it: I’m the person who’s orchestrating the sound that people experience. They need the network that I’ve designed. Without it, it’s not going to work. So, it’s about perception. Change the perception of it and try to look at it in a different sense that’s more positive versus ‘I’m losing something.’

At the end of the day, you’re not pressing the physical console buttons, but you’re pressing the overall button. Without you, it doesn’t exist. That’s a huge button, like, the biggest button on the console. You’re still creating this experience. 

Honestly, so many people don’t even know this exists. I had to randomly find it. This is years and years of time being put in to do something that is different.

On how AV work is creative

My work is still creative because of the things that create the experience. It needs us. It doesn’t exist without us. Yes, I would love to be mixing for whoever my favorite artists at the time or running Front of House. That is more creative, and that is more goosebumpy. But my focus was, where’s the industry going? If we don’t learn how to pivot, then we’re stuck in these positions. I was an audio engineer with a studio background, but there was no money in that vertical for me. There’s nothing wrong with doing what you love, but you have to have a balance of creativity and money flow.

Advice

Make audio work for you – don’t work for audio.

We all have the odds against us. Don’t let it dumb down your greatness. Just realize that the odds are there, work three times harder, get gritty and find ways to freakin make it work. Keep knocking down the door as much as you can, like, keep kicking it open until something happens.

Don’t just latch on to the microphone or the soundboard. Explore what these things lead to, or what they create. There’s just so much opportunity. At one point, I felt like I didn’t fit into SoundGirls anymore. I’m not mixing music. I’m not doing this stuff, so maybe I’m not a sound girl. Then I was like, wait a second – You’re pulling the strings here. You’re doing sound, just in a different perspective, in a different way, and it works.

Figure out your little milestones. You can have a goal, but what are your realistic goals in between? And if you focus on that, you’ll find your career path and you’ll grow a lot faster – instead of stumbling into it like many of us have done.

None of this happens overnight. I hated loads and load-outs, but I don’t regret one bit of it. I got a little muscle on my arm. I learned how to hold my own. I learned from people who had been in the business for 20 years. That groundwork is what matters the most, so don’t run from it. Don’t be like, ‘I hate load-ins and load-outs. Stick with it for a while and see what happens. 

More on Alesia

Alesia’s website: https://www.thesmoothfactor.com

Alesia’s Blog for SoundGirls 

Sound & Communications Articles

Alesia’s Podcast Interviews


 

Find More Profiles on The Five Percent

Profiles of Women in Audio

(Not So) Basic Networking For Live Sound Engineers

Part Three: Networking Protocols

(or A History of IEEE Standards)

Read Part One Here

Read Part Two Here

Evaluating Applications

One thing I have learned from my do-it-yourself research in computer science that I have applied to understanding the world in general is the concept of building on “levels of abstraction.” (Once again, here I am quoting Carrie Ann Philbin from the “Crash Course: Computer Science” YouTube series) [1]. From the laptop that this blog was written on, to performing a show in an arena, all these things would not be possible if it were not for the multitude of smaller parts working together to create a system. Whether it is an arena concert divided into different departments to execute the gig or a data network broken up into different steps in the OSI Model, we can take a complicated system and break it down into its composite parts to understand how it works as a whole. Similarly, the efficiency and innovation of this compartmentalization in technology lays in the fact that one person can work on just one section of the OSI Model (like the Transport Layer) while not really needing to know anything about what’s happening on the other layers.

 

This is why I have spent all this time in the last two blogs of “Basic Networking For Live Sound Engineers” breaking up the daunting concept of networking into smaller composites from defining what is a network to designing topologies including VLANS and trunks. At this point, we have spent a lot of time talking about how everything from Cat6 cable to switches physically and conceptually works together. Now it’s time to really dive deep into the languages, or protocols, that these devices use to transmit audio. This is a fundamental piece in deciding on a network design because one protocol may be more appropriate for a particular design versus another. As we discuss how these protocols handle different aspects of a data packet differently, I want you to think about why one might be more beneficial in one situation versus another. After all, there are so many factors that go into the design of a system from working in pre-existing infrastructures to building networks from scratch, that we must take these variables into account in our network design decisions. A joke often appears in the world of live entertainment: you can have cheap, efficient, or quality. Pick 2.

What Is In A Packet, Really?

As a quick refresher from Part 2, data gets encapsulated in a process that involves the formation of a header and body for each packet. The very basic overall structure of a packet or frame includes a header and body. How you define each section and whether it is actually called a “packet” or “frame” depends on what layer of the OSI Model you are referring to.

Basic structure of a data packet…or do I mean frame? It depends!!

 

Now this back and forth of terminology seemed really confusing until I read a thread in StackExchange that pointed out that the “combination” of the header and data at Level 2 is called a frame and at Level 3 is called a packet [2]. The change in terminology corresponds to different additions in the encapsulation process at different layers in the OSI Model.

In an article by Alison Quine on “How Encapsulation Works Within the TCP/IP Model,” the encapsulation process involves adding headers onto a body of data at each step starting from the top of the OSI model at the Application layer and moving down to Physical Layer, and then stripping off each of those headers as you move back up the OSI Model in reverse through each process [3]. That means that during the encapsulation process at each parameter within the OSI Model for a given network, there is another header that gets added on to help the data get to the right place. Audinate’s Dante Level 3 training on “IP Encapsulation” talks about this process in a network stack. At the Application level, we start with a piece of data. Then at the Transport Layer, the source port, destination port, and the transport protocol attach to the data or payload. At the Network Layer, the Destination and Source IP address add on top of what already exists in the Transport Layer. Then at the Data Link layer, the destination and source MAC addresses attach on top of everything else in the frame by referencing an ARP table [4]. ARP, or Address Resolution Protocol, uses message requests to build tables in devices (like a switch, for example) to match IP addresses to MAC addresses, and vice versa.

So I want to pause for a second before we move onward to really drive the point home that the OSI Model is a conceptual tool used for educational purposes to talk about different aspects of networking. For example, you can use the OSI Model to understand network protocols or understand different types of switches. The point is we are using it here to understand the signal flow in the encapsulation process of data, just as you would look at a chart of signal flow for a mixer.

Check 1, Check 2…

There is the old visage that time equals money, but the reality of working in live sound is that time is of the essence. Lost audio packets that create jitter or sound audibly delayed (our brains are very good at detecting time differences) are not acceptable. So it goes without saying that data has to arrive as close to synchronously as possible. In my previous blog on clocks, I talked about the importance of different digital audio devices starting their sampling at the same rate based on a leader clock (also referred to as a master clock) in order to preserve the original waveform. An accurate clock is important in preserving the word length, or bits, of the data. Let’s look at this example:

 

1010001111001110

1010001111001110

 

In this example, we have two 16 bit words which represent two copies of the same sample of data traveling between two devices that are in sync because of the same clock. Now, what happens if the clock is off by just one bit?

If the sample is off by even just one bit, the whole word gets shifted and produces an entirely different value altogether! This manifests itself as digital artifacts, jitter, or no signal at all. So move up a “level of abstraction” to the data packet at the Network level in the OSI Model and you can understand why it is important for packets to arrive on time in a network so that bits of data don’t get lost or packets don’t collide because otherwise, it will create a broadcast storm. But as I’ve mentioned before, UDP and TCP/IP handles data accuracy and timing differences.

 

Recall from Part 2 that TCP/IP checks for a “handshake” between the receiver and sender to validate the data transmission at the cost of time, while UDP decreases transmission time in exchange for not doing this back and forth validation. In an article from LearnCisco on “Understanding the TCP/IP Transport Layer,” TCP/IP is a “connection-oriented protocol” that requires adding more processes into the header to verify the “handshake” between the sender and receiver [5]. On the other hand, UDP acts as a “connectionless protocol”:

[…] there will be some error checking in the form of checksums that go along with the packet to verify integrity of those packets. There is also a pseudo-header or small header that includes source and destination ports. And so, if the service is not running on a specific machine, then UDP will return an error message saying that the service is not available. [5]

So instead of verifying that the data made it to the destination, UDP will check that the packet’s integrity is solid and if there is a path available for it to take. If there is no available path, the packet just won’t get sent. Due to the lack of “error checking” in UDP, it is imperative that the packets arrive at their correct destination and on time. So how does a network actually keep time? In reference to what?

Time, Media Clocking, and PTP

Let’s get philosophical for a moment and talk about the abstraction of time. So I have a calendar on my phone that I schedule events and reminders based on a day divided into hours and minutes. This division of hours and minutes are arguably pointless without being referenced to some standard of time, which in this case is the clock on my phone. I assume that the clock inside my phone is accurate in relation to a greater reference of time wherever I am located. The standard for civil time is UTC or “Coordinated Universal Time” which is a compromise between the TAI standard, based on atomic clocks, and UT1, which is based on an average solar day, by making up for it in leap seconds [6]. In order for me to have a Zoom call with someone in another time zone, we need a reference to the same moment wherever we are because it doesn’t matter if I say our Zoom call is at 12 pm Pacific Standard Time and they think it is at 3 pm Eastern Standard Time as long as our clocks have the same ultimate point of reference, which for us civilians is UTC. In this same sense, digital devices need a media clock with reference to a common master (but we are going to update this term to leader) in order to make sure data gets transmitted without bit-slippage as we discussed earlier.

 

In a white paper titled “Media Clock Synchronization Based On PTP” from the Audio Engineering Society 44th International Conference in San Diego, Hans Weibel and Stefan Heinzmann note that, “In a networked media system it is desirable to use the network itself for ensuring synchronization, rather than requiring a separate clock distribution system that uses its own wiring” [7]. This is where PTP or Precision Time Protocol comes in. The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 1588 standardized this protocol in 2002, and expanded it further in 2008 [7]. The 2002 standard created PTPv1 that works using UDP on a level of microsecond accuracy by sending sync messages between leader and follower clocks. As described in the Weibel and Heinzmann paper, on the Application layer follower nodes compare their local clocks to the sync messages sent by the leader and adjust their clocks to match while also taking into account the absolute time offset in the delay between the leader and follower [7]. Say we have two Devices A and B:

 

Device A (our leader for all intents and purposes) sends a Sync message to Device B saying, “This is what time it is. 11:00 A.M.”

Device B says, “Ok. I think it’s 12:00 P.M,” This is the Follow_Up message.“What time did you send that message?” says the Delay_Request message.

Device A replies, “At 11:00 A.M.” This is the Delay_Response message. “What time did you receive it?”

Device B replies, “At 12:15 P.M. Ok, I’ll adjust.”

Analogy of clocking communication in PTPv1 as described in IEEE 1588-2002

This back and forth allows the follower to adjust their clocks to whatever clock is considered the leader according to the best master clock algorithm (which should be renamed the best leader clock algorithm) and the ultimate reference being considered the grandmaster clock/grandleader clock [8]. Fun fact: in the Weibel and Heinzmann paper, they point out that “the epoch of the PTP time scale is midnight on 1 January TAI. A sampling point coinciding with this point in absolute time is said to have zero phase” [9].

So in 2008, the standards got updated to PTPv2, which of course is not backwards compatible with PTPv1 [10]. But this update includes changing how clock quality is determined, going from all PTP messages being multicast in v1 to having the option of unicast in v2, improving clocking accuracy from microseconds to nanoseconds, and the introduction of transparent clocks. The 1588-2002 standard introduced the concept of ordinary clocks as a device or clock node with one port while boundary clocks have two or more ports [11]. Switches and routers can be an example of a boundary clock while other end-point devices including audio equipment can be examples of ordinary clocks. A Luminex article titled “PTPv2 Timing protocol in AV Networks” describes how “[a] Transparent Clock will calculate how long packets have spent inside of itself and add a correction for that to the packets as they leave. In that sense, the [boundary clock] becomes ‘transparent’ in time, as if it is not contributing to delay in the network” [12]. PTPv2 improves upon the Sync message system by adding an announce message scheme for electing the grandmaster/grandleader clock. The Luminex article illustrates this by describing how a PTPv2 device starts up in a state “listening” for announce messages that include information about the quality of the clock until a determined amount of time called the Announce Timeout Interval. If no messages arrive, that device becomes the leader. Yet if it receives an announce message indicating the other clock has superior quality, it will revert to a follower and make the other device the leader [13]. It is these differences in the handling of clocking between IEEE 1588-2002 and 2008 that will be key to understanding the underlying difference when talking about Dante versus AVB.

Dante, AVB, AES67, RAVENNA, and Milan

Much like the battles between Blu-Ray, HD DVDs, and other contending audiovisual formats, you can bet that there has been a struggle over the years to create a manufacturer-independent standard for audio-over-IP or networking protocols used in the audio world. The two major players that have come out on top in terms of widespread use in the audio industry are AVB and Dante. AES67 and RAVENNA are popular as well, RAVENNA dominating the world of broadcast.

Dante, created by the company Audinate, began in 2003 under the key principle that still makes the protocol appealing today: the ability to use pre-existing IT infrastructures to distribute audio over a network [14]. Its other major appeal is that it allows for use of redundancy that makes it particularly appealing to the world of live production. In a Dante network you can set up a primary and secondary network, the secondary being an identical “copy” of the primary so that if the primary network fails, it switches over seamlessly to the secondary. Dante works at the Network Layer (Layer 3) of the OSI Model by resting on top of the IP addressing schemes already in place in a standard IT networking system and works above this. It’s understandable financially why a major corporate office would want to use this protocol because of the savings on overhauling the entire infrastructure of an office building to put in new switches, upgrade topologies, and so on.

An example of a basic Dante Network with redundant primary (blue) and secondary (red) networks

The adaptable nature of Dante comes from existing as a Layer 3 protocol, which allows one to use most Gigabit switches and even sometimes 100Mbps switches to distribute a Dante network (but only if it’s solely a 100Mbps network) [15]. That being said, there are some caveats. It is strongly recommended (and in 100Mbps networks, mandatory) to use specific Quality of Service (QoS) settings when configuring managed switches (switches whose ports and other features are configurable usually via a software GUI) to be used for Dante. This includes flagging specific DSCP values that are important to Dante traffic as high priority, including our friend PTP. Other network traffic can exist alongside Dante traffic on a network as long as the subnets are configured correctly (for more info on what I mean by subnets, see Part 1 of this blog series). I myself personally prefer configuring specific VLANs for dedicated network control traffic and Dante to keep the waters clear between the two. This is because I know control network traffic will not be prioritized over Dante traffic because of QoS, but at the same time Dante was made for this so as long as your subnets are configured correctly, it should be fine. The issue is that with Dante using PTPv1, even with proper QoS settings the clock precision can get choked if there are issues with bandwidth. The Luminex article mentioned earlier discusses this: “Clock precision can still be affected by the volume of traffic and how much contention there is for priority. Thus; PTP clock messages can get stuck and delayed in the backbone; in the switches between your devices” [16].

So since Dante uses PTPv1, Dante will find the best device on the network to be the Master (Leader) Clock using PTP as the clocking system for the entire network, and if one device drops out, it will elect a new Master (Leader) Clock based on the parameters we discussed in PTPv1. This can be manually configured too if necessary. According to the 1588-2008 standard, PTPv2 was not backwards compatible with PTPv1, but ANOTHER revision of the standard in 2019 (IEEE 1588-2019) included backwards compatibility [17]. AES67, RAVENNA, and AVB use PTPv2 (although AVB uses its own profile of IEEE 1588-2008, which we will talk about later). In a Shure article on “Dante And AES67 Clocking In Depth,” they point out that PTPv1 and PTPv2 can “coexist on the same network”, but “[i]f there is a higher prevision PTPv2 clock on a network, then one Dante device will synchronize to the higher-precision PTPv2 clock and act as a Boundary Clock for PTPv1 devices” [18]. So what we see happening is that end devices in the network that support PTPv2 introduce backwards compatibility with PTPv1, but the problem is that since these Layer 3 networks rely on standard network infrastructures, it’s not as easy to find switches that are capable of handling PTPv1 and PTPv2. On top of that, there is this juggling of keeping track of which devices are using what clocking system, and you can imagine that as this scales upward, it becomes a bigger and bigger headache to manage.

AES67 and RAVENNA use PTPv2 as well, but try to address some of these issues with improvements without reinventing the wheel. AES67 and RAVENNA also operate as Layer 3 protocols on top of standard IP networks, but were created by different organizations. The Audio Engineering Society came up with the standards outlining AES67 first in 2013 with revisions thereafter [19]. The goal of AES67 is to create a set of standards that allow for interoperability between devices, which is a concept we are going to see come up again when we talk about AVB in more depth, but AES67 applies it differently. What AES67 aimed to achieve is to use preexisting standards from the IEEE and IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) to make a higher performing audio networking protocol.  What’s interesting is that because AES67 shares many of the same standards as RAVENNA, RAVENNA supports a profile of AES67 as a result [20]. RAVENNA is an audio-over-IP protocol popular particularly in the broadcast world. The place of RAVENNA as the standard in broadcasting comes from its flexibility in ability to transport a multitude of different data formats and sampling rates for both audio and video, along with low latency, and support of WAN connections [21]. So as technology improves, new protocols keep being made to try to accommodate the new advances, but one starts to wonder why don’t the standards just get revised themselves instead of trying to make the products reflect an ever-changing industry? AES67 kind of addresses this by using the latest IEEE and IETF standards, but maybe the solution is deeper than that. Well that’s exactly what happened with the creation of AVB.

AVB stands for Audio Video Bridging and differs on a fundamental level from Dante because it is a Data Link, Layer 2 protocol, whereas Dante is a Network, Level 3 protocol. So since these standards affect Layer 2, a switch must be designed for AVB implementation in order to be compatible with the standards on that fundamental level. This brings in an OSI Model conceptualization of switches designed for a Layer 2 implementation versus a Layer 3 implementation. In fact, the concept behind designing AVB stemmed from the need to “standardize” audio-over-IP so compatible different devices could talk across different manufacturers. Dante, being owned by a company, requires specific licensing for devices to be “Dante-enabled.” The IEEE wanted to create standards for AVB to ensure compatibility across all devices on the network regardless of the manufacturer. These AVB compatible switches have been notoriously magnitudes more expensive than a more common, run-of-the-mill TCP/IP switch, so it has often been seen as a roadblock to AVB deployments simply because of the cost factor in replacing an infrastructure of more common (read cheaper), Layer 3 switches with Layer 2 AVB-compatible (read more expensive) switches.

When talking about most networking protocols, especially AVB, the discussion dives into layers and layers of standards and revisions. AVB in and of itself, refers to the IEEE 802.1 set of standards along with others outlined in IEEE 1722 and IEEE 1733 [22]. So I know all this talk of IEEE standards gets really confusing so it is helpful to remember that there is a hierarchy to all this. In an AES White Paper by Axel Holzinger and Andreas Hildebrand with a very long title called “Realtime Linear Audio Distribution Over Networks A Comparison of Layer 2 And 3 Solutions Using The Example Of Ethernet AVB And RAVENNA” they lay out the four AVB protocols in 802.1:

 

 

It’s important here to stop and go over some new terminology when discussing devices in an AVB domain since it is Layer 2, after all. Instead of talking about a network, senders, receivers, and switches we are going to replace the same consecutive terms with domain, talkers, listeners, and bridges [24].

An example of a basic AVB network

IEEE 802.1AS is basically an AVB-specific profile of the IEEE 1588 standards for PTPv2. One of the editions of this standard, IEEE 802.1AS-2011, introduces gPTP (or “generalized PTP”). When used in conjunction with IEEE 1722-2011, gPTP introduces a presentation time for media data which indicates “when the rendered media data shall be presented to the viewer or listener” [25]. What I have learned from all this research is that the IEEE loves nesting new standards within other standards like a convoluted russian doll. The Stream Reservation Protocol (SRP also known as IEEE 802.1Qat) is the key that makes AVB shine from other network protocols because it allows endpoints in the network to check routes and reserve bandwidth, and SRP “checks end-to-end bandwidth availability before an A/V stream starts” [26]. This basically ensures that data won’t be sent until stream bandwidth is available and lets the endpoints decide the best route to take in the domain. So in a Dante deployment, adding additional switches daisy-chained in a network increases overall network latency the more hops that are added, and results in a need to reevaluate the network topology configuration entirely. Dante latency is set per device and depending on the size of the network, but with AVB, thanks to SRP and the QoS improvements, the bandwidth reservation gets announced through the network and latency times are kept lower even with large network deployments.

The solidity and fast communications of AVB networks have made them more common because of their ability, as the name implies, to carry audio, video, and data on the same network. The problem with all these network protocols follows the logic of Moore’s Law. If you couldn’t tell from all the revisions of IEEE standards that I have been listing, these technologies improve and get revised very quickly. Because technology is constantly improving at a blinding pace, it’s no wonder that gear manufacturing companies haven’t been able to “settle” on a common standard the way that they settled on, say, the XLR cable. This is where the newest addition to the onslaught of protocols comes in: Milan.

The standards of AVB kept developing with more improvements just like the revisions of IEEE 1588, and have led to the latest development in AVB technology called Milan. With the collaboration of some of the biggest names in the business, Milan was developed as a subset of standards within the overarching protocol of AVB. Milan includes the use of a primary and secondary redundancy scheme like that of Dante, which was not available in previous AVB networks, among other features. The key here is that Milan is open source meaning that manufacturers can develop their own implementation of Milan specific to their gear as long as it follows the outlined standards [27]. This is pretty huge if you consider how many different networking protocols are used across different pieces of gear in the audio industry. Avnu Alliance, the organization of collaborating manufacturers who developed Milan, have put together the series of specifications for Milan under the idea that any product that is released with a “Milan-ready” certification, or a badge of that nature, will be able to talk to one another over this Milan network [28].

 

A Note On OSC And The Future

Before we conclude our journey through the world of networking, I want to take a minute for  OSC. Open Sound Control protocol, or OSC, is an open source communications protocol that was originally designed for use with electronic music instruments but has expanded to streamlining the communications between anything from controlling synthesizers, to connecting movement trackers and software programs, to controlling virtual reality [29]. It is not an audio transport protocol, but used for device communication like MIDI (except not like MIDI because it is IP-based). I think this is a great place to end on because OSC is a great example of the power of open source technology. The versatility in OSC and its open-source platform has allowed for many programs from small to large to implement this protocol, and it is a testimony to the improvement of workflows when everyone (i.e. open-source) has the ability to input changes to make things better. We’ve spent this entire blog talking about the many different standards that have been implemented over the years to try and improve upon previous technology. Yet a gridlock of progress ensues mostly due to the fact that a standard gets made and by the time it actually gets enacted, the standard is already out of date because the technology has already surpassed that previous point in time.

 

So maybe it’s time for something different.

Maybe the open source nature of Milan and OSC are the way of the future because if everyone can put their heads together to try and develop specifications that are fluid and open to change as opposed to restricted by the rigidity of bureaucracy, maybe hardware will finally be able to keep up with the pace of the minds of the people using it.

Endnotes

[1] https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtNlUrzyH5r6jN9ulIgZBpdo

[2]https://networkengineering.stackexchange.com/questions/35016/whats-the-difference-between-frame-packet-and-payload

[3] https://www.itprc.com/how-encapsulation-works-within-the-tcpip-model/

[4] https://youtu.be/9glJEQ1lNy0

[5] https://www.learncisco.net/courses/icnd-1/building-a-network/tcpip-transport-layer.html

[6] https://www.iol.unh.edu/sites/default/files/knowledgebase/1588/ptp_overview.pdf

[7] https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=16146 (pages 1-2)

[8] https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/el/isd/ieee/tutorial-basic.pdf

[9] https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=16146 (page 5)

[10] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precision_Time_Protocol

[11]https://community.cambiumnetworks.com/t5/PTP-FAQ/IEEE-1588-What-s-the-difference-between-a-Boundary-Clock-and/td-p/50392

[12]https://www.luminex.be/improve-your-timekeeping-with-ptpv2/

[13] ibid.

[14]https://www.audinate.com/company/about/history

[15]https://www.audinate.com/support/networks-and-switches

[16]https://www.luminex.be/improve-your-timekeeping-with-ptpv2/

[17]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precision_Time_Protocol

[18]https://service.shure.com/s/article/dante-and-aes-clocking-in-depth?language=en_US

[19]https://www.ravenna-network.com/app/download/13999773923/AES67%20and%20RAVENNA%20in%20a%20nutshell.pdf?t=1559740374

[20] ibid.

[21]https://www.ravenna-network.com/using-ravenna/overview

[22 ]Kreifeldt, R. (2009, July 30). AVB for Professional A/V Use [White paper]. Avnu Alliance.

[23] https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=16147

[24] ibid.

[25] https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=16146 (page 6)

[26] Kreifeldt, R. (2009, July 30). AVB for Professional A/V Use [White paper]. Avnu Alliance.

[27]https://avnu.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Milan-Whitepaper_FINAL-1.pdf (page 7)

[28]https://avnu.org/specifications/

[29] http://opensoundcontrol.org/osc-application-areas

 

Resources

Audinate. (2018, July 5). Dante Certification Program – Level 3 – Module 5: IP Encapsulation [Video]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9glJEQ1lNy0&list=PLLvRirFt63Gc6FCnGVyZrqQpp73ngToBz&index=5

Audinate. (2018, July 5). Dante Certification Program – Level 3 – Module 8: ARP [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4l8Q4JwtXQ

Audinate. (2018, July 5). Dante Certification Program – Level 3 – Module 23: Advanced Clocking [Video]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7Y3IYr5iMs&list=PLLvRirFt63Gc6FCnGVyZrqQpp73ngToBz&index=23

Audinate. (2019, December). The Relationship Between Dante, AES67, and SMPTE ST 2110 [White paper]. Uploaded to Scribd. Retrieved from

https://www.scribd.com/document/439524961/Audinate-Dante-Domain-Manager-Broadcast-Aes67-Smpte-2110

Audinate. (n.d.). History. https://www.audinate.com/company/about/history

Audinate. (n.d.). Networks and Switches.

https://www.audinate.com/support/networks-and-switches

Avnu Alliance. (n.d.). Avnu Alliance Test Plans and Specifications.

https://avnu.org/specifications/

Bakker, R., Cooper, A. & Kitagawa, A. (2014). An introduction to networked audio [White paper]. Yamaha Commercial Audio. Retrieved from

https://download.yamaha.com/files/tcm:39-322551

Cambium Networks Community [Mark Thomas]. (2016, February 19). IEEE 1588: What’s the difference between a Boundary Clock and Transparent Clock? [Online forum post]. https://community.cambiumnetworks.com/t5/PTP-FAQ/IEEE-1588-What-s-the-difference-between-a-Boundary-Clock-and/td-p/50392

Cisco. (n.d.) Layer 3 vs Layer 2 Switching.

https://documentation.meraki.com/MS/Layer_3_Switching/Layer_3_vs_Layer_2_Switching

Crash Course. (2020, March 19). Computer Science [Video Playlist]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtNlUrzyH5r6jN9ulIgZBpdo

Eidson, J. (2005, October 10). IEEE 1588 Standard for a Precision Clock Synchronization Protocol for Networked Measurement and Control Systems [PDF of slides]. Agilent Technologies. Retrieved from

https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/el/isd/ieee/tutorial-basic.pdf

Garner, G. (2010, May 28). IEEE 802.1AS and IEEE 1588 [Lecture slides]. Presented at Joint ITU-T/IEEE Workshop on The Future of Ethernet Transport, Geneva 28 May 2010. Retrieved from https://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-t/oth/06/38/T06380000040002PDFE.pdf

Holzinger, A. & Hildebrand, A. (2011, November). Realtime Linear Audio Distribution Over Networks A Comparison Of Layer 2 And Layer 3 Solutions Using The Example Of Ethernet AVB And RAVENNA [White paper]. Presented at the AES 44th International Conference, San Diego, CA, 2011 November 18-20. Retrieved from https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=16147

Johns, Ian. (2017, July). Ethernet Audio. Sound On Sound. Retrieved from https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/ethernet-audio

Kreifeldt, R. (2009, July 30). AVB for Professional A/V Use [White paper]. Avnu Alliance.

Laird, Jeff. (2012, July). PTP Background and Overview. University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory. Retrieved from

https://www.iol.unh.edu/sites/default/files/knowledgebase/1588/ptp_overview.pdf

LearnCisco. (n.d.). Understanding The TCP/IP Transport Layer.

TCP vs UDP | TCP 3 Way Handshake

LearnLinux. (n.d.). ARP and the ARP table.

http://www.learnlinux.org.za/courses/build/net-admin/ch03s05.html

Luminex. (2017, June 6). PTPv2 Timing protocol in AV networks. https://www.luminex.be/improve-your-timekeeping-with-ptpv2/

Milan Avnu. (2019, November). Milan: A Networked AV System Architecture [PDF of slides].

Mullins, M. (2001, July 2). Exploring the anatomy of a data packet. TechRepublic. https://www.techrepublic.com/article/exploring-the-anatomy-of-a-data-packet/

Network Engineering [radiantshaw]. (2016, September 18). What’s the difference between Frame, Packet, and Payload? [Online forum post]. Stack Exchange.

https://networkengineering.stackexchange.com/questions/35016/whats-the-difference-between-frame-packet-and-payload

Opensoundcontrol.org. (n.d.). OSC Application Areas. Retrieved August 10, 2020 from http://opensoundcontrol.org/osc-application-areas

Perales, V. & Kaltheuner, H. (2018, June 1). Milan Whitepaper [White Paper]. Avnu Alliance. https://avnu.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Milan-Whitepaper_FINAL-1.pdf

Precision Time Protocol. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved August 10, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precision_Time_Protocol

Presonus. (n.d.). Can Dante enabled devices exist with other AVB devices on my network? https://support.presonus.com/hc/en-us/articles/210048823-Can-Dante-enabled-devices-exist-with-other-AVB-devices-on-my-network-

Quine, A. (2008, January 27). How Encapsulation Works Within the TCP/IP Model. IT Professional’s Resource Center.

https://www.itprc.com/how-encapsulation-works-within-the-tcpip-model/

Quine, A. (2008, January 27). How The Transport Layer Works. IT Professional’s Resource Center. https://www.itprc.com/how-transport-layer-works/

RAVENNA. (n.d.). AES67 and RAVENNA In A Nutshell [White Paper]. RAVENNA. https://www.ravenna-network.com/app/download/13999773923/AES67%20and%20RAVENNA%20in%20a%20nutshell.pdf?t=1559740374

RAVENNA. (n.d.). What is RAVENNA?

https://www.ravenna-network.com/using-ravenna/overview/

Rose, B., Haighton, T. & Liu, D. (n.d.). Open Sound Control. Retrieved August 10, 2020 from https://staas.home.xs4all.nl/t/swtr/documents/wt2015_osc.pdf

Shure. (2020, March 20). Dante And AES67 Clocking In Depth. Retrieved August 10, 2020 from https://service.shure.com/s/article/dante-and-aes-clocking-in-depth?language=en_US

Weibel, H. & Heinzmann, S. (2011, November). Media Clock Synchronization Based On PTP [White Paper]. Presented at the AES 44th International Conference, San Diego, CA, 2011 November 18-20. Retrieved from https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=16146

Networking to Your Next Position

My job has taken me to many different places lately, where I’ve met many types of people and worked with many various organizations and labor groups.  Often, I encounter people who would like to break out of their current role to work for the businesses or tours they’ve met along the way. Frequently there are questions of how to take the next steps to reach their goals.  Here’s some advice.

Be eager and helpful

This will make a huge impact. You will leave a lasting impression; I guarantee it. This is your first step into new opportunities. Leave a positive impact by jumping in on any task. Help with the ‘bad’ jobs like feeder, decking, and barricade. Keep volunteering for tasks all day and when completed, ask what’s next; even better if 2 or 3 tasks can be passed to you at one time and you complete them all well the first time.

Listen and Respond

Listen to the directions given and respond, letting them know you understand what you are being asked. This is super simple to do.  Statements such as “I got it, no problem, or anything else I should do?” provide responses that let the leader know you are listening and jumping on the tasks at hand. Of course, make sure, you are completing these tasks to the best of your ability and if you are not sure exactly what’s being requested, ask questions. Then follow through letting the leader know that the project is done.

Follow-through

Contact them, submit your resume, if possible, stop by the office to talk outside of a job site, seek them out separately from an event.  We are going to be respectful of those we partner with. Sometimes you have to actively engage, question, and work your way toward the crews you want to be a part of. You will need to step out and ask for a meeting. Find an appropriate time to ask some initial questions onsite and follow up later.  Get the person’s name, role, and ask a bit about their company and if time allows to tactfully ask about their hiring process. Then when you’re not in the middle of a show, ask for a meeting or employment opportunity. You’ve already made your impression. They’ve already experienced your work ethic, and you’ve proved you follow through. This has a considerable impact on the decision-making process and could give you better chances.

If they don’t hire you, ask for constructive feedback. Be prepared to hear what you don’t want to hear but take that feedback to improve and move forward. Also, be prepared for the company to have concerns about poaching you from their partner and burning a relational bridge with a group they rely on. This is a hard thing for companies to navigate.  In the end, it is your choice who you work for, but companies and groups may need to tread lightly sometimes. Help them by tactfully making your intentions and plans know to all parties involved to not burn any relational bridges yourself.

 

The Art of Networking

One of the most hated buzzwords of the moment is “networking.” Fortunately, I never had a fear of the word or the practice itself, but I can understand why people feel it is awkward or too forced to be in a room of strangers and be expected to make business contacts. I was first thrown into the world of solo networking at the University of Exeter, where in my first year, I found myself turning up to events alone. I would have described my 18-year-old self as shy and reserved (although very few people I know now would believe that!). I attended employability events at the Career Zone within the first few weeks of university, to be met with questions such as: “But you’re a first year? Why are you here?” from both members of staff and fellow older students. I, for some reason, had not thought it was strange to attend these events, it felt natural, although I had never been in a situation like that before. My school was good, but there were never formal or official career opportunity evenings. It felt like too good an opportunity to miss out on, this university networking malarkey.

I soon realised I slightly loved attending fresher’s week events alone. It was like a fresh start at each meeting/event. Freshers are the first week at UK universities where students are encouraged to try new sports, activities, and clubs. I participated in a wide range of things on offer; it seemed like such an incredible opportunity to meet new people, learn new skills, and increase my confidence. The word networking never entered my head, but ultimately, that’s what it was. So, within the first week at Exeter I had been to a French conversation class, clay pigeon shooting (don’t ask why lol), many drama groups and too many sports to mention (lacrosse, trampolining, yoga, pilates, beach ball, netball, hockey, etc.) One of the best pieces of advice I received at uni was: try something new. I took this to heart and tried to enjoy the drama groups, but there was either too much dancing involved, or the people were TOO much. Then there were sports which I still try to convince myself I like, but low and behold in my heart of hearts I do not. The French and Spanish conversation classes were good to pop into later in the year, as at the beginning of the year they were far too busy and half the time was spent just introducing your name, age, where you came from. My favourite experience was at student radio.

Since joining the student radio station, my confidence grew immensely, leading me to continue to attend talks, events, and networking events with any speakers from media industries. I tried to speak to as many people as possible at the drinks and networking session that followed, then made sure to follow up with those who were kind enough to give me their email or offer to read my CV. I found these events so inspiring and refreshing and not a waste of time at all. I even used to attend talks in industries I had less of an interest in, for example, banking and finance, just in case, there was something to learn from them or someone interesting to meet. To be efficient and use my time wisely at university, I had no fear of discreetly leaving early or politely explaining that it’s not for me but thank you for a great event.

This love of networking events continued throughout the summers when I was home in Newcastle. I attended events with Northern Film and Media, BFI Network and the Tyneside Cinema, where I met like-minded students from Durham and Newcastle University as well as working professionals in the audio industry. I am soon looking to be moving to London to start a new job in the media industry and wish to continue attending networking events as much as possible. For those that find it hard to attend social events alone, I have listed some ideas/tips below that may be of help:

 

I have been lucky enough to have some great opportunities through networking events. After attending a Women in Business (XWIB) event and speaking to a local CEO and alumni, I was offered a two-day work experience opportunity in PR/marketing/blog writing, which then lead to a one-month summer internship. Also, whilst working at the Edinburgh Festival, I spoke to a leading talent manager in London, who then interviewed me for a job one year later and I got it! Of course, there is luck and being in the right place at the right time in play, and some events may be a complete waste of time, but I would say if you have been put off networking, keep at it as you never know what it could lead to. Perseverance is key. As well as quantity. I have found that the more events I attend, the more people I meet, and the more professional opportunities I am offered. Makes sense! Both Emma Gannon and Steven Bartlett have spoken openly about how most of their work comes to them after speaking at events and being approached afterward. I have seen them both host entrepreneur events/panels, and they are both entrepreneurs and public speakers working at the top of this mad industry.

To conclude, don’t be scared of the word networking. You’re most likely already doing it without realising. If you wish to start, take the baby steps, a small event here and there, even joining a relevant Facebook group is a great way to learn more about a certain industry and meet new people. Follow tags on social media to find out what’s on in your area. Enter competitions, you’ve got to be in it to win it.

The pictures below are me at various networking events and opportunities. I didn’t think I’d have any appropriate pictures to demonstrate my point of this blog post, but luckily I do!

 

Happy networking!

WHERE ELSE TO FIND ME:

Tri-lingual radio show (Sobremesa): https://www.mixcloud.com/Alexandra_McLeod/

Sobremesa Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AlexandraSobremesa/

YouTube and Geography blog: https://alexandrasobremesa.wordpress.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-mcleod-79b7a8107?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile

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