The CobraNET system, developed by Peak Audio, runs full bandwidth audio through computer cables, removing the need for lots of heavy cabling. Rane has developed this system further by creating a device so the mics can be input at one end, the cables fed through, and then picked up again at the other end. Before the move to the new site, Trinity College’s recording technician Kit Venables knew that the facility would need a multi-track audio system, but was concerned about the restrictions of the listed building - the old Greenwich military hospital. Ian Downs of Hayden Labs and Martin O'Donnell of HHB (who had previously supplied the college with equipment) were approached by Venables, and collectively, they discussed Trinity’s exact requirements. Trinity already had a heavy IT infrastructure in place, and a cable network installed with the concept of network audio in mind. This made it a very easy task to integrate CobraNET into the existing system.
There’s a studio facility on site with both analogue and digital mixing. The Rane NM84 CobraNET Mic Preamps are wheeled into the room where the student wants to record, plugged into an RJ45 socket on the wall, and the PC back in the studio can control all parameters of the unit remotely. Hayden also supplied a CobraNET to AES converter to provide a digital signal, which is fed into a Yamaha mixer. Talkback is made easy with eight mic inputs and four returns for playback, talkback or foldback.
(Ruth Rossington)
