An evolutionary view on audio and control distribution for live sound reinforcement

From analog to the adoption of digital audio with AES 3 and MADI and the emergence of network audio, the distribution of audio has rapidly evolved in the last twenty years. With installations growing in scale and equipment list, network has also been introduced to monitor and control electronic units throughout the audio chain.
In this tutorial, an evolutionary view on audio and control distribution in the context of live sound is presented. The pros and cons of multiple formats are outlined from a technological and practical perspective, explaining why more and more manufacturers are now turning to AVB MILAN as a preferred solution for simultaneous transmission of audio and control data on a single, possibly redundant, network infrastructure.