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TECHNOLOGY
'Wearable Computing'? Almost! Source-Connect
Plans Audio Connection Via Chrome, SmartPhones
January 29, 2014

By Dave Courvoisier

Voice Talent and TV News Anchor

One of the big catch-phrases at CES (consumer electronics show) in Las Vegas this month was "wearable computing” - the integration of the machine and the human … if not on our clothing, then somehow inserted in our bodies.

Any cyborg comparisons notwithstanding, this idea actually has acceptance and a market. Not quite yet, of course - at least not in a practical and affordable sense.

But make no mistake, the ubiquitous miniaturized computer you already have in your hand - the smartphone, tablet, or "phablet” - is a giant step forward in that evolution that started with the desktop, continued in the laptop, the PDA, then made the jump to MOBILE.

The voice over community began clamoring for quality mobile recording apps before the News Release for the iPad was barely published. Android apps followed in time. Even microphone manufacturers, and all manner of third-party devices have catered to this market (Blue Mics, MicPortPro, Alesis iOdock, Apogee, etc.). 

Clearly, if it was up to voice-actors, we’d jump to the smallest size recording configuration possible, with the caveat that it still come fairly close to the sound from our studios. (Dan Lenard: It’s really about your recording environment anyway!)

WOULDN'T THAT BE COOL?

Sheesh, if we could just some how put ISDN, Source-Connect, SoundStreak, or IpDtL on our smartphones, wouldn’t THAT be cool?

Actually, Luci Live already meets that challenge (see my blog: Meet Luci Live). The app is $350 at last check, though, so not really for everybody (yet there is a $30 version worth checking out).

Now enters a name we all know as having a reliable track-record in this realm: Source Elements, developer of Source-Connect.

I had a conversation with the always-helpful Source-Connect tech support yesterday. In the course of the conversation, the support person mentioned they were close to releasing an early version of Source-Connect for iOS.

Well, you can guess my ears went up! A subsequent email offered the statements below, given with full knowledge that I would blab it all over my blog and the social media space for voice actors. 

There are not a lot of specifics, but certainly some confidence that they’re very close to something a great many of us would love to get our hands on, no?

Please pay attention to the last line if you’d like to consider being a tester for this new functionality.

FROM SOURCE ELEMENTS:
We’re close to a private beta of a new service called Source-Connect Now, allowing you to do professional real-time audio via the Chrome web browser, and soon iOS and Android phones. This is an extension of developments from our new Source-Live Gateway that we showed at AES in October last year. 

While it’s in beta it will be limited so we welcome to hear from any advanced Source-Connect users wanting to try it, and we’ll be announcing a public beta soon after that.

While currently offering browser-to-browser connectivity, the full vision is to operate seamlessly with Source-Connect and possibly more.

Because this doesn’t require an iLok and it will be an attractively priced subscription-based plan, it will very useful tool to the VO artists where something as fully featured as Source-Connect isn’t required, yet will still offer interoperability with Source-Connect itself.

While a browser-based solution does not provide a VST/Pro Tools/AudioUnits plug-in interface, Source-Connect Now is already fully functional with our new Source-Nexus plug-in for Pro Tools on Mac OSX, should a talent need to integrate Source-Connect Now with their audio workstation.

We’re really excited to be able to announce this and welcome anyone who’d like to be part of the upcoming beta to try Source-Connect Now.
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ABOUT DAVE
Dave Courvoisier is an Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, writer, producer, voice actor, and the main weeknight news anchor on KLAS-TV, Channel 8, the Las Vegas CBS affiliate. He also writes Voice-Acting in Vegas, a daily blog of voice over adventures, observations and technology.

Email: CourVO@CourVO.com
Web: http://www.courvo.com
Blog: http://www.courvo.biz
Twitter: http://twitter.com/courvo

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