QSC today announces two new audio, video, and control processors native to the Q-SYS Ecosystem – the smaller Q-SYS Core 8 Flex and Q-SYS Core Nano. Driven by the proliferation of networked endpoints and the expanding processing needs of a wider variety of spaces and topologies, the Core 8 Flex includes onboard analog audio I/O and GPIO plus network I/O while the Q-SYS Core Nano offers network-only audio I/O processing and control. Built on the same flexible and scalable software foundation as the rest of the Q-SYS processor portfolio, including the best-in-class Q-SYS Core 110c, these new Cores expand design options to meet a wider variety of cinema applications including 5.1/7.1 and immersive audio rooms, arcade gaming areas, background/foreground music for food service areas, event rooms, and much more.
The Q-SYS Core 8 Flex includes a 64 x 64 networked I/O channel capacity with eight onboard FLEX audio channels and eight GPIOs to quickly and easily integrate analog audio and control devices into the Q-SYS Ecosystem. Q-SYS Core Nano offers the same 64 x 64 networked audio I/O without the onboard analog I/O to support installations with smaller spaces with centralized processing and fully networked endpoints. Both of these new Q-SYS Core processors occupy a smaller half-width, 1RU footprint and include pre-installed 8 x 8 Software-based Dante audio channels (license upgradeable up to 32 x 32 channels), driverless USB audio, and AV bridging capabilities.
These smaller Core processors utilize the same, robust software-based architecture, control engine and design software suite (Q-SYS Designer Software) as the rest of the Q-SYS Core processing portfolio. They both offer powerful and scalable DSP processing, video routing and bridging for web conferencing, as well as third-party endpoint integration without the need for separate dedicated control processors.
“These new processors join a growing Ecosystem of AV&C processors built on a flexible software foundation that deliver features and functionality without relying on dedicated, single-purpose hardware,” says Barry Ferrell, Senior Director, Cinema Product Development, QSC. “They are our most cost-effective cores yet, giving installers the ability to choose either a single Core 8 Flex or Core Nano for each room in a multiplex, or choose to run several 5.1/7.1 rooms from one single Core without compromising on features or performance.”
“The introduction of these two new Core processors bring even more design flexibility to the Q-SYS Ecosystem, delivering on the promise of a standards-based software platform that can easily scale-up or scale-out. I’m proud of the innovation and engineering strength of our research and development teams, who continue to deliver solutions that meet the evolving needs of the markets we serve, while reducing complexity and cost for our partners and customers,” says Jatan Shah, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Office and Technology Officer, QSC.