Introducing DM NAX Intelligent Audio
Crystal-clear audio for any collaboration space
February 17
Introducing DM NAX Intelligent Audio

Jacob Whipple has been in meetings where the audio was less than stellar.

“It’s something a lot of us have experienced,” says Whipple, a senior product marketing manager at Crestron. “You’re in a conference room with a laptop, and you’re trying to communicate with a colleague who’s remote — you can’t hear them, they can’t hear you, and it’s frustrating.”

There are a lot of available answers for the problem, of course, but Crestron wanted to come up with something that met certain criteria, says Whipple: “We wanted a professional solution that was easy to install, scalable, and future-ready —  a plug-and-play system that delivered consistent behavior and still looks forward to all the capabilities that AI is going to bring us.”

To build a new audio solution for hybrid meeting spaces, Crestron leveraged its existing Audio-over-IP platform: DM NAX® Audio-over-IP, which has established itself as a best-in-class audio solution. The latest step in the evolution of Crestron’s audio technology is DM NAX Intelligent Audio, an ecosystem that delivers crystal-clear audio for collaboration spaces. It’s an easy-to-deploy, eminently scalable, AI-ready audio solution that optimizes the collaboration experience for any type of meeting space.

The Details

At the heart of the platform is the new DM NAX AP-100 audio processor. When that intelligent audio device is paired with Crestron’s new Mic + Speaker Pods (also known as MIC-SPK Pods — watch this space for more on those devices soon), Saros® PoE speakers, or a growing list of AES67-compatible microphones and speakers from other manufacturers, the problem’s solved: everyone can hear and be heard.

“The concept here is truly ‘network first architecture’ — we’re building solutions that can go ‘live’ on an Audio-over-IP system right out of the box,” says Whipple. To that end, DM NAX Intelligent Audio uses PoE and AES67 compatibility to connect the AP-100, MIC-SPK Pods, and third-party peripherals. A single cable provides both power and network connection, making the solution quick to install. Auto-discovery further simplifies deployment. “You can reduce installation time — and the time-to-audio — dramatically compared to many other solutions,” says Whipple.

Once it’s on the network, users can immediately take advantage of the system's features. The solution includes Direction of Arrival Audio (which tracks the location of each speaker as they talk for natural collaboration and intelligent video integration), advanced DSP, AEC, AGC, noise reduction, and auto-mixing. To truly leverage the tools of modern work, the system is specifically designed to integrate with Microsoft® Copilot software.

“Speaker tracking and outstanding signal processing don’t just help the audio at either end of the connection; they also provide top-quality sound for AI summarizations, translation, and transcriptions,” says Whipple. The result: consistent, quality audio for every meeting in any type of space — or spaces. “It’s really a remarkable complement to our intelligent video solutions,” he notes.

Consistency is Key

“One of the great benefits of this approach is that clients can ‘right-size’ for any space using a customized product mix, tailored for the room size, layout, and collaboration needs of that space,” says Whipple. Because the devices sit on the network, DM NAX Intelligent Audio can scale to match a broad range of scenarios, while providing consistent quality performance. “If you’ve got CAT cabling, you can mix and match products to fit a given situation,” says Whipple. Specifiers can be confident in any combination of products they choose, as each configuration has been thoroughly tested and validated for optimal performance.

Another aspect of this latest step in the evolution of DM NAX Audio-over-IP is that there’s a history of consistent quality here. As we noted on the Crestron blog in an article regarding the broad potential of commercial applications for networked audio:

“Today, audio from nearly any source can be encoded to a DM NAX, Dante, or other AoIP protocol and freely routed between devices on the network,” explains Dustin Plumb, Crestron’s senior product manager of AV solutions. Network audio devices handle signal routing and processing and can be remotely configured, managed, monitored, and controlled. DM NAX technology leverages all the advantages of network audio architecture in a comprehensive ecosystem of audio products.”

There was a clear starting point from the outset, says Delix Alex, director of product management for AV solutions at Crestron: “DM NAX Audio-over-IP is based on AES67, an accepted standard within the industry that allows for interoperability.” From there, “we could layer the Crestron goodness on top,” he adds. That “goodness” is more than just interoperability with other Crestron digital media but also brings other benefits into the audio world, such as control solutions, far-reaching management and configuration options, and the reliability Crestron is known for.

“That reliability and consistency of performance is baked into this solution,” says Whipple. “You know that DM NAX Intelligent Audio with the AP-100 at its center will provide a consistent audio experience, regardless of room size or function.” Add to that any mix of tabletop and in-ceiling peripherals that can easily connect with a PoE CAT cable — plus the added benefit of auto-discover — and you’ve got a system that can expand to campus-wide deployments quickly and easily. “Mix in automated audio corrections with noise cancellation, AEC, speaker tracking, mic-mixing, and tuning specifically for Microsoft Copilot, and you’ve got a recipe for a solution that’s going to provide long-term benefits,” he adds.

“It’s yet another way Crestron’s engineering a culture of collaboration for our customers.”

Learn more about DM NAX Intelligent Audio 

featured products

image 1 text field
Crestron DM NVX AV-over-IP technology

DM NVX® AV-over-IP technology combines video, audio, USB, and control on a single platform to reliably distribute anything across your entire network — in real time, at the highest quality and security standards.

Learn More
image 1 text field
Crestron DM NAX Audio-over-IP technology

Send high-fidelity sound from any source to any space. Every note. In no time flat. It’s done with DM NAX Audio-over-IP technology. From video conferencing to background music, networked audio distribution gives you a flexible, scalable, and secure solution.

Learn More
image 1 text field
Crestron Intelligent Video

From small rooms to multi-purpose rooms, from lecture halls to town halls, Crestron’s portfolio of intelligent video solutions brings everyone closer together and keeps them fully engaged.

Learn More

We’ll contact you.

If you prefer to have Crestron contact you, please complete the form below and a representative will call you.

​

By submitting your information you consent to the use of that information as set out in the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

related posts

image 1 text field
Music for Business

A platform called SoundMachine is now available for commercial deployments on the Crestron DM NAX® Audio-over-IP platform.

Learn More
image 1 text field
Introducing the Crestron Audio-over-IP Saros PoE Speaker

Part of the Crestron DM NVX AV-over-IP platform, the new Saros Audio-over-IP speaker provides incredible audio for any conference room, classroom, background music, or residential application.

Learn More
image 1 text field
DM NAX Audio-over-IP for Commercial Applications

From music in the smallest bar or restaurant to a massive system of distributed audio across an organization’s entire campus, the Crestron DM NAX® Audio-over-IP ecosystem offers flexible options for commercial installations. By providing everything from Audio Edge Devices to streaming amps, preamps, and speakers, Crestron has an end-to-end solution for any project.

Learn More