Sonnox Fraunhofer Pro-Codec Plug-in

Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits

Sonnox Fraunhofer Pro-Codec Plug-in

Overview

Sonnox 

Selling music through online distribution is an ongoing trend. This makes live more convenient for music lovers but it makes the job more challenging for music production professionals. They are faced with the task to optimize their mixes for specific audio codecs which was a time consuming process up to now.

The primary purpose of the Sonnox Fraunhofer Pro-Codec is to provide a way of monitoring the host session material using the Fraunhofer encoders, without the need for offline processing. By auditioning and comparing codecs online, it allows for executive decisions on the best codecs to use. The entire process is accomplished 'on the fly,' and frees the engineer to focus on producing a compensated, optimized mix. In an industry first, the Pro-Codec plug-in enables mix and mastering engineers to audition up to five codecs in real time within a DAW environment, produce an optimized mix and batch encode to multiple formats simultaneously.

All major Fraunhofer codecs, including mp3, mp3 Surround, AAC-LC, HE-AAC and HE-AACv2 are supported, as are lossless codecs such as mp3-HD and HD-AAC.

The Sonnox Fraunhofer Pro-Codec is compatible with Avid Pro Tools, VST and Audio Units applications.

Further information can be found at the Sonnox website:
http://www.sonnoxplugins.com/pub/plugins/products/pro-codec.htm

 

Availability

The plug-in is available from Sonnox directly or from retail partners all over the world at a recommended retail price of £295 GBP / $495 USD.

To buy the software online please click here:
http://www.sonnoxplugins.com/pub/plugins/products/pro-codec.htm

 

Applications

For Music producers or mastering engineers the new Sonnox Fraunhofer Pro-Codec plug-in makes it possible for the first time to precisely audition codecs in real time. This breaks away from the current time-consuming cycle of having to encode the mix to mp3/AAC, preview it, tweak it and then go back and re-render.

For broadcast professionals the Sonnox plug-in enables an easy access to the audio quality and bandwidth savings of Fraunhofer codecs. For example, the use of HE-AAC for podcasts could save 2/3 of a station’s download bandwidth costs. The codecs can also save downloading time and provide higher quality for demo and approval clips, or for sending voiceovers or actualities. This offers the industry a professional tool for preparing compact, quality content for numerous PC or mobile platforms.

 

Acknowledgement

Fraunhofer would like to thank the Music Producers Guild (UK) for their feedback on the Pro-Codec plugin.