When WDOG(LP) “The Rock Dog” decided to start streaming, I researched how we might do it and became convinced that a separate streaming appliance would be the most reliable, self-contained solution.
The Wheatstream Duo, intended for one- or two-channel applications, appeared to be the product for the job.
The company calls Duo a tool “for every broadcaster, podcaster or content streamer who has ever wanted a professional audio streaming appliance but couldn’t afford it.”
Wheatstone’s streaming appliances have been on the market for some time and are used in many stations, but their price put them out of reach for this small LPFM in New Philadelphia, Ohio. When the company introduced the Wheatstream Duo for under $2,000, I called up and ordered one of the first units off the production line. (My unit was Serial #004, and I’m told that 001 to 003 were factory test units.)
The physical box has an uncomplicated 1RU form factor. There isn’t much on the face, while the rear offers the expected audio and network I/Os. Yet Wheatstream Duo has everything I need for my LPFM: two channels (four output streams each!), along with full processing designed specifically for streaming, including BS.1770 loudness control.
The web-based HTML5 GUI is fully loaded and well designed. I had been using a desktop PC; being able to switch over to a Linux streaming appliance that I can put in the rack gave us a lot more stability and reliability.
Setup was relatively easy. As with other processors that provide a lot of “hooks” for control, it was helpful to take a processing preset and slowly modify it over a few days, to allow my ears to get accustomed to each change before tweaking further.
After I had the Duo online I asked the team at Wheatstone to see what they thought of my stream.
Jeff Keith, Wheatstone’s senior algorithm and product development engineer, took notes, then expressed a concern that the measured stream loudness didn’t match Duo’s set target LUFS loudness level. Using test software he measured our stream loudness at 6 dB too low.
This concerned him, and Jeff made a trip to the radio station to ensure it wasn’t an issue with the Wheatstream Duo. Back in the lab he did additional testing; he even temporarily sent our stream from his lab. He found the problem: Our stream distributor Cirrus Streaming had set their stream player’s default playback level to –6 dB, exactly what we’d been measuring.
So I sent an email to Cirrus tech support to request they remove the “volume control” on the player and/or fix it at 0 dB. They made the change, the loudness problem was resolved, and our stream’s loudness level now perfectly matches Wheatstream Duo’s LUFS setting.
Wheatstone’s support was impressive. (I jokingly asked if each new Wheatstream Duo came with its own Jeff Keith.)
They’ve built it on a rock-solid Linux system, so no need to worry about Microsoft or Apple running patches, updates or fixes, or about viruses or ransomware by others.
As far as bumps, I found the interface between our BSI Simian automation metadata and Cir.St running through the Wheatstream Duo to be tricky to set up, so we simply ported direct from Simian to the Cir.St servers. I saw no advantage to doing otherwise; it all worked perfectly.
If you get a Duo, remember your audio interfacing cables if you are AES or analog with traditional connectors. In future I’d recommend that the factory include RJ45-to-XLR adapters.
I’ve found the Wheatstream Duo an incredible stream appliance at a cost-effective price. You can hear the Duo in action on the stream of www.wdog1059.com.
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