Glensound VITA MINI – Compact Dante® Beltpack Commentary Unit with Talkback Glensound

The VITA Mini is a very powerful Dante® network audio interface, in a compact belt pack style. It has a mic/line input and headphone monitoring connection for a single user, and contains two 4 wire circuits. One of these is typically used as an on air channel, and the other as a talkback channel.

Features:

• Two Four Wire Circuits
• Headphone Monitoring
• Single Input
• Network Audio Link
• AES67 Compliant
• PPM Meter

The high quality microphone input, with the Glensound Referee compressor, makes the Vita Mini suitable for on air commentary use, particularly when pitch side. The flexibility of the talk button configurations, means that the Vita Mini can also be used as a talkback unit as part of a Dante® or AES67 network. VITA Mini is a low cost yet high quality broadcast tool, designed to keep both the company accountant and engineering department happy.

The VITA Mini has two 4 wire circuits. These are typically used as main programme on air, with a separate talkback circuit. The push buttons for each circuit are configurable and can operate in different modes, to allow configuration for different types of uses:

• Latching on/off
• Momentary push to talk (PTT)
• Intelligent mode where a short tap is latching, but a longer hold becomes momentary
• Always on and mutes when pressed (cough)
• Pressing one button, mutes the other circuit (talkback)

Headphone Monitoring
There is a 6.35mm jack socket for headphone monitoring. Each of the two 4 wire inputs can be selected to be in the left ear, right ear, or both ears of the headphones, depending on the users preference. The level of each input can also be independently selected. The headphone amplifier is intelligent and capable of driving correct levels into low or high impedance headphones and capable of connecting directly to both stereo or mono headphones and earpieces. The headphone monitor also includes sidetone (at a programmable level) – sidetone is the commentator’s own voice.

Single Input
The Vita Mini is a single user unit, with one high quality input. The input is mic/mic+48v/line switchable, on a 3 pin XLR, with a variable gain control. As the Vita can be used for on air broadcast, Glensound’s Referee compressor limiter is used to control the audio levels and prevent any clipping. The Referee compressor has been developed over many years of working with sports commentators, and provides a gently increasing compression as the input signal approaches clipping. In normal use the compressor is not active as it only starts working as clipping approaches, so normal dynamic range is maintained.

The VITA Mini is Dante® /AES67 network audio compatible. The network connection is via a single Neutrik XLR RJ45. This link carries:

• 2 audio inputs
• 2 audio outputs
• Power over Ethernet (PoE)

AES67 Compliant
Vita Mini utilises the Ultimo chipset from Audinate (The company behind Dante®). The Ultimo chipset has been designated as AES67 compliant by Audinate and as such it is possible to use the Vita Mini in AES67 network environments.

Power
The Vita Mini has two power sources. When connected to a PoE network switch or PoE midspan power supply. There is also an input for a 12 VDC connection.

PPM Meter
A front panel 4 segment PPM meter showing -12 to +6dB in 6dB steps provides confidence to the user that their outgoing level is set correctly and can also be used as a visual aid to indicate that the microphone has been switched on to the programme output.

VITA CONTROLLER APPLICATION

Network Remote Control
Vita Controller is a Windows 10 PC application, and it can be downloaded for free from http://www.glensound.co.uk/product-details/vita/. When launched, Vita Controller scans the network for all connected Vita’s, which show up on the left hand side. The function of each Vita is replicated on Vita Controller, with each unit receiving its own visual controller module.

Remote Control Of Mic Gain Levels
There are settings to select mic, mic +48v, or line inputs. A rotary control then acts as the gain level up and down. This all operates in real time.

Talk Button Configuration
Directly clicking on the program or talkback button on Vita Controller will work in the same way as if it was pressed locally on the Vita itself. This allows an engineer to have remote control of the mic on/off function. Each button can be set independently in the following modes:

• Momentary – button is active only when held
• Latching – a single press locks the button on or off
• Intelligent – a short press locks the button, where a longer press acts as momentary
• Cough
• Always ON
• Always OFF

The operation of a button can also mute the other circuit. For example, this is used to mute the program mic when the talkback button is pressed.

Local Control Security
Vita Controller can disable the local controls on the unit. This gives security to the engineer using Vita Controller that they have full control of all levels and operation, and cannot be overridden. If the local controls in the Vita Controller are not disabled, adjustment on the local unit will override the remote setting.