AEQ TALENT User manual

Ultra-Portable IP Audiocodec that is easy to configure and use
Optimized for OPUS encoding algorithms
USER’S MANUAL
ED. 04/21
V. 1.1 - 11/05/2021
Firmware Versions: CPU 9.30 / DSP 3.35 or higher
Software Version: AEQ ControlPHOENIX 2.2.1.47 or higher
App Version: AEQ TALENT PILOT 1.0.2 or higher

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CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................... 5
1.1. General description............................................................................................................ 5
1.2. Technical characteristics.................................................................................................... 5
1.3. Available encoding algorithms. .......................................................................................... 6
1.4. Audio Routing..................................................................................................................... 7
1.5. Compatibility with other AEQ codecs................................................................................. 7
1.6. Compatibility with third-party codecs. ................................................................................ 8
2. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT............................................................................... 9
2.1. Description of the right panel and connections.................................................................. 9
2.1.1. Headphone output. ................................................................................................. 9
2.1.2. Microphone input..................................................................................................... 9
2.2. Description of the back panel and connections. .............................................................. 10
2.2.1. Line input............................................................................................................... 10
2.2.2. Line output ............................................................................................................ 10
2.2.3. "RESET" pushbutton............................................................................................. 10
2.2.4. Ethernet port. ........................................................................................................ 11
2.2.5. Micro USB connector. ........................................................................................... 11
2.2.6. Power supply switch. ............................................................................................ 11
2.2.7. Co-Axial power supply Jack connector. ................................................................ 11
3. USER INTERFACE DESCRIPTION. MANUAL CONTROL. ................................................. 12
3.1. Power ON indicator.......................................................................................................... 12
3.2. Level indicator.................................................................................................................. 12
3.3. Established link indicator. ................................................................................................ 12
3.4. "HELP" Key. ..................................................................................................................... 13
3.5. Microphone and Panorama encoder. .............................................................................. 13
3.6. Headphone and output line / Bluetooth Encoder. ............................................................ 13
3.7. Call control keys............................................................................................................... 14
3.8. Microphone ON / OFF (MUTE) key. ................................................................................ 14
3.9. Status indicators............................................................................................................... 14
4. CONFIGURATION AND OPERATION OPTIONS FROM "AEQ ControlPHOENIX"REMOTE
CONTROL SOFTWARE. ............................................................................................................ 15
4.1. Individual codec control window. ..................................................................................... 15
4.1.1. CONFIGURATION Menu...................................................................................... 17
4.1.2. Mixer control window. ........................................................................................... 18
4.1.3. Vumeters window.................................................................................................. 19
4.2. Connection modes. .......................................................................................................... 20
4.2.1. RTP Point to Point (RAW)..................................................................................... 20
4.2.2. PROXY SIP........................................................................................................... 21
4.2.3. DIRECT SIP. ......................................................................................................... 23
4.2.4. Sending audio to multiple destinations: Broadcast, Multicast and Multi-unicast. . 24
4.3. NAT TRAVERSAL. .......................................................................................................... 27
4.3.1. Operation without NAT: "OFF (there is no NAT)". ................................................ 28
4.3.2. Manual NAT: "MANUAL (router configuration)".................................................... 28
4.3.3. AUTO 1 (local network audio)............................................................................... 29
4.3.4. AUTO 2 (local network audio)............................................................................... 29
4.3.5. AUTO 3 (audio over internet)................................................................................ 29
4.3.6. AUTO 4 (audio over internet)................................................................................ 30
4.4. FEC modes and reception buffer configuration. .............................................................. 30
4.6. Ethernet Port configuration. ............................................................................................. 32
4.7. SNMP configuration. ........................................................................................................ 32
4.8. Password configuration.................................................................................................... 34
4.9. User interface lock. .......................................................................................................... 34

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5. CONFIGURATION AND OPERATION OPTIONS FROM "AEQ TALENT PILOT"REMOTE
CONTROL APPLICATION. ........................................................................................................ 37
5.1. Downloading "AEQ TALENT PILOT"............................................................................... 37
5.2. Running "AEQ TALENT PILOT" for the first time. ........................................................... 37
5.3. Main Screen. .................................................................................................................... 38
5.3.1. Upper area. ........................................................................................................... 39
5.3.2. Main area. ............................................................................................................. 39
5.3.3. Lower area. ........................................................................................................... 41
5.4. Call menu. ........................................................................................................................ 41
5.5. Audio adjustments. .......................................................................................................... 44
5.5.1. Inputs adjustment menu........................................................................................ 44
5.5.2. Outputs adjustment menu..................................................................................... 45
5.6. Settings screen. ............................................................................................................... 46
6. QUICK START GUIDE. .......................................................................................................... 50
6.1. First steps. "AEQ TALENT PILOT" control App............................................................... 50
6.2. Connecting to a network. ................................................................................................. 51
6.3. "AEQ ControlPHOENIX" configuration software.............................................................. 51
6.4. Making your first test call. ................................................................................................ 51
6.5. Pairing for audio exchange. ............................................................................................. 52
7. CONTROL TERMINAL OVER WEB BROWSER. ................................................................. 54
7.1. Upgrading system firmware. ............................................................................................ 54
7.2. Configuring the IP parameters and the MAC address associated with the Ethernet
interface. .......................................................................................................................... 55
7.3. Technical Service and on-line manuals. .......................................................................... 56
7.4. Saving and loading configurations. .................................................................................. 56
7.5. Status menu..................................................................................................................... 57
7.6. SNMP............................................................................................................................... 57
7.7. Remotely rebooting the equipment.................................................................................. 58
8. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ........................................................................................... 59
9. A.E.Q. WARRANTY................................................................................................................ 60
APPENDIX A: GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ENCODING MODES. ............................. 61
APPENDIX B: PROTOCOLS ASSOCIATED WITH IP COMMUNICATIONS. .......................... 63
B1. Circuit switching versus packet switching. ....................................................................... 63
B1.1. Circuit switching..................................................................................................... 63
B1.1.1. Advantages:............................................................................................. 63
B1.1.2. Disadvantages: ........................................................................................ 64
B1.2. Packet switching. ................................................................................................... 64
B1.2.1. Switching modes...................................................................................... 64
B1.2.2. Advantages:............................................................................................. 64
B1.2.3. Disadvantages: ........................................................................................ 65
B2. IP protocol......................................................................................................................... 65
B2.1. IP addressing......................................................................................................... 66
B2.2. Unicast vs. Multicast. ............................................................................................. 66
B3. RTP protocol..................................................................................................................... 67
B3.1. Default TALENT configuration............................................................................... 68
B4. SIP protocol. ..................................................................................................................... 68
B4.1. Working modes...................................................................................................... 68
B4.2. Possible work scenarios. ....................................................................................... 70
B4.3. TALENT default SIP configuration......................................................................... 70
B5. STUN protocol. ................................................................................................................. 71
APPENDIX C: PORTS USED BY TALENT. .............................................................................. 73
APPENDIX D: APPLICATION NOTES GUIDE.......................................................................... 74
D1. Internet connection using standard cable access. ........................................................... 74

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Application note AN0A. ................................................................................................... 74
Application note AN0B. ................................................................................................... 74
Application note AN0C. ................................................................................................... 74
Application note AN0D. ................................................................................................... 74
Application note AN0E. ................................................................................................... 74
Application note AN0F. ................................................................................................... 74
Application note AN0G.................................................................................................... 74
Application note AN0H. ................................................................................................... 74
D2. Special applications using different kinds of Internet physical accesses, or point to point
connections. ..................................................................................................................... 74
Application note AN1....................................................................................................... 74
Application note AN2....................................................................................................... 74
Application note AN3....................................................................................................... 74
Application note AN4....................................................................................................... 74
Application note AN4B. ................................................................................................... 74
Application note AN5....................................................................................................... 74
Application note AN6....................................................................................................... 74
APPENDIX E: TALENT TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE. ........................................................... 75
APPENDIX F: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION............................................................................ 80

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1. INTRODUCTION.
1.1. General description.
AEQ TALENT is a single-channel audio codec with professional microphone input and
headphone output. Also, it counts with auxiliary 3.5mm jack line input and output and Bluetooth
connectivity.
AEQ TALENT is optimized for OPUS encoding algorithms, but it is also compatible with other
AEQ and third-party audiocodecs, as it also features AEQ LD Extend modes and the mandatory
algorithms according to EBU-TECH 3326 specification from EBU N/ACIP work group.
When connecting to another AEQ codec, users can take advantage of an exclusive set of tools
that makes initiating communications and control of the unit a simple task:
•The "SmartRTP" proprietary call-initiation protocol that simplifies connection to compatible
codecs.
•"AEQ ControlPHOENIX", remote control Software that allows for the remote operation and
adjustment of the unit from your station. ControlPhoenix allows you to control everything
related to the call initiation process and also the adjustment of all audio parameters and the
local audio routing of TALENT.
•It is also possible to control the unit using "AEQ TALENT PILOT" App for Android and iOS,
running on a Bluetooth-linked smart device. It is also possible to transfer audio between a
smart device and TALENT audiocodec.
•"HELP" function, that allows the journalist to use the system to request for assistance from
the station when facing an unexpected situation.
It is recommended to carefully read this manual and the "AEQ ControlPHOENIX" user’s
guide before using the unit, although chapter 6 offers a quickstart user’s guide.
1.2. Technical characteristics.
•Microphone input:
-Female XLR-3 connector.
-Input impedance: 2 KΩ.
-High quality, low noise, electronically balanced preamplifier
-Valid for most microphones with nominal 48V Phantom.
-Gain between 0 and +60dB, adjustable from the front panel, mobile App or control
software.
-MUTE key.
•Stereo ground-referenced line input:
- 3.5mm female jack connector.
-Input impedance >15 KΩ.
-Input level (LINE IN Gain set to 0 dB):
Nominal: 178 mV RMS (-15 dBV).
Maximum: 1V RMS (0 dBV).
-Gain selectable between -6dB and +20dB from mobile App or control software. Line &
Bluetooth gain selection is common. These inputs are mixed together
-Compatible with PCs, tablets, phones and other sound players .
•Bluetooth 5.0 audio input. Stereo A2DP:
-Gain selectable between -6dB and +20dB from control software. Line & Bluetooth
gain selection is common.
-A2DP profile for high-quality audio reception (Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC encoding,
among others).
-HFP voice profile (with G711 or G722 encoding, depending on the phone or
conferencing App used).
- This input is mixed with audio coming from the line input.

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•Stereo Headphone output:
-¼” stereo female jack connector.
-Power >=100 mW (50 mW max when using 16Ωheadphones).
-Compatible with low or high impedance headphones between 16 and 500 Ω.
-Volume control and TX/RX panorama selection from the front panel, by App and by
software.
•Stereo ground-referenced line output:
- 3.5mm female jack connector.
-Output impedance: <50 Ω.
-Adjustable gain from front panel, mobile app and control software. There is a common
input level adjustment for line input and Bluetooth incoming audio.
-Maximum output level: 835mV RMS (-1.5dBV) for THD <0.5%.
-Compatible with PCs, tablets, phones and other sound recorders.
-This output follows the audio signal sent to the outgoing Bluetooth connection.
•Bluetooth 5.0 audio output. Stereo A2DP:
-Adjustable gain from front panel, mobile app and control software. There is a common
input level adjustment for line output and Bluetooth outgoing audio.
-A2DP profile for high-quality audio reception (Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC encoding,
among others).
-HFP voice profile (with G711 or G722 encoding, depending on the phone or
conferencing App used).
Communications interface:
-IP interface: 10/100 Mbps Ethernet port, RJ45 connector. The default IP address for
TALENT is 192.168.1.89, although all devices will leave the factory with DHCP option
activated (configured to obtain its complete IP configuration from a DHCP server).
This interface provides access to:
Wired networks: Local area networks, Cable ADSL, Fiber and VLANs.
Satellite: an external satellite interface can be connected to the IP interface.
3G / 4G / 5G telephony: a 3G, 4G or 5G modem can be connected to the IP
interface.
Wireless data links: a "wireless bridge", WiMax or WiFi antenna can be
connected to the IP interface.
Other Features:
-Local interface with keys and encoders.
-Three-level LED vumeter at the front panel for program TX level indication.
-Received audio signal presence indicator.
-Operating temperature: -10 to +45 º C (14 to 114 º F).
-Dimensions: Width x Depth x Height: 130x195x45mm.
-Weight: 620gr.
-Power supply: 5 to 15 VDC for external adapter (90-263V 50/60 Hz input) or 5V
through USB interface. Power consumption: 3.5 W max.
AEQ offers the "SmartRTP"call initiation protocol in order to greatly simplify the
operation of the audiocodec.
AEQ also offers two SIP servers free of charge as a standard service for the users of
Phoenix ALIO. One of them is configured as main and the other is provided as a backup.
More information can be found in Appendix B.
1.3. Available encoding algorithms.
•OPUS with Fs= 48 KHz, mono, stereo, with 4 mono and 3 stereo presets. Bit rates
between 12 and 192 Kbps, very low delay and audio bandwidth between 6 and 20 KHz.
•G711 A-law, u-law (64 Kbps, low delay, 3.5 KHz audio bandwidth).

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•G722 (64 Kbps, low delay, 7 KHz audio bandwidth).
•AEQ-LD with Fs=16, 32 or 48 KHz, mono or stereo. Available bit rates between 64 and
384 Kbps, audio bandwidth between 7 and 19 KHz.
•MPEG 1 and 2 - LII, with Fs between 16 and 48 KHz, mono, stereo, dual channel and
Joint stereo. Binary bit rate between 64 and 384 Kbps. Audio bandwidth between 10.5
and 16.5 KHz.
•PCM (linear): very low delay, transparent quality. Fs=48 or 32 KHz with 12, 16, 20 or 24
bits/sample, mono or stereo (bit rates between 576 and 2304 Kbps), audio bandwidth
between 16 and 20 KHz.
The implementation of other coding algorithms may be evaluated according to each customer’s
specific requirements. Please ask AEQ Sales Department or authorized dealers in order to get
more information.
1.4. Audio Routing.
The following diagram shows the device’s audio capabilities, as well as how to access each
adjustment from the front panel and factory default audio settings.
1.5. Compatibility with other AEQ codecs.
TALENT offers the possibility to connect to other AEQ codecs.
It is compatible with Phoenix ALIO, MERCURY, STUDIO, VENUS, VENUS V2, VENUS V3,
STRATOS and MOBILE.
The "SmartRTP"mode and OPUS encoding algorithm can be used with Phoenix ALIO,
MERCURY, STUDIO, VENUS, VENUS V2, VENUS V3 and STRATOS updated to firmware
CPU version v5.20 and DSP version v3.35 or above.

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1.6. Compatibility with third-party codecs.
TALENT is a portable IP audiocodec compatible with EBU-TECH 3326 technical specification
from EBU N/ACIP workgroup. This technical specification was developed to guarantee
compatibility between equipment from different manufacturers in applications for professional-
quality audio contribution over IP networks. Therefore it is possible to connect TALENT with any
codec from other manufacturer over IP provided that this unit has been developed according to
N/ACIP (please check third-party codecs technical specifications).

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2. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIT.
First of all, it is necessary to become familiar with the connectors and other elements present in
the back and right panels of the unit, in order to understand the wiring and installation required
to use TALENT.
2.1. Description of the right panel and connections.
2.1.1. Headphone output.
¼" Headphone Jack. Unbalanced connection.
¼" Jack pinout
2.1.2. Microphone input.
XLR-3 female connector. Balanced connection.
Input - Female Male plug - cable
XLR-3 pinout
Pin 1 Ground
Pin 2 + Input
Pin 3 - Input
The microphone input features a high quality low-noise preamplifier and is able to provide
Phantom supply, software switchable, in order to offer compatibility with both dynamic or
condenser microphones (valid for most microphones with nominal 48V Phantom). The
preamplifier gain range is from 0 to 60 dB, making it suitable for a large range of microphone
models available in the market.
A
A
B
(Connector as seen by the soldered side)
B

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2.2. Description of the back panel and connections.
2.2.1. Line input.
Jack TRS 3.5 mm female connector. Unbalanced connection.
TRS Jack male pinout
2.2.2. Line output.
Jack TRS 3.5 mm female connector. Unbalanced connection.
TRS Jack male pinout
2.2.3. "RESET"pushbutton.
This push-button allows the user to reset the device configuration in several ways, according to
this sequence (for this there must be no call established on the device):
1) Hold it pressed until a “beep” is emitted. If the push-button is released at that moment,
the unit will return a different confirmation tone and will return to DHCP mode, without
any further changes.
2) If the push-button is held pressed for a longer time until it emits 2 beeps, and it is
released at that moment, the unit will return a different double confirmation tone and will
reboot adopting the following default Ethernet configuration: 192.168.1.89 fixed IP
address (DHCP mode is turned off), /24 network mask (255.255.255.0), 192.168.1.1
gateway and 8.8.8.8 DNS server, without further alteration.
3) If, the push-button is held until the unit beeps three times and then released, after a
different triple confirmation tone it will perform a full FACTORY CONFIGURATION
RESET, although ONLY the following parameters will remain unchanged:
A
C
D
E
F
G
B
B
C
A