Axel Technology - Oxygen 3000 Plus 12 Fader 2A

The 12 Fader 2A model holds a special place within the Oxygen 3000 Plus family: it retains a reasonably sized control surface whilst doubling the audio capabilities thanks to its two audio I/O cards. This architecture provides, in particular, up to 10 microphone inputs with Automix, 8 analogue outputs and several digital and computer interfaces.

Each Audio I/O card provides its own set of connections and processing features. These include balanced microphone inputs with 48 V phantom power, 5-band parametric equalisation, compression and expansion sections, as well as AutoFader and Ducking functions. Automix can group several microphones together to simplify the management of a programme featuring multiple presenters or guests.

Communications management also plays a key role. The console can accommodate up to two telephone hybrids, whilst the Telco interfaces allow you to work with external telephone equipment and generate the mix-minus feeds required for on-air conversations. Bluetooth can be used for both calls and for streaming audio programmes from a smartphone, tablet or computer.

For connections to studio equipment, the Oxygen 3000 Plus offers up to four stereo USB inputs and two stereo USB outputs in this configuration, as well as two AES/EBU inputs and two outputs. The console also features a built-in decoder and streamer capable of receiving and transmitting audio-over-IP streams, making it ideal for applications involving streaming or networked audio links.

Day-to-day operation benefits from a richly equipped interface: a 7-inch IPS TFT colour screen, individual 2.2-inch displays, RGB LED bars, Smartkey buttons, talkback controls and snapshot recall buttons. The HDMI output allows audio levels, buses, sources, on-air information and timers to be displayed on an external screen.

50 × 50 routing, the ability to assign N-1 stereo channels and the Oxygen Remoter software round off the package. The latter enables remote access to the console’s controls and allows up to eight virtual faders to be added, which is useful when certain sources need to be controlled from another production area.

Finally, the console supports several expansion options, including a 16 × 16 or 32 × 32 Dante interface, a redundant power supply, a Talk Box and the new Talk Show System for managing multiple telephone lines via a web interface.