AURATUS
For 15 years, Stage Tec has designed and manufactured digital mixing consoles. Flexible and versatile, the legendary sound quality of these consoles makes them superior in almost any application. Sometimes however, they are just too big. This is why the AURATUS was developed: a small production, broadcast, and live console with 54 inputs channels and a fixed bus layout. The modular structure supports versions featuring 8, 16, or 24 channel strips. The standard versions of the lightweight AURATUS console are desktop or fitted units; a version with legs is available as an option.
The name is intentionally reminiscent of AURUS to emphasise that the AURATUS compares favourably with the big console in sound, quality, and ergonomics. In particular, the familiar AURUS principle of instant access to key parameters on the channel strip was also implemented on the new console. For the first time, numerous proven AURUS features are made available in a compact and reasonably priced on-air and production console.
The basic idea behind the AURATUS was to design a compact digital console that could be used in predefined workflows in radio and TV production. Therefore, the AURATUS features not only a hardwired bus layout but also a user interface optimised for quick and simple operation. This ensures that even inexperienced users or self-drive programme editors are assured a shallow learning curve and secure operation. All critical audio-channel parameters can simply be set using the dual encoders on the channel strip familiar from the AURUS, or from the master section.
The AURATUS offers many more features designed specifically for the broadcaster. Convenient audio-follow-video functions, a remote-controlled fader (on/off) functionality, two freely assignable function keys per channel, extensive cue-light signalling, eight separately configurable N-1 buses, and two timers capable of counting down as well as up.
The AURATUS’ entire DSP engine is accommodated on a single NEXUS plug-in board. Like all other Stage Tec consoles, the AURATUS integrates fully with the NEXUS audio network. This single-board solution eliminates the need to invest in a NEXUS STAR router.
Apart from NEXUS operation, the mixing-console system does not need a control computer. All generated data — snapshots and projects — is stored onto ordinary SD memory cards. The AURATUS console can be used as a purely stereo console or in a combined mode for both stereo and 5.1 surround sound, depending on whether a stereo or surround project is loaded into the console.
The AURATUS delivers ultra-low power consumption — even the largest version consumes less than 100 watts, thus rendering fans obsolete. The power supply is invariably implemented with redundancy.
