TSL Products boosts open connectivity for TallyMan unified control and launches new Flashboard display system at IBC

TSL Products boosts open connectivity for TallyMan unified control and launches new Flashboard display system at IBC
September 6, 2017 Meriam Khan

[06 September 2017]

New release adds Ember+ support and multiple new device specific protocols for single-point control of rich, best-of-breed systems

Releasing creative staff to concentrate on great content by handling the complexities of the technical infrastructure, the TallyMan advanced control system from TSL Products is now in use at more than 1,000 sites worldwide. The latest version of its core software and its virtual control panel design tool will be demonstrated at IBC2017 (Amsterdam, 15 – 19 September, stand 10.B41).

“TallyMan provides practical solutions for today and tomorrow through a single point of control for complex systems,” said Dan Bailey, product manager for control systems at TSL Products. “Our independence means that virtually every vendor co-operates with us on low-level control, allowing TallyMan users to build and use very simple, high-level operational systems, forgetting about the underlying technical details and only having to set up their own individual functions/tasks.”

TSL Products’ TallyMan uses open standards to communicate with all the devices in an infrastructure. The new version 1.9 release of core software, to be unveiled at IBC2017, adds the Ember+ standard, further broadening the extent of the controls that are directly accessible to the operator, or freeing up operators from having to manually control them, thus bringing the functionality into the automated workflow. Most recently TSL Products formed a partnership with Jünger Audio which has implemented the Ember+ protocol across its range, enabling TallyMan to gain access to the parameters of all Jünger Audio devices.

“The ability to control Jünger Audio products via TallyMan offers another level of comfort to the many clients that are already using this control system,” says Peter Poers, Business Development Manager at Jünger Audio GmbH. “This arrangement is beneficial for everyone because it allows for better integration and gives TallyMan customers access to more services and features. By collaborating with TSL Products, we have jointly achieved a solution that gives improved performance and will help broadcast customers save money by delivering a more efficient workflow.”

Also new at IBC2017 is the latest version of the virtual panel design software. This allows users to create highly tailored control surfaces on physical panels or on touchscreen computers, which provide precisely the required functionality. Remote studios, for example, can have a single screen which controls lighting, audio levels, camera positions and so on. Recent TallyMan installations have included full control of multiple remote studios, increasing production values while reducing costs and ensuring staff time is spent on productive, creative work.

The design software allows the user to choose the most appropriate control for each function: rotary or linear sliders, and X-Y control as well as buttons. Everything on a virtual control panel can be defined by colour, and the screens can include branding.

Exhibition visitors will also see the new FlashBoard information distribution and display system for the first time at IBC2017. Recognising the need for critical workflow information to be delivered visually at the point of use, it links seamlessly with TallyMan via the TallyMan API and with any other control system via common simple interfaces. Using the same drag-and-drop design software as TallyMan, users create multiple display formats, each with a unique combination of data, clocks and timers, on-air and cue lights, and production information.

Both TallyMan and FlashBoard can draw on system-wide monitoring information via common standards and manufacturer specific APIs.  This data can be acted upon by system logic and presented to operators. For engineering monitoring of system usage and status data with logging and reporting, TSL Products offers the InSite platform; InSite supports SNMP and Modbus whereby concentrated status reports can be designed for senior supervisors as web dashboards. Alarms can be set to be sent via email or SMS. InSite maintains a full audit trail of all monitored information for trending analysis.

The full range of TSL Products’ control, monitoring and display solutions, and its specialist audio products, will be on display at IBC2017, stand 10.B41.