I started work on the Impulse core in 2015. The broadcast industry was moving towards audio over IP, immersive and object-based audio, virtualisation, and remote production. It was clear that Calrec needed a powerful and flexible new platform to support the workflows and requirements that were likely to come along with these new technologies.

Before I left Calrec in 2017, I worked with the R&D team on detailed concepts, designs, and specifications for the new core. The new core was launched one year later in 2018. I left before the final hardware was developed, and did not see the final product through to launch. I had no involvement in the industrial design or CMF, and the core and its integration into the product range continued to evolve after I left.

The headline call-outs from the press release at launch were:

  • The flexibility and efficiency of running up to four independent consoles on a single core
  • Native AoIP connectivity (AES67 and SMPTE 2110) up to 10Gbps, with massive internal routing capabilities
  • A third generation FPGA processing platform (Bluefin 3) with scalable and flexible capabilities, providing fully immersive signal path with channels, buses, processing, meters, and monitoring for immersive formats up to 7.1.4
  • Full redundancy including physical separation of backup hardware, allowing for geographical redundancy

Learn more at calrec.com

The final product images are taken from Calrec's website, and are not representative of the state of the product when my involvement ended.