Curious about how we do things?
Oxide is one of the pioneering stations in regards to streaming technology. At Oxide, we use high performance server boxes that are dedicated for each streaming role. The servers then sit behind a load balancer that allows for as many connections as possible while maintaining performance.
All output from the sound desk runs through a compressor located on the main streaming server. This cuts off highs that affects sound quality.
From the first streaming server, it encodes to FLAC (a lossless compression format that is still bandwidth friendly in comparison to standard WAV). This FLAC file is then mounted to a non-public stream that servers 2-4 then connect to. Below is the output from each server:
Server 1 - Windows Server 2008 RC1: Main Input, FLAC, Windows Media Services, Load Balancing
Server 2 - Windows Server 2003: Fallback Main Input, OGG, MP3, Webcam
Server 3 - Apple OSX Leopard: Darwin Server, AAC/MP4, Show Archiver
Inside the production studio, we operate high quality Apple Mac Dual-Core systems for editing. There are future plans to build an auxiliary production studio, for performances to be recorded in advance of shows, and for hiring.
