Institute of Broadcast Sound
Encyclopedia
The Institute of Broadcast Sound (IBS) is the only organisation in the UK
dedicated to the maintenance of the highest standards of professional audio
for broadcasting, and was founded in 1977 by sound balancers in BBC Television and Radio and Independent TV. Its membership comprises audio practitioners working in all areas of broadcast audio including radio, location, and post-production
sound, and currently (2008) numbers over 800. The IBS is managed by an executive committee drawn from the membership and elected annually.
The Institute is a company limited by guarantee (with a dispensation not to use the term Limited in its title), as well as a registered charity.
specification emerged as a direct result of the 2004 Residential Weekend, entitled “Source, Sync and Storage”, which featured an experiment in which recordings made on a variety of non-linear location recorders were presented for editing and assembly to a number of workstations, and the results offered for assessment by attendees. The problems identified in the file transfer processes were revisited and discussed at a seminar in June and a meeting was facilitated by the IBS in London on the 8th July 2004 which was attended by all almost all the relevant manufacturers of recorders and DAWs, plus most of the independent software companies involved and several post production companies. An email discussion group set up by the IBS enabled all the participants to exchange information before the meeting and to continue discussions throughout the following year, and a proposal for iXML to be accepted as an AES
Standard will be discussed during 2008. The "i" in iXML recognises the part the IBS played in bringing together such a diverse blend of normally competitive manufacturers to collectively solve the increasingly difficult problem of metadata interchange, with an elegant, capable and completely public specification.
in its drive to sell off parts of the radio frequency spectrum. It would appear that members’ concerns about the loss of those bands currently used for radio microphones and other communications devices have been largely assuaged by Ofcom’s most recent proposals.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
dedicated to the maintenance of the highest standards of professional audio
Professional audio
Professional audio, also 'pro audio', refers to both an activity and a type of audio equipment. Typically it encompasses the production or reproduction of sound for an audience, by individuals who do such work as an occupation like live event support, using sound reinforcement systems designed for...
for broadcasting, and was founded in 1977 by sound balancers in BBC Television and Radio and Independent TV. Its membership comprises audio practitioners working in all areas of broadcast audio including radio, location, and post-production
Post-production
Post-production is part of filmmaking and the video production process. It occurs in the making of motion pictures, television programs, radio programs, advertising, audio recordings, photography, and digital art...
sound, and currently (2008) numbers over 800. The IBS is managed by an executive committee drawn from the membership and elected annually.
The Institute is a company limited by guarantee (with a dispensation not to use the term Limited in its title), as well as a registered charity.
Membership
Membership runs in calendar years and is available in several categories. A Full Member (MIBS) will hold, or have held, a position with full responsibility for the sound output for broadcast productions, including planning and post-production work where appropriate, and is the only category entitled to vote at General Meetings. Other categories are listed on the web site.Meetings
Members’ meetings are held between September and May, and include visits to manufacturers and broadcast facilities, craft-based discussions and masterclasses in operational techniques. A residential weekend is held every year in January.IBS Directory
The website hosts a directory of sound professionals, all having reached the criteria for membership of the IBS.IBSNET
Started in June 1995 with just 10 participants, the IBS’s own internet email conference now has nearly 500 participants – over half of the membership – and has proved to be a very successful recruitment tool as well as a source of information and feedback to members on a wide range of subjects. With membership ranging from the UK to Germany, Austria, North America, Malaysia, Australia, Japan and New Zealand, IBSNET regularly provides international comment and feedback for members enquiring about standards, working conditions, visa requirements and – apparently inevitably – radio microphone frequencies in other countries, in addition to putting location recordists in contact with one another and with the dubbing mixers who may ultimately use their work.Residential Weekend
Now established as a regular event every January, the IBS Residential Weekend has become the most important annual fixture in many members’ calendars. Every Weekend offers a mixture of informative seminars and practical demonstrations combined with an opportunity for members to meet their peers and discuss operational techniques and business problems in a relaxed atmosphere – something rarely available in today’s largely freelance marketplace.iXML
The iXMLIXML
iXML is an open standard for the inclusion of location sound metadata in Broadcast Wave audio files. This includes things like Scene, Take and Notes information....
specification emerged as a direct result of the 2004 Residential Weekend, entitled “Source, Sync and Storage”, which featured an experiment in which recordings made on a variety of non-linear location recorders were presented for editing and assembly to a number of workstations, and the results offered for assessment by attendees. The problems identified in the file transfer processes were revisited and discussed at a seminar in June and a meeting was facilitated by the IBS in London on the 8th July 2004 which was attended by all almost all the relevant manufacturers of recorders and DAWs, plus most of the independent software companies involved and several post production companies. An email discussion group set up by the IBS enabled all the participants to exchange information before the meeting and to continue discussions throughout the following year, and a proposal for iXML to be accepted as an AES
Audio Engineering Society
Established in 1948, the Audio Engineering Society draws its membership from amongst engineers, scientists, other individuals with an interest or involvement in the professional audio industry. The membership largely comprises engineers developing devices or products for audio, and persons working...
Standard will be discussed during 2008. The "i" in iXML recognises the part the IBS played in bringing together such a diverse blend of normally competitive manufacturers to collectively solve the increasingly difficult problem of metadata interchange, with an elegant, capable and completely public specification.
Spectrum
The IBS has responded in detail to the various consultation documents issued by OfcomOfcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
in its drive to sell off parts of the radio frequency spectrum. It would appear that members’ concerns about the loss of those bands currently used for radio microphones and other communications devices have been largely assuaged by Ofcom’s most recent proposals.