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Audio processors for meeting rooms and commercial sound

An audio processor, or DSP, sits between the microphones and sources and the amplifiers. It mixes inputs, routes them to zones, applies EQ, levels and delay, and in conferencing models removes echo so remote participants hear clearly. This collection covers the Bose Professional CSP, ControlSpace ESP and ControlSpace EX ranges, the Yealink AP08 Dante processor and the Angekis ceiling microphone processors, plus a JBL ASC24 crossover that JBL now lists as discontinued.

A processor needs amplifiers and wall controls to form a complete system. The amplifiers that take Bose AmpLink and Dante audio are in Power Amplifiers, and the wall plates that give staff volume and source control are in Zone Controllers.

Bose CSP-1248 commercial sound processor

How to choose an audio processor

Fixed or open architecture

A fixed-architecture processor such as the Bose CSP-428 or CSP-1248 is set up through a browser or configuration utility, with up to 5 listening zones, AutoVolume, SmartBass and a time scheduler built in. It suits shops, restaurants and offices. An open-architecture processor such as the ControlSpace ESP-880A or EX-1280 is programmed in ControlSpace Designer, where the designer places mixers, automatic mic mixers, feedback suppressors, room combiners and EQs freely, for auditoriums, venues and divisible rooms.

Conferencing and echo cancellation

Rooms with video or phone calls need acoustic echo cancellation (AEC). The Bose ControlSpace EX-1280C has 12 AEC channels and the EX-440C has 8, both with a 480 ms tail length, VoIP, an RJ-11 PSTN line and USB for soft codecs. The EX-12AEC adds 12 more AEC channels to an EX-1280C system over Dante. The Yealink AP08 has 8 AEC channels, and Yealink designed it for Microsoft Teams Rooms, with Auto EQ that adapts to the meeting state.

Inputs, outputs and Dante

Count the analog microphones, sources and outputs first. The Bose CSP-428 has 4 inputs and 2 outputs, the CSP-1248 12 inputs and 4 outputs, the ESP-880A 8 inputs and 8 outputs, and the EX-1280 and EX-1280C 12 inputs and 8 outputs, all with 48 V phantom power. Dante adds network channels: 64 × 64 on the EX-1280 and EX-1280C, and 16 × 16 on the EX-440C, EX-12AEC and Yealink AP08, which also has 4 × 4 analog and 2 USB 3.0 device ports.

Bose ControlSpace EX-1280C conferencing sound processor, 1RU rack unit

Networking, amplifiers and control

Dante and AmpLink

Dante carries many audio channels over a standard network, so Dante ceiling microphones and amplifiers connect without analog cabling. Bose AmpLink sends 8 channels of uncompressed, low-latency digital audio over one Cat 5 cable from the CSP, ESP-880A, EX-1280 and EX-1280C to AmpLink-equipped Bose amplifiers; the EX-440C sends 4. The Yealink AP08 also supplies PoE+ power to up to 3 audio devices, up to 90 W in total.

User control and room control systems

Bose ControlCenter CC-1D, CC-2D and CC-3D wall plates work with the CSP, ESP-880A and EX processors, and the ControlSpace Remote app gives control from a phone or tablet. The ESP-880A has RS-232 and Ethernet control with drivers for Crestron and AMX systems, and the EX processors have 5 GPIO inputs and 5 outputs for push-to-talk buttons or microphone LEDs.

Where audio processors are used

Conferencing processors serve boardrooms, large and divisible conference rooms, distance-learning rooms and courtrooms, where many ceiling or table microphones must reach a call without echo; see Boardrooms & Meeting Rooms and the microphones in Ceiling & Conference Microphones. Commercial sound processors run background music and announcements in retail, restaurants, bars, hospitality and fitness spaces, and open-architecture models handle auditoriums, places of worship and multi-purpose halls. In the UAE these rack units belong in a ventilated, air-conditioned AV rack or comms room.

Conference room with a U-shaped table, ceiling loudspeakers and a wall display

Installation and planning

Processor choice follows the system design, so collect the room facts before choosing a model. Before ordering, check:

Channel count: analog inputs and outputs, Dante channels and AEC channels, with spare capacity for later microphones.
Network: a switch configured for Dante if Dante devices are used, and PoE+ ports or the AP08's own PoE+ outputs for powered microphones.
Software and control: ControlSpace Designer (Windows) for Bose ESP and EX, the CSP configuration utility, or Yealink Room Designer, plus the wall plates or control system.

The Bose EX models are 1RU units. The EX-12AEC accepts 85 to 264 VAC at 50/60 Hz and draws 35 W typical. For AutoVolume on a CSP, plan AVM-1 sense microphones: up to 2 on the CSP-428 and up to 5 on the CSP-1248.

Audio processors in this collection

The processors fall into three groups by application.

Commercial sound and general DSP: Bose CSP-1248, CSP-428, ControlSpace ESP-880A and ControlSpace EX-1280, for music, paging and venue sound.
Conferencing DSP: Bose ControlSpace EX-1280C, EX-440C and EX-12AEC, and the Yealink AP08, for rooms with calls.
USB ceiling microphone processors: Angekis Ceiling Mic Pro ASP-C-01, HD ASP-C-02 and QS ASP-C-04, which connect a ceiling microphone set to a meeting room computer by USB.

CorporateAV.ae is an authorised dealer of Yealink and a supplier of genuine Bose Professional products in the UAE. To plan a system, use Request a Project Quote with the room sizes, the number of microphones and sources, and the call platform.

Applications and technical planning

Conference rooms with calls

Ceiling or table microphones need echo cancellation on every channel for clear calls. The Bose ControlSpace EX-1280C provides 12 AEC channels with USB, VoIP and PSTN, and the Yealink AP08 provides 8 with Dante and USB.
Explore Ceiling & Conference Microphones
Retail and restaurant sound

Shops and restaurants need music zones, announcements and levels that follow the day. The Bose CSP-1248 runs up to 5 listening zones with AutoVolume, SmartBass and a time scheduler, set up through a browser.
Explore Zone Controllers
Halls and multi-purpose spaces

Auditoriums, places of worship and divisible halls need custom signal flow, feedback control and room combining. Open-architecture processors such as the Bose ControlSpace ESP-880A and EX-1280 are programmed for the space in ControlSpace Designer.
Explore Power Amplifiers

Frequently asked questions

What does an audio processor do in a sound system?

An audio processor (DSP) mixes microphone and music inputs, routes them to zones and outputs, and applies EQ, level control, delay and protection before the signal reaches the amplifiers. Conferencing processors also cancel echo for remote call participants.

In this collection, the Bose CSP-1248 handles 12 inputs and 4 outputs for up to 5 listening zones, while the Bose ControlSpace EX-1280C adds 12 echo cancellers, 64 × 64 Dante channels, VoIP and USB for meeting rooms.

What is the difference between the Bose CSP and ControlSpace ESP or EX processors?

The Bose CSP-428 and CSP-1248 are fixed-architecture processors: their functions are built in and set through a browser interface or configuration utility. The ControlSpace ESP-880A and EX processors are open-architecture and are programmed in ControlSpace Designer software.

Choose a CSP for retail, restaurants and offices that need zones, scheduling, AutoVolume and SmartBass. Choose an ESP or EX for auditoriums, venues, divisible rooms and conferencing, where the signal flow has to be designed for the space.

Which processor do I need for a video conferencing room?

A conferencing room needs a processor with acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) on every microphone channel. The Bose ControlSpace EX-440C has 8 AEC channels for small and medium rooms, and the EX-1280C has 12 for larger rooms, both with USB, VoIP and PSTN connections.

The Yealink AP08 has 8 AEC channels, 16 × 16 Dante and 2 USB 3.0 device ports, and Yealink designed it for Microsoft Teams Rooms. Match the AEC count to the number of microphone channels in the room.

What is Bose AmpLink?

Bose AmpLink is a digital audio link that carries 8 channels of uncompressed, low-latency audio over one standard Cat 5 cable from a Bose processor to AmpLink-equipped Bose amplifiers. It replaces up to 8 analog cable runs and their terminations.

The Bose CSP-428, CSP-1248, ControlSpace ESP-880A, EX-1280 and EX-1280C have an 8-channel AmpLink output, and the EX-440C has a 4-channel AmpLink output.

How many Dante channels do these audio processors support?

The Bose ControlSpace EX-1280 and EX-1280C support 64 Dante inputs and 64 Dante outputs. The Bose EX-440C, EX-12AEC and the Yealink AP08 support 16 × 16 Dante channels.

The Bose CSP-428, CSP-1248 and ESP-880A have no Dante ports; they use analog inputs and outputs plus AmpLink. Choose a Dante model when the room uses Dante ceiling microphones, networked amplifiers or several processors that share audio.

What does the Bose ControlSpace EX-12AEC add to a system?

The Bose ControlSpace EX-12AEC adds 12 more acoustic echo cancellers to a Bose EX-1280C system. It has no analog inputs or outputs; it connects over 16 × 16 Dante channels to the EX-1280C and to Dante microphones.

It suits boardrooms, large and divisible conference rooms and distance-learning spaces that need more microphone channels with AEC than one EX-1280C provides. Each AEC channel has a 480 ms tail length and 32 dB of noise reduction.

What is AutoVolume on the Bose CSP processors?

AutoVolume adjusts music level in real time as background noise in the space rises or falls, so music stays audible without becoming too loud. It works with Bose AVM-1 sense microphones, sold separately.

The Bose CSP-428 supports up to 2 AVM-1 microphones and the CSP-1248 up to 5. Both CSP models also include SmartBass, Opti-Source level matching for up to 4 sources, Opti-Voice for announcements and a time scheduler for daily source and level changes.

Can a Bose ControlSpace processor be controlled by Crestron or AMX?

Yes. The Bose ControlSpace ESP-880A supports industry-standard control systems through a serial protocol over its RS-232 and Ethernet ports, and Bose provides drivers for AMX and Crestron systems.

The EX processors add 5 GPIO inputs and 5 outputs for push-to-talk buttons and microphone LEDs. For simpler user control, Bose ControlCenter CC-1D, CC-2D and CC-3D wall plates and the ControlSpace Remote app work with the CSP, ESP-880A and EX processors.

Does the Yealink AP08 power ceiling microphones?

Yes. The Yealink AP08 provides PoE+ power for up to 3 audio devices, with 90 W of PoE available in total, so compatible Yealink Dante ceiling microphones or network speakers can be powered from the processor.

The AP08 also has 16 × 16 Dante channels, 8 AEC channels, 4 × 4 analog channels, microphone phantom power and 2 USB 3.0 Type-B ports. Yealink Room Designer software creates the audio plan during design.

How many inputs and outputs do the Bose audio processors have?

The analog channel counts are: Bose CSP-428 4 inputs and 2 outputs, CSP-1248 12 inputs and 4 outputs, ControlSpace ESP-880A 8 inputs and 8 outputs, EX-1280 and EX-1280C 12 inputs and 8 outputs, and EX-440C 4 inputs and 4 outputs.

All of these mic/line inputs offer 48 V phantom power. The CSP inputs include RCA pairs summed to mono for music players, and the EX-12AEC has no analog channels because it works over Dante only.

For help confirming the technical requirements for your project, contact CorporateAV: Call +971 56 498 8088, WhatsApp +971564988088, or email info@corporateav.ae.

Need help choosing the right solution?

CorporateAV’s AV specialists can help select the right products and system for your room, application and requirements.

Audio Processors

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