As IBC 2026 approaches, radio-console makers are sharpening their audio-over-IP offerings, and AEQ is among those turning the dial up. The Spanish brand is bringing its Forum IP Plus to Amsterdam, an evolution of its Forum platform aimed at a single goal: a modular AoIP console that scales from a small station to an ambitious production control room.
A modular architecture in 3U
The Forum IP Plus principle lives in its engine: a 3 RU chassis that houses up to six four-fader modules, for a maximum of 24 motorised faders. Behind that compact surface, the console manages up to 180 audio channels — enough to cover configurations that not long ago would have demanded a far bigger desk. This modular logic is the object’s real strength: you don’t buy an oversized console “just in case,” you add modules as the need grows, which fits exactly the budget reality of stations, where an investment is amortised over ten or fifteen years.
On the mixing side, the Forum IP Plus relies on 32 mono sum busses and 10 configurable N-1 busses. N-1 busses — those “minus-one” feeds that return the whole mix to each contributor except their own voice — are the crux of radio work as soon as you multiply remotes and distant guests: ten N-1 busses is the headroom you need for a hectic morning show or a programme juggling several phone lines. Each channel has its own processing, EQ and dynamics, and extensive GPIO integration drives automation and external equipment.
Everything on the network, with video in mind
The Forum IP Plus is built around audio-over-IP: it integrates natively over Dante and AES67, with optional MADI connectivity for installations that still require point-to-point multichannel interfaces. This is now the implicit standard of any new control room: you no longer wire dozens of analogue pairs, you route streams over a network, and the console becomes one node among others. A 7-inch multitouch display serves advanced configuration, and memories recall a complete console setup instantly — precious in a studio shared between several shows and several teams in the same day.
AEQ adds a “Virtual Forum” option that extends control to a Windows PC or a tablet, to operate the console remotely or in parallel with the physical surface. It’s the brick that rarely goes missing now: the ability to supervise or troubleshoot a control room without being physically seated behind the faders.
What it says about the radio market
I’m always struck by how fast AoIP became the norm in broadcast, when only a few years ago many stations eyed Dante and AES67 with suspicion. The switch is done, and a console like the Forum IP Plus confirms it: the real battle is no longer over sound — it’s excellent everywhere at this level — but over operation, 24/7 robustness and integration flexibility. On that ground, modularity and remote control weigh as much as preamp quality.
See it at IBC
The Forum IP Plus is being demonstrated at IBC 2026, 11–14 September at the RAI Amsterdam. It joins a busy broadcast news cycle: in the same AoIP vein, the Wheatstone VMX moving into the browser and DHD’s third-generation console target the same territory. To understand why those N-1 busses are so central, our guide to mix-minus lays it all out. Product details are on AEQ’s site.
