GW:
First of all on the Sidetone article, what complicated digital processing? Has this bloke seen ADCE/MSRCE? That is a bit of an engineering joke there. Apologies.
Ok, so how do you think your sidetone is achieved at the moment at LACC? Not trying to be silly here. That article is actualy quite good. It does, as you say, express the controllers' fears, and it highlights some of the more fundamental problems at Swanwick from day 1. This isn't, however, a bug in the software or a problem with Swanwick. This is to do with physical delays in getting something from one place to another, and while we still have West Drayton and a wonderful bit of kit called MSRCE (I love working on equipment that is almost twice as old as me...) there will be this inherent delay. The only complex digital processing that takes place at present is the conversion of analogue voice to digital data for passing over BTs telephone networks. Exaclty the same as when you pick a telephone at home and speak to someone. That said, when we get the MSRCE replacement in October I believe, something called RICE, then it will be digital the second it leaves the headset and reaches the Transmitter.