AES / EBU (AES3)

AES/EBU (formally AES3) is the workhorse digital audio interface of professional broadcast infrastructure. It carries two channels of uncompressed linear PCM audio over a single shielded cable, typically at sample rates of 44.1, 48, or 96 kHz. Every professional mixing console, digital tape machine, broadcast automation system, and transmitter chain supports AES3 natively: it is the lingua franca of the broadcast studio.

AES3's durability comes from its simplicity and ruggedness. The signal is self-clocking, tolerates long cable runs, and carries metadata in-band alongside the audio. Alternatives like MADI handle more channels but are used in multi-source scenarios; for stereo programme transfer: which is most of what a radio station actually does: AES3 has remained the default for over thirty years.