Manhattan School of Music is using DISK Systems’ Music Virtual Teaching Platform (MVTP) to connect musicians in real time – across the internet – the latest example of organizations integrating remote collaboration and production into its technology infrastructures.
The advanced encoding technology makes it possible for musicians separated by countries, or even continents, to perform together with minimal perceptible delay and as naturally as if they were in the same room together.
A Worldwide Classroom for Music Education
Manhattan School of Music (MSM), an early adopter of the MVTP technology in the United States, is conducting successful tests between New York City and Europe over distances of more than 3,728 miles (6,000 kilometers). For institutions like MSM, MVTP creates a “worldwide classroom” where faculty and students in different time zones can teach, learn and create.
“MSM has a long history as a pioneer in distance music education, being the first conservatory in the United States to adopt videoconferencing technology to connect students, teachers and distinguished artists around the world,” says Chris Shade, Assistant Dean for The Orto Center for Distance Learning and Recording Arts at Manhattan School of Music. “This technology removes geographic barriers and opens up a world of opportunity for our students, enriching the education they receive from our world-class faculty here in New York City through real-time collaborations with artists and teachers they might otherwise never encounter.”
MVTP transmits ultra-low-latency, stable, synchronized audio and HD or 4K video over the internet. The encoding technology is based on JPEG XS compression, fanless FPGA hardware, and balanced high-quality audio inputs and outputs, all combining to deliver audio and video across thousands of kilometers while preserving the sub-30 millisecond latency critical for real-time interactive music collaboration and instruction.
“MVTP is a more practical solution compared to other platforms that require complex configurations,” says Kevin Henneman, president of KMH Integration, the exclusive U.S. representative for the MVTP platform. “It’s a true ‘plug and play’ system and the platform’s native SDI and Dante capabilities allow it to integrate seamlessly within MSM’s existing studio infrastructure.”
Courtesy / KMH Integration
Since the commercial launch of MVTP 4K in 2024, the technology has connected 20 leading music schools across Europe for remote teaching, rehearsals and live performances. Other early adopters include the Intune Alliance and the Global Conservatoire, the latter an online digital learning environment hosted by five of the world’s most prestigious music conservatories: Manhattan School of Music, the Royal College of Music (London), University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Conservatorium van Amsterdam, and The Royal Danish Academy of music (Copenhagen).
The Global Conservatoire brings students from the five partner institutions together into a digital learning environment consisting of specialized online courses created and delivered by faculty at each institution. When designing the program, the institutions also wanted to supplement the online course format with robust interactive sessions, or “Live Labs.” Each school tested several low-latency platforms, with MVTP emerging as the clear choice.
“With MVTP, the distance between Copenhagen and New York feels like only a few meters on a stage,” says Petr Krkavec of DISK Systems. “MVTP is more than just a box with cables. It was built to be a bridge for creativity between stages, cities, and cultures.”
Expanding the Educational Experience
Future plans for the MVTP platform involve expanding from one-on-one sessions to multi-point connections, enabling real-time remote rehearsals for ensembles and orchestras as well as collaborations with other leading music institutions.
MSM students and faculty reported that the video quality and uncompressed audio exceeded other platforms they’ve used, with MVTP creating a natural, immediate and authentic “virtual” experience.
“When our students can rehearse with someone thousands of kilometers away and feel like they’re sitting next to each other, the world feels smaller in that moment,” says Shade. “But that’s where the excitement lies. It’s a glimpse of an emerging era of borderless collaboration, artistic connection and global career opportunities made possible by a platform like MVTP.”
