Riedel Communications (booth N1821) has unveiled the DSP-1216HL SmartPanel at the 2025 NAB Show, introducing a compact, desktop intercom panel designed to complement the company’s 1200 Series SmartPanels. Its objective is to offer a space-saving, multifunctional interface for professionals in broadcast, live event production, theaters, OB vans, and sports venues, bringing the power and flexibility of Riedel’s software-defined SmartPanel ecosystem to the desktop, as the company has claimed in a statement.

At launch, the DSP-1216HL will support all three 1200 Series SmartPanel Apps: the Intercom App for real-time communication, the Control Panel App for third-party integration, and the Audio Monitoring App for high-performance audio monitoring.

“Previously, users that wanted to enjoy all the advantages of our 1200 series SmartPanels had to rely on rack-mounted panels adapted for desktop use. Our fully integrated DSP-1216HL Desktop SmartPanel now delivers improved user comfort, streamlined workflows, and maximum efficiency in demanding production environments”, explains Dominik Litfin, Product Manager Panels, Riedel Communications. “Our new Desktop SmartPanel packs a ton of functionality in a very small footprint, giving users more space, improved ergonomics, and an intuitive UI. The multifunctional hardware saves space, power, weight, and cost, all while maintaining the flexibility and rich feature set that our customers expect”.

Building on the technology of the 1200 Series SmartPanels, the panel features 16 hybrid lever keys for Talk-Mute and Talk-Listen workflows, along with high-resolution, full-color multitouch displays and customizable LED rings for signalization. Designed for seamless integration with the Riedel Artist intercom ecosystem, it comes with various connectivity options and a focus on open IP standards. It can be connected to Artist-1024 via AES67 (SMPTE ST 2110-30) or to Artist-32/64/128 via AES3. The panel’s high-quality, 2.1 speaker system tries to enhance intercom workflows with crystal-clear intelligibility in headset-free scenarios and ro let users to use it as an audio monitoring solution. The space-saving footprint and VESA mounting option have the intention to make it more versatile.

“The SmartPanel family just keeps on growing, getting more powerful with every step! By adding our new Virtual SmartPanel and the 1200 Series Desktop SmartPanel to our portfolio, we now offer the perfect user interface for any application”, affirms Jake Dodson, Executive Director Product Management, Riedel Communications. “Looking ahead, we continue to invest in our software-defined hardware platform, with new SmartPanel Apps in development to meet the evolving demands of our industry”.