CL5, R-series and DME deliver Commonwealth Games to Australia
Australian broadcast sales and rental company Videocraft was commissioned to manage the audio requirements for Channel 10’s live broadcast of the Commonwealth Games. At the heart of the system was a CL5 digital mixing console.
Channel 10’s Melbourne facility was the final link in a complex chain of signal processing required to broadcast the recent sporting event Australia-wide live from Glasgow, Scotland. A large number of audio feeds arrived at the console across two different formats allowing for signal redundancy between the two. The duplicate sets of signals were received using the Dante digital audio networking protocol and also via MY-series MADI expansion cards. A further set of signals split to a DM2000VCM for console redundancy.
Videocraft’s Senior System Engineer Nick MacLean commented “Integrating with both MADI and Dante over IP gave us great flexibility interfacing with other devices. All integration with RTS via IP means countless copper 4 wire ties are a thing of the past, and MADI to SDI MUX/DeMux gave us total control over signal routing and transmission paths.”
With various audio-related tasks being performed across two stories of office space, the ability to distribute audio around the facility played a key role in the final broadcast. A number of R-series I/O racks and DME units were selected to achieve this goal with Audinate’s Dante Controller being the perfect solution for quick, simple and reliable configuration changes.
MacLean adds “Audio routing via Dante is fast and user friendly - the ability to see all devices as one virtual cross-point matrix enables total control of the whole audio network plus routing functions can be saved and recalled for fast setup changes”
With much of the broadcast in the hands of just two audio operators at any given time, automation of regular tasks is where the CL5 comes into it’s element.
“Custom fader banks allowed us to setup the desk for 2 operators to access every channel on the console. This is essential in a multi-sport coverage like the Commonwealth Games where operators need the ability to quickly adapt as the events unfolded”
Mick Hughes – Yamaha Music Australia’s Commercial Audio Sales & Marketing Manager – said of the project: “This has been a very exciting project to be involved with. The Videocraft team configured the system to deliver everything that is required to ensure that one of the year’s greatest sporting events can be broadcast reliably and, interestingly, by a very small team of operators considering the complexity involved. The whole concept of our MY expansion card format allows for all manner of signal formats to be combined on one mixing surface so this particular CL5 was running at capacity at all times whilst performing multiple roles. Of course, audio quality is of paramount importance and the combination of CL and R-series delivers this without question.”
