Broadcast, Theatre, Film and more

STAGESDeflected: Big Light Switch for Control Rooms and Studios

How does it all fit together: SDI and Dolby E® revolutionise audio technology

North of the Silk Road: Superlative Convention and Event Centre in Tashkent

No. 13/2010 ENGLISH

Dr. Helmut Jahne Dipl. Ing. Wolfgang Salzbrenner Dr. Klaus-Peter Scholz

The Executive Directors of the STAGETEC Entwicklungsgesellschaft

Inside STAGES:

Publisher: STAGETEC Entwicklungsgesellschaft für professionelle Audiotechnik mbH, Tabbertstrasse10, D-12459 Berlin, Germany

Editorial: Medientechnik Presseservice, Cologne, Germany

English: Rob James, Bognor Regis, UK

Design, Litho: art & craft [design worx], Cologne, Germany

Printing: cede Druck, Cologne, Germany

Photography:

Cover, p. 2, p. 3: Sony Professional Systems Europe, Basingstoke, UK; p. 4: top left: Carso

SA/NV, Brussels, BE; p. 4: top right: Alexandre Saes, stock.xchng; down to the right:

Videohouse, BE; p. 13: Rodolfo Clix, Fotolia.com; p. 21: top: Andy Mettler, swiss-image.ch;

p. 7 top, p. 20, p. 22: tv productioncenter zürich ag, Zurich, CH; S. 23: TVE Madrid, ES;

art & craft [design worx], Cologne, DE; Dieter Kahlen, Neukirchen-Vluyn, DE; Medienagentur

Jahreiss, Hohenberg, DE; picture library of SALZBRENNER STAGETEC MEDIAGROUP, Berlin, DE

The Cover Photo:Excellent sound is always at the forefront when RTS’s new HD OB truck takes to the road. As you can see in our cover photo, the vehicle’s audio-control room looks impressive, but it is also worthy of closer scrutiny by technical aficionados. Thanks to telescopic extensions on both sides, the capacious AURUS workspace offered enough room to build a high-quality 5.1 monitoring environment, enhanced with additional acoustic elements. There was even enough space remaining to squeeze in a secondary audio workspace featuring a small console.With 48 faders and a fully populated DSP farm, the AURUS can play with the big boys. It is supported by a NEXUS network consisting of eight fixed and four mobile Base Devices and one STAR router. In addition, the truck is one of the first to be equipped with the new DELEC oratis commentary system; one of seven installations to date in Switzerland.Radio Télévision Suisse, RTS, is the new

federation of public broadcasters, tsr television and RSR radio for the French speaking audience in Switzerland. The new truck, built by Sony Professional Solutions Europe, is a representative example of the STAGETEC installations supporting the broadcaster’s conversion to HD technology. Another AURUS, put into operation by RTS just recently, is used as a production console in one of the Geneva studio complexes. Continuing the theme, RTS acquired a CRESCENDO which has been in use since January 2010 as a production desk in the sport control

room. RTS also rely on high-precision systems from Berlin for their main control room. Not only the classic audio router, but also the so-called audio shufflers — tools for converting and routing various audio formats from 5.1 to stereo and even good old mono — are based on NEXUS components. Our tiny glimpse on the cover page can only give a tantalizing hint of what is possible!

Information Up to the MinuteContinuous upgrades of products, services and technologies ensure the future of businesses, even in turbulent times. This is why the SALZBRENNER STAGETEC MEDIAGROUP invests consistently in upgrades and new developments in order to offer concrete benefits to our customers: better quality, more functionality, greater efficiency, and enhanced flexibility.

Our developers’ propensity for innovation is legendary. The following pages show how ideas are developed into products for use in real-world projects, this time with a focus on European installations. With due regard to their complexity, this time we describe the subjects in greater detail than before. And for the first time, we are also following a bi-media approach. On our website (www.stagetec.com/web/stages) we offer yet more background facts, detailed descriptions and further information. Of course, on the website you can also find full information about our range of products and recent developments.

Information is said to be the currency of the future. STAGES delivers it free of charge.

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News

Deflected: Big Light Switch for Control Rooms and StudiosFive AURUS Control Rooms, Six Studios, and Ever-Changing NEXUS Combinations

Acoustic Fingerprints of the Virtual WorldFruitful Collaboration between Vivace, Pinguin, and PROSOUND

North of the Silk RoadSuperlative Convention and Event Centre in Tashkent

How does it all fit together?SDI and Dolby E revolutionise Broadcast audio technology

CRESCENDO — Digital On the UpThe Amsterdam Music Theatre Extends its Audio System

Smart SwitchingExtensive NEXUS Installation in hr’s Main Control Room

Speechless? Never again!New Audio Platform brings Davos to Canada with Gigabit Speed

All over the WorldSALZBRENNER STAGETEC MEDIAGROUP branch locations

AURUS surrounded by an excellent acoustic environment in the new RTS HD vehicle’s

sound control room

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News

Two Variants — a Multitude of PossibilitiesThe optical multiplexer for audio networks built with STAGETEC components is now available in two versions. The smaller XMUX (NeXus MUltipleXer) variant is designed as a 3-U slot-in board for NEXUS Base Devices. XMUX provides routing to one of four possible NEXUS network segments. The unit detects, according to a pre-defined priority list, which of the four ports is currently receiving a signal, and automatically makes it the active port. The bigger, external 19” OMUX1-OMUX4 (Optical MUltipleXer) version targets large-scale NEXUS, AURUS, or CRESCENDO audio networks such as those often found in broadcasting. It provides up to four separate optical multiplexers, each of which is capable of routing an optical line to one of four individual segments. With this version, the optical multiplexer is not limited to automatic operation but can also be controlled manually or automatically from an external unit. The advantage of OMUX is that it enables the creation of redundant audio networks to be simplified, and subdivision into partial islands even more so. Compared with their predecessors, the two new multiplexer versions offer much greater flexibility. The optical interfaces are designed as so-called “Cages” that enable a variety of SFP modules to be installed. Numerous module versions, including CWDM (Coarse Wave Division Multiplexing) systems, are available. This flexibility allows, for example, a multimode port to be installed on the input side, with the signal routed to monomode output ports. Thus, the configuration can be adapted perfectly to the requirements — the unit can even be used for converting from one optical cable type to another.

Custom-Configuring the NEXUSIn April 2010, STAGETEC will offer its NEXUS customers new configuration software, which will allow them to change the Base-Device configuration on an existing NEXUS network by themselves. After installing the software on a PC, the user downloads their NEXUS Base Devices configuration file into the program. A graphical view of all the Base Devices involved is then displayed. The programme enables additional I/O boards to be added to a Base Device or existing boards to be moved between Base Devices. The new settings are stored offline. In order to generate a file for the modified configuration, the settings are sent over the Internet to a database located at the STAGETEC headquarters in Berlin; the database will then return the new configuration file. Doing it this way, the Berlin support team always knows the configuration status of each system and can offer assistance in case of problems. Key customers in particular, who own extensive pools of NEXUS I/O boards and rely on repopulating their Base Devices for every new production, will benefit most from this new user-configuration feature.

Young TalentSince the beginning of the year, the MEDIAGROUP has been engaging itself in promoting the new generation of young artists. It is co-operating with the Carso musicians agency based in Brussels. The two most important newcomers currently represented by Carso are considered to be secret weapons by the music industry and have already chalked up their first international successes: Singer Quynh Anh (left) began her career by winning a singing contest on Belgian TV when she was just 14 years old. Later, she toured Europe, North America, and Vietnam, her parents’ homeland.Andrei Lugovski, who was born in Belarus and moved to Belgium when he was 10 years old, released his first album in 2009, which entered the charts immediately. The two young talents were signed by Universal, and both will produce a new album this year. Quynh Anh and Andrei Lugovski also represent the international spectrum of the entire MEDIAGROUP, which has made its way in the wider world without forgetting its German roots.The co-operation with Carso goes beyond a financial arrangement. Since February 2010, Carso and the Belgian office of the SALZBRENNER STAGETEC MEDIAGROUP live next door to each other in the same Brussels office and are planning close collaboration with the artists represented by Carso.

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Digital Video for FilmThere are a plethora of digital video formats in use currently. These range from SD (Standard Definition), with an image resolution of 480 or 576 lines, to HD (High Definition), with 720 lines, up to the latest digital video format with 1,080 lines, which was actually developed for producing movies for cinemas. Therefore, the formats differ considerably in data transmission rate requirements and thus place very different demands on digital interfaces. While the SD-SDI protocol, with a data rate of 270 Mbps, presented the limits of what was technically achievable two decades ago, HD-SDI formats supporting rates of around 1.5 Gbps are standard today. Components for the latest 3G-SDI format have been available on the market for the past six months. The standard is called 3G because it requires a data rate of approximately 3 Gbps. Ultramodern digital cameras used for premium productions require this standard since they record digital video in the 1080p format at 50 or 60 frames per second and must be equipped with an interface capable of transferring data at this high rate to the subsequent processing chain. This is exactly where NEXUS comes into the picture. NEXUS is the basis of the audio installations in many high quality production houses. For this clientele, a fully 3G-compliant NEXUS plug-in board is already available, the XHDI 02! Like other NEXUS SD-SDI and HD-

A Compact SolutionBased in Brussels and addressing the Dutch-speaking Belgian audience, the Flemish broadcaster VRT has put its new HD01 OB truck into service. The HD01 is the first of two HD vehicles, both of which are equipped with AURUS-based audio-control suites. The AURUS was constructed as a large console within a small frame in order to save space, whilst still being able to undertake complex productions with a large number of audio signals. A total of 64 faders were accommodated on a 48-Fader frame. For this purpose, two fader panels were installed on the second console level in addition to the standard 48 faders. The increased number of channels accessible directly is mainly used for playing back pre-recorded sound. A Yahama digital desk is used as a secondary console for the assistant. Thanks to a special control solution by STAGETEC, this mixer is able to control the NEXUS digital microphone inputs gain settings directly. All NEXUS/AURUS network digital microphone inputs feature a four-fold split function. This enables up to four users per signal to adjust the microphone gains independently in the digital domain.The new HD01 was inaugurated officially on 11 February 2010 and has since been used mostly for sports broadcasts and large music TV shows.

MADI for Asynchronous NetworksLater in 2010, probably in the third quarter, STAGETEC will introduce the XMF 04 board — a new generation of MADI extension boards for NEXUS Base Devices. It follows in the footsteps of the NEXUS STAR RMF 02 MADI board in that it provides a BNC port plus a so-called “cage” as standard features. The cage can be populated with any type of LC optical-port module. In addition, the RMF 02 offers gain parameters for each I/O, a test function for checking end-to-end connectivity and a loop feature for special mixing-console applications.Moreover, it supports the extended MADI format with 64 channels in each direction and can even be equipped with sample-rate converters. The converter is an auxiliary assembly attached to the MADI board and offers two units with 32 SRC’s each. These can be assigned either to all input channels or all output channels or be configured as 32 SRCs in each direction. In order to achieve sample-rate conversion for every input and output channel, two MADI boards can be populated with SRCs and then linked.The new NEXUS MADI board is especially useful for large installations. In such environments, it enables the overall network to be subdivided into several partial networks that use different sample rates but still access a centralized pool of playout machines. The new board scores even in smaller setups — for example, when integrating a small standalone mixing console into a NEXUS network.

SDI boards, the XHDI 02 de-embeds, processes, and re-embeds all accompanying audio into the SDI stream and also offers a multitude of useful functions (see page 13). The 1080p image formats not only play a role in producing Hollywood blockbusters but a number of major broadcasters — for example, German ARD, Swiss tpc and RTS, and the American sports broadcaster ESPN — have announced their intention to use it as the format of choice for their most important productions as soon as HD becomes a regular broadcasting format.

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In today’s broadcast world, the vision of a standard production landscape with HD video and 5.1 audio is not a revolutionary idea. However, the technical implementation at tv productioncenter zürich ag (or tpc for short) experiments with new concepts and state-of-the-art technologies. No surprise — since tpc is well renowned for embracing the latest developments enthusiastically. With this change, tpc is also pursuing an entirely new goal, the technical harmonization of internal systems down to the smallest detail. The idea behind this has emerged slowly during the recent decades of handling digital technology. It is this: To make every TV production studio and every TV control room identical technologically so that any combination of studio and control room can be selected at the press of a button.This project is not only challenging in engineering terms but will be drawn out over quite a long period since it requires considerable alterations to the existing infrastructure. The upgrade process is divided into three stages and is scheduled to end in 2012; the first stage has just been completed.

Prism AutomationDespite the increase in flexibility, which allows almost any control room to interconnect with almost any studio, audio set-up and configuration effort must be minimized. This means that all signal routers, controls, and logic switches involved should be re-assigned automatically when a making a change. This can only work if the interfaces between studio and control room have been standardised and specified down to the smallest detail. Identical console configurations must also be available in each control room, created specifically for each type of broadcast. If it is known which fibre — tpc consistently uses optical fibres, often in combination with CWDM (Coarse Wave Division Multiplexing), for interconnecting various rooms — transfers which signal, for example, from a studio to a control room,

Deflected: Big Light Switch for Control Rooms and StudiosFive AURUS Control Rooms, Six Studios, and Ever-Changing NEXUS Combinations

Large all-encompassing single networks are history. Today’s approach blazes new trails, for example, the way in which campus-wide NEXUS and AURUS installations can be divided and subdivided into different sub-networks or islands. It is preferable that this should happen automatically, with full delegation of all parameters involved and, if possible, using a single fibre-optic switch. No, in an ideal world, not even by conventional switching, but purely optically by deflecting light through prisms. Exactly like the impressive Big Switch project in Zürich

that fibre can in theory be patched to a different control room with exactly the same set-up. The systems involved will not be affected by the changeover, and the user can start working immediately without having to worry about basic infrastructure settings first.At this point, tpc goes one step further. Instead of patching a control room to a studio manually, changeover is now accomplished by a passive optical switch. The decision was made in favour of a Polatis optical change-over switch which uses switchable prisms and is able to route 16 incoming dark-fibre lines to 16 outgoing lines. This device operates with impressive mechanical precision because the internal routing of incoming line to outgoing utilizes prisms, which must be tilted appropriately to deflect the optical signals as desired. Since this optical router simply deflects the light instead of interpreting the received signal, it is completely transparent to the connected systems. Therefore it is irrelevant whether the routed optical signal is a NEXUS network link, a MADI line, or even a video connection. Compared with the STAGETEC OMUX, which converts optical signals to an electrical format, routes them, and reconverts them back to optical signals, the optical router offers increased flexibility to tpc, in particular, with regard to future developments. As a reference to the fact that the system is indeed capable of switching all the relevant audio and control signals, the optical switch acquired the in-house nickname “Big Switch”.

The Devil is in the DetailThe principle difficulty with the project is, however, not in switching the optical lines, but in specifying and fine-tuning the configuration. Since all signals involved in audio in the broadest sense are carried over optical fibres and the Big Switch, they need to be harmonized for all participating control rooms, studio patchbays, OB vehicles, and mobile NEXUS units. For this reason it is necessary to define

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for example, which intercom wireless signal enters the system on which Base Device and port and where and on which port it is output again and sent to the wireless link. The same is true for the XRI boards’ configuration, the logic programming, the red-light signalling, the standard intercom, and so on. All these elements need to be configured identically in the studios involved so that change-overs and delegation will work. Yet another extension has been planned. In addition to the fixed control rooms within the building, at peak times, an OB truck will serve as an additional external control room for studio productions. This is because, when the extensive upgrade is complete, tpc will have six studios but only four control rooms, so the option of using an OB vehicle as a fifth control facility is a welcome addition. Obviously, this also means that all OB trucks need to be adapted to the Big Switch concept with its consistent Base-Device enumeration and configuration — again, down to the smallest detail of red-light signalling, logic programming, etc. The two existing HD-enabled

OB vans have already been modified accordingly. And for the new additions to the fleet, a configuration matching the Big Switch concept will be implemented right from the start.

Base Device 11 again and againIn detail, the in-house harmonization looks like this: Each studio has a large 3-level Base Device which is always run as Base Device Number 11 and with exactly the same logical configuration in each studio. It serves as the switching centre since its NEXUS boards receive and forward all audio-related signals between control room and studio. Now, when a control room is connected to any studio, the NEXUS network in that control room expects Base Device no. 11, which is used as a quasi extension to the studio, to be present. In this way, the NEXUS in the control room does not even “notice” that a changeover has occurred — the studios are, after all, identical in terms of logical configuration.Since it would be overkill to actually equip each studio with a fully populated Base Device, only the Base Device in Studio 1 is equipped with the full complement of boards. The other studios Base Devices house only the essential boards although they are ready to be populated fully. In practice, this means that additional boards can be installed into the Base Device as required without having to reinstall a new configuration afterwards. As a long-term NEXUS user, tpc has a large pool of boards and can utilise this resource even more efficiently thanks to this trick.In addition to Base Device 11, up to four mobile Base Devices can be connected to a control room. These are used, for example, as stage boxes receiving the microphone signals from a band in the studio or for extending the number of possible input channels. For years, tpc has relied on a pool of portable Base Devices for OB vans. All of these are also configured identically and have a notable feature; a small rotary switch. This is used to set the Base Unit’s logical number manually to a value between 15 and 18. This philosophy has been transferred to the studios and control rooms so that any of tpc’s mobile Base Devices can be connected to any control room or OB truck.

Yet More FlexibilityHowever, total harmonization requires more than just creating uniform NEXUS networks. The mixing consoles must also be compatible. In short, the entire control-room configuration must be standardised. Only in this way is it possible to allow for changing control rooms, right in the middle of a production, without manual intervention. This

Alfio Di Fazio, audio-systems project manager at tpc Zurich, is one of the instigators of the Big Switch project. He not only designed the basic concept of optical audio switching between control rooms and studios but also advanced the implementation of his vision in close co-operation with the development engineers in Berlin.

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was one of the essential requirements: To create an ideal scenario for optimal room allocation and to deal with possible failure situations.In order to achieve this, all AURUS projects are not only stored locally on the respective consoles, but also on a central server. When a production is moved to a different control room, the relevant project can be downloaded from the server to the AURUS in the new control room, thus moving all project settings as well. Using the “Save NEXUS” function, implemented in the AURUS software, it is also possible to store a snapshot of the current NEXUS routing configuration.

Smart ControlOnce the technical changes and harmonization have been completed, daily operation will become much easier for the audio crew. The optical switch does not even require manual operation — the unit has been integrated into the global control system of the entire production complex, the BFE KSC-Manager. At the start of a shift, the operator in the audio control room first

selects a studio he or she would like to link to. To do this, the operator only has to press two keys on the KSC-Manager control unit — for example, the Studio 1 key and the Trigger key to initiate establishment of the interconnection. Then the KSC-Manager controls the Polatis router in such a way that all the optical lines involved — audio, Tally, intercom, and any other signals required in an audio control room — are connected. The control unit also ensures that a connection between the control room and the studio remains locked once it is established. The connection cannot be broken by another control room until it is released from the original via the KSC-Manager.

Big Switch in UseControl Room 2, an old control room equipped with a NEXUS system from the Matrix 4 generation, a CANTUS mixing console, and SD video systems, is due to be upgraded to an AURUS and HD late in 2010. When this upgrade is complete regular operation of the Big Switch will start on a small scale with two studios and two control rooms. The Big Switch has already been installed and all the details will be checked thoroughly until the end of the year.Before the Big Switch enters general service tpc will celebrate another premiere: On the 20th of March 2010, the first production from the newly completed Control Room 3 will occur. This will be an edition of one of the biggest live shows on Swiss TV. A line-up featuring international singers, comedians, musicians and vaudeville acts, presented by Beni Thurnheer, one of Switzerland’s most popular TV presenters, and combined with a million-franc lottery. How could the Big Switch possibly make its debut at a smaller event? And even the name of the show is apt: It is called simply Benissimo (Fine).

The Project StagesThe overall concept of this project involves all audio and video production suites at both the main complex in Zürich and all the tpc OB vehicles. This is a substantial challenge because not only does it involve replacing all SD-video components with HD systems, but also because an extensive upgrade of the entire digital audio-production infrastructure is required. tpc were among the early adopters of digital audio and optical networking, and a large proportion of the components (some of which are almost 15 years old) had to be adapted to the increased requirements, modernized, or replaced during the course of the project. A key element is the transition of the audio system from NEXUS routers of the outdated Matrix 4 generation to the current Matrix 5 version and together with this, replacement of the old CANTUS consoles with modern, large, AURUS consoles.Due to its extensive scope, the Big Switch project had to be carried out in several stages. In the beginning, before the modernization was started, tpc had six control rooms and seven studios. Some were then re-purposed and will finally be rationalized into four modernized control rooms, six studios and a facility for interfacing an HD-enabled OB truck to be used as an additional production control room.

The Final StageWhen the final stage of the project is completed — probably in 2012 —, each control room and OB vehicle will be routable to each studio using the Big Switch. The only exception will be Studio 6, which is only used for sports programmes. It can only be used properly from the Sport Control Room 6 with its additional playout devices and equipment for live slomo and effects.

Please read more at www.stagetec.com/web/stages

BD: Base Device

BIG SWITCH

HD OB Vehicles

HD Control Rooms

Mobile Base Devices

HD Studios

NEXUS STAROB Van M3

BD 5

NEXUS STAROB Van M2

BD 5

NEXUS STAROB Van M1

BD 5

NEXUS STAROB Van XL2

BD 4

NEXUS STAROB Van XL1

BD 3

NEXUS, localOB Van M3

BD 21 – 2x

NEXUS, localOB Van M2

BD 21 – 2x

NEXUS, localOB Van M1

BD 21 – 2x

NEXUS, localOB Van XL2

BD 21 – 2x

NEXUS, localOB Van XL1

BD 21 – 2x NEXUSStudio 6

BD 11NEXUSStudio 5

BD 11

NEXUSStudio 4

BD 11NEXUSStudio 2

BD 11NEXUSStudio 1

BD 11

NEXUSStudio 8

BD 11

NEXUS NEXUS NEXUS NEXUSmobile mobile mobile

BD 15 BD 16 BD 17 BD 18

NEXUS STARCR 6

BD 2

NEXUS STARCR 3

BD 1

NEXUS STARCR 2

BD 1

NEXUS STARCR 1

BD 1

NEXUS, localCR 6

BD 21 – 26

NEXUS, localCR 3

BD 21 – 26

NEXUS, localCR 2

BD 21 – 26

NEXUS, localBD 21 – 26

CR 1

mobile

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In a great surround-sound reinforcement system one characteristic is prized above all others. It must create an impression of space so natural that no-one is even aware of its existence. Vivace is able to do exactly this and this explains the high level of interest in the system since its introduction a year ago. Once installed, as in the most recent installation at the Staatstheater Darmstadt, Germany, Vivace creates a room acoustic in a virtual and therefore highly flexible manner, producing results unattainable using conventional room acoustic modification. However, one question remains — how can a potential customer assess Vivace’s suitability for his or her own acoustic environment? In order to obtain optimum results, the system must be tuned precisely to the actual conditions in the hall and be supported by accurately positioned speakers. This means that a realistic demonstration of the system’s benefits in a location other than the target room without the laborious fine-tuning is difficult or impossible. This is even more valid when the system is shown at trade fairs in a noisy environment with a complete absence of acoustic treatment. If only a way could be found to “freeze” the acoustic features of an environment, once without Vivace in use and once with Vivace optimizing the room acoustics.

Recording Room Impulse ResponsesIn fact there is indeed a specialised tool for capturing the acoustic features of real environments: the HDIR Creator made by Pinguin, a small engineering company with a big reputation, based in Hamburg, Germany. HDIR Creator was designed specifically to record the spatial impulse responses of halls in the highest possible quality and to prepare the information captured for use by a convolution reverb engine. For example, it would be possible to capture the acoustic response of Carnegie Hall for use with your own convolution reverb unit. Now, if one measures the impulse responses of a hall once with Vivace active and once with Vivace switched off this will produce two sets of parameters for a surround-enabled convolution-reverb unit. If these parameter sets are used to process an anechoic recording then it is possible to compare how a venue would sound with and without Vivace in reality. This approach has made real-life acoustics and their virtual Vivace versions portable.

Acoustic Fingerprints of the Virtual WorldFruitful Collaboration between Vivace, Pinguin, and PROSOUND

Acoustics Projector for Virtual Aural Worlds Alongside HDIR Creator, Pinguin has also developed the 3D Acoustics Projector, a kind of round tent housing a surround sound system expanded to nine channels. The tent attenuates external noise penetration thus creating a decent listening environment inside. The 3D Acoustics Projector is used typically to demonstrate the benefits of HDIR Creator at exhibitions. It is also recommended as the perfect tool for comparing surround sound with and without the Vivace’s virtual processing.The idea behind this co-operation came from a third party — the German magazine PROSOUND. Editor in chief, Dieter Michel, has demonstrated his expertise in surround sound and electro-acoustics in his features and reviews. At this year’s prolight+sound exhibition in Frankfurt the results of this teamwork will be presented for the first time on the shared Pinguin, PROSOUND and Vivace stand. Visitors will be able to compare the acoustics of the Staatstheater Darmstadt — both with and without Vivace support. Thus, the virtual world becomes audible!

Vivace is a powerful system for optimizing room acoustics electro-acoustically. It is available as a stand-alone unit but notably in an integrated version for AURUS and NEXUS systems — enabling the audio engineer to use Vivace to adapt the acoustics to the programme directly from the live console.A Vivace system consists of a number of microphones picking up the performance on the stage, the actual surround-sound system and the interface to the audio matrix. Vivace analyses and processes microphone signals in real-time and subsequently outputs them from precisely positioned loudspeakers. A smart convolution algorithm which enables almost any environment to be imaged acoustically is used to compute the signal processing. This enables virtual acoustic features to be added seamlessly in a small room or where too much sound is absorbed, to create the aural impression of a real concert hall.

Please read more at www.stagetec.com/web/stages

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In Greco-Roman classical antiquity, the historian Herodotus first described the course of the Great Silk Road. The Road’s main route interconnected the Mediterranean region with eastern Asia and significantly influenced trade between the Eastern and Western hemispheres for many centuries and also encouraged cultural exchange. Not too far from this economic and cultural artery lies Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. This is the location where the International Forums Palace Uzbekistan, was built last year. A mixture of buildings resembling a palace for state occasions and conferences, a high-tech convention centre and an 1,850-seat theatre, such a combination is probably unique in the world. For the extraordinary architecture, the lavish interior and the top quality technical installations, the Uzbek government relied mostly on German businesses. In order to ensure punctual completion in a very tight time frame, a modern version of the former Silk Road arose again. All required materials from plasterboard to a Christie projector were shipped via an “air bridge” between Germany to Uzbekistan — sometimes several hundred tons a day during the critical construction phase. But this logistical tour de force was by no means the only unusual characteristic of this extraordinary construction project.

Marble and CrystalsSince the autumn of 2009, the Central-Asian metropolis has had a new landmark: The Forum Palace located at the Amir Timur Square. Constructed of snow-white Thassos marble covering an area of 80×100 metres and with a dome that is almost 50 metres high, it can hardly be overlooked. When furnishing the interior, the architects were able to draw on abundant resources. Only the most exquisite materials were used. The property developers extended this ambitious approach to the technical equipment. The results are spectacular and unique in every way. There is luxury and exclusivity as far as the eye can see; huge faces of highly polished marble, lavishly plastered relief

North of the Silk RoadSuperlative Convention and Event Centre in TashkentWith a floor space of about 40,000 sqm and the overall budget of a medium-sized airport, the International Forums Palace Uzbekistan was probably one of the most remarkable building projects of 2009. Planning and construction of the complex was completed in just six months. The SALZBRENNER STAGETEC AVM systems house was responsible for all the AV and media systems — a unique challenge in this most modern events complex in Central Asia

walls, a palladium-leaf finish in the central hall, and around 1.8 million Swarovski crystals, many of which are used in the construction of the huge spherical and elliptical chandeliers. The largest chandelier is a unique example with an overall length of 23 metres adorning the entrance hall. The large hall with the dome has an overall height of 48 metres. It houses a stage measuring 25 metres in width and up to 20 metres in depth, a complex lighting system comprising, amongst other things, multicoloured LED ribbons and portals made of highly polished ebony. In addition to the large hall, the complex houses a conference room, a banqueting hall, a restaurant and extensive accommodation for Islom Karimov, Uzbekistan’s president since1990.

Cabling in Record TimeIn June 2009, theapro, a Munich-based design company specializing in theatre technologies, made an initial enquiry to the SALZBRENNER STAGETEC Audio Video Mediensysteme GmbH systems house as well as STAGETEC Entwicklungsgesellschaft and the intercom experts from DELEC. It dealt with the planning and realization of the entire audio and video system for the Forum Palace in Tashkent. At this time, the construction work was already in full swing. It soon became apparent that this would be a large-scale project like no other, mainly because of the fixed completion date. A spectacular opening ceremony had already been arranged for the 1st of September. By March 2009, only a giant steel structure with just a few intermediate floors but no facades or walls had been erected at Amir Timur Square. Anyone with any knowledge of normal planning and construction times for projects of this magnitude will be able to judge just how implausible such a time frame was. Just two weeks after the initial enquiry, SALZBRENNER STAGETEC AVM was contracted and the first staff members arrived on site a few days later. Markus Schirmer became the project manager responsible for the Tashkent project. He remembers: “Our greatest

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challenge was getting qualified personnel to the construction site in the shortest possible time and providing them with the necessary material immediately. In particular, only a very short time was available to complete the cabling works of this extensive project. Later, the progress of the construction works would make cabling very difficult, if not impossible. Therefore, we had run the first cables in the building only three weeks after the project had started.” Many other components were subject to substantial procurement problems due to the normal delivery lead times from the respective suppliers. For example, acquiring 300 ceiling speakers of a specific type within a very short time in order to install them at Tashkent only a few days later is definitely not a simple task. A big advantage to the contractors was the fact that the entire materials transport from Germany to the construction site was organised superbly by the property developers. Thus the companies did not have to worry about all that logistic hassle.

Trailblazing TechnologyWhen planning and selecting the devices to be installed at Tashkent, some very specific requirements had to be met. In essence, the client wanted to specify future-proof systems at the highest technological level. At the same time, operational simplicity had to be ensured because the qualification level of the future operators was as yet unknown at the planning stage. Then there was the additional requirement that the individual system components must remain operable and in good working order for many years, since maintenance and repair personnel would not be available on site.

Moreover, since the precise future uses of the system had not been specified, highly flexible solutions had to be implemented in every sub-system — a difficult contradiction to solve. Likewise, logistics and scheduling for delivery and installation of highly sensitive technical components were far from uncomplicated and required constant communication with the other trades. For example, putting a high-performance video projector into operation a day early can have fatal consequences due to the vast amount of dust it can be exposed to on this kind of construction site. Additionally, the heat load generated by these devices had to be precisely calculated and dissipated using appropriate air-conditioning — temperatures of up to 47°C in the shade were measured at Tashkent last summer. The materials needed inside the building were not moved by machine but carried principally by people. When necessary, human chains were formed to erect or take down scaffolding in the shortest possible time. On occasion more than a thousand Germans were working on site alongside anything up to 4,000 Uzbek workers. Work proceeded in shifts, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in order to meet the extremely tight deadline.

Dual CelebrationsThe dates of the first two major events, both taking place at the large hall in the presence of the Uzbek president, had been set irrevocably before the order was even placed. Not only independence day but also the city of Tashkent’s 2,200th anniversary were to be celebrated on the 1st of September. And the ceremonies for the Republic of Uzbekistan Constitution Day were scheduled for the 5th of December.

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Since it soon became obvious that installation of the extensive media system would not be completed by the first date, SALZBRENNER opted for a two pronged strategy. While the on-site team continued the installation work for as long as possible, a second team of six employees led by Rainer Hettwer (SALZBRENNER AVM) and all the rental equipment required were flown in to ensure that the rehearsals and the actual event would run smoothly. Since the majority of hardwired cables were not yet available, a large part of the system was cabled on the fly for this first event. Of course, the provision and temporary installation of rental equipment increased the logistical requirement. For example, some components had to be rented from third-party vendors specifically for these events. In the course of the preparations and rehearsals for September 1st, a number of technical additions and upgrades that had not been considered during the initial planning stage turned out to be essential for the final installation. On the 1st of September, the building gave at least the visual impression of being finished; however, as soon as the first event was over, it immediately transformed back into a huge construction site. In order to continue the work still outstanding, a manpower deployment, almost inconceivable by our standards, worked on in literally every room in parallel. Thus, the event which took place on the 5th of December 2009 could rely to a large extent on installed systems. For example, the STAGETEC CRESCENDO digital audio-mixing console, as well as the NEXUS audio network, was available. However, for organizational reasons, an additional crew was flown in from Germany arriving two

weeks earlier. The most important tasks for this event crew included assigning and checking the cable runs required for the event. Although the cables had already been run, they had not yet been tested. Again, the schedule was extremely tight with rehearsals of the frequently changing programme intended to take around 10 days. Nevertheless, the audio and video systems required to support the rehearsals technically were up and running in good time.

A Local SolutionRegardless of the numerous obstructions on the way to the timely completion of this giant project, Markus Schirmer looks back on a very successful task: “In my opinion, Tashkent is a good example of the fact that at the end of the day, appropriate solutions for the little issues can always be found if all trades on site are working hand in hand — as they did in this case. Communication between the various companies was smooth, and problems were solved faster on the construction site than they could have been decided over here.”

The STAGETEC Systems at the Forums PalaceThe Palace is now running a vast NEXUS audio network. At its heart lies the CRESCENDO digital console, which was installed in the large hall control room. However, thanks to its compact design, it can also be used in other locations on the premises. The extensive optical network provides connectivity to both the CRESCENDO processing hardware on the NEXUS STAR and the NEXUS Base Devices used as I/O components. In this manner it can also be used as an in-hall console.The CRESCENDO was chosen deliberately because it provides not only the typical flexibility of digital desks, but also user-friendly setup options. With its 56 faders, the console offers a dedicated channel strip for each input source in all imaginable scenarios in Tashkent,

Huge faces of highly polished marble, la-vishly plastered relief walls, a palladium-leaf finish in the central hall and about 1.8 million Swarovski crystals, many of which are used in the construction of the huge spherical chandeliers and the banisters, dominate the interior design.

so multiple layers will be used only rarely — a further advantage for intuitive operation. In addition to the NEXUS STAR, which acts as host to the CRESCENDO processing hardware and as a node on the overall audio network, the audio system comprises ten Base Devices. Three of them are intended for use as mobile units connected by rugged optical fibres. These units can be hooked up to any of the six access points in the large hall stage area and there are 120 more access points located all over the complex. Some of them provide optical connectivity while others offer analogue microphone ports, enabling the NEXUS to be used in the auditorium and in the other halls.

Please read more at www.stagetec.com/web/stages

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A classical main control room used to require large-scale video and audio routers since the two signal types were handled separately and were tied together only for editing, storage, or broadcast transmission purposes. Typical sizes were 512 × 512 I/Os for video and 3,000 × 3,000 I/Os for audio, trending upwards, depending on the complexity of the requirements. With the introduction of SDI, the Serial Digital Interface, digitization brought a fundamental change. For the first time it was possible to transmit up to 16 audio signals packed or embedded within the video stream, rendering a considerable number of audio-transmission lines redundant. Audio could now be routed together with the video, resulting in significant decreases in the size of audio routers.At the same time, SDI solved one of the major problems of digital technology at a stroke since with SDI, video and audio are, in principal, always in sync. The benefit is obvious. Just imagine a sports broadcast with 5.1 audio program, an international feed in 5.1 format, and a number of foreign-language commentaries, for example, as may happen in multilingual countries such as Belgium, Canada, or Switzerland with its four official languages.In the age of SDI, the numerous audio feeds are just de-embedded, fed to the audio router and afterwards mixed at will with other audio to make the final programme sound. This new audio is re-embedded subsequently by an SDI embedder and the resultant stream is used in the recording or broadcasting process. To this extent, it’s an elegant solution, especially when using the well thought out NEXUS components: The NEXUS XHDI-02 board receives the video stream, picks out the audio using its integrated de-embedder, and forwards it for further routing on the internal NEXUS bus. During this process, the user can apply initial signal processing, for example, by inserting a delay or making separate level adjustments. And, by the way,

How does it all fit together?SDI and Dolby E revolutionise Broadcast audio technologyIn the beginning, in the analogue age, things were much simpler. There were video signals accompanied by from one to three audio signals. Due to their very different frequency bandwidths, the two signal types were generated separately, transmitted seperately— for example, the image over satellite links and the audio over phone lines — and distributed separately in the TV production centres. However, the advent of digital video technology made that idea a thing of the past — with far-reaching consequences in the main control room

while doing this, the digital audio remains embedded into the video signal and is thus available for further use whilst it is also available everywhere on the NEXUS network simultaneously, with the audio still in sync with the video. The final mix signal is inserted into the source video or into any other applied SDI video signal by the XHDI-02 board embedder section. There are several modes available for handling pre-existing audio. In the simplest case, no audio signals are present in the original SDI stream — only the audio from the NEXUS is embedded into the desired data blocks in the SDI data stream. If audio signals are already present in the SDI stream, they can be overwritten in Replace mode or be deleted.

House Clock and SlaveIn practice however, there are a number of obstacles standing in the way of this straightforward approach. For example, there may be asynchronous video signals, that are not in sync with the house clock. Typical video installations include an auxiliary device, a frame store, which synchronizes the asynchronous video to the house clock. Unfortunately, some frame stores delete the ancillary data — and thus the embedded audio — during the re-synchronization process. In order to prevent this, the NEXUS XHDI-02 board can be equipped with sample-rate converters (SRCs). In this case, the incoming asynchronous video signal is first routed to the XHDI-02 board, which de-embeds the likewise asynchronous audio stream before forwarding the video signal to the frame store. The XHDI-02 de-embedder synchronizes the extracted audio, using the SRC, to the house video clock. This in-sync-signal is subsequently available everywhere on the audio network. Naturally, this process can be reversed in order to embed audio into an asynchronous video stream.

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Multi-channel Audio over an AES Line5.1 surround sound is intimately bound up with HDTV. In order to transport the six audio channels required by HDTV the Dolby E® format is usually used. The six surround channels and two further digital audio channels are merged into one common data stream using a near loss-free encoding procedure. This stream only requires the transmission bandwidth of an AES-3 signal, a standard format used for transmitting stereo signals in TV studios. Thus, the studios can continue to use the existing stereo infrastructure for multi-channel audio so long as it is bit-for-bit transparent. This is the prerequisite condition: Since Dolby E® signals are not conventional AES-3 audio signals, no signal processes such as gain changing, filtering, and so on are permitted. Only the application of a linear delay is allowed. In practice, the NEXUS XHDI-02 board de-embeds the Dolby E® signal and feeds it to the internal bus just like any other audio signal.

The signal is then transparently routed to an XDED (neXus Dolby E® Decoder) board where it is decoded into individual audio signals. Whilst in this case no signal processing is allowed in the XHDI board, processing the “once again audio” signals after decoding is possible and is available on the XDED. Again, NEXUS also offers the reverse process of encoding discrete 5.1 audio into a Dolby E® stream and embedding it. The encoding is performed by the XDEE (neXus Dolby E® Encoder) board.

Complex ApplicationsHowever, what if an asynchronous video signal, with an embedded Dolby E® data stream arrives? Employing a conventional sample-rate converter would destroy the Dolby E® stream. Again, NEXUS solves the problem. With the help of a short ribbon cable the XHDI-02 and XDED (or XDEE) boards are interconnected directly. The XHDI 02

DOLBY E®: Multi-channel Audio over Stereo LinesDolby E® is a technology which provides almost lossless encoding of digitized audio and is used predominantly by broadcasters. Up to eight digital input signals with 20-bit resolution are packaged in such a way that they can be accommodated in a so-called AES-3 frame — matching the normal transport and recording structure used in TV broadcasting centres, for satellite transmission, and by recording devices. The eight audio channels can be configured in different ways: for example, eight mono channels or four stereo channels or a 5.1 surround signal plus a stereo channel. Dolby E® is in competition with DTS but is in much wider use. It is a proprietary method, and requires a license granted by Dolby Labs before it can be used.The data words created during the encoding process are no longer conventional digital audio signals. Therefore, a Dolby E® signal must not be subjected to non-transparent changes such as gain adjustment, sample-rate conversion, filtering, or summing. In contrast, linear delays and SDI embedding and de-embedding are permissible. Thus Dolby E® is a signal-transmission and signal-routing technology. For distribution into consumer environments, Dolby E® is, in most cases, transcoded to Dolby Digital®.Dolby E® signals must be decoded for further processing. In theory, 13 successive decoding and encoding cycles are possible before the compression process becomes audible. Encoding or decoding Dolby E® signals takes about 40 ms (50 Hz standards) or 33 ms (60 Hz standards), which also defines the length of the respective Dolby E®

frame. Since this is exactly the same as the length of a video frame, routing and editing Dolby E data streams embedded within a video signal is not problematic. Another special feature is the so-called metadata. This is parameter and control data transmitted in parallel with the compressed audio. Metadata is specified in the SMPTE RDD6 standard and may be used to adjust specific parameters for different listening environments, for example in-car or home cinema. Also, downmixing from a surround format such as 5.1 to stereo can be controlled to some extent using metadata. Unfortunately, metadata also allows the volume ratio between programme and TV commercials to be altered. A well-known example of metadata is the “dialogue level” parameter which is used to change the loudness balance between the centre-channel dialogue and the other programme channels.SALZBRENNER STAGETEC MEDIAGROUP offers various components for handling Dolby E® data including the XDED (decodes Dolby D® and Dolby E data streams), the XDEE (encodes Dolby E® streams), and the XDEM (applies and extracts metadata). Since STAGETEC is a Dolby E® partner, all NEXUS boards capable of decoding, transmitting, routing, and encoding Dolby E® signals are Dolby certified.

Embed/De-embed synchronous SDI with Dolby E® Embed/De-embed asynchronous SDI with Dolby E®Embed/De-embed asynchronous SDI

Embed/De-embed synchronous SDI

Dolby® and the double D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.

in use not in use for this task signal path

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de-embeds the Dolby E® data stream from the asynchronous video signal and routes it directly to the Dolby E® decoder on the XDED. The decoder is synchronized remotely by the XHDI-02 and can thus decode the signal. Using the built-in SRCs, the XDED board then synchronizes the decoded, discrete audio signals to the video house clock.The process of encoding and decoding a Dolby E® frame takes 40 ms which is the exact duration of one video frame (at 25 fps). So the transmitted audio would always arrive one frame late. In order to remedy this defect and ensure that video and audio are in lip sync again, the XHDI 02 retards the video stream by one frame. For this purpose, the XHDI 02 is equipped with an additional video-delay. Afterwards, when the video and Dolby E frames are once again in sync, the embedded video stream can simply be routed as normal or even edited without destroying the Dolby E® data stream.

The New World of MetadataMetadata deserves an entire chapter of its own. It is the control data accompanying the programme data. Metadata is important at the receiving end where intelligent devices can interpret the data. For example, metadata is used, to determine the dynamic range or loudness adjustments. Another application of metadata is to steer playback parameters for various environments.The NEXUS XHDI 02, XDED, and XDEE boards are capable of transmitting, introducing and extracting such metadata. The reading and writing is done by the XDEM (neXus Dolby E® Metadata) board, which also gives access to all metadata created locally. On the other hand, metadata is often generated in other places than the actual programme. In this case, NEXUS permits this metadata to be transported transparently all over the network, and without the need to consider maximum cable lengths. Of course, the XHDI 02 can also forward pure metadata without embedded audio.All these scenarios can be controlled, stored, and recalled at any time from the NEXUS graphical user interface. There is no need for auxiliary devices and extra cabling — it could not be easier!

Onwards and UpwardsSo, everything is fine now? Well, not really. The latest development, 3G TV, raises new issues. This standard specifies the 1080p50 and 1080p60 formats, a video image consisting of 1,080 lines with 1,920 colour pixels in each. Unlike traditional TV formats, a single frame is not composed from two interlaced fields at a frame rate of 25 frames per second but with 50 full frames per second. This ensures flicker-free image reproduction. While the XHDI 02 can handle this format easily, one frame now takes 20 ms instead of 40 ms (16 ms instead of 33 ms at 60 fps) while the Dolby E® frames still require 40 ms (33 ms respectively). This is why 3G video signals can only be cut on every second frame boundary in order to avoid destroying the Dolby E® data. Furthermore, the current standards do not offer an option for detecting, which of any two frames is the second one. So this standard still needs some fine-tuning and revision. But no matter which way standardization goes, NEXUS will deal with it.

SDI and Embedded AudioThe Serial Digital Interface, or SDI for short, is a digital device interface standardised by the SMPTE. In terms of structure, a video signal encoded digitally is comparable to an analogue signal in that it consists of lines forming two-dimensional images or frames. The lines are separated by the so-called horizontal blanking interval — the time the electron beam of a cathode-ray tube needs to move from the end of the line just written to the beginning of the next line. During this horizontal blanking interval — the counterpart of which is the vertical blanking interval between two fields or frames — the screen is automatically switched to black, so no video signals must exist there.The sawtooth pulses used to control lines and frames in the analogue world have been replaced by special unique code words in the digital domain. The time allocated for line changes can thus be used for embedding other data, the so-called ancillary data into the video signal. In addition to test and timecode data as well as control information, embedded audio plays a significant role here. The SMPTE standards specify that up to 16 digitised audio signals with 24 bit resolution can be accommodated in the horizontal blanking interval. They are distributed to four groups each with four signals. Each audio data word is marked as audio by a special digital identifier. The device that merges the audio into the appropriate spaces of a video stream is the embedder. After transmission, the de-embedder extracts the audio from the video stream.

Some StandardsMany digital TV standards exist across the world. In addition to the two major groups — the American 60-Hz and the European 50-Hz formats, which are often and inappropriately referred to as NTSC and PAL — there is another classification into standard image with an aspect ratio of 4:3 and a wide image with a 16:9 ratio. Depending on how the image is constructed, there is a distinction between interlaced scanning, where each frame is composed of two fields each with half the overall vertical resolution, and progressive scanning, which uses complete frames. However, the major difference is the desired resolution of the image.

SDI Definitions:SD-SDI (Standard Definition): Bit rate 270 Mbit/sHD-SDI (High Definition): Bit rate about 1,5 Gbit/s3G-SDI (a special flavour of HD-SDI): Bit rate about 3 Gbit/s

The new 3G-SDI format is applicable principally to shooting footage and digital cinema movies. It meets the requirements of the1080p50 video format which means that it consists of 50 frames with 1,920 × 1,080 colour pixels each. The format also specifies 16 embedded audio signals with 24-bit resolution at a sample rate of 48 kHz. 3G-SDI has only been around for a few months and was standardized in SMPTE 424M and 425M. With the new XHDI 02, SALZBRENNER STAGETEC MEDIAGROUP already offers a combined embedder/de-embedder for the 3G HD format.

Please read more at www.stagetec.com/web/stages

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The Amsterdam Music Theatre requirements are comparable with those in any other classical music house. Top priority is that the mixing console in the hall must occupy the smallest possible space. Space is a precious thing in live venues, in the auditorium itself as well as the in-hall control room because every seat removed means the loss of box-office hard cash.At the same time, productions and performances are becoming ever more complex, so the demands placed on the console have grown continuously. The CRESCENDO console rises to meet these challenges as is immediately apparent from its name: crescendo is Italian for “growing”. In comparison with the smaller AURATUS or CRESCENDO’s immediate predecessor the AURATUS XL, the new console supports significantly more extensive configurations with up to 300 audio channels and 128 sum buses. A maximum of 96 aux or n-1 buses enables an enormous number of individual monitor mixes and foldback signals to be set up for live use. The combination of mono, stereo, and 5.1 sums as well as stereo or 5.1 linking of input channels is configurable freely, making the console considerably more flexible in modern multichannel-classical music environments than its two smaller siblings. With a comprehensive feature set and numerous options, the CRESCENDO provides almost the functionality of the large AURUS mixing-console system. However, it is operated using a small AURATUS-like control surface. The Amsterdam Music Theatre owns two CRESCENDO consoles configured identically, one lives in the hall and the other in the control room. The two, 24-fader control surfaces are compact — less than 1.5m in width and just 0.76m in depth. It is intended that only one console will in operation at a time. For each production, the operator uses a change-over switch to select whether the console in the hall is to be used, for example when balancing an extensive microphone set-up, or if the control-room unit is better suited to the task. This mutually exclusive approach is based fundamentally on practical

CRESCENDO — Digital On the UpThe Amsterdam Music Theatre Extends its Audio SystemBack in 2004 The Amsterdam Music Theatre in the Netherlands prompted a feature in STAGES. At that time, the house had made a first step from analogue towards the digital age — with a NEXUS network, a stage-management system, and two smaller CAS digital mixing-consoles. In the meantime, experience with digital technology as well as the physical equipment has grown. An AURUS mixing system and the latest addition to the family, two CRESCENDO consoles — an innovation in the classical music venue world

considerations since it prevents two audio engineers working in parallel on the two desks and inadvertently interfering with each others work. Besides which, the two consoles offer an immediate disaster recovery solution since each can replace the other if necessary.

A Bunch of New FunctionsCRESCENDO is not simply a new mixing console but a logical progression based on more than 15 years of experience in developing digital-audio mixing consoles. It provides a bunch of new functions. For example, the new SPILL function enables the user to keep track of the sources particularly with complex live productions. At the press of a button all a group’s members can be brought onto the console surface. The SPILL function can be applied to traditional master-slave groups and also to link groups, stereo links and surround bundles. Another feature that improves clarity is the new views on the TFT screens. With 128 summing buses CRESCENDO requires a well thought-out status view to provide the user with an appropriate

We spoke with Hans-Willem de Haan, chief of the audio and video department at The Amsterdam Music Theatre, about the new audio equipment and about his experiences with the new CRESCENDO and AURUS mixing consoles

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bus-routing overview. Hence, CRESCENDO’s individual channel strip meters were scaled down to provide additional space for a bus view on the TFT screen.The aux-to-fader function is very helpful especially in live use. It enables an aux bus mix to be checked at a glance using a graphical view.However, the most important function of all is the comprehensive theatre-snapshot automation. This enables mixes to be defined for every scene and for the transitions between the scenes. In the context of the changes at The Amsterdam Music Theatre a number of new NEXUS XCI boards were acquired. These are used mainly in combination with the extensive Logic Control feature to control external devices and for controlling the NEXUS and CRESCENDO from external events. These events — for example a switch triggered by the musical director — can be integrated into the snapshot automation and thus make finely-tuned sequencing possible.

Direct Signal DeliveryDuring the upgrade, the old NEXUS microphone-input boards were replaced by the latest XMIC+ boards because they feature an on-board digital signal splitter with up to four separate outputs for each microphone input. One of the outputs is used for the public address system and a second one connects to the recording studio. Since each user is assigned a separate output of the microphone board,

either or both can set up individual gain settings, without any interaction.Special importance attaches to a third way of operating which has now become possible. Microphone signals can be routed directly to an OB truck or to a local DAW over MADI lines for recording instead of passing them through one of the digital consoles first. This digital splitting function is critically important for live use and isn’t offered by any other mixing-console brand as an internal solution. It is an exclusive feature of AURUS, AURATUS, CRESCENDO, and especially the NEXUS!Since the digital microphone inputs enable faster working than a conventional analogue microphone preamp set up, they had already been welcomed enthusiastically at The Amsterdam Music Theatre. The microphone converter’s wide dynamic range offers true plug & play. The microphones just have to be connected — there is no need to set gains since inadequate or excessive levels simply cannot occur due to the design of the converters.

A NEXUS NetworkThe installation at The Amsterdam Music Theatre was conceived as an all-encompassing audio network. From the user perspective this is clearly an advantage because there is no possible operational situation where extra cabling, always a potential source of errors, would be required. Each user can access virtually any resource on

the network, with just one small exception which simplifies the daily routine. All hardwired connections, as for example the cable runs to the PA system or the hardware integrating the electroacoustic LARES system, are lurking in the background hidden from most engineers eyes. Similarly, the sound systems in the dressing rooms, as well as the entire paging system, which is also based on NEXUS components, works hidden in the background to avoid operational errors. The NEXUS network has grown into a huge system integrating all the audio domains in the venue!An interesting addition to the NEXUS network relates to the NEXUS STAR. This was acquired to host the mixer and DSP boards of both the AURUS and CRESCENDO. Although the two mixing-console systems share the same NEXUS network, they are separated from each other completely and are assigned different network-address ranges. In hardware terms, this is an efficient solution which also dovetails with the notoriously difficult financial situation in the music landscape.

AURUS in the Production Control RoomFor the production control room where space is not really an issue, The Amsterdam Music Theatre opted for a big AURUS with 40 faders installed in a large frame. Eleven dual-concentric encoders per channel strip provide for even faster instant access to all critical mixing parameters. In addition, the console is laid out for even more convenient and versatile multichannel mixing where the use of the dynamic automation — which is not present on the CRESCENDO — is another essential tool for efficient working. To support extensive pre-productions and recordings, the console system features three DSP boards. This is sufficient for the in-house configuration of 64 input channels.

However, the decisive argument for the AURUS and CRESCENDO was audio quality. Because at the end of the day, a production, be it on stage or on CD, only needs one thing: a great sound.

Living Up to Its NameThe Amsterdam Music Theatre programme is usually crammed full seven days a week. Therefore, reliability demands on the hardware systems are high because there is very little time for undertaking repair work, not to mention dealing with a technical breakdown. Even maintenance work must be well prepared and scheduled. Experience with the highly reliable NEXUS network, which has been in use since 2004, was the basis of confidence in the new CRESCENDO. While there was no previous experience of how the CRESCENDO would cope in a theatre environment, this highly versatile mixing console has already made its mark in many other applications — from OB vehicles and TV production studios to large convention centres. Incidentally, a number of theatres and operas have been inspired by the Amsterdam example and the number of theatre installations is rising rapidly — or crescendo, so to speak.

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It is now 10 years since hr radio replaced the main control room analogue audio system with a NEXUS audio-routing system. The installation has grown continuously since then. Today, it is an all embracing network integrating every radio studio and remote site. It consists of four separate interconnected sub-networks. NEXUS remains the system of choice and, having been extended little by little with minor additions, it is still fulfilling all of the extensive routing requirements at hr to everyone’s satisfaction. Thus, there has been no need for fundamental changes to the installation, at least so far as the routers are concerned. However, this was not the case with the third-party control room software. Its purpose is to act as an inter-system overseer, controlling and executing the complex operational sequences in the main control room to a rigorous schedule. 10 years old and based on MS-DOS, this control software had become outdated and could no longer fulfil the requirements of an increasingly complex audio network. So, a new control system was needed. It should be easy to operate, allow for planning the highly complex routing conveniently, using a graphical user interface and enable third-party systems to be integrated.The switchover to a new system, the BFE KSC Manager, happened seamlessly in 2009. This was a stroke of luck for hr since BFE had already begun to co-operate closely with STAGETEC. One of the fruits of this co-operation was very tight integration with the NEXUS routers. The idea of NEXUS Server was born.

NEXUS Server is the Missing LinkWith the NEXUS Server, STAGETEC has designed a system that interrogates the main control room control system, KSC Manager, about large numbers of scheduled routing events. The NEXUS Server then organises the scheduling and triggers execution of these events on the NEXUS system at the correct times autonomously. NEXUS

Smart SwitchingExtensive NEXUS Installation in hr’s Main Control Room Supplemented by a New NEXUS Server

The hr (Hessischer Rundfunk) radio service in Frankfurt has already supplied STAGES with food for thought in a number of fascinating articles about their NEXUS installation. The German broadcaster was using NEXUS as a central router even before the NEXUS STAR was invented. It employs modern CWDM optical lines for a NEXUS network spanning the entire service area. And, just as important, it is considered to be a highly competent NEXUS user. This year, the station has brought us another innovation; the largest NEXUS installation used as an autonomous switching system with built-in intelligence

Server replaces the BFE controller, which the KSC Manager would otherwise require for control signal translation purposes. NEXUS Server, in combination with the connected NEXUS router, creates a more intelligent system.From the technical point of view, interaction between KSC Manager and the NEXUS Server is based on an Application Programming Interface API, a standard interface for application programming in the IT world. Through this API, NEXUS Server queries the KSC manager for all routing events scheduled for a specific period and receives a suitably formatted events list. In the next step, NEXUS Server triggers the required events at the appropriate times and reports the execution back to the KSC manager. Thus the hr operator, who uses the KSC system, not the NEXUS, can see at a glance the status of a specific NEXUS router crosspoint.

Error ManagementImproved status overview is just one major advantage of communication between KSC manager and NEXUS Server. Error detection and reporting are also key features. If a scheduled routing event does not occur, NEXUS Server tries repeatedly to trigger it. If these attempts fail, for example because the respective NEXUS Base Device is not connected, an error will be displayed. In such a case, the operator can react accordingly to solve the issue. In a simple configuration with a KSC controller, the operator would not even know about the problem. NEXUS Server also detects incorrect connections and tracks any manual interventions to the NEXUS and logs both to a database. This enables hr to analyse the exact course of events after an operational error for example. The smart interface also improves timing considerably because the NEXUS Server handles the audio router timing management. When many crosspoints are to be set at the same time, the KSC Manager

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transmits the details of all these scheduled routing events to the NEXUS Server beforehand as a single data block. NEXUS Server then executes the events at the appropriate time. This prevents a bottleneck developing in the transmission of switching requirements before it can even begin.

The Installationhr operates four separate NEXUS routing networks currently, each of which comprises several NEXUS STARs and a number of Base Devices located at the central installation in Frankfurt. Each of the routing networks is controlled by a dedicated NEXUS Server, which is doubled up for increased security. At any given time a master system and a redundant slave system run simultaneously. Master and slave NEXUS Server status is displayed on the KSC user interface and the operator in the switching room can change over to the backup system whenever necessary. This makes a total breakdown of the control system and resultant non-delivery of routing events very improbable.

The Story ContinuesAn installation as large as the one run by hr never remains static for long. It is subject to constant modification to reflect changes at the broadcasting centre and the remote production sites. A further modification was planned for the turn of 2009, namely the merging of the MADI router with the central audio router. Hitherto both had been operated as separate networks. Now they are to be merged to form a large scale system with around 3,700 inputs and 4,000 outputs. A big project, which consequently needed careful planning.

First, the database sections on the KSC Manager were expanded to map the enlarged router fully. Once this was accomplished, all sources and destinations were then recognised by the control system even though they were not yet available physically. All the routing processes required after completion of the migration could thus be pre-arranged, enabling a seamless transition to occur on the day.Next to be upgraded were the actual NEXUS networks. First, the change was used as an opportunity to upgrade from the Matrix 4th generation protocol, which was still in partial use, to the current Matrix 5th generation version. This allows the increased number of crosspoints to be handled, supports all the new audio boards and offers much greater flexibility overall. The physical hardware redesign made it necessary to reposition the optical cabling, some of which was more than 10 years old. This was a rather risky scheme since it was possible that the adhesive in the optical connectors could break when moved. So, in the run-up to the hardware relocation, the broadcaster ensured that new cabling was prepared. These preparations reduced the physical process of connecting the two Nexus systems to just a few simple steps. A new task for the NEXUS Server, including its redundant system, which this project freed up, had already been identified. It will become the so-called metronet, the audio connections to the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the Alte Oper, controllable from the KSC system. And this is why each and every view of the overall installation at hr is just a snapshot that shows us that nothing remains the same. The only constant is NEXUS.

System Overview of the KSC Manager and the NEXUS Server at hrDuring the move to KSC Manager and NEXUS Server, the hr installed a control network based on IP addressing. This network only carries control information while the audio is still routed using the NEXUS with its total of 5,000 × 5,000 I/Os. The network enables all the typical IT safety strategies to be deployed, for example the use of redundant servers. The hr opted for a redundant implementation of the NEXUS Server and also the KSC database server. Another benefit of computer networking is that it enables any number of control clients to be run in parallel. The hr main control room now houses two fixed KSC Manager work stations plus an extra terminal which enables the KSC Manager to be accessed from a large KVM switch.

KSC Manager: The FactsSince the beginning of 2009, the hr has used the BFE KSC Manager to control the main control room. KSC Manager is the main user interface regardless of the equipment to be controlled in the background. It enables all the relevant routers and systems located in the main control room to be addressed. KSC Manager was originally developed for TV main-switching-room environments — the hr installation is the first purely radio application of the system. KSC Manager enables routing events to be scheduled which will be triggered subsequently at the appropriate time. This automation feature renders a great many of the routine daily tasks in the main control room redundant, freeing up time for employees to concentrate

on short-term changes, routing bottlenecks and error prevention. In normal circumstances KSC Manager requires a dedicated controller to handle the control data going out to the router. This controller translates the KSC Manager instructions into a form understood by the router — one parameter set for each routing event. While this approach is simple and pragmatic, it is not an ideal solution for high-volume routing. This is why the NEXUS — as the sole autonomous system - was created with the help of NEXUS intelligent Servers.

Please read more at www.stagetec.com/web/stages

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What does little Switzerland have in common with the huge North-American subcontinent Canada? First, both are multilingual. Next, they share a deep passion for ice hockey, which comes as no surprise since the sport was invented in Canada and spread over to Europe late in the 19th century, mainly in the Alpine countries because of the climate.These two points of contact between Canada and Switzerland, multilingualism and their mutual delight in ice hockey, have a common denominator: the Spengler Cup, the world’s oldest ice-hockey tournament which takes place every year between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Two seeded teams, namely local heroes HC Davos and Team Canada, plus three internationally ranked guest teams compete for the trophy in ten matches in the qualifying round and the final. Founded in 1923, the Spengler Cup has become the second-largest annual sports event in Switzerland — with around 80,000 local spectators and many more in front of their TV screens. This is because the matches are not only broadcast live in Switzerland in three language areas but also with a time-delay in hockey-crazy Canada.

The ChallengeThree Swiss national languages plus a transmission to Canada, that adds up to four separate commentary teams and four different audio programmes. tpc acts as the technical service provider for the German speaking public Swiss TV in Zurich and is specialized in producing such multilingual audio programmes for Switzerland; this and the technology required for multilingual commentary mixes are part of their everyday life. Dedicated commentary systems route the international sound feed to a commentary booth where the audio is mixed with commentary in the target-language. While this may sound relatively simple, it can become a real issue especially when a large number of monitoring signals and intercom systems are involved.

Speechless? Never again!New Audio Platform brings Davos to Canada with Gigabit SpeedAs they have many times previously, tv productioncenter zürich tpc have once again positioned themselves at the forefront of a new technology. Since December 2009, the Switzerland-based company has been the first user of the new DELEC oratis digital commentary systems, which stand out with a clever concept and future-proof features. They are networkable, scalable, and fully integrated

However, the commentary systems are absolutely critical to transmission which is why high quality audio and, just as important, the highest possible reliability are key criteria. The existing analogue systems did not really meet those requirements adequately. For this reason, when revamping and upgrading their OB fleet to HD technology, tpc urgently needed a new commentary system that would integrate smoothly into the totally digital and fibre-based environment. All these requirements were met effortlessly by DELEC’s new oratis platform. The decision was thus made very swiftly, and the first of the new OB vehicles with their DELEC commentary systems has already undergone the acid test successfully.

System ConceptThe oratis commentary system is based on a matrix frame installed into the OB vehicle. The matrix frame accommodates a number of plug-in boards and acts as a central audio router. The commentator uses a COM3 commentator terminal connected over a Gigabit Ethernet link to a commentary card in the matrix frame. This approach enables the OB truck’s audio network to be extended easily via fibre-optic cable up to the commentary booth making it possible to monitor or mix any audio signal locally at the commentary position. Up to twelve commentator terminals can be driven by one matrix frame. In addition, the system can be tightly integrated with the NEXUS audio routers in the truck via MADI, making the oratis matrix frame a real audio hub for all the commentators. Integrating an extra commentator into this set-up requires hardly any expenditure of additional effort. Large productions in particular, with multiple commentators, as is usual in multilingual Switzerland, benefit most notably from this approach.In the near future, five tpc OB trucks will be equipped with one matrix frame and six commentary terminals each. The set-up will be

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complemented with an extra monitoring panel enabling all signals to be checked conveniently in the vehicle. In general, the DELEC system provides one terminal per commentator. However, up to three commentators can share a single unit. Thus, a dual commentator environment supplemented by a mobile reporter loses its complexity and will become the norm. The audio quality meets professional studio standards with 24 bit interfaces, 32 bit internal processi