Archive: News & Press Releases

BBC opted for NEXUS and fibres

London (Great Britain): BBC Radio Outside Broadcasts has taken delivery of three STAGETEC NEXUS fibre-optic multicore replacement systems, a single 64 channel and two 48 channel from UK distributor Aspen Media Limited. The 64 channel system will feed an analogue SSL console in Radio Outside Broadcasts’ Sound 1 vehicle, while the two 48 channel systems will connect to the SSL con-soles in SCV 5 and SCV 6. The NEXUS microphone inputs feature STAGETEC’s patented 153 dB dynamic range microphone inputs that remove the need for any dynamics processing to protect against overloading the A/D converters.

The systems are specified with redundant fibre connections that seamlessly switch to the backup fibre path in the event that the primary connection is broken or inadvertently unplugged and are currently fitted with analogue outputs. These may be expanded in the future with the addition of interfaces to virtually every digital audio format, including MADI; or even embedding to digital video. The use of fibre-optics for multi-channel audio, delivers significant operational cost sav-ings, reducing the rigging time, manpower and transport required for each event.

The BBC, a traditional user of analogue desks, has seen the need to move on from using copper multicore cable to the latest fibre-optic technology as em-ployed by the NEXUS system. Aspen Media’s Managing Director Chris Collings, detailed the requirement the Nexus system had to fulfil. “The system had to be very easy to set up and operate, while giving instant control and visual indication of all audio levels. Nexus also delivers possibly the best sonic quality – ideal for the more demanding applications, such as classical music, and it is built to sur-vive.”

Television OB’s are already familiar with the STAGETEC range as the CANTUS consoles, which use the NEXUS as the input/output frames, are being used in their DMCCR and Sound 3 vehicles, ably proving themselves capable of surviv-ing the rigours of outside broadcast over many years. The three Radio OB NEXUS systems have been configured so that they can be networked to provide a single system for large events, perhaps working with multiple locations. Radio Outside Broadcasts exploited this capability to the full last autumn at the Radio One ‘One Live in Brighton’ when they trialled NEXUS systems in two trucks, each broadcasting two separate live bands from different venues.