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tv productioncenter zürich (tpc):
New HDTV OB truck with AURUS control
room
The vehicle of the Swiss outside broadcast specialist
tv productioncenter zürich (tpc) has been designed to provide
studio facilities for major live events such as the Olympic Winter
Games Torino
2006
and is fully equipped to support HDTV. The new programming demands
for 5.1 with HDTV made the choice easy for tpc: They opted for a large
AURUS console in the truck’s sound control room. 128 audio channels,
128 busses, and 48 fader strips on the AURUS now support even big surround
sound productions. Too, the unique multichannel features of the desk
recommend AURUS for this applications: Allowing to work on two or even
more mixes simultaneously, e.g. one stereo version and one 5.1 mix,
AURUS eliminates the need for quality-deteriorating automated downmixes
or for an additional stereo mix. Thomas Neuenschwander, project engineer
of tpc, says: “Equipping a truck for HDTV is a once in a lifetime
investment. AURUS was our first choice, as it combines extreme reliability
and perfect audio quality with quick and simple operation – no
matter whether it’s a complex 5.1 production, a stereo mix or
even both.”
 Along with AURUS, the truck incorporates a NEXUS audio
network of four base devices on board. Another three mobile base devices
will be used as stage boxes on-site. The internal NEXUS provides a
total of 100 AES inputs and 96 outputs, 112 line ins and 104 line outs,
as well as several interfaces such as MADI and TDIF audio interfaces
and GPI contacts. The moveable base devices not only offer to bring
all necessary I/Os and interfaces close to the cameras, but also integrate
all subscriber units of the intercom into the audio network. “Thus,
no extra cabling for the communication network is required”,
explains Sebastian Schmidt, MEDIAGROUP engineer in charge for this
project. For maximum safety, the audio network has been designed with
a high degree of redundancy. Therefore, all NEXUS base devices are
equipped and cabled with double optical interfaces as well as with
redundant power supplies for automatic and delay-free switchover in
case of power or line failure.
About tpc
tv productioncenter zürich ag (tpc) is Switzerland’s biggest production
company for audiovisual applications. The company was incepted on January 1, 2000,
as a spin-off from the Swiss television corporation DRS (SF DRS). It is wholly-owned
by SRG SSR idée suisse. With almost 800 employees, tpc’s turnover
amounted to 139,2 million Swiss franks last year. See www.tpcag.ch for more information. |
