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TopVision Relies on STAGETEC

Again, the outside broadcasting specialists from Berlin have implemented STAGETEC systems on one of their O.B. trucks – an HDTV and 7.1-ready vehicle of superlatives

When it comes to Bundesliga, the Champions League, the Nordic Skiing World Cup in Oberstdorf, or any other major sports happening, the TopVision O.B. trucks are almost certainly on location. The outside-broadcasting experts provide all of Germany’s public and private TV stations with image and sound from these events. Now, TopVision prepares for HDTV: An HDTV-enabled O.B. truck with 24 cameras is to become the flagship of their fleet. For the second time, TopVision has opted for digital audio technology by STAGETEC to equip one of its O.B. trucks. BFE Studio- und Mediensysteme GmbH from Mainz acts as general contractor.

According to the managing director of TopVision Achim Jendges, the demands on audio technology in the age of HDTV are “optimum functionality and flexibility at outstanding audio quality.“ Consequently, TopVision has decided for using what Jendges calls the “maximum equipment” in the audio control room of the new truck: an AURUS comprising 7 DSP boards and more than 200 audio channels accommodated in a space-saving mainframe with 48 faders plus an amazingly large NEXUS network. Thanks to its DSP resources, the AURUS has sufficient reserves, for example, for making multichannel mixes (up to 7.1) of lavish music and show productions. For that purpose, altogether three monitoring stations in the audio and video control rooms are 7.1-ready. The audio control room also includes an innovation just introduced at the IBC 2005: The link to the intercom system is established via the new integrated intercom interface of the AURUS – a separate subscriber unit is not required.

The NEXUS audio network is remarkably powerful for an O.B. truck system: 16 NEXUS base devices and a NEXUS STAR router provide 1,776 × 1,732 I/Os – a truly remarkable amount. This includes 208 microphone inputs all of which are equipped with STAGETEC 28-bit TrueMatch converters. Nine stationary base devices network the audio and video control rooms and the recording facilities; the remaining seven NEXUS base devices are for mobile use and can be placed where required.

 

Despite its high capacity, NEXUS utilizes the limited space perfectly. The front panels of the stationary base devices are consistently equipped with D-Sub ports allowing for a high component density. This means that a very large number of inputs and outputs can be accommodated on each board. Other advantages include the low weight of the base devices and the weight-saving fibre optical cabling. “On an O.B. truck, problems regarding space or weight arise very soon,” says Jendges. “Therefore, NEXUS is the ideal solution: While being physically compact and lightweight, it provides a highly flexible audio architecture that perfectly adjusts to the ever-changing production demands.”

The new flagship of the TopVision fleet has already been the second company truck equipped with STAGETEC audio systems: Already in 2000, a CANTUS/NEXUS system was implemented into the audio control room of the Ü4 – TopVisions’s then largest O.B. truck. According to the TopVision manager, “a good customer experience and STAGETEC’s perfect service during that project” were not the least arguments for audio technology from Berlin. “The name TopVision stands for perfect image and perfect sound,” he emphasises the great demands TopVision makes to themselve. “Our set-up with AURUS and NEXUS is the perfect response to the requirements of our customers. This is especially true for the fields of high-quality productions such as music events.”

Technical Specifications of the Truck
GLW: 40 tons (EU compliant). 2 side extensions, 1 tail extension. Length (fully extended, max.): 17.5 m/19.1 yd; width (fully extended, max.): 5.0 m/6.2 yd.
24 cameras (max.) including 16 Sony HDC 1000 and Sony HDC 1500 latest-generation multi-format HD cameras.