Beijing, China, September 2018: AURUS platinum, the flagship of Berlin-based manufacturer STAGETEC, made its debut as an FOH console in China. At the end of July, a cross-over concert with music by Zhang Hong Guang, one of China's most popular composers, took place in front of 18,000 spectators at the Cadillac Arena in Beijing. The AURUS platinum was equipped with 32 faders and integrated into a NEXUS network with six Base Devices and a STAR router. The event was recorded by CCTV, China's nationwide state broadcaster, and will be broadcast on the CCTV-3 music and entertainment channel.
A large number of channels and buses were needed for the orchestra with 60 musicians, a choir with 50 female singers, a band with 11 musicians, 16 soloists, and two presenters. To keep track of more than 200 mixing channels and 80 buses with 32 faders, the AURUS function of the VCA hierarchy proved to be very helpful. Here, instruments can be grouped together so that the sound engineer can keep track of everything. Instead of individual channels, VCAs are mixed, combined with the AURUS spill function. The spill function simplifies the work in live mixes and allows quick access to all signals.
For the large number of audio channels, the AURUS platinum is fully equipped with seven powerful RMDQ DSP units. The microphones were converted to digital signals directly via the NEXUS microphone inputs with 32-bit resolution using the patented True-Match® process, without analog preamplification. For this purpose, 16 XMIC microphone boards with eight channels each, i.e. 128 microphone channels in total, were implemented in the NEXUS base devices.
"STAGETEC is known for highest reliability, safety and best audio quality. That is why we have been using STAGETEC's technology for many years at important events such as the CCTV Gala Show, as well as in studios and other live broadcasts. We trust STAGETEC's' audio excellence." Mr. Chen, vice president of CCTV's audio department, explained.
A second performance in Shenzhen, the modern metropolis in southeast China, is already being planned for later this year. Zhang Hong Guang is a famous composer of Chinese opera and dance theater, and also writes film and television music, as well as pop music and ethnic music.
Cadillac Arena opened in 2008 and hosted the Olympic basketball tournament that same year. In 2022, it will host the ice hockey competitions at the Olympic Games.
