From Racing Events to Professional Football, Aviom Provides Reliable Broadcast Audio Distribution
PITTSBURGH, DECEMBER 15, 2011
—When NEP Broadcasting needed to replace its existing audio-over-fiber gear, it turned to
Aviom
, exclusive developer of the world’s most powerful audio transport protocol,
A-NetA®
, to provide not only a robust solution, but one that would be able to withstand the harsh environments the company encounters during outdoor applications. Using an Aviom Pro64A® audio network, NEP now has a reliable audio distribution system that is easily scalable for large live broadcast events from professional football games to racing and professional golf tours where temperature, humidity and rough handling are common. Best known for its live-sound, Aviom is showing its versatility with this latest NEP project, extending its reach into the broadcast market.
NEP Supershooters is best known for providing state-of-the-art mobile broadcast facilities, supported by the company’s technical expertise and production services. As a company that designs, builds and maintains its own fleet while creating customized mobile production units for clients, NEP Supershooters operate 11 high-definition mobile units, 10 standard definition units and two standard definition units based in Hawaii. The Supershooters fleet is rounded out by a diverse fleet of B units or support trucks, which include everything from a basic box truck, to a 53-foot “expando” with AVID editing and two effects mixers. The Aviom Pro64 audio network is the perfect fit to supply NEP with high-quality and reliable audio gear that would be able to withstand the many diverse work environments the company encounters while on location.
“For us, it was important to find a network that had built-in fiber interfaces, high-quality mic preamps, good signal to noise/overall audio quality, ample headroom and scalability,” says Joseph Signorino, senior project engineer/mobile unit engineering manager, NEP Supershooters LP. “When we originally looked at the Aviom gear a few years ago, the fiber interface did not exist, but Aviom listened to our needs and developed a new hub with fiber ports on board. From the first demo, they gave us a lot of attention and it was obvious they were going to back up their system and were serious about their product.”
For NEP’s complex applications, such as professional racing events, Pro64 networks help to connect production trucks, talent and on-track mics. Fiber connects remote racks, the announce booth, the studio and the production truck onsite. Audio inputs are divided across independent sub-networks and program audio and IFB can be integrated if desired. A sample remote rack would entail 16 remote controllable mic preamps, a Cat-5e interconnect and a fiber interface for long run to other remote racks or production trucks. The truck would then contain analog or AES3 outputs, remote control and monitoring of mic preamps, Cat-5e interconnects and a fiber interface for long runs to remote racks.
Pro64 Series audio networks provide transparent audio quality and the convenience of long Cat-5e cable runs (up to 400 feet) and support for single- or multi-mode fiber optics with no delay or signal loss. At the heart of the NEP system is the 6416m Mic Input Module. These remote controllable mic pres are placed at various locations around the track, field or location, along with an MH10f Merger Hub. The Merger Hub connects each remote location to the production truck or trucks via fiber, allowing for long runs. In some cases, 6416o v.2 Output Modules are also placed in remote racks for audio out to talent ear pieces and the crew’s IFB headsets. In their production trucks, NEP has MH10f Merger Hubs and 6416o v.2s for audio out to the console. In addition, they use RCI Remote Control Interfaces and MCS Mic Control Surfaces to remotely control the 6416m units that are in the remote racks.
NEP commonly operates several smaller, simpler Pro64 systems for broadcasts of football and golf events as well as larger, more elaborate systems to capture broadcast audio for racing events. The Aviom system enables the crew to be able to run multiple control points to allow production-audio and effects-audio mixers to have control over their particular networks since audio is acquired and picked off from multiple points on the system.
“The Aviom Pro64 network has proven to be a high-quality system that has been extremely well-received by our clients and audio engineers,” Signorino continues. “The fact that the system is easily scalable has allowed us to combine every piece of Aviom gear we own on a few large events, which worked out very well. It has been very reliable and the audio quality has pleased all users.”
Aviom pioneered personal mixing with its Pro16A® Monitor Mixing System and continues to break new ground with the revolutionary Pro64A® Series of audio networking products. With tens of thousands of products in the field today, Aviom has set the standard for high performance, scalable digital solutions. All Aviom systems harness the power of A-NetA®, Aviom’s innovative digital audio technology that simplifies system design while enhancing flexibility and fidelity. All Aviom products are designed, tested, and manufactured in the USA. For more information, visit
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