HARMAN’s Studer ‘Expands Infinity’ With New Vista V Digital Console

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands – At IBC 2014, HARMAN’s Studer is adding to the immense power of its Vista X digital console with the next step in processing power and intuitive functionality, the Studer Vista V. The new 52-fader Vista V is based on the same Quad Star technology as its predecessor the Vista X, but in a more compact footprint ideal for smaller studios, OB trucks and large live productions.

The Vista V features a built-in meter bridge, high-quality motorized faders, and a sophisticated, built-in Dynamic Automation system with DAW remote control. The console is fully surround-sound capable, with versatile panning and monitoring functionality.

At the heart of the Vista V is the Infinity Core, which uses CPU-based processors to deliver an unprecedented 800+ audio channels with superb sonic quality, and more than 5,000 inputs and outputs. The use of CPU-based processors suggests exciting possibilities for scaling up to even larger channel counts, and for running third-party algorithms. Being able to program in high-level languages like C++ speeds up the time of implementing new features—never possible when using DSPs and FPGA processing technology.

Infinity Core provides 12 high-capacity A-Link ports (1,536 channels per port) for D23m I/O integration or direct connection into routing systems from Artel, Evertz, Riedel and more. The Vista V also offers easy integration into most AoIP networks used in broadcast like Dante and Livewire, and AES67.

The Vista V with Quad Star technology uses four processors to achieve aviation-standard levels of redundancy in the control surface, while CPU-based DSP makes it viable to provide two completely independent DSP cores running in parallel with instant changeover, without a single sample of audio dropout.

The Vista V also comes replete with VistaMix, Studer’s proprietary automated microphone mixing algorithm, based on gain sharing ideal for simplifying the mixing task at multi-contributor events like game shows, debates etc.. VistaMix removes the need for an operator to manually adjust all the faders all the time, leaving the microphones of talking participants open, while closing the microphones of silent participants in order to reduce spill and background noise. As VistaMix runs directly on the core, no external boxes are needed.

Vista V mixing engineers are freed from the burden of complex mental mapping, thanks to Studer’s revolutionary Vistonics™ interface, which builds Vista V’s rotary controls and buttons directly into the flat screen displays, providing visual feedback exactly where you operate. Each audio function is always associated with the same colour, e.g. red for EQ and filters, green for dynamics, and so on.

FaderGlow™ combines with assignable channel naming to further reduce stress by illuminating each fader in the colour relating to the relevant Vistonics function, creating an instant overview of console status. Studer’s new Spill Zone feature enables users to line up a group’s contributing channels with the press of just one button. FaderGlow then identifies their affiliation assigning the appropriate illumination.

The Vista V also features a built-in, high-class Loudness meter. The large-scale bargraph meter monitors every channel from mono to surround, plus a history display of up to the last 50 seconds of audio to capture any annoying clicks and overloads that are so hard to find in a multi-mic live show.

Built into the Vista V is the BSS DPR-901 Dynamic EQ Plug-In, assignable to any channel as desired and running directly on the Infinity Core. In addition, up to six Lexicon PCM96 Surround high-quality reverb processors can be connected with their parameters stored in the mixer’s snap shots and accessible directly from the Vistonics interface.

The Vista V also allows users to connect up to four Soundcraft Realtime Racks, providing access to Universal Audio’s (UAD) huge Plug-In library assignable on up to 64 Insert-Channels where their parameters are stored and managed directly in the Mixer’s CUE-List automation.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 16,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.3 billion for the twelve months ended June 30, 2014.

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AXS TV Upgrades its Largest OB Truck With a HARMAN Studer Vista 9 M2 QS Audio Console

DENVER, Colorado – AXS TV, a premier cable network dedicated to providing the best in music programming and festivals, comedy performances, current events and mixed martial arts promotions, recently acquired a HARMAN Studer Vista 9 M2 QS console as part of an upgrade to the existing infrastructure of its largest OB truck.

Technical Producer and Flyaway Engineer Jeff Carman wanted a digital console that could not only fit into the existing MADI infrastructure, but also provide the expandability of additional inputs and outputs. These options led to the purchase of the Studer Vista 9 M2 QS.

The Vista 9 M2 QS sets a new benchmark for system redundancy, with advanced Quad Star CPU architecture and optimized system design, providing the ultimate in security and peace of mind in critical live production applications.

“I’m very happy with this console because it interconnects with all our other units via MADI, and works very well for multi-track recording and mix-downs,” said Carman. “What we got was impressive, and we found the fit and construction of the console to be incredible. After using a Studer Vista 5 console in our LA studio, I deeply respect Studer for doing things well, which was one of the main reasons for this purchase. More importantly, the support from Studer has been excellent.”

AXS TV set up the console with a 24x24 Stagebox for shows, including recent mixed martial arts broadcasts as well as AXS TV’s premier music festival events.

“I’m extremely happy with this great-sounding board,” said Dan Nabors, AXS TV Engineer in Charge (EIC). “We noticed that it configures easily when we tried to add new modules several hundred feet away. With this console, we are also able to only use fiber optics, eliminating copper altogether. After changing configuration to a different output card, the Studer Vista 9 looks great, sounds great and is quite user-friendly.”

ABOUT AXS TV

Launched in July 2012 by visionary entrepreneur Mark Cuban, AXS TV is dedicated to providing the best in music programming and festivals, comedy performances, current events and mixed martial arts promotions. AXS TV is a partnership between Mark Cuban, AEG, Ryan Seacrest Media, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and CBS. The network is available in the United States via AT&T U-verse, Charter, Comcast/Xfinity, DIRECTV, DISH, Suddenlink, Verizon FiOS, and other cable, satellite and telco providers. The network is also distributed in Canada and the Caribbean. For more information, visit the website, www.axs.tv; go to the Facebook page here and follow the company on Twitter, @axstv; on Instagram; Tumblr and YouTube.

AXS TV’s companion network, HDNET Movies, is a linear TV channel and VOD service that delivers the ultimate film watching experience -- uncut and uninterrupted -- in high definition. Launched in 2003, HDNET Movies programs a diverse slate of box-office hits spanning the 1950s to 2000s. The network is widely distributed by major cable, telco and satellite TV providers in the U.S. For further information, visit www.hdnetmovies.com.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 16,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.3 billion for the twelve months ended June 30, 2014.

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HARMAN Professional to Unveil New Products at BIRTV 2014 In Beijing

BEIJING, China – Gearing up for the upcoming Beijing International Radio, TV & Film Exhibition (BIRTV), HARMAN Professional will showcase a series of audio-for-broadcast products, capitalizing on its growing popularity in the Chinese broadcasting and entertainment markets. Thanks to their heritage of upholding the highest manufacturing standards for broadcast applications, HARMAN’s AKG, JBL and Studer continuously lead the industry with the best systems for radio, TV and studio applications.

This year, HARMAN (Hall 2, Booth #2022) will feature the AKG WMS420, DMS700 V2, WMS4500, and WMS470 wireless microphone systems. Of these systems, the WMS420 offers unique qualities as the most versatile, high-performance single-channel wireless unit designed for small-scale applications, such as schools and town hall events.

AKG will also display new flagship headphones such as the K812, K712PRO, K612PRO reference headphones. These new models are designed for acoustic applications where precision is key during mixing, production and post phases.

From the Studer line, the new Vista X, Vista 5 M3 and Vista 1 digital mixing consoles will be on show. The Vista 5 M3 and Vista 1 offer a unique blend of portability and mixing power, making them the ideal choices for restricted spaces such as OB trucks and smaller studios. The flagship Vista X brings unparalleled processing power via the Studer Infinity Core offering more than 5000 x 5000 inputs and outputs accessible via the most advanced and fastest to use U/I on the market.

Soundcraft is also demonstrating its Vi1 and Vi3000 consoles at the show. The Vi1 is a compact package featuring the widescreen Vistonics touch screen user-interface, 32 input channels plus stage box expansion and the usual intuitive features including FaderGlow™ as found on the bigger consoles from the Vi Series, the new Vi3000 which also offers 48 onboard mic inputs plus additional 64 channel stage box, four Vistonics II™ ‘3D’ touch screen interfaces and a standard, built-in Dante™ interface plus expansion options.

Wrapping up the remaining HARMAN equipment, JBL is showcasing its LSR305 and LSR308 studio monitors, LSR310S studio subwoofer as well as the M2 Master Reference monitor.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 16,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.3 billion for the twelve months ended June 30, 2014.

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NRJ TV Finds Versatile Solution in HARMAN Studer Vista 1 Digital Console

PARIS, France – NRJ TV has recently purchased a HARMAN Studer Vista 1 digital console for its television control room. NRJ TV has a television control room and two studios to manage the production of its NRJ 12 channels, Chérie 25 and NRJ Hits. Both channels broadcast news and live shows every day.

According to Cédric Drapeau, Technical Manager, it was important to upgrade to a console that could sustain the network’s production growth. “We have a variety of programming that takes place here at NRJ 12 and Chérie 25, so we need equipment that provides a high level of versatility to meet our varying needs,” he said.

To that end, NRJ chose the Studer Vista 1 digital console, which fits perfectly into the network’s technical environment.

The audio configuration of the two studios is based on an EtherSound network, allowing for easy routing and management of signals between the two TV studios and the control table. The Vista 1 has an EtherSound connection that can control over 32 inputs and 32 outputs to perfectly interface into the network.

The Vista 1 is highly suited to broadcast applications, with an integral DSP engine of 96 channels. The Vista 1 can handle mono, stereo and 5.1 inputs with ease, and is provided with 32 mic/line inputs, 16 line outputs and eight stereo AES inputs and outputs on rear panel connections.

The Vista 1 contains many of the same features as its larger brother, the Vista 5, including the patented Vistonics™ user interface plus features such as true broadcast monitoring, talkback, red light control, GPIO, N-x (Mix Minus) busses, snapshot automation and DAW control.

The Vista 1’s I/O can be expanded using the standard Studer D21m I/O controller’s card slot on the rear, to allow a wide range of protocols including MADI, AES, AoIP, ADAT, TDIF, CobraNet, Dolby E/Digital and SDI connections. A MADI link can connect to any of the Studer Stagebox range for XLR connectivity as well as other formats.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 16,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.3 billion for the twelve months ended June 30, 2014.

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HARMAN’s Studer To Showcase Its OnAir 3000 Digital Mixing Console At International Radio Festival 2014

ZURICH, Switzerland – HARMAN’s Studer will be showcasing its OnAir 3000 digital mixing console at the International Radio Festival (IRF) 2014 in Zurich, Switzerland, August 21 through September 7. The IRF is the world’s largest public on-air festival and conference and brings together industry professionals and radio stations from around the world, which will be broadcasting shows to a worldwide audience and giving attendees the opportunity to “Listen to How the World Sounds.” The Studer OnAir 3000 will also be featured at SwissRadioDay 2014, which will take place during the IRF on September 3.

The Studer OnAir 3000 is a highly versatile digital console designed for radio and TV broadcasting and production. It features Studer’s exclusive Touch-n-Action color touchscreen user interface that provides intuitive operation and ready access to all key functions, and offers a comprehensive array of cueing, routing, signal processing and metering options.

“Our OnAir 3000 is ideal for the medium to upper segment and combines exceptional flexibility with the pristine sound quality that has made Studer the industry standard in broadcast consoles worldwide,” said Keith Watson, Marketing Director, Soundcraft Studer. “At IRF and Swiss Radio Day, attendees will have a unique opportunity to see and hear the OnAir 3000 first-hand and experience what it can do in live broadcast situations.”

The Studer OnAir 3000 is based on a completely modular concept. The fader module includes six fader strips and up to eight fader modules can be fitted for a maximum console size of 48 faders. A variety of layout options are available, to perfectly tailor the OnAir 3000 for any radio or TV broadcast application. Available modules include fader, motorized fader and fader assign modules; monitoring and talkback modules; main screen and fader screen modules and more. The console provides a host of digital and analog connectivity options.

The OnAir 3000 provides three main stereo mix busses plus an audition facility, four stereo AUX busses and three independent studio monitoring circuits with a talkback speaker built into the console. The console offers assignable rotary controls and complete EQ, dynamics processing, noise gate, de-esser and other processing and input/output routing for each channel. The OnAir 3000 integrates completely with radio playout systems and the Studer CMS Call Management System that allows the operator to easily manage incoming phone calls on a single screen.

“We are honored to have Studer as our radio studio partner at this year’s IRF 2014,” said Darryl von Däniken, Festival Director of IRF and event organizer for the SwissRadioDay 2014. “Studer is known worldwide as a leader in digital consoles for radio and TV and the company’s presence at IRF validates the growing importance of the event also as a ‘must-see’ technology showcase for broadcast professionals and attendees.”

HARMAN designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a global workforce of 15,200 people and reported sales of $5.1 billion for the last 12 months ended March 31, 2014.

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HARMAN’s Studer, JBL and AKG to Showcase World-Leading Broadcast Audio Technology at TAB Convention & Trade Show

AUSTIN, Texas — At the Texas Association of Broadcasters (TAB) 61st Annual Convention & Trade Show, HARMAN Professional will be showcasing an extensive array of world-class audio products for the broadcast industry, including Studer digital consoles, AKG microphones and JBL studio monitors.

Taking place at the Renaissance Austin Hotel, the TAB Convention & Trade Show is the largest state broadcast meeting in the United States, featuring one-and-a-half days of management, engineering and sales programs, plus a 127-booth trade show with industry vendors from around the country.

Studer will be showcasing its Vista 1 all-in-one digital mixing console, with integrated control surface, I/O system, DSP and power supplies consoling one compact footprint. This makes it the ideal choice when space is restricted, such as in OB and small control rooms or ENG vans. The Studer Vista 1 also features a redundant PSU for peace of mind, and RELINK integration with other Studer Vista and OnAir consoles which means the Vista 1 can easily share signals across an entire console network. Two expansion slots for standard Studer D21m I/O cards may be used for interfaces connecting to popular formats, including CobraNet or Aviom A-Net, Ethersound, Dante, Dolby E and MADI I/O.

AKG will feature a variety of microphones and headphones for broadcast applications, including the C4500 BC. This large-diaphragm condenser microphone in front-addressed format is specially designed for on-air broadcast work. It provides a cardioid pickup with voice-friendly tuning and a low proximity effect, as well as high RF/EMI insensitivity.

In addition, JBL Professional will show off its award-winning 3 Series studio monitors, which are now available with the LSR310S powered studio subwoofer. Driven by an integrated 200 Watt Class D power amplifier, a new 10-inch high excursion woofer works in concert with JBL’s patented Slip Stream Port™, delivering impressive low-frequency response below 27 Hz, with peak output of 113 dB SPL.

For more information on the TAB Convention & Trade Show, please visit www.tab.org

HARMAN designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a global workforce of 15,200 people and reported sales of $5.1 billion for the last 12 months ended March 31, 2014.

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HARMAN Distributor Audiopole Brings Studer Vista X to French Market with Paris Launch Event

PARIS, France – In an event dedicated to educating loyalists and potential customers alike, French distributor Audiopole recently showcased the revolutionary new HARMAN’s Studer Vista X and its Infinity Core technology in Paris. Held at the restaurant Archibald in Paris, Jean-Philippe Blanchard of Audiopole presented the Vista X and Infinity Core to more than 50 end-users and journalists in attendance.

The Studer Vista X console is truly the first of its class in broadcast sound mixing. By using aviation-standard system redundancy that takes advantage of four processors and two independent DSP cores with instant change-overs, this console is able to overcome failures evident in conventional TDM-based systems. While it borrows previous Soundcraft/Studer technologies such as VistonicsTM touchscreen and FaderGlowTM channel illumination, it also delivers a mind-blowing 800+ audio channels and 5,000 inputs and outputs, all with superb sonic quality.

“As this is the first public presentation of the Studer console and the Infinity Core in France, we are proud to officially present this new technology to the thriving French broadcast market. France is really one of the main European markets for Studer, we have already sold over 100 Vista consoles in France and we hope to sell many more,” said Blanchard. “At this event, the end-users and network broadcasters in France were able to get their hands on the console they have been waiting for. By offering huge capacity and processing power that integrates well with existing infrastructures, the Studer Vista X is engineered to the highest standards of the industry and is a true reflection of the services that we provide. Our customers were also able to check the new software version for Vista 1, which now includes Lexicon effects as well as the features of the Vista Remote Bay.”

Studer European Sales Director Karl Chapman also attended the event. “We have had terrific feedback from our customers here in France and elsewhere around the world,” he said. “The Vista X and the Infinity Core is an exciting step forward in technology that offers our customers even greater flexibility and resilience when designing system solutions.”

For more information on Audiopole, please visit www.audiopole.fr

HARMAN designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a global workforce of 15,200 people and reported sales of $5.1 billion for the last 12 months ended March 31, 2014.

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HARMAN’s Studer Celebrates 1,000-Plus Enrollment at StuderBroadcastAcademy.com

POTTERS BAR, United Kingdom – A mere 10 months since its launch, HARMAN’s Studer is proud to announce that StuderBroadcastAcademy.com, the online version of its Studer Broadcast Academy training course, has amassed more than 1,000 participants across 90 countries.

A total of 170 engineers have completed the entire course and are now factory-certified. Of these 170 engineers, over 85% have opted to be listed on the Studer website in a searchable engineer database (used by companies and productions looking to employ Studer Vista engineers).

StuderBroadcastAcademy.com is an interactive online course for engineers to learn how to operate Studer’s Vista Series digital mixing consoles. The course consists of a series of modules, which participants must pass 100 percent to officially certify as a Studer Vista Operator. The course is structured in an interactive format and students can download the Virtual Vista software that gives them a graphic, active representation of a Vista console. Virtual Vista can also be used for offline console configuration and online remote control of Vista mixing consoles. Video segments, system and technical diagrams, a dictionary of terms and other resources round out the program.

“We launched StuderBroadcastAcademy.com in partnership with CRAS (Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences) in August 2013 and the program’s popularity has exceeded our high expectations,” said Katy Templeman-Holmes, Associate Director, Recording & Broadcast, HARMAN Professional. “But we’re not stopping now. Later this year, we will introduce a new SBA module that will dig deeper into our Snapshots features!”

For more information, please visit StuderBroadcastAcademy.com

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 15,200 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.1 billion for the last twelve months ended March 31, 2014.

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HARMAN’s Studer Vista 1 Gets Lexicon Effects with Version 5.1 Upgrade

POTTERS BAR, United Kingdom – HARMAN’s Studer has released the version 5.1 upgrade to its Vista 1 console, adding sister company Lexicon® effects processing to the Vista 1 digital broadcast console. Product Manager Roger Heiniger said, “The new software enables the built-in Lexicon FX surround processors [2 engines with up to 8 mono effects processors] for the Vista 1, controlled directly from the Vistonics™ U/I, all in one very compact footprint.”

Primary applications for the Vista 1 include; broadcast production, OB trucks and vans, theatre, houses of worship, live and music production. The Vista 1 is available in 32 or 22 motorised fader options, featuring the patented Vistonics and FaderGlow user interfaces and is capable of 96 DSP channels including 5.1 surround, true broadcast monitoring, talkback, red light control and GPIO.

Please contact your distributor to get the Version 5.1 upgrade.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 15,200 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.1 billion for the last twelve months ended March 31, 2014.

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HARMAN’s Studer Vista X Console Star of the Show at KOBA 2014

SEOUL, South Korea – At KOBA 2014, HARMAN’s Studer showcased a broad selection of its latest products for broadcast applications, including the flagship Vista X digital console with the new Studer Infinity Processing Engine, additional Vista Series models, the compact, cost-effective OnAir broadcast consoles and more. KOBA (the Korea International Broadcast, Audio and Lighting Equipment Show) is South Korea’s premier showcase for the global broadcasting industry.

Studer exhibited with HARMAN’s South Korea distributor Dongyang Digital Co., Ltd. at KOBA 2014 at the COEX Exhibition Center, Seoul, South Korea, Booth C210 (May 20 – 23, 2014).

“At KOBA 2014, attendees had a unique opportunity to experience the new Vista X,” said Myoung-Ho Seo, Director of Technical Sales for Dongyang Digital. “It is a remarkable advancement in large-scale broadcast console technology that gives broadcast professionals far greater mixing and production capabilities than ever before—and by a wide margin.”

At the heart of the Vista X is the Studer Infinity processing engine, which uses CPU-based processors to provide huge numbers of DSP channels for large-scale, high-resolution audio processing and mixing. Thanks to the Infinity core, this is the first time more than 800 audio channels have been processed in a single CPU-based board. The Vista X includes 12 A-Link high-capacity fiber digital audio interfaces, to provide more than 5,000 inputs and outputs.

The Vista X shares many features with the Vista 5 M3 and Vista 1 consoles that were featured at KOBA, including the company’s patented Vistonics™ color touchscreen interface, FaderGlow™ enabling faders to be color-coded according to function, flexible input routing and many additional features that make Studer Vista consoles the most powerful and versatile in the industry.

Also on show was the Studer OnAir Series 3000 consoles, a complete lineup of compact, flexible boards that offer a host of useful high-end features that are ideal for smaller, medium and larger radio and TV studios.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 15,200 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.1 billion for the last twelve months ended March 31, 2014.

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Daystar Television Network Reaches Viewers Around the World with HARMAN’s Studer Digital Consoles

BEDFORD, Texas – Since 1997, Marcus and Joni Lamb have owned the Daystar Television Network, the fastest-growing Christian television network in the world. Daystar currently operates 70 TV stations across the United States and broadcasts globally. It also operates significant online and mobile broadcast services. Underlying the network’s success is an unwavering commitment to quality, as evidenced by its reliance on HARMAN’s Studer Vista digital audio consoles.

Daystar is a Christian, family-friendly network, featuring specifically religious programming as well as other content, including family-oriented films and music programming. In addition, the Lambs host the network’s flagship program, Marcus & Joni, a variety/chat show that focuses on guest interviews and music, with an in-house band and several guest bands throughout each episode.

David Ribb, Daystar’s Director of Audio, uses a Riedel MediorNet system as the hub and router for its three Studer Vista consoles (two Vista 9 consoles and one Vista 5). One of the Vista 9 consoles is for Daystar’s broadcast mix, while the other Vista 9 is for the studio and band mixes. The Vista 5 is used on a secondary studio/sound stage but is also road-ready, so it can be used on location production.

“Because of our output requirement—auxes and mixes, the combination of interview talent, IFB, house band and singers, guest bands and satellite feeds, the Vista 9 was an ideal solution,” Ribb said. “The all-Studer solution means that if personnel have to change out between the broadcast side and the studio side, they’re already familiar with the console.”

Core wireless requirements in the system total 42 channels, including 28 channels of wireless microphones and belt packs attached to the system, and 14 wireless in-ear belt packs for the band mixes and IFB. There are many more wired mixes allocated to band members. In addition, the studio Vista 9 provides another 10 foldback mixes for each of the sets around the sound-stage, through loudspeakers mounted in the lighting grid.

The Daystar team doesn’t rely much on cue lists or snapshots during the show. They set the consoles up for the day’s work by reallocating I/O as necessary, and operating all sets from a single setup. The consoles also provide multitracking facilities to attached ProTools systems.

“It’s another thing that we’ve integrated into the Studer system,” Ribb said. “We multi-track each program in ProTools on both the broadcast side and the studio side, depending on what the need is. It means we can go back in and fix anything in post or index, or whatever needs to happen.”

“Also, the music the in-house band has played in the shows is often released to albums during the year, and we do some music specials directly from the music that’s captured during the show, using those ProTools sessions to mix them. We try to go in and give them extra attention.”

For more information on the Daystar Television Network, please visit www.daystar.com


HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 15,200 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.1 billion for the last twelve months ended March 31, 2014.

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French Radio Station Europe 1 Upgrades Audio with HARMAN’s Studer OnAir 3000 Digital Consoles

PARIS, France—Leading French radio station Europe 1 has recently outfitted its studios with a pair of HARMAN Studer OnAir 3000 digital consoles. The consoles were sold through Audiopole, Studer’s French distributor.

In existence since 1955, Europe 1 is owned and operated by Lagardère Active, a subsidiary of the Lagardère Group. As part of a redesign to its studios, Europe 1 required an upgrade to its audio system. After an extensive review of console options, the network opted for the OnAir 3000 consoles, installing the first one at the end of December 2013 and the second in April. The consoles are Modulo types, featuring rack-mountable mainframes that house the power supplies and host processing. The consoles are mounted into the studio desks, integrated with the attractive décor of the rooms.

“We already have had good experiences with an OnAir 3000 a couple of years ago, the console is reliable, modular, flexible and robust,” said Michaël Allouche, Europe 1’s head of engineering. “So it was quite natural to stay with the same model.”

The OnAir 3000 design is based on a completely modular desk and a new DSP engine. The fader module includes six fader strips, and up to eight fader modules may be fitted, giving a maximum console size of 48 faders. Layout options range from a highly comprehensive engineer-operated continuity console to a single fader panel for DJ and newsroom use or even a PC-operated system with no physical desk controls. The console has three main stereo mix buses plus an audition facility, four stereo aux. buses, 16 mix-minus sends, configurable as AUXes and three independent studio monitoring circuits and offers full dynamics, EQ and input/output routing in each channel.

Since the OnAir 3000 consoles have been installed, Europe 1 is very pleased with the results.

“The console is very easy to use and the users are happy to get extensive talk-back capabilities on the console from the control room to the headphones in the studio and to external phone lines and codec as well,” said Michaël Allouche. “Using the snapshots is also very useful, there are many different users and they have all their own configuration.”

For more information on Europe 1, please visit www.europe1.fr

For more information on Audiopole, please visit www.audiopole.fr

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 15,200 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.1 billion for the last twelve months ended March 31, 2014.

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CRAS Sets Broadcast Audio Students on the Right Track with HARMAN Studer Vista Consoles and JBL Professional LSR6300 Studio Monitors

GILBERT, Arizona – Located in the Arizona desert, the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences (CRAS) is an oasis for aspiring audio professionals. Established in 1980, CRAS offers a comprehensive educational program designed to prepare students for the fast-paced, challenging world of audio recording and sound engineering. Recently, CRAS expanded its Master Recording Program to include a Broadcast Audio segment, and outfitted its facilities with world-class HARMAN equipment that includes Studer Vista digital consoles and JBL Professional LSR6300 Series studio monitors.

The Broadcast Audio segment focuses on the opportunities and workflows and technologies that are specific to live television broadcast. Students will work out of the CRAS Broadcast audio production room as well as the CRAS mobile production trailer and work hands-on with the Studer broadcast audio mixing consoles. “Our program has always required students to study onsite for 30 weeks and then go on a mandatory internship, but we expanded that to six more weeks in our program and that includes the new Broadcast Audio phase,” said Robert Brock, Digital Department Director at CRAS. “We want our students to understand the requirements of working in broadcast production—being able to focus while working under a director and handling the pressure that comes with live broadcast.”

Brock noted a need at the educational level to raise awareness of opportunities in the broadcast industry. “The problem is a lot of people haven’t had the exposure to audio for broadcast, so there’s kind of a feeling within the broadcast industry that there isn’t a passion for audio,” Brock said. “We want to make our students aware of the numerous opportunities that exist for audio engineers in broadcast.”

While in the development stages of the Broadcast Audio segment, CRAS found an ideal partner in Studer. “We never want to do anything halfway when it comes to technology, because we want to serve the students but also want to show the industry how committed we are. A lot of manufacturers offer educational discounts and that’s fine, but we really wanted an educational partner and something that was mutually beneficial to the manufacturer and to our students. And this is where Studer really stepped up, they really understood that we wanted a partner that had some vision of their own.”

This vision led to the creation of StuderBroadcastAcademy.com, developed in partnership between Studer and CRAS. The training program is available to professional engineers but also provides the basis of the curriculum at CRAS. Students can operate a Vista 9 console in the audio production room, a Vista 5 in the mobile broadcast unit, or get training online at StuderBroadcastAcademy.com using the Studer Virtual Vista software.

“When you sit behind the Vista 9 or the 5, the user interface with Vistonics™ displays makes it really intuitive once you have it set up and configured,” Brock added. “It’s very easy to take a student who knows very little about consoles and explain just a few things and they can navigate the system, which isn’t true of all consoles out there.”

In addition, CRAS outfitted its studios with two 5.1 surround sound systems consisting of JBL LSR6325 studio monitors with LSR6312S studio monitor subwoofers. “I was at JBL’s headquarters in Northridge, California and [JBL Professional’s Senior Manager, Recording & Broadcast] Peter Chaikin showed us the LSR6325 monitors and we really liked them,” Brock noted. “They were the right form factor and sound really great. What I really like is as a system when coupled with the sub, they sound better than anything else out there. As a singular system, it jibes together really well.”

CRAS worked closely with veteran audio engineer Fred Aldous and other professionals to help CRAS devise the approach of the Broadcast Audio segment. “Fred has been working with our instructors once a week to get them up to speed on everything, and in the meantime we’ve reached out to NASCAR, the NFL and other organizations to get connected with some A1 engineers in the field. We’re really trying to connect closely with the industry,” Brock said.

For more information on CRAS, please visit www.audiorecordingschool.com HARMAN designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 14,800 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.7 billion for the last twelve months ended December 31, 2013.

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MIKO Event Equips New 15-Ton OB Van with HARMAN’s Studer Vista 1 Digital Console

TELFS, Austria – Austrian OB broadcast specialist MIKO Event & Rental has purchased a HARMAN’s Studer Vista 1 for installation in a newly configured OB van. The hub of a fully redundant system, the all-in-one Studer control package—which had been one of the specification prerequisites—has provided MIKO with a ideal solution.

The company runs a fleet of trucks that provide outside broadcast services, mainly for ORF, the Austrian public service broadcaster, and Red Bull Media House, the multi-platform media company with a focus on sports, culture, and lifestyle.

The new MF11D 15-ton Ü-Wagen (OB van) has been designed as a hybrid solution for video and Internet broadcasts or as high-quality radio. The sound infrastructure can also support complete live recording (up to 7.1). Originally built by Krämer in Germany it was rebuilt by MIKO to handle these video broadcasts.

According to Michael Kogler, who founded MIKO Event & Rental in 1991, “Although the truck was built for a total weight of 15 tons, we reduced it to 12 tons to give us fewer limitations—leaving around 1.5 tons available for other equipment.”

He immediately highlights a key advantage of the Vista 1. “Our previous console weighed 600kg and required 2,100W of power [as well as its own conditioning circuit]. The Vista 1, run in conjunction with our existing Studer MADI Compact Stagebox (CSB), is substantially more economical on weight and power draw—and it doesn’t need an air conditioning circuit. So we can drop the electric power consumption from 3-phase 400V-32A to 16A.

“But best of all in Austria the climate is only extremely warm in July and August, so we only need to circulate fresh air; it means we can drop the electric power consumption again to a single phase 230V-16A—this is really amazing for such a truck!”

Following on from their existing 3.5-ton Ü-Wagen, MIKO believe this is the logical progression to enable image handling and allow third video production companies to rent space and install their own equipment (whereupon the sound area can be compacted if necessary). Kogler adds that it also provides their technicians with a more enjoyable experience when handling events ranging from Ski Alpine to live music events and other high profile TV shows for ORF.


“Having an all-in-one package such as Vista 1 means that this compact control platform can be used as a standalone system outside the truck—for example at classical and musical sound reinforcement events—and also places where the ÜW cannot go, such as high up in the mountains or on a ship,” he continued.

“We really like the Vista’s compact form factor, its ease of use and the excellent sound quality and we are now looking forward to adding the Vista FX option.”

Meanwhile, the existing CSB, with 48 Mic/Line In and 16 Line Out, is linked via two Neutrik DuoCon Extreme 150m long fibre cables.

The new MF11D Mainframe was commissioned at the beginning of April and used successfully for an ORF and RAI Bolzano worship transmission. Then on April 19, the first live ski transfer from St. Anton in the Arlberg region was tackled successfully with Pilger Film-und Videoproduktion from Innsbruck renting the van.

In conclusion Michael Kogler confirms that the MIKO technicians are satisfied that the Vista 1 meets all their technical requirements, while the OB-van itself conforms to the ARD SWR and VBG BGI -811 standards for Ü-Wagens.

HARMAN designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 14,800 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.7 billion for the last twelve months ended December 31, 2013.

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REC4BOX OB Factory Shakes Canadian Mobile TV Production Industry with HARMAN’s Studer Vista 1 Mixing Console

MONTREAL, Canada – Balancing the creative demands of production teams with the realities of tight budgets and production timelines, REC4BOX OB Factory specializes in manufacturing fully customized OB trucks. By designing and creating the first OB truck in its region that houses a HARMAN’s Studer Vista 1 mixing console, REC4BOX was able to set new industry standards in terms of versatility, deployment speeds and broadcasting capabilities.

Currently, REC4BOX operates on a contract basis, renting out or selling fully operational OB trucks to networks in Canada and the US. Each system undergoes rigorous testing to ensure that networks are able to start production within an hour of receiving the trailer, with only two onboard technicians. The Vista 1 console is perfect for this application, as it contains all mobile broadcasting tools, eliminating the need for additional racks of gear.

“For sound and television applications, we instantly think of Soundcraft and Studer,” said Jonathan Fortin, engineer at REC4BOX. “For this truck, we needed analog inputs right behind the board, so we went with Studer. We tend to be early adopters of technology, opting for the best solution for our trucks considering the tight budget and schedule.”

The Vista 1 console comes standard with 32 mic/line inputs and 32 analog line outputs as well as broadcast monitoring, talkback, red light control and eight GPIOs. For this particular truck, the REC4BOX team added a stage box with 64 additional inputs, and integrated the console with a complete 5.1 surround sound kit. The truck itself requires 12 analog inputs to operate, while 48 to 64 inputs are activated during a TV show.

Studer consoles provide an advanced, intuitive control surface making them easy to learn and fast to operate. The Vista 1 is unique in its powerful yet compact footprint. Thanks to the Vistonics™ user interface, the Vista 1 is as easy to use as any full size console, thereby decreasing deployment and setup time for mobile broadcasting units.

“The Vista 1 is perfect for our needs, so we ordered another one for the next truck that we’re building,” said Fortin. “It does everything we need and much more, and it has great integration with products from other brands. We love its user-friendly design, making workflow on the Vista 1 a lot easier than on the Yamaha consoles that we have tried. Overall, we are very happy and so are our customers.”

HARMAN designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 14,800 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.7 billion for the last twelve months ended December 31, 2013.

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Pick Of The Hits - Studer in Pro Sound News, April 2014

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New Zealand’s Māori Television Upgrades Its Broadcast Facility with HARMAN’s Studer Vista 5 M3 and OnAir Consoles

NEWMARKET, New Zealand – Māori Television provides a range of local and international programming for New Zealand’s audiences across the country and online. Founded in 2004, the station is dedicated to the revitalization and normalization of the Māori language and culture through high-quality, readily accessible programming in both Māori and English. Reflecting its commitment to quality, Māori Television recently upgraded its studios with the addition of HARMAN’s Studer Vista 5 M3 and OnAir 2500 digital consoles.

HARMAN Professional New Zealand distributor Jands Ltd. installed the 32-fader Vista 5 M3 and 12-fader OnAir 2500 consoles in Māori Television studios. The studio needed to replace its aging analogue mixing desks and make the move to digital. They wanted consoles that were flexible and easy to use. “Our studios are used for a variety of shows, including live news and current affairs programs, talk shows, sports programming and more,” said Kane Dickie, sound team leader. “One of the most challenging requirements is doing the sound for a live music show that requires mixing multiple hosts talking at once plus a live band.”

Māori Television wanted to avoid having to patch the consoles into external effects devices, and chose the Studer consoles because they had enough built-in effects to handle all the processing for all the shows that are produced at Māori Television. Ease of use was equally important – “we wanted consoles that were intuitive to use, so that most of the people in our studio would be able to operate them.” In addition, the consoles had to be able to link together so they could share sources between Māori Televisions two broadcast studios. The Vista 5 M3 offers access of up to 240 channels, ensuring the station would have all the inputs it needs. Along with the Vista 5 M3 and On Air 2500, Māori Television purchased three Studer Compact Stagebox expansion units, a 32-in/16-out and two 16-in/16-out models.

Before Māori TV purchased them, Jands set up the complete system on their premises to allow Kane and his team to try them out. The Māori TV staff took to the consoles immediately, giving high marks to the consoles’ easy, fast and responsive operation, accessible control layouts, convenient Vistonics™ and Touch’n’Action color touch screens, and variety of useful built-in effects. “

Now that the Vista 5 M3 and On Air 2500 are up and running at Māori Television, Kane confirms their initial positive experience with the consoles at Jands. “The transition from analogue to digital consoles went smoothly. In addition to doing everything we need them to and then some, we’ve noticed that the Studer consoles’ preamps have made all of our mics sound much cleaner. In addition, all of the old analogue buzz we could never get rid of in the past has disappeared.” In Māori it’s called “Kia Tika” – being professional and maintaining high standards. It’s one of Māori Television’s core values, and the Studer Vista 5 M3 and On Air 2500 reflect the station’s commitment to “Kia Tika.”

HARMAN designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 14,800 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.7 billion for the last twelve months ended December 31, 2013.

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New Endemol Sport Studios Back HARMAN Studer Vista 5 Digital Consoles

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands –Situated at the MediArena in Amsterdam, the new Endemol Sport studios have been equipped with two 42-fader HARMAN Studer Vista 5 digital mixing consoles as part of an innovative production design, involving three studios and three galleries on the same fiber backbone.

The consoles were supplied by Heynen, Studer’s Dutch distributors, and installed by system integrator DutchView. These form the audio control of a sophisticated fit-out initiated by Eredivisie Media & Marketing to mark the start of the 2013-2014 Dutch football season. Three new HD studios and production galleries, dedicated to match-day programming and highlights, have been built and equipped for this purpose.

The project’s primary objectives were to improve both the quality of content contribution across multiple platforms and the overall experience for viewers tuning in to the Fox Sports Eredivisie football pay-TV channels.

Undertaking the conceptual design and specification was a team comprising Victor Winkelhage (head of production Endemol Sport), Jinne Tania (consultant Fox/Eredivisie) and SjaakVreeburg (Resources Manager Endemol). It was Vreeburg who produced the tender document, and later acted as project manager for the construction of the studios.

The aim was to achieve an innovative mix of cutting-edge studio technology and IP-based platforms, with direct access from, and full integration between, technology and editing using Riedel MediorNet media networking.

“We can now handle three different live programmes on three different channels, using one video/audio router for the three studios, one intercom system, Virtual studio manager and other software solutions,” said Vreeburg. “The workflow from EVS is directly streamed to the storage facility. We can start editing instantly on up to 12 sets for direct playback in the studio by IP-directory or file transfer to the Fox play-out facility and master control room in Hilversum.”

The conceptual difference of the sports studios is that the content sits right at the center—not only for TV but also for Internet streaming (and C-Cast) of mobile devices and tablets. “This enables us to deal more with sport and less with technical issues,” Vreeburg added. “The combination of incoming lines and the connection to the Studer mixer and the intercom givers us so much more flexibility.”

The Studer solution was adopted on the recommendation of DutchView, supplier of technical facilities and crew, working with Dutch system integrator D&MS. “We knew the quality and flexibility of Studer’s Vista series and were deliberating between the Vista 1 or Vista 5. Jinne and I visited the Integrated Systems Europe Show to satisfy questions about the MADI router, number of faders and stage boxes, Input/Output boards, de-embedding and routing. Niels [Mijnlieff, product specialist from distributors, Heynenbv] provided all the answers we needed and DutchView advised us to opt for the Vista 5 in view of the configuration required.”

The Studer platform was recommended for its audio quality, ease of setup, control and operation, the analog approach of the console and the experience DutchView has in working with the consoles. “We have lots of trained audio engineers who are extremely familiar with Studer Vista consoles and operating systems,” stated DutchView’s Robert Reparon. “There is also the possible expansion of the system with additional Studer preamp stageboxes from our own stock.”

Although DutchView has historically been the house supplier for Endemol, and supplied the facilities for the Eredivisies Studio (Dutch Premier League League channel) it nevertheless had to participate in a 3-way tender process. Having nominated DutchView, Endemol and Fox then addressed the configuration details—namely to build three complete new studios (designated 4, 5, and 6) each with four cameras and LED lighting, while Studio 5 and 6 each have six projectors for background projection in the set. The two Vista 5 consoles will mix programs in Studio 5 and 6, alongside Grass Valley vision mixers, Vizrt studio and match graphics.

Each Vista 5 is equipped with the SCore Live processor and accompanied by a 6U 19” Input Output Frame, with a Studer D21m 3U I/O Frame, each frame equipped with redundant power supply. This is populated with five SCore Live DSP boards; SCore Live Bridge board; Sync Generator board; GPIO Board; 12 Mic/Line inputs; 16 analog Line inputs; 24 analog Line outputs, eight digital AES/EBU inputs (stereo); eight digital AES/EBU outputs (stereo); MADI I/O board; threeMADI input/output board (Hub) optical with single mode fiber I/O; two HD board for link to DSP core; two 19'' 1U Fan units and two 19'' 1U air deflection panels; two19'' 1U air deflection panels with cable feed-through; Serial Merger Card; Vista 5 System Software; and Configuration Editor software.

All the signals coming from the venues, the master control room and local play out servers are merged into MADI streams via a third-party audio router. Local studio audio sources (such as mics) are patchable directly to the Studer D21 I/O frame.

The configuration was undertaken by DutchView, whose senior engineers also provided operational training, while Heynen commissioned the systems. In addition, the systems integrator also provides two OB vans for covering four soccer matches during a weekend—both equipped with Vista consoles and D21 routing systems.

Summarized Robert Reparon, “All our audio engineers are very satisfied with the Vista setup in the studios. They feel comfortable during the shows and are confident with a system on which they rely.”

And SjaakVreeburg concluded, “There is no comparison between the present configuration and the situation before, with usage of all eight audio channels, the incoming lines, live studio production, commentary positions and playback from EVS via the excellent interface between Riedel and Studer. This has given us greater flexibility, speed, multitasking, fewer faults and a better operation/understanding between directors and audio technicians.”

About the broadcasters

Netherlands-based television and digital production company Endemol is the world’s largest independent television and digital production company. Fox Sports Eredivisie is a Dutch premium television service owned by Eredivisie Media & Marketing CV, which in turn is held by Fox International Channels (51%), the Eredivisie CV Football clubs, Endemol and the KNVB (Dutch FA).

HARMAN designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 14,800 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.7 billion for the last twelve months ended December 31, 2013.

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Media Prima Malaysia Takes HARMAN Studer Vista 1 Digital Console

Media Prima Berhad Directors of Audio Engineering,
Mohd Zaidi (right) and Nur Azrin (left).

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Media Prima Berhad, Malaysia's leading integrated media investment group, recently purchased a HARMAN Studer Vista 1 for multipurpose usage throughout all the Media Prima companies. This was supplied by HARMAN Professional’s local distributor, Mahajak Trio Electronic Sdn Bhd, and was the first Vista 1 to be delivered and commissioned in Malaysia.

According to Mahajak Trio Senior Manager, Sales and Projects, Lee Chin Kah, a reliable, highly flexible and cost-effective solution had been required by the station and Studer represented one of the best choices, with its reputation for reliability and sound quality. The station has been using Studer platforms since starting out in 1984, when they adopted early analogue consoles.

“Studer’s reputation is legendary in the audio industry and the all-in-one Vista 1 console fitted the needs of our customer perfectly, containing all the advanced features of the Vista range, including surround 5.1, within the budget,” he said.

This function is one of the features the station had been eagerly awaiting within this price range, and as a result Media Prima will be able to migrate from stereo to surround sound mixing.

In addition, they noted that Vista 1 was extremely user-friendly, with an easy-to-learn Vistonics™ user interface and unique functionality, with 40 on-screen rotary knobs. Using Studer’s unique Virtual Surround Panning, the operator can take mono sources and create a realistic sound field.

The Vista 1 is a transportable all-in-one digital mixing console for broadcast, live and production use, with the control surface, I/O system, DSP and power supplies all contained within the console. This makes it the ideal choice when space is restricted, such as in OB and ENG vans. The Studer Vista 1 also features a redundant PSU for peace of mind, and RELINK integration with other Studer Vista and OnAir consoles means the Vista 1 can easily share signals across an entire console network. Two expansion slots for standard Studer D21m I/O cards may be used for interfaces connecting to popular formats, including CobraNet or Aviom A-Net, Ethersound, Dante, Dolby E and MADI I/O.

Another key feature is the Studer VistaMix, which is also available for Vista1. VistaMix offers a unique solution by mimicking the action of a human operator, increasing gain for 'talking' mics and reducing gain for all others, quickly keeping the amount of total gain constant; even when several people are speaking, a clean live mix can be created. VistaMix also offers the ideal solution for news operations when multiple mics are installed in the studio but the desk operator is not sure which ones will be used. Vista Mix switches on only those mics that are in use, with an enable function that is faster than human mixing.

According to Director of Audio Engineering, Nur Azrin, the learning curve with the Vista 1 was minimal, and the intuitive Vistonics interface and FaderGlow™ made it easy for the sound engineer to operate compared with other digital consoles on the market. But most importantly, he confirms, the sound quality is the best and the support is excellent. “We are in the process of adding the D21m AES EBU I/O card slot on the rear of the console to expand our AES I/O channels. It takes us less than a minute for the console to recognise the new I/O’s, just by pressing the ‘Reconfig’ button on the rear of the console. It’s so user-friendly to configure. Another advantage is that the Studer stagebox can be used or interchanged between Studer and Soundcraft, since we have few Soundcraft Si Performer digital mixers — so it will save the expense of buying another stagebox,” added Mr Azrin.

“We have had no hesitation in recommending the Vista1 to customers based on the excellent quality of the sound and the inbuilt sound processing,” he summarized. “It offers one of the best price-to-performance ratios and this was a vital aspect, as it allowed us to fulfill the customer’s requirement — namely for flexibility and cost-effective sound for all video production.”

HARMAN designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 14,800 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.7 billion for the last twelve months ended December 31, 2013.

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Studer by HARMAN Showcases New Infinity Series Processing Engine and Vista X Console Featuring Groundbreaking DSP Technology at BVE 2014, Stand K44

LONDON, United Kingdom – Marking an enormous step forward in large-scale mixing console technology for broadcast applications, Studer by HARMAN introduces its new Vista X digital console and the Studer Infinity Processing Engine. The Vista X offers an unsurpassed intuitive user interface, retaining the patented Vistonics™ and FaderGlow™ user interface, providing control of 800 or more audio DSP channels and more than 5,000 inputs and outputs.

At the heart of the system is the Infinity DSP core, which uses CPU-based processors to provide huge numbers of DSP channels for large-scale, high-resolution audio processing and mixing. Thanks to the Infinity core, this is the first time more than 800 audio channels have been processed in a single CPU-based board.

The impetus behind Infinity was Studer's desire to create a DSP engine that not only offers superb sonic quality but is adaptable and flexible to meet the changing demands of the market. The attraction of CPU technology as used on most computers has resulted in huge worldwide R&D investment in this technology. As such, these chips are not only extremely reliable in operation but also result in a doubling of processor power every 24 months (known as “Moore’s Law”).

The new Infinity DSP engine provides 12 A-Link high-capacity fiber digital audio interfaces, providing more than 5,000 inputs and outputs. A newly designed high-density I/O system - D23m, is used to break out these A-Link connections to standard analog, digital and video interfaces. The A-Link interface also provides direct connection to the Riedel MediorNet distributed router, allowing many Infinity systems to be connected together with router capacities of 10,000 square or more.

Studer consoles are designed with longevity and mission-critical operations in mind, and therefore reliability is of prime importance. A key element in the design of the Infinity Series is to avoid the possibility of a single fault causing loss of audio. Taking a lead from the “fly by wire” aircraft industry with multiple redundant processors flying the airplane, the new Vista X console features four processors, offering complete redundancy of the control surface. Now, the Infinity Core, with a combination of CPU-based DSP and A-Link audio interfaces, offers N+1 redundancy of the DSP engine and I/O with instant switchover between main and standby system without audio break.

HARMAN designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 14,800 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.7 billion for the last twelve months ended December 31, 2013.

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