MEDIA NUMERICS AT ROCKEFELLER CENTER

FOR NBC TREE LIGHTING TELECAST

NEW YORK: This year‘s NBC “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” broadcast, celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center, featured a sound design by Audio Producer Daryl Bornstein, which included a digital audio distribution infrastructure for both live and broadcast sound. A major component of the digital audio distribution network was Media Numerics‘ RockNet.

Historically, details relating to the size and location of the audio infrastructure for this production are not finalized until the last minute due to ever changing artist availability and choice of repertoire. This year, decisions were made later than usual, with several key decisions not finalized until after the show began to load in.

Designing the sound system around a scalable, easy to modify digital distribution network was imperative. In the past, Bornstein used a variety of digital audio distribution systems for this show. This year‘s production provided the opportunity for his first experience with Rocknet.

“It was an enormous risk making RockNet the backbone of a two hour national television special without having fully tested the product on other live broadcasts beforehand. It was a calculated risk, and it paid off in spades.” Bornstein adds: “RockNet was the perfect product for my application. Not only did it work flawlessly, it saved me more than 50 man hours in set up/strike labor, provided ample flexibility/scalability for a show that is a moving target until we are off the air, and provided a solid sense of security. At no point during rehearsals or the broadcast was I worried that I would lose audio because of the distribution network. Those advantages were further compounded by absolutely first rate audio quality.”

The live sound system included three Yamaha consoles: 2 PM5D, one for the massive distributed PA system, one for the ice rink stage monitor position, and 1 DM2000 for 49th Street Stage monitor mix, fitted with 8 RockNet RN.341.MY cards beginning the CAT5 backbone. It was decided early on that the infrastructure would be divided into two independent loops, one dedicated to music performance audio, the other including the production audio elements and distribution to the PA. The two loops were configured as closed loops, affording the additional redundancy.

The consoles were connected via Rocknet to a central equipment rack comprised of 5 RN301.MI input devices, which included all of the talent (production) and performance (musical) wireless microphones, performance playback mixes, production video and audio tape playback, SA, and press feeds. Additional Rocknet input boxes delivered talent microphones and audience reaction microphones to the live sound consoles and the broadcast mixers from remote locations around Rockefeller Center. Outputs from the live consoles were routed via RN.341.MY to RockNet RN.302.LO analog outputs and fed performer stereo in ear monitors and various remote speaker locations.

With the exception of the amplifier racks that were located at the Front of House position, all speakers (self powered as well as conventionally powered speakers) throughout Rockefeller Plaza were fed through Rocknet. The design included 20 different speaker zones. One key aspect of the flexibility of RockNet was that an input or output device could be added to the network, in any location, at any time.

In closing Bornstein added: “I look forward to the forthcoming additions to the product line. At long last I have the digital audio transmission system that I have been hoping to find.

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Engineers at Paragon Studios, a leading multi-room recording and post-production facility in Franklin, Tennessee, are giving high praise to Aviom and the Pro16 Personal Monitor Mixing System. Brian Calhoon, technical director and staff engineer at Paragon, says he was frustrated with the antiquated, eight-channel personal monitor mixers his studio was using before they switched to Aviom.

“The Aviom Personal Mixing System makes my job easier,” says Calhoon. “I don‘t have to pick and choose what to send each artist. I can give everyone his/her own fader and they can make themselves happy while I can concentrate on things in the control room, making it a less stressful environment.”

Delivering high fidelity audio over Cat-5 via Aviom‘s super-fast A-Net® transport protocol, the award-winning A-16II Personal Mixer allows each performer to create a custom monitor mix tailored to his/her individual needs. It offers real-time control over channel volume, grouping, pan, stereo spread and master volume.

Each and every Personal Mixer in the system can create a unique monitor mix for a performer enabling users to save and recall up to 16 custom mix snapshots as presets in their A-16II. The stereo output from the Aviom system can be used effectively with headphones, in-ear monitors (IEMs) or to drive floor wedge, spot or studio monitors.

Either daisy-chained together or powered through the A-16D-Pro Distributor, the system supports an infinite number of Personal Mixers. The A-16D Pro provides isolated (floating ground) DC power through the eight A-Net Outs; the ninth output is an unpowered A-Net Thru connector, designed for distributing a copy of the A-Net signal to a second A-Net Distributor or remote location. Inside the A-16D Pro is Aviom’s unique power sub-system design, which requires no external power supplies and virtually eliminates the possibility of introducing hum or ground loops. The A-16D Pro can also be used as a central hub in an audio distribution system or snake, providing outputs to multiple locations or redundant outputs to a single location.

“Our customers love the system,” adds Calhoon. “We deal with a lot of studio musicians who are used to the Aviom mixers because they are now so widely used in live environments. It‘s a nice small box that fits on a stand next to the artists‘ script trays. The artists are very comfortable and familiar with that setup.”

Paragon is a world-class studio nestled in the rolling hills just outside Nashville‘s famed Music Row. Owned and operated by professional audio engineer/mixer Fred Paragano, the 10,000-square-foot facility offers two identical 5.1 mix rooms with private lounges dedicated to the control room/studio combination. Studio ‘A‘ features a Solid State Logic XL9080 K Series Console. Studio ‘B‘ features the first installation in the U.S. of a Solid State Logic C300 Digital Film Console. Other ancillary suites include a 5.1 editorial suite/overdub room, picture editing suite, central machine room, a large client lounge/kitchen, cartage area and support spaces.

For more information, visit www.aviom.com.

Aviom is the world leader and pioneer of personal monitor mixing technology with the popular A-16II personal mixer, as well as the exclusive developer of the revolutionary Pro64 Series of audio distribution and networking products. All Aviom products are powered by A-Net®, the company‘s groundbreaking high-speed digital audio transmission protocol. Aviom products solve problems in a variety of different environments, including live sound reinforcement, recording studios, houses of worship, theater, broadcast facilities and a variety of commercial installations. Aviom‘s entire line of high-quality professional audio products are designed and manufactured in the USA.