Driven by the Pandemic, Audio-Console Commissioning Goes Remote A hybrid version of the process will likely remain an option By Dan Daley, Audio Editor
Monday, May 17, 2021 - 10:18 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Getting a new audio console up and running onsite used to involve one or more manufacturer staff engineers on hand to commission the desk: configure its operational and functional parameters to conform to the individual broadcaster's workflow and other needs. The process could take from a few hours to a few days and often included some hands-on training for the user's staff.
As with almost everything, the pandemic upended that process. Even as the console adapted itself to REMI, at-home, and other remote-production modalities, the commissioning process itself has now become largely virtual.
Wheatstone Systems Engineer Paul Picard was onsite doing a console installation in Washington, DC, with other locations on the schedule, when the industry effectively shut down in March 2020. He and his colleagues quickly adapted to remote commissioning, he says, starting with two large consoles in Atlanta that spring and deploying an array of collaboration tools, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and WebEx. TeamViewer, a cloud-based system used widely in IT to enable online remote support, was especially useful for this abrupt change in the commissioning process, he adds, along with a reliable high-speed internet connection.
TeamViewer lets you get inside the machines, he explains, noting that doing so is necessary, along with admin permissions, to install software. We also needed the right FTP and SFTP tools to configure and diagnose remotely.
Besides the tools, though, the major adaptations were more intense preparations ahead of the commissioning appointment. Advancing the gig, Picard calls it, a reference to his years working in live sound, where knowing as much as possible about each venue on a tour ahead of time was critical to success.
I learned then that you have to know what you're walking into, he says. That applies here, too. Are we tearing out an existing console first? What's the timeline? Do they have the necessary infrastructure?
And, he continues, expectations had to change. People would call and ask if we can do this next week. It would take longer.
Consoles Virtual and Physical Calrec has expanded its global remote-commissioning capabilities as the media and entertainment space continues to embrace remote working, offering remote commissioning, training, and demonstrations across both headless (that is, virtual) and physical products. For the headless types, Calrec's browser-based Assist application provides control and setup for Type R for Radio and Type R for TV, as well as for Calrec's VP2 headless console and RP1 remote-production core. All can be commissioned via Assist; remote training and demonstrating are also possible using the same workflows.
We have commissioned multiple installations remotely in addition to product demos and training, says John Herman, service and support engineer, Calrec. Calrec already had these remote workflows built into its equipment, but we very quickly recognized an increased need for these services as soon as the severity and reach of the pandemic became clear.
Typing in the IP address served from the centrally located core in a web browser gives Calrec Assist users access to all console controls via a clearly laid-out graphical interface. Physical consoles like the Apollo and Artemis also use Assist as a remote tool, and Type R hardware can access Calrec's Configure and Connect Stream Manager apps to provide comprehensive remote commissioning and training.
Virtual Factory Acceptance Testing Lawo has been doing its own version of remote commissioning, part of which can include virtual factory acceptance testing : doing the initial commissioning at Lawo's plant ahead of the items' being shipped to the customer, with further commissioning able to be done either remotely or onsite as conditions permit. The first instance of virtual factory acceptance testing occurred in April 2020, when three Lawo Power Core units and an mc256 mixing console were prepped for the Norway Broadcasting Network (NRK).
Lawo's B rje Br ggemann (far left), J rgen Sigrist (second from right) and Norway Broadcasting Network engineers communicate during virtual factory acceptance testing. (The NRK engineers' faces are blurred for privacy-protection reasons.)
Staging a virtual factory acceptance was the only way to ensure that the customer would receive their equipment on time, explains B rje Br ggemann, project manager, Lawo.
During the three-day session, the NRK team worked from their homes in Oslo, Br ggemann worked from France, and J rgen Sigrist, system engineer and programmer, Lawo, was at the manufacturer's HQ in Rastatt, Germany. A key concern was how to visualize all relevant information for the customer. To this end, using the Remote Desktop function, Sigrist routed three VisTool stations to a so-called feedback computer. mxGUI, the visualization and control software for Lawo's mixing consoles, was added to display the mc256's status, enabling it to be controlled from Norway. In addition, the NRK team and Br ggemann were able to see each other and the footage from two webcams, with the GoToMeeting app as their communications channel, to document status changes, such as key illumination and fader movements. The checklist prepared by NRK was posted on MS Teams to allow all parties to consult it.
NRK already owned a few Ruby radio mix consoles that were used as the frontend for controlling VisTool. They provided additional visual feedback during the factory acceptance test. Audio interfaces were tested using a tone generator that Sigrist connected
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
29/09/2026
Oak View Group (OVG) has announced Cisco as an Official Technology Partner, with plans to standardize infrastructure across its venue network on Cisco solutions...
29/09/2026
SportsNet Pittsburgh (SNP) won three honors at the 2026 Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
Program awards went to Bucs BP in the Sports Program Live category (produced ...
29/09/2026
The Professional Women's Hockey League has announced home openers for all 12 teams for the 2026-27 season, along with a broadcast partnership with CBC under...
29/09/2026
Manifold technologies has been recognized as a contributor to the Media eXchange...
29/09/2026
FuboTV has announced My Local Sports, allowing subscribers in select markets to add their local regional sports network (RSN) as an add-on to a Fubo Sports subs...
29/09/2026
Asian News International (ANI), a wire agency and video news provider based in India, has deployed Grass Valley's AMPP Media Operating System and Framelight...
29/09/2026
South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has deployed Ikegami UHK-X600 cameras as part of an upgrade to IP-based production infrastructure. The deployment ...
29/09/2026
REMI, REMCO models will drive the bulk of the broadcaster's NHL productions ...
29/09/2026
Three years in, the facility is supporting more centralized race production, com...
29/09/2026
NBC, Peacock, and NBSN are carrying all four Wild Card series with a production ...
29/09/2026
19 Nonfiction Projects Across All Stages of Production to Receive More Than $1 million in Support as Documentary Film Program Approaches 25th Anniversary
LOS ...
29/09/2026
Two new plug-ins launch alongside updated bundles
Zynaptiq have just announced the launch of two new plug-ins, alongside new and improved versions of two of...
29/09/2026
All-in-one bus processor revealed
Wes Audio's ng product range has come a long way since it was first introduced, and now includes a tasty selection of ...
29/09/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Ikegami announces that the South African Broadcasting Corporation, SABC, has chosen Ikegami UHK-X600 camera systems as part of an advance to IP-based operation ...
29/09/2026
Blendkit Offers 20% Discount to Celebrate Crossing 150K Asset Milestone
Brie Clayton September 29, 2026
0 Comments
Blendkit, the largest 3D asset libr...
29/09/2026
Interactive streaming specialist Ease Live supported more than 76.5 million fan sessions across three major European media operators during this summers FIFA Wo...
29/09/2026
Ease Live has added support for VAST (Video Ad Serving Template) to its graphical overlay technology, opening up new ways for broadcasters, streamers and rights...
29/09/2026
Rise AV has announced the launch of the inaugural Rise AV Awards, a new global awards programme celebrating the women, advocates and organisations across the AV...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Clear-Com announced that First Baptist Nashville has upgraded its production communications with a Clear-Com intercom solution as part of a comprehensive sanct...
29/09/2026
Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K Captured Action Shots for Sketch
Brie Clayton September 28, 2026
0 Comments
Camera's portable design and dynamic range...
29/09/2026
Kean Production Services Deploys AJA ColorBox to Deliver Consistent, Accurate Co...
29/09/2026
Berklee Alumni and Faculty Nominated for the 2026 Latin Grammy Awards A total of 28 Berklee alumni and faculty earned nominations across 20 categories this ye...
29/09/2026
Berklee's K-Pop & Beyond Explores Connections Between K-Pop and Hip-Hop Now in its fifth year, the series brings together artists, industry leaders, and s...
29/09/2026
We tend to think we live in a digital world, with hopes and fears around artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, data centres and the next big technolo...
29/09/2026
Today, in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Apple relea...
29/09/2026
Final Cut Camera, the professional filming app for iPhone, receives a major upda...
29/09/2026
RT lyric fm is proud to announce the annual Choirs for Christmas competition callout. Warm up those vocal chords and join us on RT lyric fm for a celebration ...
28/09/2026
The NHL has announced Adobe as an Official Creative, Marketing and AI Partner beginning with the 2026-27 season. The partnership will provide the league and its...
28/09/2026
MultiDyne will exhibit at CABSAT 2026 (October 5-7, Dubai Exhibition Centre), showcasing an expanded technology portfolio following its June 2026 acquisition of...
28/09/2026
ARRI and HONOR have announced the HONOR Magic9 Pro Max, a flagship smartphone carrying ARRI branding on the device and packaging as the first product-level expr...
28/09/2026
Net Insight has added the Nimbra 1020G to its pan-Asian live media trial network, giving customers and partners in the region a way to evaluate ST 2110 and JPEG...
28/09/2026
Vindral has been named a recipient of a 2026 Technology and Engineering Emmy Award by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in the category of We...
28/09/2026
Interra Systems will exhibit at CABSAT 2026 (Stand B2-37, Dubai Exhibition Centre, October 5-7), demonstrating its BATON QC platform, ORION monitoring solutions...
28/09/2026
Two years into its new production facility, the TOUR is expanding centralized wo...
Driven by the Pandemic, Audio-Console Commissioning Goes Remote A hybrid version of the process will likely remain an option By Dan Daley, Audio Editor 
