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 ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
29/05/2026
Genelec announces V2.1 for Aural ID binaural headphone monitoring application posted: 29/05/2026
Aural ID 2.1 enhances binaural monitoring for stereo and ...
29/05/2026
At just 20 years old, Sean Melia from Summerhill Co. Meath has been revealed as the winner of Super Garden 2026. Sean is the youngest ever contestant and winner...
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 
