Merging Provides Upgrade for BBC Studios and Postproduction

Merging Provides Upgrade for BBC Studios and Postproduction posted: 27/11/2015

Pyramix MassCore 256 and Horus replaces older Mykerinos system

Strictly Come Dancing' was first aired in 2004 from BBC Television Centre and Merging's Pyramix was used for those early productions and on the successive series. The current series is transmitted from the George Lucas studio used by BBC Studios and Post Production. The demands of complex entertainment shows suggested that merely updating the Mykerinos based Pyramix was not going to be sufficient. It made sense to replace it completely with a new Pyramix MassCore 256 Music Pack with new hardware, including a Horus Networked Audio Interface. With the need to post-produce some of the shows, a VCube Essentials pack was also part of the package.

Sound Supervisor, Andy Tapley, was responsible for the decision to continue with a Merging rig as the recording tool to complement BBC S&PP's new Studer Vista X. Apart from the fact that the team was familiar with the Pyramix platform, the key point was the ability to handle high track counts, with the long recording times that are now the norm. The requirement to record all of the rehearsals and the shows over two days and to refine the mix, and produce stems, for post production, means that there is often the need to record as many as 152 tracks.

Elstree Sound Gallery with Studer Vista X

This is easily achieved with MassCore 256 and the 128 channels of MADI plus 24 AES/EBU I/O connectivity between the Vista X and the Horus. emerging, the UK distributor for Merging Technologies supplied all the hardware including a new 4u computer chassis with a RAID 0 array of 3 x 1TB media drives so that many hours of continuous recording can be stored safely.

One special show each year comes from Blackpool's iconic Tower Ballroom and Andy Tapley takes up the story: Even when we are in the comfort of the Red TX sound recording truck on the Blackpool seafront, capturing the show is simple because Pyramix is part of their standard kit. We can record here and easily transfer the project to our base in Elstree for post production work. Making the move to Horus has been seamless.

RAVENNA is a solution for real-time distribution of audio and other media content in IP-based network environments. Utilizing standardized network protocols and technologies, RAVENNA can operate on existing network infrastructures. RAVENNA is designed to meet the strict requirements of the professional audio market featuring low latency, full signal transparency and high reliability and is fully AES67 compatible. With a capacity of nearly 8 x MADI streams over a single Gigabit Ethernet link, it is also the first and only Layer-3 based IP audio protocol with full support for high-channel count DXD and DSD signals.

While primarily targeting the professional broadcast market, RAVENNA is also suitable for deployment in other professional audio market segments like live sound, install market and recording. Possible fields of application include (but are not limited to) in-house signal distribution in broadcasting houses, theatres, concert halls and other fixed installations, flexible setups at venues and live events, OB van support, inter-facility links across WAN connections and in production & recording applications. These capabilities make RAVENNA highly suitable for domestic audiophile and home cinema applications.

Merging Technologies SA is a Swiss manufacturer with 25 years of experience in developing groundbreaking, professional Audio and Video products for a wide range of entertainment and media industries. With a dedicated user base in the elite end of the music, film, television, mastering and performances industries, Merging is committed to developing product ranges with unrivalled quality and flexibility, no matter what the application. Merging builds tools for people who want more from their systems, have an inherent need to push boundaries, and believe that quality always comes first.

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