New Consoles Facilitate Move into HD Production
COLOGNO MONZESE, ITALY – Videotime, the production arm of the Mediaset Group that operates three commercial television networks in Italy, recently upgraded Studio 11 with Solid State Logic C100 and C10 Digital Broadcast Consoles. The consoles were installed as part of the facility’s move into all HD production. The facility produces national and local entertainment, news and sports programs, with the SSL consoles primarily focused on live-to-air entertainment shows.
"We needed to replace our aging analogue console and, at the same time, accommodate our move into HD production flow with 5.1 surround audio,” says Mauro Leoni, manager, Studio 11 for Videotime. “After looking at the consoles available on the market, we decided on the SSL C100 and C10 for our studio upgrade. SSL has earned a great reputation over the years for building reliable consoles for broadcast applications. We produce many live-to-air programs and the consoles must work 24/7. We feel most confident moving into our HD future with the C100 and C10.”
Videotime operates Mediaset’s studios and equipment, and provides the specialized technical personnel for live broadcast, news, variety and game shows. Mediaset Group is the first commercial broadcaster in Italy and one of the major media companies at the European level. Videotime makes use of the most advanced technology available including digital technologies that guarantee the highest level of quality and ease of use for Mediaset. The C100 and C10 consoles are right in line with this mission.
“We needed to bring in a console that was straightforward and easy to use, while offering a wide range of powerful features,” states Leoni sharing his enthusiasm for the installation. “Our engineering staff was already familiar with the console topology of the C100 and C10, so everyone was immediately comfortable operating the desks. Ease of use is very important because of our
around the clock programming needs and reliance on many different audio engineers. The sound of the consoles is of the highest quality and the engineers, directors and talent are very happy with the results.”
Videotime Studio 11 is the production space for the hit Italian talk show Chiambretti Night-Only Number One. This Late Show with David Letterman-style program features host Piero Chiambretti interviewing international VIPs ranging from rap stars to political leaders. As this program is produced live-to-air, the C100 and C10 consoles features help to streamline the production process.
“We installed the C100 as our main operating console, with the C10 fully integrated to act as a backup,” continues Leoni. “As the SSL consoles are fully surround sound capable, we now have the capacity to produce all our programming in 5.1, maintaining consistency with other Mediaset programming. We can now develop a library of preset configurations for our different productions, making the transition time between shows quick and clear-cut. We are also making full use of SSL’s Alpha-Link MADI integration, allowing us to easily deal with high channel count internal distribution. We are very happy with our choice of the C100 and C10 consoles.”
Solid State Logic is the world’s leading manufacturer of analogue and digital audio consoles and provider of creative tools for music, broadcast and post production professionals. For more information about our award-winning products, please visit: www.solidstatelogic.com.
