LOS ANGELES—Providing internal communications for high-profile broadcasts and live musical events requires quality intercom solutions. My work takes me to approximately 40-50 events annually, including the “BET Awards” which I have worked on for more than 15 years. Despite overseeing the intercom infrastructure at the show year-after-year, new workflow needs arise each year as the production evolves and adds new segments.
During this year’s broadcast, the music director debuted a new feature “Music Matters,” which required multiple channels of communication between various production personnel. I used Studio Technologies Model 205 Announcer’s Console, which allowed the music director to communicate with the production and technical staff while also facilitating a talkback function to feed the band members in ear monitors for cuing and communications purposes.
The unit was the perfect intercom solution for the task at hand and will now be a consistent workflow solution for the variety of productions we oversee every year. The Model 205 is a compact console that’s simple to deploy due to its easily viewable buttons. It guarantees superb audio quality and provides the flexibility to easily change and alter a setup while maintaining simple ergonomics for nontechnical operators.
Support for Dante Audio-over-Ethernet digital media infrastructures is another significant benefit of the Model 205, as well as Studio Technologies products in general. I recently adopted the company’s Dante product line to allow for easy connectivity and communication between multiple manufacturers. Products from Studio Technologies have made this a seamless transition, and with the Model 205, I can now easily distribute high-quality, low-latency audio during any production.
Productions continue to modernize and expand from year-to-year, requiring more advanced production technology to keep pace with these changes. Studio Technologies has continued to develop and improve its product line with greater quality of audio versus older legacy products provided by other manufacturers.
Additionally, the newest generation of Studio Technology products, such as the Model 205, have a built-in control function with the STController application. During the BET Awards, this allowed us to quickly and easily access the audio DSP (digital signal processing) of the Model 205 and optimize the unit to meet the needs of this specific application. With the unique setup of the “Music Matters” stage, this was essential to customizing the Model 205 to fit the exact needs of the segment during the event.
John Arenas is a partner and owner of TV-Coms, LLC., a communications infrastructure company in Burbank, Calif. He can be contacted atjohna@tv-coms.com.
For more information, please visithttps://studio-tech.com/or call 847-676-9177.
