ESPN has selected a large Riedel Communications Artist digital matrix intercom system for its new West Coast production facility in Los Angeles.
The system was integrated by TV Magic and includes a 584-port matrix, more than 150 intercom control panels and trunked VoIP connections to a second Artist system located at ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, CT.
The intercom matrix is distributed over eight mainframes connected via fiber to form a single non-blocking matrix. Control panels connect to the individual frames via Cat 5 cabling using broadcast-quality AES3 digital audio. MADI client cards are used to interface directly from the Riedel system to the house audio infrastructure using the 64-channel MADI format.
The Artist system is synched to the main audio infrastructure. VOIP-108 cards offer IP functionality directly from the matrix without the need for external interface equipment, and Riedel’s VoIP solution already supports SIP-compatible connections and is prepared for an upcoming IP standardization from the AES.
In addition to the main system in Los Angeles, the matrix is trunked to the second system in Bristol. The Bristol Artist system is intelligently interfaced to the facility’s existing third-party intercom via the new Riedel Actor interface, providing seamless communication throughout the ESPN network.
