ORANGE COUNTY, Calif.—As a full service audio, video, lighting and staging company, MixOne Sound specializes in high-profile entertainment events. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and restrictions were placed on live events, I discussed with my team ways we could continue live performances while adhering to social distancing guidelines. We came up with an idea to build a new sound stage that allows bands and artists to safely perform on site, while live streaming those performances to remote audiences. We built the stage in three days, made a few tweaks over the next couple days, and within two weeks, we were up and running.
The new setup includes a broadcast control room, as well as a main sound stage featuring a 40x40-foot production area, a 48-foot LED wall, full lighting, 21-foot jib, full streaming and/or recording setup and a total of five Blackmagic URSA Broadcast and URSA Mini Pro G2 cameras.
Being able to enforce strict social distancing guidelines was crucial to the design of the space, which is why we created a separate control room. The control room features many Blackmagic Design products, and one of my favorite pieces of gear that I’ve come to rely on the most is the Blackmagic Video Assist 12G HDR monitor.
RELIABLE AND REASSURING
With four built-in scopes and built-in 3D LUTs, the Blackmagic Video Assist 12G HDR supports formats up to 2160p60. It has a bright touchscreen and supports Blackmagic RAW recording. We use the Video Assist 7-inch 12G HDR monitor to record all of the program out feeds as a backup, but it really is multiple products in one. It has two SD card recorders and allows recording to external USB-C flash disks, but I actually use the USB-C connection to plug in an SSD, since I prefer SSD cards over SD cards for editing and pulling clips.
I rely on the Blackmagic Video Assist 12G HDR’s scopes for waveform monitoring, vectorscope and histogram, and overall, having the monitor as my last piece for a final look is very reassuring; I know that what we’re sending out looks exactly the way I want it to. We use it to record every show, and as soon as the stream ends, the artist can immediately see their full result in its highest quality without waiting for a render. This has blown away many artists.
In the first three months after the sound stage opened its doors, we had more than 40 artists come through to perform, including Fever 333, Animals As Leaders, Tinashe, Dreamers, Dave Koz, Swae Lee, Scary Pool Party, Crown the Empire, Volumes and Bad Omens.
With our new setup, we are set to stream or pre-tape for any project anyone could need that will fit within the space, and we also offer our services for remote or off-site performances, which we’ve used for Corey Taylor, Dance Gavin Dance and CHON. The Blackmagic Video Assist 7-inch 12G HDR monitor is easily packed up and taken off-site along with our cameras, and with a few more key pieces that we keep in a fl ypack ready to go, we are set for any type of performance necessary.
MixOne Sound’s Kevin Garcia has been heavily involved in filming and shooting video for various bands and musical artists over the past decade. He has filmed some of the world’s biggest festivals throughout North America, Asia and Europe. He can be contacted at kevin@mixonesound.com.
For additional information, visit www.blackmagicdesign.com.
