ORLANDO, FLA.– Golf Channel network is upgrading the post-production and live suites at its Orlando studio to HD/surround sound.
Control rooms PCR 1 and PCR 3 will host a Solid State Logic C100 HDS and C10 HD, joining the existing C100 HDS in PCR 2. The consoles offer a consistent operator interface, and all feature the Solid State Logic’s Production Assistant options to help streamline production and are connected via a MORSE Router to enable audio asset sharing between studios.
“We upgraded PCR 2 in 2009 with a C100 HDS,” said Ken Botelho, senior director of engineering for Golf Channel. “As our production schedule continues to expand at an exponential rate, and to meet the demands for HD productions in 5.1 surround, we also made the decision to install a C10 HD in PCR 3, our voice-over control room, and we upgraded to a C100 HDS in PCR 1. This presents our session engineers with uniform console topology and functionality between the three rooms. We have a rigorous production schedule, so any method we can use to save time on a task is welcome.”
Golf Channel covers the European Tour, PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour, as well as a variety of other tours worldwides. Production includes the nightly golf news program “Golf Central,” “Morning Drive” and the reality series “Big Break,” as well as early round coverage of the FedExCup. The consoles give Golf Channel the ability to handle both analogue and digital audio from multiple sources and formats from around the world, process embedded audio and share resources between the rooms.
“Having our audio strategy fully in place really enhances our production capability,” continues Botelho. “Once our engineers have programmed in the settings for one of our internal productions, for example, we can take that snapshot and apply it to any of the three consoles. This gives us huge flexibility for scheduling in multiple productions.”
The cable network also selected Dialogue Automix and 5.1 Upmix, for the consoles.
“The Dialogue Automix and 5.1 Upmix options present another pathway to production efficiency,” Botelho said. “Our ‘Morning Drive’ show involves panel discussions that can get quite lively, so having the Dialogue Automix option gives this type of programming an ease of engineering. The 5.1 Upmix allows us to take a legacy clip in mono or stereo and include it with a 5.1 live production, providing us with uniform audio tracks that do not pump back and forth between surround and stereo. This yields a very consistent experience for the home audience.”
