Studer has developed a failsafe redundancy option for broadcasters with its Vista 9M2 QS mixing console, which provides every major element – from power to desk controls and metering – with full redundancy.

The Vista 9M2 QS uses four computers connected in a star format to provide a fully redundant control surface. All desk functions, faders, knobs, buttons, Vistonics screens, TFT metering, title management, snapshot save and recall are all possible in the event of a computer failure. The system may be started normally, even if the main computer is not available.

Should a fault occur, a single switch initiates a surface changeover to the standby control system. All production data – such as snapshots, fader layouts, monitoring settings – is available on the standby system due to background disk mirroring, allowing the operator to continue the production without a break in the audio. The redundancy extends to the Ethernet switching hardware, so there is no single point of failure in the desk.

Desk power supplies are also dual-redundant, with solid-state disk drives for immunity from transport vibration and improved reliability due to lack of moving parts. DSP cores may be equipped with redundant DSP cards that automatically take over the audio signals, and I/O cards may be hot-plugged.

The Vista 9M2 QS also includes a software upgrade, bringing many significant new usability features.