CBC/Radio-Canada is to employ a large communications backbone at its new Montreal HQ, centred on Riedel Communications’ Artist and Bolero wired and wireless intercom systems. It will be one of the largest Artist installs in North America when completed later in 2019.

Due to open in 2020, Montreal’s Maison de Radio-Canada (MRC) broadcast centre will be a creative hub for the city’s digital and artistic communities. CBC/Radio-Canada had mandated that its new communication infrastructure be entirely IP-based, using the established SMPTE ST 2110-30/31 and NMOS IS-04/05/07 standards to create a future-proof communications environment.

‘The combination of cutting-edge technology, modern user interfaces and panels, and commitment for open specifications and standards from AMWA and SMPTE will give our creative people a very powerful and fully integrated intercom system,’ says CBC/Radio-Canada Senior Director of Core Systems Engineering, François Legrand.

‘CBC/Radio-Canada will be one of the first customers to take delivery on the newest software-defined node in the Artist family, the Artist-1024,’ says Riedel Communications Director of Sales Americas & Europe, Rik Hoerée. ‘With its extensive IP capabilities, high port density, and multiple redundancy schemes, our new Artist node really is a perfect fit for large networked installations like the Maison de Radio-Canada.’

Providing 1024 non-blocking ports in a 2U frame size, Artist-1024 uses software-definable Universal Interface Cards (UIC) that combine networking, mixing, and management all on one card. A card can be configured to act as a SMPTE ST 2110-30/31 or Madi subscriber card, or as an Artist fibre/router/processor card. Changing the connectivity type is as easy as reconfiguring the UIC with the click of a button in the Director configuration software. A flexible licensing structure will allow MRC users to easily scale up their port count as needed, all within Director.

The AES67-based wireless intercom system Bolero integrates with Artist to create a unified wireless communications environment, and has been selected for all wireless communications in the new facilities. Bolero is a six-channel, 1.9GHz system that incorporates Riedel’s Advanced DECT Receiver (ADR) technology to successfully deal with the harsh RF environments that can create troublesome multipath reflections.

More than 250 Riedel 1200 Series SmartPanels will also be installed in the new CBC facilities. The SmartPanels are ST 2110-30/31-native and offer a flexible, app-based user interface for intercom, high-quality audio monitoring and integration of third-party control systems via the new SmartPanel Control Panel App, optimising rack space and reducing costs.

‘This sale is the culmination of many months of collaboration between CBC/Radio-Canada and our Riedel teams both here and in Europe,’ says Riedel Communications North America President, Joyce Bente. ‘We are thrilled to be selected as the intercom technology partner for this groundbreaking project and look forward to accompanying CBC/Radio-Canada during their transition to IP workflows.’

See also:
CBC/Radio-Canada choses Lawo VSM for new centre

More: www.riedel.net