Covering everything from classical concerts and jazz festivals to corporate events and sports broadcasts, Steiger Media’s new AV-Mobil hybrid remote unit has enabled the company to reinvent its entire broadcast infrastructure with the recent adoption of a Calrec Argo M console with integrated DSP.
Specialising in live events and television productions across both traditional linear television and streaming channels, the company has been serving German-speaking audiences across the DACH region for the past 25 years. But in an increasingly competitive market, Steiger Media’s 7.5 tonne AV-Mobil remote unit has supercharged the company’s ability to deliver a wider range of content.
Designed as both an autonomous on-site production unit and a hub that can work in tandem with a remote studio, the truck is built around a 36-fader Argo M console.
‘We wanted to move away from rigid structures and totally rethink broadcast with this project,’ says Managing Director Tobias Steiger. ‘AV-Mobil’s remote capabilities give us the agility to accept more short-notice projects and deploy our best talent exactly where it’s needed; it allows us to act much faster and more efficiently – it gives us a decisive competitive edge.’
The motivation behind AV-Mobil’s design is not just about providing greater flexibility. With a busy upcoming pipeline focused on spatial music productions, Argo M’s immersive capabilities, power and space-saving design were also key considerations. ‘We refused to make any of the audio compromises that are found in many compact vehicles,’ Steiger says. ‘AV-Mobil features a fully calibrated Genelec 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos monitoring system, the first fully immersive control room in a 7.5-tonne truck in our region. Space is always the most expensive currency in an OB van, so we needed a console that was physically compact but could compete in terms of performance.
‘The Calrec Argo M was the only viable option. It has native support for 7.1.4 without workarounds and it gives us the necessary fader density and DSP power to handle complex orchestral recordings or immersive sports mixes without needing a trailer.
‘Meanwhile, the ability to adapt the console to our workflows on the fly was vital. Argo M’s reliability and fast scene recall means we can operate on tighter schedules and produce more content in less time, and with no sacrifice on quality. On the contrary, Calrec’s sound quality elevates all our master outputs.’
For a service provider dealing with multiple onsite feeds, Argo M’s ability to natively integrate a range of protocols, from legacy Madi connectivity to IP-enabled sources like Dante and AES67, also makes it simple to plug directly into modern infrastructures. Not having to cascade external converters to accept a range of formats minimises both potential points of failure as well as set-up times – and makes Steiger Media an easier partner to work with.
Looking ahead to future projects Steiger says: ‘Calrec’s True Control 2.0 technology will give us the freedom to control the desk from anywhere. We can dispatch the truck and handle fine-tuning or the entire mix from our remote studio if the project demands it. Argo M can also be rebuilt remotely for every job, and in a hybrid world where we might mix news gathering today and a symphony orchestra tomorrow, this is essential. Moving away from rigid structures towards an open-space concept means we’re no longer an island outside the venue; we’re part of a wider network.’
‘The nature of content production is changing, and broadcasters are facing unprecedented demands,’ says Calrec International Sales Manager for Germany, Graham Murray. ‘Sticking with traditional production workflows can sometimes be a barrier to winning new business, but this creative combination of the compact Argo M gives Steiger Media an edge. The ability to create flexible, distributed and hybrid workflows on the fly makes it an ideal combination for a range of production environments where top-quality professional audio are essential, but on-site space may be limited.’
The AV-Mobil remote installation was managed by Calrec’s DACH distribution partner, Cerberus Media Solutions.
More: http://calrec.com