Ireland’s TV3 has purchased a 42-fader HARMAN Studer Vista 5 M2 along with four Vi Compact Stageboxes to outfit its new 5000sqft HD studio. The studio will be used mainly for light entertainment and factual entertainment shows.
The M2 upgrade to the Vista 5 provides the addition of TFT metering, enabling the display of signal levels from mono through to 5.1 channels on each input, with a user-configurable lower area.
This first investment in Studer technology was based on both price and facilities, and in particular the 32/16 fibre stage boxes, according to Jose de Freitas, CTO at TV3, and Simon Dowling, head of engineering. Their decision was made after reviewing a number of alternative console options.
Sound engineer John Mullen explained that the Vista 5M2 will initially be deployed for all recordings and live shows in the HD studio: “It has already featured on a late political panellist series, a light entertainment series and as a front-of-house desk when the studio is used as a live venue.” Aside from its use both with and without audiences the desk is currently deployed on a ten-part factual entertainment series.
“There are many features we like about this desk,” Mullen continues. “Among them are the DSP Calculator, the General Patch Matrix, for its ease of use and visibility, the GEQ, which is great for creating monitoring/PA mixes, the meter bridge, both for its visisibility and flexibility in configuration, the Monitor Selector/File, for the quantity and flexibility of sources and the N-X [mix minus] Bus — again for its ease of use and flexibility.”
TV3, which launched in 1998, is Ireland’s only commercial station and operates TV3, 3e, and TV3.ie.
