The Austrian state broadcaster ORF has invested in 14 Jünger Audio MIX4 mixers, which have been installed in the broadcaster’s regional radio studios in Linz.
These compact, four fader mixers are designed for many different applications in radio and TV, including editing, voiceover and console back up. Because they are very simple to use, they are an ideal tool for non-technical staff such as presenters and journalists. The ability to create hundreds of different DSP presets means that each operator can have his or her own configuration stored in the mixer for quick and easy recall.
Hubert Hawel, head of engineering at ORF, said: “We needed to replace the mixers we were using with our audio workstations so we began looking around for a solution. Previously we had used external sound processors for processing the microphone signal, but as we wanted to reduce the number of devices in each studio and make the system easier for our staff to handle, we decided to invest in a mixer with built-in DSP functionality.”
Hawel and ORF engineer Franz Kierner, one of the engineers in charge of technical and IT equipment in ORF’s Upper Austria Regional Studios, came across Jünger Audio’s MIX4 units at a trade show and began discussions with Jünger Audio’s technical staff to incorporate a number of custom features that would make the units even more suited to the particular needs of their staff.
“We wanted direct access to four snapshots with the 1-8 buttons and some changes to the user admin software, as well as a couple of other small changes,” Kierner said. “Jünger Audio’s engineers were able to do this for us and we are now very happy with the results. We are particularly impressed with the compressor/limiter bus, which offers and outstanding gain range with almost no pumping for other losses in sound quality.”
ORF has been using the MIX4 units to record radio interviews and features and to control audience phone-in’s. Kierner says staff are finding them very easy to use, which is a major benefit.
“Most of our journalists have a minimum knowledge of technical equipment but with the MIX4 they can easily recall their voice profile and change the input sources by simply pressing two buttons,” he explained. “Another advantage is that voice profiles and DSP settings can be managed from any PC anywhere in the studio.”
