The SAM64 SDI to MADI and AES audio interface can now add the US Open tennis championship, the London Olympics and Paralympics to the list of recent sporting events in which it has formed a part of the broadcast system. Two of 4HM’s SAM64 units formed part of a flyaway system used in the International Broadcast Centre for the US Open tennis championship held at Flushing Meadow in New York. The host broadcaster for the event was ESPN. Eight SDI feeds were routed to the two SAM64 units, with the de-embedded audio being fed to a Yamaha mixing console. SAM64 can simultaneously output up to 64 audio channels in both MADI (optical and coaxial) and unbalanced AES formats. Multiple SAM64 devices were integrated into the International Broadcast Centre for the London Olympics and Paralympics. Each SAM64 was fully utilised in terms of their SDI inputs and were used as the primary de-embedder within the system. Each of the 64 channel MADI output streams went directly to the router in the core of two Lawo mc²66 audio desks. “The SAM64 is an easy and convenient way to get Unilateral and Host Feeds to Audio as we were receiving all incoming feeds via SDI,” said Paul Sykes, project manager for the Olympics and Paralympics. “We use MADI streams because it is the tidiest way to get large amounts of audio into the Lawo desks. As a 1U device it is compact which is essential on remote operations and it provides the most convenient and simplest way to access the SDI streams. Having two LAWOs running from the same core meant that we could then just split the MADI feeds into both desks. There is also so much choice in ways to clock the units that synchronisation was never an issue.” Sykes continued: “By using the SAM64 we immediately reduced the hardware required to carry out the project and saved cost, whilst at the same time shortening the broadcast chain and hence reducing the points where problems could arise. There is also significant peace of mind provided by the redundant power supplies and the SDI input LEDs proved to be useful indicators when tracing signal problems.”www.4hmbroadcast.com
