German outside broadcast company TVN Group selected an audio console from Calrec Audio to handel the surround sound routing for a full-scale live-to-air production of Mozart’s opera The Abduction from Seraglio. An Artemis Beam console was installed in a separate on-site audio container for the production’s 5.1 music mix, as well as Calrec Hydra I/O boxes to feed the console. The event took place in two hangars at Salzburg Airport and was broadcast by TVN and partner Euro TV.
“The Artemis Beam exceeded our expectations for sonic performance and patching flexibility, especially in such an intricate and acoustically challenging environment as this one was,” said Stephan Thyssen, head of sound at TVN Group. “The production had so many moving parts, and Calrec allowed us to test the console on short notice and made sure there was someone on site from setup through rehearsals to broadcast to operate the console and help the production run smoothly.”
Opera singers and actors performed in various locations during a normal evening of events at Hangar-7, making visitors a part of the live broadcast and witnesses to its production. Individual scenes formed a unified whole when viewed on television, and an additional stage in Hangar-8 held a 60-piece orchestra and a choir.
The Artemis Beam console was used to mix the orchestra from its own audio container. The mix the conductor received from the front-of-house (FOH) desk had to be independent of the final 5.1 mix and stereo downmix. The Artemis Beam sent the stereo downmix to the conductor, and the FOH mixer added the singers on top. The console also played a role in remixing and fault-finding during rehearsals.
“It was exciting to be a part this ambitious and one-of-a-kind production,” commented Chas Rowden, Calrec’s EMEA sales manager. “Support is a big concern for TVN, which made Calrec the perfect fit for the group.”
