Case study
Paddy Power / Flutter - Choosing the correct equipment for a customer
History
Paddy Power was established on August 3rd, 1988. Over the years, this small-scale company has expanded exponentially into one of the largest bookmaking giants globally, boasting over 700 outlets in Ireland and the UK.
During the late 90s, UK-based SIS transmitted sports content audio directly to Paddy Power shops via satellite. This led to the proposition of how Paddy Power could infuse its content into the broadcast. The answer arrived when SIS audio was redirected through Dublin, enabling Paddy Power to incorporate its own content into the broadcast. This was the inception of the first radio studio, with the Soundcraft RM105 serving as the centerpiece.
The company's growth has been consistent and pronounced, resulting in an increase in the number of shops and the expansion of the radio studios.
In 2011, Paddy Power's headquarters shifted to a new location in Clonskeagh. The company had expanded to have three studios that were built around the Sonifex S2 mixers. Each of these studios had the capacity to broadcast to any of the four satellite channels that catered to the shops in Ireland and the UK.
Fast forward to 2018, Paddy Power embarked on a novel project - the delivery of its proprietary TV service to its stores, known as PPTV 1, 2, and 3. The TV service featured cameras installed in the radio studios, enabling broadcasters to stream live video from the studios to the shops. However, the audio routing necessary for the live video proved challenging with the existing Sonifex S2 setup, prompting the need for a new solution...
Equipment choice
Making this decision was indeed challenging. Audiohead has never been a distributor for any manufacturers, and there's a solid reason for this. When we design a system, we want to equip it with the most suitable devices. Having the liberty to select from any manufacturer provides us with a broader spectrum when seeking the solutions that best cater to our customer's requirements.
To identify the optimal solution, we compiled a list of requirements and conducted a thorough evaluation of several console manufacturers. After rigorous comparison, Wheatstone emerged as the best choice.
One of the key factors leading to this decision was the Wheatnet ACI, Wheatstone's version of API. This gave us the capability to execute complex routing changes at the touch of a single button. While other manufacturers also provided similar facilities, the custom scripting supported by Wheatnet meant that routing could be adjusted according to a studio's transmission state - an indispensable feature for us!
However, Wheatstone had its limitations, such as the absence of redundant PSUs and NICs. This issue was mitigated by incorporating two completely redundant transmission chains in the system, coupled with redundant codec connections to SIS in the UK.
The studio setup included three IP12 consoles with expanded CB32 console blades. The comms room was equipped with IP88a and Aura 8IP blades. The system that initially occupied 20u of rack space with plenty of Sonifex Redboxes was successfully condensed to just 3u..
One of the hurdles we faced pertained to the installation of the SS-R8 button panels in the studios. The 1u enclosure that housed the SS-R8 units was tricky to mount due to its size. Upon examining the units, we found that the actual button panel was quite thin, with the empty enclosure consuming most of the space. We decided to reduce its size by carefully disassembling it and utilizing a high-precision cutting device, or more colloquially, a hacksaw. We constructed compact black surrounds for the stripped-down SS-R8 and mounted them atop the IP12 meterbridge. This solution was highly effective.
As time has passed since the AOIP installation, the Wheatstone system has demonstrated a commendable level of performance and reliability. Selecting it for this installation proved to be a wise decision.