Current project

RTE - Visual Radio Studios

RTE RN3 visual radio studio

Audiohead has partnered with Libirel Communications over the past few years on projects that require both audio and video elements -where Audiohead bring the audio expertise, Libirel bring the video.

Some of our previous joint projects include

  • Oireachtas TV, main control room

  • RTE's TV and radio studios in Leinster house

  • Oireachtas TV, playout automation system

When it came to putting together the team to deliver two new visual radio studios for RTE, it was a simple decision. Audiohead and Libirel would be responsible for the installation of all equipment, associated cabling/hardware and CT Ireland would be providing and configuring the equipment.

As the new studios are located in the TV Centre and Stage 7, the challenge was to connect them to the existing infrastructure in the Radio Centre where all the outside source points and the main transmission switcher are located. To allow connectivity for all the services, we installed 4 Calrec Hydra frames in the Radio Centre basement and wired them into the existing MDF. In total these frames allow for 408 inputs, 72 outputs and 24 GPIO.

These frames connect to the new studios over a redundant dedicated fibre backbone that was provided by RTE.

Now, any new studio that is connected to the network will have access to the full complement of audio IO via a couple of RJ45 connections.

RACK WIRING

At the heart of the new studios are the new AOIP based Calrec Type R consoles. These, combined with Phonebox & Radioman give the studio its fundamental operational backbone. Solid state media players, FX units, PPM/Loudness/Phase metering/Monitors/Headphone amps etc. give the studio the additional functionality required.

While cutting edge technology is being used to deliver the technical requirements of the radio studio, these studios operate in a very traditional way. The element that differs in these studios is the addition of visual radio. 8 PTZ cameras are connected via SDI to an Atem Production Studio and router and these in turn provide monitoring outputs in the studios and transmission outputs to the main house router in RTE. For redundancy, the PTZ cameras also connect to Vmix via NDI. The addition of video LED walls in the studios gives them the unique ability to be transformed with the click of a button.

RTE RN3

The second of the two studios (S7.1) is nearing completion and we will be adding more pics and details here soon.