TORONTO, CANADA--LiveWire Remote Recorders recently installed a 48-channel, Solid State Logic C200 HD Mobile Console and two SSL C-SB Stageboxes into their state-of-the-art, 32‘ mobile truck. LiveWire‘s new C248 is being used to record and supply live stereo and 5.1 mixes for broadcast productions throughout North America.
Within days of completing the C248 installation, LiveWire was back on the road recording Alanis Morissette for an MTV Canada broadcast and a live recording of Canadian rock icons Blue Rodeo at Massey Hall in Toronto. LiveWire will be one of two trucks covering the Juno Awards, the Canadian equivalent to the Grammy Awards. The Juno Awards will be the first live, 5.1 broadcast that LiveWire handles with the C248 console. Some of the featured performers on the show will be Avril Lavigne, Feist, Michael Buble' and Sarah Brightman. Following the Juno Awards, the LiveWire truck heads to Las Vegas to be displayed at NAB exhibit OE336.
LiveWire Remote, established in 1994, has experienced considerable success. New challenges in broadcast technology have deemed it necessary for remote studios to upgrade to newer technology. The C200 presents a simple way to meet these challenges. LiveWire owner Doug McClement notes, “In the last year, every other call we received would ask if we had 5.1 surround abilities. It‘s really become a factor for video production companies; if you are going to hire an HD video truck, you need an audio truck that can work in 5.1. With this console, working in 5.1 is seamless, it‘s part of the console‘s architecture.”
“Another thing that we needed was snapshot recall of all the parameters. We do a lot of shows like “Virgin Fest” where there are 10 or 12 bands performing and having to reset everything between bands manually, is a real pain, not to mention risky. With the SSL‘s snapshot recall, we do the sound check, hit ‘store‘ and then call the session back up as the band hits the stage with every thing the way it was for the sound check!”
An event featuring multiple acts also presents another challenge for remote trucks; the amount of inputs they have to work with. “Our old console had 50 inputs, which was adequate when we bought it in 1986. Since then, shows have gotten bigger and more complex and 50 inputs just weren‘t cutting it. With the SSL we‘ve got up to 96.”
McClement also noted a smooth transition in fitting the C200 HD into his spatially-challenged workspace. “The new console is a couple of inches larger than the old one but because it uses fiber optic cable, we actually ended up gaining space! Since the C200 uses Ethernet and fiber optic interfaces, we were able to remove all the old fire hose-sized analog cables, saving a lot of space and weight.”
Another advantage to fiber optic cable is the ability to run long cable lengths without sacrificing sound. “Because the microphone pre amps are on stage, we‘re running cables 500 feet, 850 or 1000 feet if we‘re doing a stadium gig. Since we‘ve got Neutrik fiber optic snakes running from the SSL Stageboxes back to the truck, there‘s no signal loss. That‘s a major thing for us because you need that added reliability when recording live.”
One feature of the console which has gained even more valuable space in the truck is the built-in processing. “I‘m really pleased with the onboard compressors and gates. With other digital consoles that I‘ve used, the onboard processing left a lot to be desired so we had to resort to outboard compressors and patching. With this console, you just press a button and you‘ve got a great compressor and gate on EVERY channel! Since I received the C200, I haven‘t really had to go outside of the console.”
The mobile version of the C200 series has proven very successful with recent installations in remote trucks around the globe such as: CBC Halifax, Canada; Le Voyageur, France; ABC Victoria, Australia; RTS Audio Truck 1 and 2, Serbia and the BBC Radio Music OB, UK among others.
Solid State Logic is the world‘s leading manufacturer of analogue and digital audio consoles and provider of creative tools for music, broadcast and post production professionals. For more information about our award-winning products, please visit: www.solid-state-logic.com.