Neutrik’s IP65-rated opticalCON has taken to the road with LiveWire Remote Recorders. Neutrik’s opticalCON is being used in LiveWire’s mobile broadcast truck to record live concerts in cities throughout the United States. The opticalCON is a ruggedized and dirt-protected fiber-optic connector system that offers water jet and dust protection features needed for mobile and outdoor connections.
LiveWire’s mobile broadcast truck is a 32ft air-ride trailer, with a machine room, control room and voice-over room. Equipped with 5.1 surround-sound monitoring, the truck can provide up to 96 tracks of Pro Tools|HD for recording concerts anywhere in North America.
Using two 500ft cables and one 1000ft cable, purchased through SF Marketing, Neutrik’s Canadian distributor, LiveWire uses the cables to run 96 microphone lines to the mobile truck from the stage. Each cable has a redundant backup line, so there are two connectors at each end — a major feature for LiveWire because of the need for added reliability when recording live. Another advantage to fiber-optic cable is the ability to run long cable lengths without sacrificing sound.
With its ability to seal the connector against dust and protect it against water jets, Neutrik’s opticalCON is the ultimate in waterproof connections for the broadcast market. The opticalCON increases the reliability and maximizes the uptime for fiber-optic connection systems by enabling up to four copper wires to run power or data signals through. A special SMPTE version has been optimized for broadcast applications, which provides an additional ground-shell contact.
Neutrik’s opticalCON comes preassembled with a choice of three mobile field cables, which can be ordered at almost any length, uses conventional LC connectors and has a push-pull locking mechanism. Colored labeling plates are also included to help identify the fiber mode.
For more information, visit www.neutrik.com/.