Supporting the global audience tuned into the world’s premier business technology conference led by SAPPHIRE NOW and ASUG, the annual SAP Conference, held in Orlando, Florida, was mixed, monitored and distributed with a Soundcraft Vi6 digital console. Utilizing MADI interface cards with Riedel RockNet connectivity, the Vi6 seamlessly distributed lecture, presentation and address audio throughout three studios and multiple lecture halls.
A Soundcraft Vi1 was also utilized as the main mixing board for the Conference’s Keynote Address. Syntonic Design Group, which is owned by Firehouse Productions, provided on-site audio services for the event.
The Soundcraft consoles were supplied by Dave Zammit of Two Guys Audio.
The Vi6 was located in the broadcast studio of the Orange County Convention Center as a central hub for audio distribution. Inside the venue, thousands of attendees filled multiple lecture halls, as well as the 7,000-seat area, where larger sessions took place.
Every presentation and lecture was distributed to the Vi6 for final monitoring and mixing before being sent to various locations across the globe for translation. The challenge, according to Syntonic Design Group, was to ensure every piece was perfectly interconnected for ease of distribution. With the Riedel RockNet integration, the system offered more flexibility and interoperability than ever before possible.
“This was quite a detailed project, where it was important to manage multiple sources to ensure our broadcast was perfect for the people attending the show and those around the world,” says Shelton Lindsay, consultant for Syntonic. “The connectivity was quite remarkable and with the SAP Conference’s success, we earned valuable information about interconnecting consoles, which will give us a greater edge in future projects.”
“This was a large space that required thousands of feet of cable to perfect the transmissions,” states Donnie Smith, technical manager for the SAP Conference. “It was important to make sure we weren’t running three to four analog-to-digital-and-back-again transitions. The Vi6 made coordinating the event easy to monitor effectively. The console was the pivot point for the entire show.”
“Every piece of audio coming through the show was checked through the Vi6 and we were confident that all the content being distributed was of the highest quality,” Smith continues.
