When MTV’s Punk’d returned recently, few viewers would have realised the massive effort required to capture the excitement of the pop culture TV series, which ‘punks’ celebrities with hidden cameras.
To streamline operations, Gary Vahling of Coffey Sound (a Trew Audio company) relied on Optocore’s latest intercom systems. To manage the action among the production crew, Optocore V3R-FX-Intercom and X6R-FX-Intercom network devices were paired with Clear-Com’s V12-PDX4 display panels, connected to a PiCo frame, which are part of the Eclipse Digital Matrix product line.
Optocore’s V3R-FX and X6R-FX interfaces provide four and eight ports via single module or multimode fibre respectively, or Cat5 SANE (Synchronous Audio Network plus Ethernet) ring connectivity that allows intercom to travel over the entire Optocore audio network. Along with fibre audio muxing solutions to and from Clear-Com remote panels, these units can also send and receive 4-wire audio around the connected ring. Better still, redundant LAN for IP panels and/or PC management can be made from anywhere on the network.
Six interfaces were constructed by designer Gary Vahling – a remote camera rack, video rack, a director’s table, RF Mic rack, along with Intercom and Mix racks. The evaluation process needed to prove a vastly reduced set-up time, with simple plug and play, improved sonic fidelity and greater functional flexibility. ‘I could see immediately that the plug and play facility would make for superfast set-up, which reduces production costs,’ says Vahling. ‘And it went further than that. The integration of the Optocore improved the quality of the entire audio package. The noise floor was reduced substantially, the dynamic range was increased, and the advantage of audio networking came into play.’
Optocore met all the production requirements, as well as demonstrating the time-saving of ‘one click’ configuration changes for different scenes without rewiring. ‘The Clear-Com integration also included reduction of external cabling and increased sound quality in the communications circuits,’ Vahling adds.
‘This location sound solution provides a faster, quieter, smaller, lighter and less expensive option than they had previously,’ says Bill Coons, Director of Optocore North America. ‘With this, fibre intercom for location production has now become a reality.’
In addition to the Optocore intercoms and Clear-Com display panels, Sennheiser MKH 8070 microphones with MZD-8000 Digital Modules were used with Neumann DMI-2 Digital Microphone Interface to fully take advantage of digital capabilities of the fibre-optic audio network. A Yamaha O1V96 with Optocore YG2 card mixer was used as the interface’s centrepiece alongside a Sound Devices 788T for the show’s multitrack recording.
Punk’d production sound mixer, Sean O’Malley, is pleased with the fast set up times and the overall sound quality: ‘The gear has performed flawlessly on set, helping to herald in some amazing audio tracks and provide seamless communication within the crew,’ he says. ‘Communication is such an important factor during our reveals – if it fails, the entire episode could collapse.’
Since Coffey Sound provides packaged support systems for both large and small productions, the pairing of Vahling’s long term relationship with Punk’d made producer’s decision to work with Coffey Sound that much easier.
The Optocore solution had exceeded all expectations, says Vahling: ‘It has really brought this package to the next level with its ability to operate as a plug and play system. It has also significantly improved the workflow of the audio crew – and the sound quality project being sent to post is better than ever.’
More: www.trewaudio.com
More: www.optocore.com
