A new intercom system is the centrepiece of an infrastructure update at TPA, Angola’s largest TV broadcast network.
Through Portuguese distributor Avantgarde and Portuguese system integrator Ibertelco, Riedel Communications provided the extensive system, which includes a large, wired Riedel Artist matrix intercom installation along with a comprehensive wireless Acrobat intercom solution.
To expand the existing intercom installation, which previously only covered the master control room, it was necessary to integrate all of TPA’s four studios, master control and two OB trucks into a single system. At the heart of the new infrastructure is a set of six Riedel Artist 32 mainframes, which expand the existing Artist system that was already installed. In conjunction with Artist’s dual fibre ring, the installation is protected against system breakdowns in case of a hardware or connection failure between devices. Being a fully modular system, Artist digital matrix intercom can be easily expanded further to a matrix size of up to 1,024x1,024 non-blocking ports, preparing the installation for possible future upgrades. ‘We were looking specifically for a system that gives us the flexibility to upgrade and add components easily. Artist is perfect in these terms. Plus it gives us the reliability we need in daily operations,’ says Paulo Ferreira at Avantgarde.
The individual Artist frames are placed in the various TPA studios and two TPA OB trucks. To allow for flexible use of the OB trucks, their Artist systems can be integrated via simple fibre links to any Artist installation, no matter if it is a broadcast studio, a stadium or any other truck they encounter in the field.
TPA uses a total of 23 Riedel Artist 2000 series control panels with LCDs in the studios and the master control room. The 2000 series is a flexible and cost-effective solution for Artist digital matrix intercom applications. The panels provide individual volume control and a high-contrast 8-digit LCD. Connected via AES, they feature digital broadcast quality audio and offer the ability to remotely control panels or audio routers.
While in the field, the control panels are integrated into the intercom installation via ISDN links. Two Connect Duo interfaces in the master control room provide the ISDN connections. While in the studio the trucks can easily be integrated via fiber cabling. In addition, the Connect Duo interfaces integrate regular ISDN telephone lines into the wired intercom installation.
To allow a more flexible infrastructure, an extensive full-duplex Acrobat digital wireless intercom installation is used in the various TPA studios. Using DECT technology, Acrobat offers a license-free communications system with seamless hand-over between cells. Because of its DECT-technology Acrobat does not interfere with wireless microphones, in ear monitoring or other wireless systems. ‘The audio quality is excellent and far beyond any other wireless technology. Plus having the flexibility of wireless communication combined with regular intercom capability really helps us a lot in our daily workflow,’ says António Silva at Ibertelco.
A total of 16 wireless Acrobat beltpacks are used at three of the TPA studios. Eight cell-antennas provide the cell network. They are connected via Cat5 to the Acrobat Base Station that is responsible for the integration of the Acrobat installation into the wired Artist intercom system. Calls between Artist ports and selected Acrobat beltpacks expand the flexibility of the communications infrastructure. To make use of the already existing professional mobile radio network two Riedel RiFaces integrate the mobile radios into the wired intercom system.
TPA is the largest broadcast network in Angola and the host broadcaster of the Africa Cup 2010. The TPA studio complex includes four studios, two OB trucks and a master control room. The new comms system is already installed and in operation.
More: www.riedel.net
