A recent upgrade of the OB truck operated by Estonia Public Broadcasting included the installation of a Studer Vista 5 M3 digital console in readiness for the Estonian Song and Dance Celebration held inTallinn.

Sold through ProMedia Inc, the Vista 5 M3 is being used to mix all audio through EPB’s OB van. The console is complemented with Studer’s Vista FX engine, a 2U-high chassis that offers Lexicon surround effects and a graphic EQ, all controlled through the Vistonics user interface. Connection to the console’s DSP engine is made directly via two high-capacity multichannel HD links.

‘This is the first time we have had the chance to mix 150 channels – with the Vista 5, it’s now possible,’ says Estonia Public Broadcasting Head of Radio Technical & Sound Recording, Vytautas Martinonis. ‘It’s given us the best sound I’ve ever heard from a digital console.’

With its compact size and simple connectivity, the Vista 5 M3 is aimed at small- to mid-size studios and OB trucks. The total I/O capacity, comprising various cards including mic/line, Adat, TDIF, AES/EBU, SDI and Madi, may exceed 1,700 inputs and outputs.  ‘We chose the Vista 5 M3 because it made the most sense from an ergonomic perspective, and we know this console was specifically built with OB vans in mind,’ Martinonis says. ‘We have also had a positive experience with the Vista 9 at the Estonia Concert Hall, so we found it to be the perfect choice.’

Durability was also a factor in choosing the Vista 5 M3: ‘It was important to have a console that could perform in higher temperatures and could absorb the movement and bumps that come with being in a portable truck,’ Martinonis says.