Studer has announced a further software upgrade for its Vista digital mixing console line – VistaMix automatic microphone mixing removes the need for an operator to manually adjust fader levels at live events such as talk shows, game shows and discussion panels, leaving the microphones of talking participants open, while closing the mics of silent participants in order to reduce spill and background noise.

VistaMix reckons to mimick the action of a human operator: ‘increasing gain for active mics and reducing gain for all others, but doing it quickly and keeping the amount of total gain constant, so a clean live mix can be created’.

VistaMix also addresses news operations where multiple mics are installed in the studio but the desk operator is not sure which ones will be used. VistaMix switches on only those mics that are in use. VistaMix source channels may also be mix minus (N–X) owners.

Each source channel has a weight control, which provides two possibilities – it allows the desk operator to give priority, to the main presenter such that they can ‘talk over’ the guests or contestants, and it allows a desk operator to apply more gain in the mix to contributors with poor projection or who are too far from their microphones. The weight control may also be used during a show to adjust the relative balance dynamically. This function is set with the Knob Assign control.

VistaMix is available to all existing Vista systems with SCore Live DSP engines, by upgrading to software v4.8 and adding the VistaMix channels to the DSP configuration. No additional hardware is required to the Vista surface, the new controls are fully implemented within the standard Vistonics screens and controls.

More: www.studer.ch