www.solidstatelogic.com
C10 HD.
Do high quality broadcast soundtracks
have to cost a fortune?
SSL Product Manager Andrew Clark
outlines the thinking behind the new
C10 HD digital audio broadcast console
With digital transmission firmly established,
broadcasters are making the transition to high definition
production facilities. While many production companies
and national broadcasters are turning out 5.1 surround
audio content, locally produced programming and
commercials are often still delivered in stereo. The
challenge therefore, is in three areas:
•
•
•
How to maintain a consistent 5.1 surround image
between network and locally produced stereo content.
How to improve the overall audio quality of local
production and delivery.
How to implement user-friendly production tools that
help streamline the process for users with variable
skill levels.
… all with an eye on the bottom line.
Here at SSL we’ve given these questions a lot of thought
and with C10 HD we believe we deliver some answers.
Radical New Digital Broadcast Console
The challenge for us was not about developing a high
standard digital console for broadcasting – we’d already
achieved that with the well
established high end live-to-air
console the C100 HD-S, a console
widely used for news, sports and
entertainment, and the ‘knob-perfunction’C200
HD, favoured for
C100 Studio Installation
music, live entertainment and
remote broadcast. These are superb
tools in the hands of experienced
engineers, which is fine for large
broadcasters employing specialist
operational staff or freelancers.
C200 Truck
C10 HD. This is SSL.
However, given the ongoing demand on regional TV
production staff to fill multiple roles, the challenge became
using our accumulated engineering knowledge to develop a
control surface with a feature set that would cater to a
much wider range of skill levels and operating
environments. At the same time we needed to maintain a
robust, high quality, product and deliver a system that is
ready for station automation... all at a dramatically lower
price point! The result is a radical new digital audio
broadcasting console called the C10 HD. In broad terms we
had to deliver on two key points of innovation: The
‘democratisation’ of high-quality audio production
addressing the needs of the regional broadcaster, and the
integration of production aids to increase the speed and
quality of the work flow.
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C10 HD.
‘Feature Match’
programming is inserted for any reason.
For the first point, SSL engineers developed a user interface
that presents four discrete password-protected access levels
ranging from experienced audio engineers to general
production or non-technical staff, plus a locked profile that
renders the console tamper-proof when unattended or under
remote control from a station automation system.
Why does this happen? In many cases regional stations do
not have the time, money or experience to implement full 5.1
audio production, which is why they continue to produce
only stereo and mono audio. The benefit of the C10 HD’s
upmix implementation to a regional station is a credible 5.1
surround image can be created from existing stereo content
and fine-tuned on a channel by channel basis to closely
match the network 5.1 surround feed. Once this process is
complete, a show’s surround soundtrack settings can be
recalled as a preset by less experienced operators with a
push of a button. Additionally, the local station can use the
C10 HD to begin producing 5.1 surround content.
Based on feedback from many broadcasters, we decided
that by adding this “qualified-access” feature, the console
could be used by a greater diversity of operators with
varying skill levels on a wider range of tasks while greatly
reducing the risk of user error. As a result, a high level of
production and delivery consistency can now be achieved
with the C10 HD, for example, by unskilled overnight staff
recalling ‘fine-tuned’ presets pre-configured by a senior
audio engineer.
‘5.1 Upmix ‘
On the second point, we have developed a stereo to 5.1
surround upmix algorithm. This is an excellent illustration of
the console’s ‘intelligently simplified’ design philosophy.
This feature addresses one of the primary causes of viewer
complaints in countries rolling-out HDTV – the collapse of
the surround audio image when a network-produced 5.1
program is replaced with stereo as the feed is switched to a
local station for regional programming, or when stereo
C10 HD. This is SSL.
To maintain backwards compatibility, the upmixed 5.1 output
can also be downmixed to stereo and mono without
objectionable comb-filtering or phase artefacts. Parameters
such as front/back depth, centre divergence and width are all
available for presetting or live adjustment and stored as part
of the show and/or source setup for instant recall.
‘Dialogue Automix’ Option
Another “killer app” for use in local news, talk show and
magazine productions is the C10’s integrated Dialogue
Automix option. Automix
ensures that only relevant
channels are open when
contributors are speaking.
The Dialog Automix
software maintains the
overall gain of the system
to avoid audible
‘pumping’ of background
noise, or unwanted colouration of the mix caused by leaving
all audio channels open.
This feature releases the operator from the difficult and
attention-draining task of mixing often unscripted
interaction, eliminating missed ‘upcuts’ where a first word is
lost due to poor reaction by the operator. All the while, the
operator still retains the use of the console’s faders to set
the overall balance between microphones. Once again,
settings can be stored with the show setup for fast recall.
This function is simply configured by adding all required
sources to the Automix engine, up to 96 channels in total
with the gain on each source set so that the ambient noise is
just detected. A discussion hierarchy can also be
implemented by setting an optional priority control.
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C10 HD.
One Touch Mix Minus
For modern news production, another area of concern
addressed by the C10 HD comes from live contributions
arriving from many different and remote locations, leading to
complex demands for production comms and cue feeds.
The C10 HD simplifies both
the generation and
management of multiple cue
feeds with a ‘one-touch Mix
Minus’ feature. The C10’s 16
Mix Minus buses are
accessed directly from
dedicated buttons on each
channel strip.
When the operator needs to
create a Mix Minus for a
studio contributor or remote
reporter, a simple ‘press and
hold’ on one of the Mix Minus buttons in that channel
configures a dedicated mix-minus-one bus for that person.
A colour-coded indicator on the associated graphics screen
clearly shows that channel ‘owns’ that mix minus feed. To
exclude any number of other channels from a particular Mix
Minus output, the operator simply presses the ‘to be
excluded’ channel’s bus button which mutes that channel to
the particular mix minus bus. This allows multiple cue feeds
to be configured quickly with a full graphical overview
displayed on the screen.
‘Eyeconix’ Visual Source Identification
Yet another production aid developed for the C10 HD is a
graphical source ID feature called ‘Eyeconix.’
Understanding that
the human brain is
much faster at
recognising faces,
colour, shape and
patterns than
recognising plain text,
this feature presents
a full colour image of
approximately 2cm x
2.5cm in each channel strip, allowing operators to quickly
navigate the control surface and identify sources without
having to squint at a large number of text labels.
C10 HD. This is SSL.
Graphics in most common formats can be imported over a
secure TCP/IP connection from any laptop or desktop
computer, allowing even one-time guests to be
photographed using a cell phone and included in the
console’s show setup – the console converts the size and
type of file automatically for immediate use.
Blackrock DSP Powerhouse
The C10 HD uses a variant of the proprietary Blackrock DSP
engine from SSL’s flagship C100 HD-S broadcast console,
which is convection cooled and mounted inside of the C10’s
control surface. With configurations of 24 or 32 channel
strips and 8 main group faders, the C10 HD is able to house
all DSP processing, along with 512
channels of MADI
I/O connectivity
within its compact
frame. Not only is
installation simplified,
but the total space
required for both fixed and
mobile applications is
significantly reduced. This is a vital design element for the
local broadcaster, where physical space is often at a
minimum and reductions in rack space requirements and
operational cooling costs are welcome.
It’s taken nearly three years to develop the C10 H D broadcast
console, which we now consider to be the definitive midscale broadcast console. The C10 HD delivers on the promise
to maintain consistent 5.1 surround imaging, while providing
facilities with powerful, intelligent and user-friendly work
flow aids for users of all skill levels.
By delivering the industry standard sound quality enjoyed by
SSL users around the world, the C10 H D is ideal for the
regional broadcaster needing a cost efficient, yet powerful
production tool and for the network broadcaster looking to
maximise space within an existing facility.
With the C10 HD, the days of sound as the poor relation of
video are well and truly over.
Email us at [email protected]
to book a demo.