AMV Regularly Relies on Intercom Solutions from Studio Technologies for its New All IP Truck Eclipse
All Mobile Video (AMV), one of the top providers of end-to-end audio/video and international distribution solutions, again managed the pool feed for New Year’s Eve in Times Square, capturing audio and video of the crowd, its various stages, and the ball drop itself for the major broadcasters. The company worked closely with production directors from multiple networks, such as ABC and Univision, to capture key events, including Journey’s performance for Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. When AMV built out its new all IP, Dante® enabled Eclipse truck this past year, the company relied on intercom solutions from Studio Technologies, manufacturer of high-quality audio, video, and fiber-optic solutions.
AMV incorporated Studio Technologies Dante compatible beltpacks into its new Eclipse truck, including 25 Model 374A Four-Channel Intercom Beltpacks and eight Model 348 Intercom Stations. Both units allow users to establish reliable, flexible intercom connections with excellent audio quality in a wide range of production and live event applications. According to Engineer-In-Charge Ian Vysick, building a new IP-based truck meant AMV had to reinvent its entire workflow for the New Year’s Eve production, as all the equipment had to function with Audio-over-Ethernet connections established across Times Square.
Vysick and the AMV team used the Eclipse truck as the basis for the production and then expanded on the intercom system to accommodate the scope and needs of the New Year’s event. The enhanced comms system was based on an RTS ODIN digital intercom matrix with six Studio Technologies Model 362 Listen-Only Beltpacks, an additional 18 Model 374A beltpacks, as well as the eight Model 348 Intercom Stations from the Eclipse truck. Each Studio Technologies beltpack was assigned to a specific location, with local interface boxes housing the wiring required for each of the three stages.
“A lot of planning goes into this type of event including how many different elements are going to be deployed at each location and how we’ll manage them,” said Vysick “We knew, based on our knowledge and experience in doing the New Year’s event for many years, how many people would need intercoms. Since we already had Studio Technologies products in our new truck, it made sense to expand the system we already had in place and scale it for New Year’s. The beauty of Studio Technologies’ beltpacks is they’re so easy to use. The beltpacks sounded great the entire night.”
With Studio Technologies, the team could very quickly map out exactly where everyone was located and what channels were needed. Another major factor in gear selection for New Year’s is reliability, as there are no second takes. According to Vysick, AMV had “absolutely no issues” with any of the Studio Technologies products.