Calrec Race Ahead
Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) Productions has deployed a 64-fader Calrec Sigma with Bluefin console to provide digital audio mixing, including 5.1 surround-sound, in its new HD production truck. With the Sigma on board, the 53-foot expanding trailer has been crisscrossing the United States this summer to cover major auto races, including the Indianapolis 500.
“The amount of signal processing that the Sigma with Bluefin can accomplish in a small amount of real estate is amazing, but in the mobile business, it’s also necessary,” said Dave Gass, senior director of field operations and engineering for IMS Productions. “The Sigma is also the most popular console with operators because it’s so intuitive. There are lots of reasons to appreciate a Calrec console, but to me, it’s that particular combination that has earned Calrec its place as the de facto standard in the mobile business.”
Mixing sound for an auto race is a complex operation requiring a powerful, reliable, and feature-packed console. Calrec’s unique Bluefin High Density Signal Processing enables the compact Sigma console to pack unparalleled power. Equipped with 320 channel processing paths packaged as 108 stereo and 104 mono channels, the Sigma can handle as many as 52 5.1 surround channels. For example, IMS Productions’ delivery of the roar of crowds and engines at the Indianapolis 500 required some 40 microphones and three submix consoles — pit, effects, and radio — not to mention multiple music playback devices for a grand total of 128 sources. Sigma manages that load easily and even affords the production company room to grow.
The new truck, IMS Productions’ first HD truck, is equipped with 16 cameras, a Thomson Grass Valley™ Kalypso™ switcher, EVS production servers, and an Evertz monitor wall, and replaced two analog production trucks when it debuted at the Honda Grand Prix in St. Petersburg, Fla. When the racing season concludes in the fall, the truck will be pressed into service for Indiana Pacers basketball as well as Purdue and Indiana University football. In handling a variety of events, IMS Productions will take advantage of the fast turnarounds enabled by the Sigma’s software, which makes it easy to configure, load, and recall setups.
“There’s no more demanding production environment than mobile television, so the fact that production companies consistently select Calrec speaks volumes about the value of our equipment,” said John Gluck, sales and marketing director for Calrec Audio. “The Sigma with Bluefin offers all the power and the resiliency that a company like IMS Productions needs to deliver the audio quality and excitement that racing fans expect."
