Brave New World
We knew what we were getting into. We had been commissioned to create North America’s first 4K streaming video facility. We were about to embark on an adventure of extreme technological proportions!
There would be many firsts in this installation. We were dealing with new and unproven technology – Bleeding Edge Technology. What is that, you say? According to Wikipedia:
Bleeding edge technology is a category of technologies so new that they could have a high risk of being unreliable and lead adopters to incur greater expense in order to make use of them. The term bleeding edge was formed as an allusion to the similar terms “leading edge” and “cutting edge”.
Most would think this a recipe for disaster. Absolute AV thought quite the opposite! We were anxious to blaze new trails in the audio visual installation space.
Recipe For Success
For this project we would need some key ingredients:
- We went with Ross Video for switcher and router, the heart of the 4k processing.
- For Storage, we went with AJA for 6 x KiPro Ultra Modular HD Recorders, each with two modular 1TB SSD Drive Bays. Combined with 5 cameras: 5 ISOs and a mix = 1 hour of live recording.
- A SoundCraft 24 Channel Audio Board provided just the level of control.
- 4 robotic and one handheld camera pulled the ingredients together.
The completed space also included a state-of-the-art conference room, a private listening room, Thiel Audio demo room, premier party space and makeup/green room. For interior design, Beverly Malatesta masterfully filled the space filled with music industry memorabilia.
The Virtual Experience
Visitors to the space are greeted by a video wall – three vertical 46 LED monitors addressable individually or bridged into a single monster screen. The screens typically run promos of upcoming acts. To facilitate video shoots, the space also includes multiple motorized backdrops and green screen.
There were a lot of firsts in this project and we faced many challenges along the way, discovering issues in a production environment that the manufacturers didn’t know existed. To make it all work, we needed software to be overnighted and firmware patches delivered on demand. Fortunately, all the manufacturers we worked with were extremely responsive and professional!
In the end, our team was able to prove our mettle – we had successfully implemented an installation of 4K technology with bleeding edge technology, and proudly claimed the honor of “First 4K Studio in North America!”
Flagship Performances
In the spirit of “firsts,” the Aurora Streaming Studio’s flagship show hosted satellite radio DJ Storme Warren. Soon after, CeCe Winans launched her new release, Let Them Fall In Love, from the crisp new studio, Aurora Nashville.
Yes, we knew what we were getting ourselves into. We came, we saw, we conquered!