Lyon Video Installs Calrec Console in Newest Mobile Production Truck

Eddie Marquez, Lyon Video production mixer, works with the Calrec Apollo audio desk.

HEBDEN BRIDGE, U.K.—Mobile production company Lyon Video has installed an Apollo digital audio console from Calrec Audio in its new outside broadcast truck, Lyon 14. This marks the 11th Calrec console in Lyon's all-Calrec fleet. Lyon 14 will cover a variety of sports and entertainment events for media companies such as ABC, ESPN, Fox Sports, and Yahoo. The first major use of the console at a national event was to cover the live red carpet preshow at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards outside the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. Lyon Video worked on behalf of Live Media Group, which produced the coverage for Yahoo.

Lyon 14 is a 53-foot HD expando truck designed to covering multiple types of events. The truck contains an Apollo console with 144 faders, 1,020 channels, 148 mic/line inputs, 64 AES inputs/outputs, and 512 x 512 MADI input/outputs, as well as two remote fiber audio kits for remote audio transmission and communications. The Apollo console is integrated with the mobile unit's intercom and router, allowing it to control all audio signals, no matter the destination.

For the Emmy Awards red carpet preshow, Lyon 14 was connected to the event via the Nokia Theater's internal house fiber, which comes out at a lower level on the other side of the theater. While it would have been possible to connect the OB truck with copper cables, the extreme length of the cables would have caused signal degradation. The Calrec Hydra2 audio network made it possible to place the mic preamps near the talent and control them from the Apollo's surface, giving the production team control of IFB and PL levels from the mobile unit.

Tom Butts

Tom has covered the broadcast technology market for the past 25 years, including three years handling member communications for the National Association of Broadcasters followed by a year as editor of Video Technology News and DTV Business executive newsletters for Phillips Publishing. In 1999 he launched digitalbroadcasting.com for internet B2B portal Verticalnet. He is also a charter member of the CTA's Academy of Digital TV Pioneers. Since 2001, he has been editor-in-chief of TV Tech (www.tvtech.com), the leading source of news and information on broadcast and related media technology and is a frequent contributor and moderator to the brand’s Tech Leadership events.