Dublin-based outside broadcast facilities operator Observe has installed a new Studer Vista 5 digital audio console into one of the smaller HD vehicles in its fleet.

Observe has refurbished its HD2 vehicle, an 8-camera truck with production, audio and video control suites on board. An analogue audio mixing console has been replaced with Studer's state-of-the-art compact digital mixer, the Vista 5, which is ideal for the smaller projects that are the HD2's bread and butter work.

"HD2 is used for games, chat shows and other productions which are recorded in places where we can't park our expander truck HD1, for example at inner-city locations," explains Colm Flynn, Observe's Head of Sound.

"Although we considered other brands of digital mixer, the Vista 5 was always our first choice. Obviously we wanted to have consistency within our fleet, and there is a Studer Vista 8 in our HD1 vehicle. The other reason was the D21m remote boxes, which interface between the Studer DSP cores and other equipment, and which we can use with both trucks."

Studer's Vista 5, being particularly compact and offering such simple connectivity, is one of the most portable desks on the market, easily fitting into any OB van. On a rather different scale, Observe is using a 52-fader Studer Vista 8 digital live audio production console in its flagship HD vehicle.