LETCHWORTH, Hertfordshire, U.K.—ATG Danmon has released details about its commission to build one of the most up-to-date recording and broadcast studio facilities in the country. The facility is located within the Faculty of Computing Sciences & Engineering at De Montfort University in Leicester. 

The objective was to create a facility which accurately reflected a modern production house, including HD and SD editing, networked online and archiving servers, file-based workflow and media asset management.

Designated the Creative Technology Studios, the facility incorporates a large media store enabling collaborative projects to be undertaken with project data accessible from any machine within the facility.

“The CTS project encompassed the installation, configuring and commissioning of a large multi-definition video production facility, technical control room, dedicated video and audio analysis laboratories, two sound studios, four self-op radio studios, a radio control room, plus a highly advanced virtual-reality and fused-media laboratory,” details Paul Shonfeld, ATG Danmon head of sales. “Three media production classrooms were also equipped, one housing 21 workstations to give students experience in using the latest HD video and audio production software. Each of the other two media-production classrooms accommodates eight workstations, one dedicated to Mac-based audio and video production, and the other providing experience of comparable PC-based software. Installation was completed in just over two months prior to the commencement of the academic year.”

ATG Danmon also equipped the CTS to provide research facilities and courses in 3D motion capture, gaze-tracking, pressure-sensing virtual-reality and stereoscopic imaging.

In addition to offering leading-edge technology, the studios provide students with real world experience of how things are done in the workplace. They also support research activities to ensure the university’s staff and courses remain at the forefront of developments in the creative industries.

ATG Danmon (www.atgdanmon.co.uk), part of the Danmon Group, is an international systems integrator and a world-class supplier of broadcast systems planning, design, installation and commissioning services. 

LONDON—ATG Danmon has completed a multi-camera studio and control room upgrade for European social media content production support firm That Lot at its new headquarters in Bishopsgate, the company said today. 

The project was a full UHD upgrade that included production switching, routing, recording, monitoring and archiving, the company said.

“Moving to new headquarters at 135 Bishopsgate gives us extra space and a working environment much more in tune with the dynamic style of production which we strive to achieve,” said Ben Forder, head of video at That Lot. “In addition to the UHD upgrade, ATG partnered with us in upgrading the audio system to support a new sound workflow, including a Unity server, rerouting and additional capabilities, such as de-embedding from SDI channels."

That Lot worked with ATG Danmon three years ago when it commissioned its broadcast-quality facilities at its Holborn promises. The new upgrade consists almost entirely of the equipment first installed in those facilities with the addition of more studio lighting.

"The studio retains the original Blackmagic Design 4K UHD cameras which are still giving excellent results both in the studio and when operated on location,” said Jonathan Hughes, ATG Danmon head of systems integration.

A ceiling-mounted Cirro rig that’s adjustable to create the lighting required for live or recorded production illuminates the studio. A full-color LED backlit cyclorama is incorporated to achieve sharp chroma-key superimposition over any background. The studio also offers support for 360-degree surround video and audio capture if needed.

"The control room suite is used for live production and editing. Enhanced facilities here now include a full UHD vision mixer and routing switcher capturing to Softron recorders and SNS EVO networked storage. We have also relocated a digital audio mixer, graphics computers, a Custom Consoles desk and Sonifex talkbacks,” said Hughes.

"The new installation is very similar to the original apart from some modifications to the router interfacing and recabling where necessary to allow for different studio and control room sizes."

More information is available on the company’s website.

LETCHWORTH, ENGLAND—ATG Danmon UK is bringing UHD to Universal Music Group with the announcement that it has commissioned an international network of five-camera UHD flyaways. The complete 4K production system, which is housed in flight cases and can be deployed anywhere, is fully installed at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, with a second installation currently underway at Abbey Road Studios in London; process is expected to be completed later this year.

Ray Mia of UMG with Russell Peirson-Hagger and Jonathan Hughes of ATG Danmon.

The flyaway system includes five Sony PMW-F55 compact camcorders that have the ability to capture 16 bit RAW 4K video directly to solid state memory cards. It also features Grass Valley fiber optic links to connect each camera to a power unit through SMPTE fiber. A multichannel feed can be combined into a single-mode fiber for connection to a production control gallery. Four of the cameras are configured for manual operation, while the fifth is able to be mounted on a Ross robotic pan and tilt camera head.

With this system UMG can create a 1080/24p high definition proxy from each camera chain. Audio processing for Dolby Atmos is also available. The cameras mobile technology allows users to capture video and audio content from practically anywhere.