News

Jazz Fans Are Surrounded

USA - Jazz lovers in the American state of Colorado now have the luxury of being able to literally immerse themselves completely in their favourite music, thanks to a Soundtracs DS-00 console.

Denver-based radio station KUVO Jazz 89 is the state's first radio station to take advantage of the latest FM HD (high definition) technology, which allows radio broadcasting in full 5.1 surround sound and crystal clear definition. It's also the first radio station anywhere in the entire USA to install a DS-00.

"I have used many digital consoles over the last six years or so and found they were counter intuitive to use, lacked functionality and had critical design problems," says KUVO chief engineer Mike Pappas. "All of these issues left me looking for an analogue console with digital control. That is until I had a tour of the DiGiCo consoles."

Pappas first encountered a DiGiCo mixer on a James Taylor tour, when FOH engineer John Godenzi was mixing on a D5 Live. He next was with a D1 at the Surround Sound III seminar at last year's AES, that was being piloted by DiGiCo managing director Bob Doyle.

"I was presenting a talk on 5.1 radio broadcasting and was impressed with how good the D1 sounded and how easy it was to use," Pappas continues. "I asked Bob if there was a simple HF EQ control and, before I could ask my next question, it was there with a real control to adjust. And it sounded great!

"Later I was given a full tour of the console and figured that, if Bob could make that desk run, then maybe I had a chance!"

DiGiCo loaned Mike a DS-00 for a surround radio broadcast on the USA's National Public Radio, along with DiGiCo's US sales manager Allan Nichols to give the broadcast team any help that they required.

So successful was the broadcast that, at the NAMM trade show, Pappas and Doyle worked out a deal which allowed KUVO Jazz 89 to purchase its own DS-00. As the very first US radio broadcaster to go on the air with the console, Pappas is very excited about the station's latest acquisition. "We installed the console on February 1st, ran a training session on the 2nd and we did our first live 5.1 surround HD Radio broadcast on it on the 3rd!" he says.

"We now have a fully digital path with recall snapshots - great for handling multiple acts with rapid turnrounds - and full automation. The staff can also set up the DS-00 the way they like it, save the settings and they have their own instantly recalled snapshot.

"We can control our Genex multitrack with shuttle and jog, locate points and track arming," he continues. "The automation also stores all console parameters dynamically which lets us 'play back' a broadcast, a valuable tool for critiquing our own performance."

Pappas is also full of praise for the DS-00's comprehensive effects, extremely low latency and the extremely versatile 5.1 monitoring facilities. "Over the last two years we have been at the cutting edge of the new digital HD radio transmission system," he says. "The DS-00 console is so flexible and so powerful that you are only limited by your imagination."

"Jazz is a style of music that attracts true connoisseurs. There can be absolutely no compromise for an audience that demands the ultimate in sound quality," adds Doyle. "We are thrilled that KUVO Jazz 89 has been the first US radio station to choose the Soundtracs DS-00. It's a genuine endorsement of the console being the ultimate choice for high definition 5.1 broadcast, because if it pleases the ears of jazz fans, it will please everyone!

"HD transmission is a revolution in broadcast technology that will take radio to places it never previously dreamed it could go. KUVO Jazz 89's choice of the DS-00 has proved that Soundtracs consoles are the ones to lead that revolution."

(Chris Henry)

(17 March 2006)