Situated in the Estonian city of Tartu, Vanemuine Theater is the country’s oldest theatre and first Estonian language facility, with its origins dating back to the late 19th century.
The facility comprises three venues, with the main hall seating 682, a small theatre holding 446, and a concert hall that seats 900. All genres are performed – from opera to classical drama, from musicals to children’s plays, from modern ballet to symphony concerts.
Recently, Teater Vanemuine has undergone a complete renovation including a two-phase audiovisual makeover at the hands of long- standing German specialists, Amptown System
Company (ASC). They worked with overall architects / engineers, Wibbeke & Penders, who in turn were guided by recommendations made by media consultant Dr. Reiner Chemnitius.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
• Stagebox fiber-based system
• Transport of multiple 3G-SDI video
• Full automatic redundancy for all transported signals including video, audio and data
• Savings on power consumption • Plug-and-play Stagebox connection
Under the project management of ASC’s Jan Vandrei and Rüdiger Aue, the engineer responsible, the second phase was successfully implemented, and along with Dr. Chemnitius they constructed an advanced and extensive redundant fiber-optic networking system around components from BroaMan.
To ensure continuous smooth operation, a custom version of BroaMan’s Route66 Redundancy Manager, which brings the capability of full automatic redundancy switchover between devices, was implemented. Specially designed for this project,
and harnessing the power of Optocore, ASC have provided the theatre with the security of a completely redundant connection to all points of the system. In the event of failure, switchover takes place instantly, seamlessly and imperceptibly.
The fiber-optic audio transmission network is configured as a virtual ring network topology with auto-routing. The video and fiber-optic network is set out as a redundant, star-shaped network topology. This is an ultra-modern system equipped with high- definition signals for AV throughout at all patch boxes in the theatre. It also enables access to 3G SDI video signals and is transmitted via a fiber-optic interface beneath the rotating stage. This provides connection points for all video sources throughout the entire stage area, in the galleries, including the fly tower.
The BroaMan video network includes a video matrix, with 36 inputs and 40 outputs for the distribution of high-definition video signals throughout the premises. At the same time, a stage management video system by BroaMan with 12 inputs / 22 outputs transmits video signals from the eight Panasonic AS- HE-130 full HD cameras and presentation monitors in the stage housing, so that images can be received in this area as well.
At the control end the theatre has invested in two DiGiCo digital mixing consoles and a redundant Waves server system with ProShow plug-in collection. A DiGiCo SD7 console running T software is used as the main console with an SD10 providing back-up in the control room. Both consoles are connected redundantly via a fiber-optic-based digital Optocore audio network, with connection at both FOH and production. These can be used in combination or independently. The Waves plug-in
suite considerably expands the range of audio effects already stored in the mixing consoles, to satisfy the growing requirements of tonal representation by incoming sound designers.
There are numerous connection points for microphone inputs, and mobile DiGiCo stage boxes—DiGiCo SD racks and DiGiCo Mini racks—are used.
In fact, the Vanemuine Theater has over 700 inputs and the Optocore audio network can process 504 audio channels at 96 kHz. The DiGiCo consoles’ software enable any number of the interfaces to be connected or disconnected. The ensemble regularly goes on tour, and as such, the mobile equipment is also used for guest performances at other locations.
The Theater has responded well to its modernisation which includes renewal of the entire power distribution measures for stage lighting, AV and IT technology. The transition from largely manual operation to highly complex, computer-aided control of stage machinery, stage lighting and audio and video technology has clearly evidential benefits and represents a quantium leap into the future.
The overall project included all facets of media technology: lighting, sound, video, communication, control and IT/network. It is also notable for the unusual system solutions evolved by ASC, in particular the modern video network and BroaMan fibre-optic network as a redundant star-shaped network topology.
Thanks to careful planning, diligent preproduction, a flawless installation and good onsite communication the transition was both quick and seamlessly.
KEY ADVANTAGES
Full Automatic Redundancy with automatic switch over
Redundancy for video & audio signals, as well as for build-in
Fast Ethernet & Serial Data Transport • 40 x 40 Non-blocking Video Matrix
An OPTOCORE/BroaMan fiber network is at the heart of the new MEETT Toulouse Exhibition & Conference Centre. The third largest facility in France (outside Paris) it boasts a 40,000m2 modular exhibition hall, a main street that open into an outdoor multipurpose area of 25,000m2, and has been constructed on a 155,000m2 site. The installation was carried out by BroaMan’s long-term French partner GB4D, in close collaboration with the scenography company Ducks Scèno. Gilles Bouvard’s GB4D team worked alongside Grégory Aldéa, head of audiovisual projects at Ducks Scéno, on behalf of the MEETT consortium, Toulouse Métropole and GL Events.
KEY BROAMAN ADVANTAGES
All video signals from each stagebox multiplexed into one QUAD fiber cable with distance up to 10km
Fiber AUX port for 3rd party products connections e.g. 1Gbit Ethernet
Small form factor, low power consumption, no fan in the stagebox devices.
Two 40×40 Routers integrated into one system
Integration with Soundcraft Mixing Console
Flexibility with 80 Microphone Preamps and Line Outputs
“The challenge today is to provide solutions to satisfy all user demands and transport different IP and Ethernet-based protocols. Five years ago it was complicated, but thanks to BroaMan we now have the tools. Together we develop devices to easily transport and route data streams carrying different protocols, with no bandwidth limit.”
Gilles Bouvard, GB4D
SOLUTION
For the management of Convention Centre’s 12 modular rooms, a Seminar Rooms node has been equipped with a BroaMan Route66 Video Router (40 in / 40 out), where 26/26 connect via CWDM multiplexer to fiber stageboxes in specific rooms, while 14 /14 allow fiber video connections between routers in Seminar Rooms Node and Convention Room. Gilles Bouvard explains the rationale. “The CWDM video makes it possible to have two Video In and two Video Out per modular room. The 14 optical strand-to-strand video streams allows full duplex in / out with the Convention room node.” The fiber points are cabled on single-mode quad fibers, dispatched to the router by a WDM frame. The latter is supplied from a manual fiber patch which allows connection of 13 COM ports (combined main connections which carry all signals on a duplex fiber) to the router on the 39 available connection points (three per room). In the Convention Room, network distribution is via 24 quad fiber connection points. In the room node a BroaMan Route66 Video Router (38 in / 38 out) provides 24in / 24out CWDM video for fiber stageboxes and the 14 full duplex in / out SDI fiber video share streams with the Seminar Rooms node, with a WDM frame facilitating various connection points. Each node is additionally equipped with an OPTOCORE AutoRouter15 for the seminar rooms and an OPTOCORE AutoRouter10 for the Convention Hall to complete the OPTOCORE loop. The OPTOCORE AutoRouter functions as an intelligent patch bay, creating a redundant ‘star’ out of the ring topology.It works by automatically discovering the presence of mobile devices and adding them to the OPTOCORE loop.When such a device is later disconnected, or powered down, AutoRouter automatically closes the loop with the remaining devices. Redundancy is established automatically, without any user action necessary. In order to function in all the different spaces, 10 mobile racks have each been plugged with a BroaMan Mux22-IVT/MADI 4 SDI in / 4 SDI out, with 4 MADI fiber ports for audio and OPTOCORE X6R-TP-8MI/8LO (two ports of 16AES, four DMX RS422 port, LAN Base 10/100). Each rack can be connected by a quad fiber to any connection point in the building.
The OPTOCORE and BroaMan backbones for fiber routing were necessary to avoid latency issues, according to Bouvard. “This fantastic system allows you to have any audio control surface in the network. Given its complexity, I challenge anyone to set up an Ethernet-based or IP network as easy and fast as ours to operate, without having to be a computer scientist!” Sound reinforcement is an L Acoustics KARA system, while the installed mixing consoles are Soundcraft Vi1000s with MADI cards. All sound consoles can be connected to the network and most can control the 80 available OPTOCORE preamps directly from the desk.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Stagebox fiber-based system
Transport of multiple 3G-SDI video, audio, lighting control data, Ethernet based data (IP)
Flexible fiber network allowing for fast and simple setup for 12 modular rooms
Low latency for video as well as audio transport
Open protocol for integration with 3rd party control system
When Caesars Entertainment, who operate the world-renowned Caesars Palace in Las Vegas,
planned their next expansion phase – CAESARS FORUM, a new state-of-the-art conference center
– they needed a first-class technical infrastructure for site wide multi-signal transmission over this
large facility, and opted for BroaMan. Locally based design and engineering specialists,
National Technology Associates (NTA) have a long track record working with the Caesars
Entertainment family, including LINQ promenade, the High Roller, and many restaurants and venues.
Thus they were again contracted, and as their project manager Shane Snell recognized the
building was way too big to run traditional SDI cabling, he instead turned to a BroaMan fiber
solution.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Stagebox fiber-based system
Transport of multiple 3G-SDI video
Comprehensive single-channel status
monitoring via front panel
Open protocol for integration with 3rd party
control system
Savings on power consumption
“Most of the other SDI over Fiber solutions had felt like a glob of pieces and parts. On the other hand the BroaMan set-up was
nice in that it felt like a built-to-fit solution. Instead of having point to point converters and an extra matrix, with all the
additional little bits and pieces, we ended up with exactly what we needed as a system, rather than a series of parts. Also, the
modular design of the nodes made it easy to get the number of ins and outs we were looking for.”
Shane Snell, Project Manager
SOLUTION
BroaMan offers customised fiber solutions as well as standard devices for every application that requires IP/SDI/HD/3G video transport or routing, no matter what the scale or complexity. In the BroaMan environment, all open standards can be integrated – digital video, audio and data – on the same low latency fiber infrastructure.
A BroaMan 40 x 40 Route66 video router sits at the hub of the fiber network design, with 32 3G-SDI I/Os freely routed to eight Repeat48 WDM in different locations throughout the facility. There are also eight local fiber I/Os on the Route66, which a Repeat48 interface in the hub room converts to SDI. An external WDM frame, connected to the Route66 multiplexes 32 x 32 channels in the central location, combining together the desired video channels and sends the Muxed streams down a singlemode duplex fiber connection to each remote Repeat48 WDM. Between each of the Repeat48 WDMs and the Route66 there
are also two generic fiber tunnels that can be used to tunnel an optical data. Repeat48WDM on the truck and the similar device on the stagebox connect via two DUO singlemode fibers.
KEY ADVANTAGES
All video signals from stagebox multiplexed into one duplex
fiber cable with distance up to 10km
Small form factor, low power consumption, no fan in the
Over the last ten years, London-based Spiritland Productions have worked on a variety of complex projects, including many major UK festivals, and are also the main provider for Chris Evans Breakfast Show’s ambitious on-location projects for Virgin Radio. Their new state-of-the-art large-format ‘Spiritland One’ sound and video OB truck has the ability to deliver all sizes of live or recorded audio projects.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
• Stagebox point-to-point fiber-based system
• Transport of multiple 3G-SDI video and BNC MADI
• Transport of multiple Gbit Ethernet independent networks
• Transparency for Dante and AES67 protocols
• Comprehensive single-channel status monitoring via front panel
• Savings on cabling between the truck and the stagebox
• Savings on rack space inside the truck • Savings on power consumption
“Clearly in an OB truck rack space is the most important factor, in that respect the BroaMan solution has absolutely been a success. It just worked straight out of the box, and a 1U box in the truck and at the stage has really streamlined our stage delivery system.”
Antony Shaw, Co-founding Director
SOLUTION
BroaMan system in Spiritland truck is based on two 1RU Repeat48WDM-24 with 2Fiber boards, allowing bi-directional multi-format, multi-signal transport.
The device layout combines 12 3G-SDI ports (which can be used for video and MADI transport) with 6 SFPs providing connectivity for multimode and singlemode fiber to run GBit Ethernet switches for Dante and AES67 as well as additional fiber MADI. Both the Repeat48WDM on the truck and the similar device on the stagebox connect via two DUO singlemode fibers.
KEY ADVANTAGES
All signals multiplexed into one quad fiber cable with distance up to 10km
Multiple 3G-SDI and BNC MADI ports combined with six open SFP slots
Full transparency for 3rd party protocols
Small form factor, low power consumption, no fan in the devices.
