NEP Denali has doubled its surface real estate with the installation of a 144-fader Argo Q console and ImPulse IP core in its 53’ Gold remote production unit. The installation enables NEP Denali, part of the NEP Group, media services provider for entertainment and sports worldwide, to cater to more clients demanding more immersive and personalised formats.
Doubling the number of available faders in the same compact space, the refurbishment enables NEP Denali to not only keep up with changing requirements but simplify existing workflows and develop relationships with a wider range of content providers and clients.
The company renowned for live coverage of popular entertainment shows such as America’s Got Talent and American Idol as well as prestigious award shows including the Academy Awards, the Emmys, and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), says the new Argo Q mixing system delivers a high level of flexibility previously untapped in broadcast TV audio.
“Entertainment is all about the operator experience and the audio control room is very similar to a recording studio environment,” says James Mullen, Audio Guarantee for live and taped events with NEP Denali. “Many entertainment productions require the A1 to mix multiple band stages in addition to normal production audio and playback elements. Additional requirements like remote production injections means the audio team needs to land and monitor many incoming and outgoing signals. The Argo Q console’s fader count and corresponding metering means this can be accomplished easily.”
NEP Denali has provided the highest standards of engineering expertise since its formation in 2000, operating a fleet of six mobile units designed exclusively for the live entertainment industry. Its Gold remote vehicle is one of two original NEP Denali trucks and Mullen says that its recently upgraded audio system preserves the legacy of Gold’s heritage and gives Denali the ability to quickly adapt to increasingly more demanding shows.
“The previous audio system had become problematic and there were many things we just couldn’t do which are inherently simple on the Argo Q. Things like providing individual tone breaks for transmission and reconfiguring bus widths are very simple on a Calrec. It enables us to keep up with the current trends of providing multiple mixes to accommodate main and international 5.1 programs, as well as streaming in immersive and descriptive audio formats; it delivers a feature-rich platform to keep the technology out of the way of the art.
“The configurable nature of the Argo surface, custom wilds panels and fader option keys, combined with its immense horsepower, means it stands alone in the broadcast audio field. One of our favourite features is the remote access to the surface given to the A1 before the show loads in. They can comfortably program their show on the system from any location, whether that is at home, a hotel or on a plane.”
The truck was recently used at February’s SAG Awards in Los Angeles, exclusively broadcast on the Netflix platform for the second year running. “More and more streaming platforms are picking up prestigious entertainment events from traditional over the air broadcasters, such as Netflix’s live coverage of this month’s SAG Awards,” says Calrec US Regional Sales Manager Helen Carr. “The implications for audio are significant and it is crucial that companies like NEP Denali can easily accommodate whatever audio formats are required, whether it is traditional stereo, Dolby Atmos, or descriptive audio formats. Calrec’s Argo technology makes this easier and helps broadcast suppliers to seamlessly adapt to these new ways of working, whatever the demands are.”
