DVB Production, a major supplier of outside broadcast (OB) services in Slovenia and Central Europe, has integrated Calrec’s all-IP Argo S audio console and two ImPulse1 cores into its OB Vehicle 1. It’s the first European customer to deploy Calrec’s reduced-height Argo S, and now benefits from the flexibility and scalability IP brings to the truck’s audio capabilities.
Established in 2007, with the goal of refreshing mobile production in Slovenia and Central Europe, DVB Productions has grown significantly, working with almost every major broadcaster in the region including Sky Sport Austria, ORF, ARD, RAI – the list goes on. It has also established powerful relationships with rights holders and sports federations including UEFA and FIFA.
Daniel Cof, the company’s CEO, said, “Our drive to learn new things has helped us achieve great goals and work with major organisations. Embracing IP for audio in our OB1 truck is another major step forward as there’s no doubt this is the future. In order to find the best console for our requirements, we created a table with all the features we needed. We compared different brands and Calrec is the best fit for a number of reasons. Full redundancy is a must for the type of work we do, which Calrec easily satisfies, plus we have great experience with its Brio console in our smaller OB van, which meant our sound engineers easily adapted to Argo’s layout.”
Though this is a big truck, space was still tight, so Calrec created a reduced-height version of Argo S by combining the functionality of two rows of screens into one, with switchable access to information. Argo’s plentiful I/O possibilities and its overall greater DSP power especially with DVB’s DANTE network and its connectivity with their intercom system make Argo stand out, coupled with ImPulse1, Calrec’s newest IP engine that’s designed for smaller, single mixer applications.
Cof said, “The fact that we own a future-proof product that also supports all types of immersive audio configurations makes us feel very confident with our decision. Because this is an IP system, the cabling is also way simpler, with substantial changes in OB truck weight, and the installation and integration with already-installed, non-IP, technology was easier than ever before. From order to commissioning was only 14 weeks, which was very impressive by Calrec.”
DVB Production has already been busy on multiple projects using Argo, with the first being the UEFA Women’s Champions League match in Munich between FC Bayern München and PSG in late January. Since then, the OB provider has handled a UEFA Europa League unilateral broadcast in Milan, Ice Hockey League, and a number of other productions, “all with great success,” said Cof. The company has a range of upcoming sports events in its pipeline.
Mike Reddick, International Sales Manager at Calrec said, “At Calrec, customer needs are at the heart of everything we do. We’ve seen huge traction with Argo, vindicating our design decisions, with OB requirements central to our thinking. We happily responded to their requirements for a slightly smaller surface, with our engineering team excelling in the work they did. The proof is in the pudding, and one needs look no further than the impressive roster of events for which they’ve already used the technology for . We’re looking forward to working with them further as they continue to strengthen their position as a major OB provider across Central Europe.”
