Renowned UK OB specialist, Arena, implemented the MADI-MON to monitor and convert all channels of the primary incoming MADI stream being supplied from their VT truck at the festival. The MADI-MON was used across all three days of transmission and also during the rigging and testing process prior to broadcast. Much of the BBC's coverage from Glastonbury was routed through 4HM's equipment, including the One Show, news and the dedicated live festival coverage itself.
MADI-MON simultaneously converts the selected incoming MADI stream to AES/EBU and AES3-id, and it was the unbalanced AES outputs that Arena used to feed the BBC router. Connectivity was made all the simpler by making use of the 4HM ASBO AES3-id breakout panel. The ASBO provides an easy and efficient way of breaking out the 32 unbalanced AES channel pairs to a 1U panel fitted with 32 x 75 ohm BNC connectors.
The device also permits visual and audible monitoring of all channels within the MADI stream. 32 stereo-pair bargraph meters provide 'at-a-glance' indication of level, while the select channel pair for auditioning can also be viewed on high resolution tri-colour bargraph meters. The device also enables the user to interrogate the MADI stream to examine information such as MADI flags, sample frequency, audio data and status bits of each embedded stereo-pair. When used in conjunction with the recently launched MADI-SWITCH, up to 1024 channels of audio can be monitored, using just a single MADI-MON unit.
Arena's Richard Lancaster (who used the MADI-MON) said, "We used the 4HM equipment across all three transmission days and live across multiple BBC channels. We found the MADI-MON just as intuitive as 4HM had told us. It was simple to use straight out of the box, reliable and it made it very easy to convert and monitor our MADI in a compact unit. It was also essential for us to have an unbalanced AES breakout device and the ASBO provided that in nice compact 1U solution."
(Jim Evans)
