Broadcast on ORF eins, Austria's premier television channel, this year Dancing Stars takes place from March to May. ORF, Austria's national broadcaster, recently invested in a DiGiCo SD7T for Dancing Stars and other large format shows, installed by Vienna-based TON Eichinger Professional Sound Systems, their long-term business partner.
"We supply the ORF with a wide range of systems, from audio workstations, sync systems, portable audio and video recorders, wireless microphone systems, waterproof audio equipment, windshields and shockmounts, to special solutions for operation at extreme temperatures," says TON Eichinger's technical director Othmar Eichinger.
"At a couple of product presentations we showcased the capabilities of DiGiCo mixing systems and the theatre software option to ORF's leading television sound engineers. They quickly realised that the SD7T would be the perfect, future-proof replacement for the existing pair of digital desks in Studio One, the biggest production space at ORF's Vienna headquarters."
Dancing Stars features the familiar format of the celebrities and their professional dance partners, four judges, presenters and a live big-band with drums, percussion, bass, guitars, keyboards, brass, woodwinds, strings, lead and backing vocalists, all performing in front of a live audience. The same team handles interviews between dances, which take place in a side 'lounge' located in another studio, as well as pre-recorded video content featuring the candidates, sound effects and signature tune.
Live sound reinforcement and monitor mixing is handled by the DiGiCo SD7T with two SD-Racks, the console being located in the studio's audience area. Almost all of the inputs and outputs on the two SD-Racks are used, plus the desk's local connections. Inputs come from wired microphones and wireless receivers for the band, wireless mics, play out systems and communication systems. Outputs are used for the main PA, fills and interview lounge, in-ear and loudspeaker monitoring for the band; IEMs with individual paths for every presenter, judge and stage manager, as well as to nearfield monitors at the desk. In addition, if necessary, signals or submixes can also be sent to the show's broadcast mixer.
"For a show of this size, a console is needed that never limits the user," says Othmar. "The SD7T has many advantages for a production like this. With 48 effects racks and 128 aux busses it can take on the biggest challenges, and the in-ear monitoring has super-low latency of less than 1ms - even with full audio processing on inputs and outputs switched on."
(Jim Evans)
