MADISON, WI – Wisconsin Public Television (WPT) has chosen a Calrec Zeta mixing console for a new mobile production facility slated for delivery this summer. The 40-fader, 108-channel Zeta will enable the public television station's new HD mobile production facility, currently being built by L-3 Communications with integration services from By Request Communications, to deliver 42 stereo plus 24 mono channels of audio.
"The perception is that a station of our size and with our resources can't afford Calrec," said Curt Sorensen, WPT audio engineer. "But we already have a Zeta in our studio. In fact, one thing I love about Calrec is that there's an expensive version and a more modestly priced version, and the audio quality is the same. We may not be getting all the buttons, but we are getting the reliability, resilience, quality and service for which Calrec is known. They say you get what you pay for, but in this case, I'd say we're actually getting more."
Based on the same platform as Calrec's Alpha console, the Zeta offers resilience, sound quality and other features in a compact sized digital console. The Zeta promises intuitive operations and reliability. Other features include hot-swappable cards and panels and redundancy for all system-critical elements.
Another selling point for WPT is the Zeta's offline programming capability, which lets the operator design a show's routing on a laptop anywhere then upload it to the console, saving setup time at an event site.
WPT's new 36-foot mobile production facility replaces a predecessor dating from 1983 that has now acquired the status of antique. Representing the station's final step to HD production, the mobile production facility will be used for broadcasting cultural, entertainment, news and sporting events.
For more information, please visit www.calrec.com.
