Calrec: Get up and go with Brio

The smallest in Calrec's Bluefin2 family, Brio's control surface is unlike any other console. At only 892 mm wide, the 36 dual-layer fader surface provides more faders in a given footprint than any other audio console.

Based on Calrec's 20 years of digital development, Brio's uncluttered, compact, and configurable surface gives instant access to a large number of audio paths, whilst an intuitive 15.6-inch HD touchscreen UI provides quick access to more in-depth control. A bank of illuminating hardware rotary controls gives fast and precise control over parameters displayed in the touchscreen UI.

"Brio provides something unique at this price point — a mixing console completely focused on the needs of broadcasters and broadcast infrastructures," said Calrec Vice President of Sales Dave Letson. "This amount of scalable and managed I/O, comprehensive monitoring, surround sound, and high bus quantities provides a degree of dedicated broadcast functionality that has never been available at this level.

"As the market calls for more and more audio mixes to support online content, smaller consoles that possess pure live-broadcast features are increasingly desirable. Products in this sector have traditionally had basic capabilities and are not ideally suited to broadcast environments. Brio is the first application-specific alternative for broadcasters who operate in this environment and provides dedicated broadcast features at a very aggressive price point.

"Brio's compact size means it is extremely portable and quick to install, making it ideal as a general-purpose workhorse that users can deploy as and when needed, and its connectivity with other Hydra2-compatible equipment makes it even more versatile."

Brio is entirely self-contained, with analogue and digital I/O and GPIO built into the surface. Additional expansion I/O slots allow for further I/O integration, while fitting an available Hydra2 module makes it possible to connect to and share audio over Calrec's Hydra2 network.

Connecting to Hydra2 allows broadcasters to take advantage of Hydra2's sophisticated management facilities for network-wide control, including interfacing with multiple video- and audio-over-IP networks such as SMPTE 2022, Dante, AES67, Ravenna, and SoundGrid. Multiformat support protects the system against any future formats that emerge and allows the console to sit on multiple networks simultaneously if desired.

Brio is powerful, too, with the ability to freely change path assignment and width on the fly. Standard broadcast-specific features include:
- 64 mono-equivalent legs that can be assigned as mono, stereo, or 5.1 input channels
- 36 mono-equivalent legs that can be assigned as mono, stereo, or 5.1 mains or groups (maximum of four mains and eight groups)
- 24 mono-equivalent legs that can be assigned as mono or stereo auxes (maximum of 24 auxes)
- 64 direct or mix-minus outputs, with AutoMinus and Off-Air Conference
- Comprehensive surround and downmixing facilities
- Complete integrated loudness metering
- AutoFaders and AutoMixers
- Integration with remote control and production automation systems via CSCP, SW-P-08, EMBER, and GPIO remote control functionality
- EQ and dynamics on every channel, group, and main
With plenty of delay resources, dynamics, integrated talkback, and multiple monitor outputs, Brio is broadcast-ready with no compromise or workarounds.