MIKO Event Equips New 15-Ton OBVan with Studer Vista 1 Digital Console

The company runs a fleet of trucks that provide outside broadcast services, mainly for ORF, the Austrian public service broadcaster, and Red Bull Media House, the multi-platform media company with a focus on sports, culture, and lifestyle.

The new MF11D 15-ton OBVan has been designed as a hybrid solution for video and Internet broadcasts or as high-quality radio. The sound infrastructure can also support complete live recording (up to 7.1). Originally built by Krämer in Germany it was rebuilt by MIKO to handle these video broadcasts.

According to Michael Kogler, who founded MIKO Event & Rental in 1991, “Although the truck was built for a total weight of 15 tons, we reduced it to 12 tons to give us fewer limitations—leaving around 1.5 tons available for other equipment.”

He immediately highlights a key advantage of the Vista 1. “Our previous console weighted 600kg and required 2,1kW of power. The Vista 1, runs in conjunction with our existing Studer MADI Compact Stagebox (CSB), is substantially more economical on weight and power draw—and it doesn’t need an air conditioning circuit. So we can drop the electric power consumption from 3-phase 400V-32A to 16A.

“But best of all in Austria the climate is only extremely warm in July and August, so we only need to circulate fresh air; it means we can drop the electric power consumption again to a single phase 230V-16A—this is really amazing for such a truck!”

Following on from their existing 3.5-ton OBVan, MIKO believe this is the logical progression to enable image handling and allow third video production companies to rent space and install their own equipment (whereupon the sound area can be compacted if necessary). Kogler adds that it also provides their technicians with a more enjoyable experience when handling events ranging from Ski Alpine to live music events and other high profile TV shows for ORF.

“Having an all-in-one package such as Vista 1 means that this compact control platform can be used as a standalone system outside the truck—for example at classical and musical sound reinforcement events—and also at places where the OBVan cannot go, such as high up in the mountains or on a boat,” he continued.

“We really like the Vista’s compact form factor, its ease of use and the excellent sound quality and we are now looking forward to adding the Vista FX option.”

Meanwhile, the existing CSB, with 48 Mic/Line In and 16 Line Out, is linked via two Neutrik DuoCon Extreme 150m long fibre cables.

The new MF11D Mainframe was commissioned at the beginning of April and used successfully for an ORF and RAI Bolzano worship transmission. Then on April 19, the first live ski transmission from St. Anton in the Arlberg region was tackled successfully with Pilger Film-und Videoproduktion from Innsbruck renting the van.

In conclusion Michael Kogler confirms that the MIKO technicians are satisfied that the Vista 1 meets all their technical requirements, while the OB-van itself conforms to the ARD SWR and VBG BGI -811 standards for OBVans.

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