Sale of Eight StudioComm 76DA/77 Surround Monitoring Systems to Rogers Media

Rogers Media operates the Citytv and OMNI Television networks, comprising 10 television stations and specialty channels, including Sportsnet, OLN, G4 Canada and others, along with 45 FM and nine AM radio stations across Canada. The Studio Technologies 76DA/77 units provide Rogers Media with flexible integration into the existing equipment infrastructure and a consistent user interface, delivering reliable and high-quality audio monitoring selection of surround and stereo audio sources.

“We recently upgraded our production facilities to HD and surround production, and needed a reliable monitor-selection unit to handle 5.1 and stereo tracks from multiple sources,” says Nathan Pachal, senior broadcast facilities technician for Rogers Media. “We have put these units in our video control rooms, our audio control room, our production edit suites and post-production room, giving our technical staff standardized ergonomic and operational capabilities for all monitor touch points in the complex. We were looking for a product that would allow us to listen to 5.1 and also a stereo down mix of that signal while being able to control the volume from a desktop controller, not a dedicated rack-mount unit.”

The StudioComm 76DA/77 Surround Monitoring System, with digital inputs and digital and analog outputs, allows for the simple and effective monitoring of 5.1 surround and stereo audio material. Comprising a 76DA Central Controller (rack mounted) and a 77 Control Console (desktop), the system is ideal for broadcast production and post-production applications that employ both digital- and analog-input loudspeakers. With digital audio inputs, digital and analog monitor outputs, support for multiple Model 77 user control surfaces and an extensive set of operating resources, it's a simple task to integrate a monitoring system into virtually any facility.

The carefully selected group of features includes surround and stereo inputs, multiple pre- and post-fader outputs, configurable downmix and mute/solo functions, bass management, along with a multi-format sync input. In addition, a configurable time-delay can be added to the input signals. This can be critical for effective audio monitoring, allowing alignment of the audio signals with associated video displays when image processing latency is present. These resources combine to make the system powerful yet simple to operate.

“We are very happy to be a part of the facility upgrade for Rogers Media,” says Gordon Kapes, president of Studio Technologies, Inc. “To better support this application we were encouraged to enhance the downmix capability of the 76DA/77. This resulted in a system that has expanded configurable capability, allowing it to better meet international monitoring standards. This makes it perfect for 5.1-to-stereo monitoring for loudness and quality control. In addition, to support a broader range of loudspeaker systems, an advanced set of bass-management resources was added. Using digital-processing, low-frequency energy from the five main channels is redirected and combined with the LFE content, and then routed to the subwoofer output.”

About Studio Technologies, Inc.
Studio Technologies, Inc. provides tailored, high-performance video, audio and fiber optic products for the professional audio and broadcast markets. The company was founded in 1978 with a commitment to design and manufacture dependable, individualized solutions for broadcast studio, stadium and corporate environments. Known for “designing for the way professionals work,” the company is recognized as an industry leader that has never wavered from its individualized design pledge. Product categories include fiber-optic transport, broadcast support, mobile broadcast, intercom and IFB, announcer consoles, loudspeaker monitor control systems and sound pressure level monitor systems.