Ravensbourne Opens HD Studio

A London college, Ravensbourne recently opened its new HD television production complex in London's Greenwich peninsula.
The school chose a Solid State Logic C10 HD Compact Broadcast Console to handle audio for this technically advanced facility, providing the straightforward ease of use needed for students and the power and flexibility to handle both advanced degree and commercial applications.
"The C10 had to fill many missions for this installation and it has performed flawlessly," said Michael Davidson, subject leader, Foundation Degree, Broadcast Operations for Ravensbourne.
"We wanted a dedicated digital broadcast console that was easy to use for both beginner and advanced students, was cost-effective to purchase and operate, and would satisfy the needs of our commercial clients. The C10 was the best choice for this mission."
Following the time-honored design of BBC studios, the Ravensbourne installation has the production studio on the ground floor with the video and audio control rooms on a different floor. The entire building was wired at multiple key points for audio and video through the central operations room, including external linkage to an OB truck.
Through its flexible I/O options, the C10 is ideally suited to service the audio needs of a wide variety of possible production locations and show types. The console also allows four levels of access to console functions to accommodate any operator skill level.
"We really appreciate the level of access feature offered with the C10,” explained Davidson.
"Our administrator level allows professional staff to set the console to accomplish a particular production mission. From there, depending on the skill level of the student, we can set the access level to console functions to insure everyone enjoys a panic-free educational experience. We have also created different levels of default, so if a setup gets unravelled, we can instantly get back to the beginning of the lesson."
Another consideration in favour of the C10 was green sustainability. The Ravensbourne facility is nearly self-sufficient through the use of heat exchange systems. The C10 is completely self-contained, has a small footprint and is convection cooled, eliminating the need for extra HVAC load capacity for a dedicated machine room. It also has impressively low power consumption and, like all SSL products, adheres to and exceeds all manufacturing legislation regarding waste and emissions.
"Everyone is looking at green issues now, especially with new construction, and the C10 fit in with this philosophy," Davidson stated.
"We had the luxury of designing green from the ground up, so this building has exceptional cost savings on heating and cooling. The C10 fit our space and power requirements, while still delivering the high end power and flexibility we needed for our educational mission."
According to Davidson, corporate clients have already used the facility, with broadcast clients coming in the near future. "It benefits the students to have a professional production company use our facilities. Our students get to work with professionals to gain valuable experience and, at the same time, network for possible job opportunities upon graduation.
"We needed an audio console that would attract commercial clients and the C10 fits the bill perfectly."
(BMcC/GK)