Estonia Public Broadcasting upgrades OB van with Harman Studer Vista 5 M3

Estonia Public Broadcasting recently upgraded its OB van with a Harman Studer Vista 5 M3 digital console. Sold through ProMedia Inc, Studer’s Estonia distributor, the Vista 5 M3 is being used to mix all audio through EPB’s OB van. The console is also complemented with Studer’s Vista FX engine, a 2U chassis that offers Lexicon surround effects and a graphic EQ, all controlled through the Vistonics user interface. Connection to the console’s DSP engine is made directly via two high-capacity multichannel HD links.

“This is the first time we have had the chance to mix 150 channels—with the Vista 5, it’s now possible,” said Vytautas Martinonis, head of the radio technical and sound recording department, Estonia Public Broadcasting. “It’s given us the best sound I’ve ever heard from a digital console.”

The Studer Vista 5 M3 is ideal for small to midsize studios and OB trucks, thanks to its compact size and simple connectivity. The total I/O capacity, comprising various cards including mic/line, ADAT, TDIF, AES/EBU, SDI and MADI, may exceed 1,700 inputs and outputs.

“We chose the Vista 5 M3 because it made the most sense from an ergonomic perspective, and we know this console was specifically built with OB vans in mind,” Martinonis noted. “We have also had a positive experience with the Vista 9 that we use at the Estonia Concert Hall, so we found it to be the perfect choice.”

Martinonis also pointed out that durability was also a key factor in choosing the Vista 5 M3. “It was important to have a console that could perform in higher temperatures and could absorb the movement and bumps that come with being in a portable truck,” he said.