Gearhouse helps to upgrade Input Media’s London production facilities

Input Media, one of Europe’s leading sports production companies, has selected Gearhouse Broadcast’s Systems Integration division to expand, upgrade and refurbish its London-based high-definition production facilities.

Gearhouse Broadcast’s Systems Integration division completed a project to install four production galleries and four voice-over booths. Since completing the initial installation, Gearhouse Broadcast has installed a further two galleries, taking the total number of production facilities to six.

Each of the six production galleries are based around an innovative workflow including an integrated Sirius 830 router and Kahuna 360 multi-format production switcher from Snell. Both provide full HD support, allowing Input Media to easily expand for future capabilities. The flexible workflow design allows Input Media to efficiently and cost-effectively make the best use of its resources. Each gallery can be configured to meet the specific requirements of a job.

All the galleries are run from a single Kahuna 360 mainframe. The customised Snell control system allows for fast and easy turnaround of facilities and improved engineering workflows.

The Advanced Hybrid Processing (AHP) architecture of the Sirius router enables processing on all inputs and all outputs inside the router, which reduces the need for external audio processing – this in turn means lower cable requirements. The router also provides MADI inputs and outputs which can carry up to 64 individual audio tracks on a single BNC.

The install included Snell glue and distribution products, Sony, JVC and Ikegami full HD studio monitors, Harris QVM multi-viewers, TSL audio monitoring units, Yamaha DM1000 digital mixing desks, and Custom Console’s Module R range of control room furniture.

Nick Symes, director of technology at Input Media, says: “We have a longstanding relationship with Gearhouse Broadcast and have worked together with them on several projects in the past. Our facilities handle many mission critical and high profile projects, we needed a company we could trust and which could deliver the project in a tight timeframe and whilst our other facilities were still working.”