In Broadcast - April 2018 - 56

56

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 8 - Issue 4 | April 2018

InStudio

Golf Channel Tees Up Lawo

The Golf Channel addressed its decision to overhaul its audio infrastructure by approaching Lawo...

I

n 2016, Golf Channel reached a
decision to begin implementing a
transition strategy for the future.
Eric Gardner, Golf Channel's Senior
Director, Engineering & BOC explains,
"When we started this project, our
objective was to overhaul our entire
audio infrastructure while achieving
IP-transport, pooled resources, ease
of operation, and improved workflows.
Lawo's
portfolio
of
products
allowed us to design and build a
comprehensive system that seamlessly
encompasses audio, video, intercom,
and commentary into a single vendor
solution."
Three 64-fader mc256 consoles were
installed in Golf Channel's primary
production control rooms for live
audio, with an additional three
16-fader mc236 consoles installed in
hybrid live audio and post production
rooms. In addition to the consoles,
Lawo Commentary Units were
installed in voiceover booths located
throughout the Golf Channel campus.
Tying everything together is a Nova 73
audio router and eleven DALLIS audio
I/O frames located in Golf Channel
studios, control rooms, and equipment
areas.
Gardner continues: "The beauty of this
design is that all the messy cabling
only happens near the core or at the
edge. RAVENNA allows for a sprawling
audio network with clean home runs
around our facility utilising both fibre
and copper."
For additional flexibility, Golf Channel
also installed four Lawo V__pro8
audio/video processors to take the
complexity out of video and audio
channel mapping. "The addition of

four Lawo V_pro8 units gives us the
flexibility to perfectly synchronise
any of the eight inputs and outputs
with a MADI audio matrix. Live video
and audio monitoring is built into the
HTML5 web GUI, and the flexibility to
build program, auxiliary and camera
paths in minutes rivals any other
interface we use," states Bob van
Deering, Director, Systems Design &
Transmission. The V__pro8 units are
utilised as extra resources, with a
dedicated unit per production control
room and a fourth unit wrapped
around the core video router.
"One feature that our Operations Team
has been very excited about is the
flexibility of Lawo's custom functions,"
states Dennis Milewski, Director,
Systems Services. "Using the custom
function of the mc2 series consoles, the
operators can program the console to
do almost anything they can imagine.
Currently, the custom functions are
used for specialty audio monitoring
situations,
back-up
microphone
routing, and GPIO tasks like studio onair lights, among many other uses."
Lawo and Golf Channel worked under a
tight schedule to integrate all systems
during a December 2017 production
hiatus. Milewski continues, "Lawo was
incredible to work with from project
start to finish. Our operators found
that Lawo's trainer went above and
beyond, making them feel comfortable
with extensive training and on-site
presence."
Golf Channel launched the new system
on January 2 earlier this year, utilising
it during its signature daily live news
programmes, Morning Drive and Golf
Central.

Lawo 64-fader mc256 console

The Golf Channel
Golf Channel is a multimedia, golf
entertainment and services company
based in Orlando, Florida.
Serving the most-affluent audience
in all of television, Golf Channel - cofounded by Arnold Palmer in 1995
and now part of NBC Sports Group - is
available to nearly 500 million viewers
in 78 countries and nine languages
around the world. Golf Channel
features more live golf coverage than
all other networks combined, including
tournament action from the PGA
TOUR, LPGA Tour, The Open, Olympics,
and Ryder Cup, as well as highquality news, instruction and original
programming.
Claiming unmatched coverage of the
world of golf, fans are able to enjoy
24/7 live streaming of Golf Channel
content through Golf Channel Digital
and the NBC Sports App, powered

Lawo V__pro8 audio/video processors

Golf Channel Lawo commentary unit

by Playmaker Media. In addition,
Golf Channel connects the world to
golf through a wide array of digital
and lifestyle services including Golf
Channel Mobile, a comprehensive
app covering golf's latest headlines,
scores and analysis; GolfNow, the
world's largest online tee time booking
platform and golf course technology
partner, which includes the GolfNow
Mobile App, featuring on-course
GPS tracking, in-round scoring and
game tracking; Revolution Golf, the
largest direct-to-consumer digital
platform in golf; GolfAdvisor.com, the
world's largest golf course ratings
and review resource for golfers, by
golfers; a North American network of
Golf Channel Academy instructional
facilities; and Golf Channel Am Tour,
the world's largest amateur golf tour;
and as the Official Media Partner of St.
Andrews Links, the Home of Golf.
http://www.inbroadcast.com https://www.lawo.com/products/audio-production-consoles.html http://www.GolfAdvisor.com https://www.lawo.com/products/commentary/commentary-system.html https://www.lawo.com/products/video-processing-core-infrastructure/v-pro8.html
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