German prime TV news channel, WELT, is now broadcasting from the new Axel Springer Building in downtown Berlin. Built from the ground up, the broadcast studio was constructed with innovative workflows, flexibility, and IP production at the forefront, making a communications system based around Clear-Com’s Eclipse® HX Digital Matrix, FreeSpeak II® Digital Wireless Intercom, and V-Series Iris™ Keypanels the clear choice for this state-of-the-art facility. Clear-Com’s Germany-based partner, MCI, designed and supplied the communications solution as part of the elaborate new studio design.
The planning process for the new studio began three years ago with the goal of maximizing flexibility to accommodate the ever-changing requirements of the broadcast sector. WELT News Channel provides at least 14 hours per day of live coverage of breaking news from all over the world, making their timely response to any news situation of utmost importance.
To ensure smooth communications across the complex functions of the studio, an Eclipse Median Frame with integrated FreeSpeak II and V-Series Iris Panels now equips the 175m2 space.
“With the broadcast industry trending toward AoIP, it was very important for the new studio to be outfitted for AES67 workflows,” explained Martin Koops, Senior Project Engineer for MCI. “The studio’s Clear-Com Eclipse Median frame can scale up to 448 ports, is equipped with Dante ports, AES67 ports, and can connect to other devices over IP.”
WELT’s FreeSpeak II wireless system is connected to Eclipse via E-IPA™ cards, and V-Series Iris user panels with built-in IP connectivity to Eclipse are placed around the studio.
With Eclipse HX’s innovative management software, Dynam-EC™, the station can see a live view of their intercom routing and role assignments, providing the agility needed for a news station reporting in real-time.
Dynam-EC can be used to manage N-1s, IFBs for cueing, conferences, and to switch SIP ports online in real-time. SIP management is an important aspect of Dynam-EC’s capabilities, with the ability to dial and set up external lines via the SIP ports and to dynamically switch them to the Clear-Com Iris panels according to production requirements.
“The news channel’s IP communications system aligns with their goals of having a modern, state-of-the-art facility that can be flexible and agile, so they can quickly adapt to the next news story,” concluded Koops.