NEP Australia, a division of NEP Group and a prominent provider of remote production services, is bolstering its remote production, IP-enabled Andrews Hubs in Sydney and Melbourne. The expansion includes the opening of three new production suites in Sydney — production suites Five, Six and Seven. Within each of these audio control rooms, NEP has installed a Calrec Argo console, which significantly expands the company’s remote production resources. The Argos are primarily being used for mixing National Rugby League games alongside a variety of other top-tier sports productions.
NEP Australia is known for its extensive fleet of OB vans and custom studio productions. The Andrews Hubs, which first opened in 2018, are ST 2110 facilities and are recognized as some of the world’s largest networked remote production centers. The Hubs are connected to 59 sports venues via a high-bandwidth network and support multiple and concurrent outside broadcasts. At the heart of the expansion is a Calrec 96-fader Argo Q, which sits in what is now Australia’s largest remote production suite, ACR7 as well as two Argo S consoles in the other two, new suites, ACR5 & ACR6. In a very sophisticated way, each control room is paired with one of NEP’s 2110 OB trucks and NEP is able to remotely control the equipment in each truck.
Marc Segar, Director of Technology for NEP Australia explained, “We’re very pleased to be the first in the world up and running with Calrec’s cutting edge Argo consoles. The power and flexibility of these greatly enhances our remote mixing capabilities, providing the flexibility and DSP paths we need to continue expanding way into the future. The consoles are also easy to understand and use, essential in the fast-paced world of sports broadcasting. The Argos easily interface with our existing Lawo technology, courtesy of integration work carried out by both parties, which is of huge benefit to us. Further, the Argos work seamlessly with our pre-existing, NEP-developed control system, TFC, which we meticulously designed to meet the demands of our high-level work. The integration of the Calrec technology gives us complete control over our workflow and even enables the Argos to control Lawo technology installed in each truck, and vice versa. It's incredibly flexible and aligns perfectly with our vision."
Calrec’s Argo consoles, which were first introduced to the market at IBC 2022, were designed from the next generation’s approach to audio mixing. They represent Calrec’s commitment to innovation with native IP connectivity based on industry-wide standards, along with supercharged DSPs, interchangeable panels, and configurable layouts.
Dave Letson, VP of Sales at Calrec, commented, “Having been at IBC recently, there’s without a doubt a growing need for ever-greater IP capabilities in audio and that need is growing. This partnership with NEP Australia is a clear example of how Argo is moving the IP needle, allowing expanded IP workflows while being very easy to use. NEP are the first customer to take advantage of the ImPulse full control API. With this new setup, NEP can now precisely orchestrate dynamic workflows where the Argos seamlessly integrate with every truck, and vice versa. The result is unprecedented flexibility and a future of seamless collaboration.”
