Music Matters Productions, an established, Atlanta-based live event production company, has adopted a 12G-SDI 4K workflow for several of its scheduled national concert tours, corporate events, and festivals.
Single cable connectivity provides easier setup
With today’s live concert/event productions, where large-screen projectors and large LED panels are used, 4K-quality video is essential. The 12G-SDI transmission standard allows users to transmit a 4K signal through a single coax cable, while 3G-SDI systems require four cables. For Music Matters, single cable connectivity provides easier setup and fewer points of failure in the signal chain on location, as well as less weight for transport.
Previously, the toughest challenge in moving to 12G had been getting gear that equipment to speak to one another, according to Music Matters national account manager Ken Sorrell: “Getting pieces of gear to talk, trying to find the right 12G cable and the right connectors that will allow us to get the maximum distance from our video switcher to, say, a projector. That’s a challenge,”
FOR-A has the ‘know-how’ with working 12G 4K workflows
For its new 12G/4K workflow, Music Matters selected FOR-A’s HVS-1200 video switcher, MFR-1000 routing switcher, and FA-9600 multi-purpose signal processors.
Of the selection, Sorrell said: “FOR-A has really simplified the transition from HD to 4K thanks to their 12G single-cable solution and vast knowledge of broadcast. They have the ‘know-how’ from real-world implementation of actual working 12G 4K workflows. Plus, the operation and workflow of FOR-A’s equipment is so intuitive.”
The adjustment knobs on the front panel of the FA-9600 are “crucial” for intuitive color matching
Color matching to large LED walls and projection displays is a significant challenge with live event production, particularly when LED walls and projection displays are used in close proximity of each other. According to Sorrell, the adjustment knobs on the front panel of the FA-9600 are “crucial” for engineers to quickly “paint” outputs and match different display technologies as closely as possible, as opposed to a mouse and GUI. “Being able to easily adjust what I’m showing to match what I’m getting is huge,” he added.
FOR-A video switchers are “never going to fail you.”
The MFR-1000 offers a clean switch between sources. As a result, Music Matters can use the router as a cuts-only video switcher when unscheduled needs arise. Sorrell was already familiar with FOR-A switchers because he’s relied on HVS-390HS, HVS-110, and HVS-100 switchers for more than 600 shows without one failure. “I’ve put FOR-A on every big festival, tour, or other event that I’ve had for the last eight years,” he said. “FOR-A really thinks everything through – not just the function of the switcher, but also the ergonomics of the control surface and workflow of the GUI. It’s such an easy switcher to use. It’s rock solid, it’s durable, and it’s never going to fail you.”
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