Pompeu Fabra selects AEQ for its studies

Design and equip two complete radio studios in a control-locutor configuration equipped, among other equipment, with the Arena digital table.

The Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) is a prestigious university located in Barcelona created in 1990. In its nine faculties and university schools, ten bachelor's degrees, two higher engineering degrees, three diploma degrees and two technical engineering degrees are taught in the fields of social sciences, humanities, health and life sciences and technical careers. As part of an important project to provide training facilities to the set of buildings that house the degrees in Journalism, Audiovisual Communication and Information Sciences, AEQ has been selected to design and equip two complete radio studios in a control-locutory configuration (studios 1 and 2), using the latest digital audio technology available.

The audio mixers used as the heart of the installation are the AEQ Arena digital consoles with a control surface of 15 physical faders and a black finish, integrating the remote control of a two-line telephone hybrid model AEQ TH02EX-D. The configuration of both mixers for studios 1 and 2 is identical, with up to eight inputs for microphones or mono lines, selectable by software, with the possibility of integrated +48V phantom power; eight stereo analog inputs and eleven stereo digital inputs (mostly coming from the automation system), plus ten stereo analog outputs, eight stereo AES digital outputs (master and links to central control) as well as primary and secondary headphones.

All audio inputs/outputs, according to the work philosophy of a digital audio mixer, rest on a frame associated with the control surface of the mixing console. The frame is powered from a 300W source, and is connected over an IP network to the control surface, where the movement, for example, of the faders is transformed into IP commands that, upon reaching the frame controller card, are interpreted as modifications of the input or output signals. In this way, operational security is guaranteed, since the operators never work on the real audio that is used in the preparation of the final program, but on replicas present in the control room, the control surface being little more than an advanced hardware interface device between the technician and the signals present in the frame coming from the sources or sent to the broadcast masters.

All this hardware equipment has been installed on AEQ furniture in the control room, consisting of a large main table for a mixing desk, and additional space for documentation and a PC typically associated with the automation system. The installation is completed with two 12RU sized rack units, one desktop and the other underneath it, to house all the equipment for CD players, amplifiers, match-panels, distributors and other complementary equipment necessary for the correct functioning of the installation. AEQ has also integrated the microphone and headphones equipment necessary for the call rooms, with five independent microphones and the same number of headphones with AEQ-RC01 external volume regulator, as well as CRM and SRM speakers and Onair signaling lights.