Digital Hybrid Wireless™ technology keeps TV Production program on track
New Orleans, LA… For the students enrolled in Dillard University’s TV production program, the ability to work with the “tools of the trade” encountered in real-world production environments is considered essential. Hence, when it came time to rebuild the university’s television production studio after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Mark Raymond, Dillard University’s Instructor of Mass Communications, decided to invest in numerous components from the wireless catalog of Lectrosonics.
Dillard University is a private, historically black, comprehensive undergraduate institution, having as its purpose the development of graduates who are broadly educated, culturally aware, concerned with improving the human condition, and able to meet the competitive demands of a global and technologically advanced society. In order for Dillard’s TV production program to be on par with the criteria that defines the university’s mission, Raymond knew that exposing his students to the very equipment they would likely encounter in the TV/broadcast environment was critical.
“As an instructor of TV production and TV media,” says Raymond, “my goal is to prepare students for the real world of TV production, which means they must learn and work with the very equipment that is the standard of the industry. When it comes to wireless systems, Lectrosonics is as good as it gets, and this is precisely why Lectrosonics as an integral part of our program.”
“We needed to rebuild our TV training facility after Hurricane Katrina,” continued Raymond, “so this was an excellent opportunity to replace aging equipment that was destroyed with the latest offerings from an industry leader. Since our studio shares the building with other rooms that encompass technology such as intercoms and other wireless microphones, the area is crowded in terms of RF (radio frequency) activity. I wanted to make certain that if we did encounter RF issues, we had a system that was frequency agile—and this is one of the key strengths of the Lectrosonics’ equipment.”
A Lectrosonics Venue wireless receiver system is at the heart of Dillard University’s revamped TV control room and studio. Equipped with four (of six possible) receiver modules, the Venue was the ideal choice, as Raymond explained. “During the retrofit, I had to address numerous architectural issues regarding how the space was to be used—right down to and including compliance with provisions defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act [ADA]. The fact that the Venue can accommodate multiple wireless channels in a single rackspace form factor is huge. The system’s size, combined with the ease of identifying available radio frequencies and the company’s reputation for reliability were key considerations.”
Complimenting the Venue receiver are four Lectrosonics LM Digital Hybrid UHF belt pack transmitters plus two UH400a Digital Hybrid Wireless UHF plug-on transmitters. “In our environment,” notes Raymond, “the ability to lock ‘on’ both the transmitters and receivers to prevent them from accidentally being disabled is an important feature. I also like the fact that we have the ability to adjust the outputs on each individual receiver, as this enables us to set up the gain structure very precisely with the mixer and recording system.”
While Lectrosonics equipment is central to the university’s TV production studio, Raymond notes that it is also deployed in other capacities on campus. “We also use an assortment of Lectrosonics equipment for our location work,” said Raymond. “In addition to the equipment in our studio, we have Lectrosonics 100 Series gear that we use for field applications. Whether in the studio or out in the field, all our Lectrosonics equipment has great operating range and delivers a high level of performance.”
Raymond was equally enthusiastic about the level of customer and technical assistance he’s experienced from the company. “We’ve always been very impressed with the reliability of Lectrosonics’ products and on those occasions where we’ve required technical assistance, the company has been very easy to work with, and that’s really reassuring. We are extremely happy with all our Lectrosonics equipment. I only wish I had a few more pieces!”
About Lectrosonics Digital Hybrid Wireless Technology
Lectrosonics’ Digital Hybrid Wireless technology uses a proprietary algorithm to encode 24-bit digital audio information with no compression and low distortion into an analog format that can be transmitted in a robust manner over an analog FM wireless link. The result is much higher dynamic range—free from sonic artifacts— than wireless systems using a compandor are able to offer. Digital Hybrid Wireless technology delivers long operating range, graceful signal decay, and a small spectral footprint, facilitating more channels to be operated simultaneously.
About Lectrosonics
Well respected within the film, broadcast, and theater technical communities since 1971, Lectrosonics wireless microphone systems and audio processing products are used daily in mission-critical applications by audio engineers familiar with the company's dedication to quality, customer service, and innovation. Lectrosonics is a US manufacturer based in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
