Avid Technology Case Studies Avid Systems Revolutionize Sound Quality at Austin City Limits Music Festival

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	Avid Systems Revolutionize Sound Quality at Austin City Limits Music Festival Avid Technology

Avid Systems Revolutionize Sound Quality at Austin City Limits Music Festival

Avid Technology

Technology Category	Sensors - Acoustic Sensors Sensors - Camera / Video Systems
Applicable Industries	Cities & Municipalities Equipment & Machinery
Applicable Functions	Facility Management Sales & Marketing
Use Cases	Smart City Operations Time Sensitive Networking
Services	System Integration
Challenge	Austin City Limits (ACL), a renowned music festival broadcasting live music to public television audiences across the U.S., faced the challenge of delivering exceptional sound for over 150 bands across eight stages. The show, which has been running for almost 40 years, decided to move production from its original Studio 6A location at the University of Texas to a new purpose-built facility—Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater. The move necessitated the selection of audio and video systems that could provide integrated workflows, premium sound quality, and proven reliability. Veteran engineer David Hough, who has mixed sound for virtually all of the show’s taped concerts, was tasked with finding a solution that would maintain the show's legacy as one of the country’s top live music programs. Read More
About Customer	Austin City Limits (ACL) is a preeminent music festival that has been broadcasting a wide variety of live music to public television audiences across the U.S. for almost 40 years. The show is known for its diverse line-up, featuring over 150 bands across eight stages. The festival recently moved its production from its original location at the University of Texas to a new purpose-built facility—Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater. The move was aimed at providing a larger space for its audience. ACL is committed to delivering premium sound quality and integrated workflows, maintaining its legacy as one of the country’s top live music programs. Read More
Solution	A consortium of sound reinforcement companies chose Avid live systems for every stage due to their universal acceptance by live sound engineers. ACL implemented a complete end-to-end Avid workflow based around Avid’s industry-leading audio and video creative tools. The software and hardware integrated seamlessly, providing ACL with the unparalleled performance needed. The theater and the original studio were equipped with identical 32-fader System 5-BP consoles with EUCON Hybrid for Pro Tools control. Each console featured 72 inputs routed from the stage boxes or Pro Tools playback sources to the main DSP engine, which could handle a total of 160 full-featured signal paths. The team also upgraded its recording facilities with an all-Avid workflow, adding Pro Tools \| HD (now Pro Tools Ultimate) to the mix. This marked the first time the team committed to using Pro Tools for recording the shows. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Sensors - Acoustic Sensors

Sensors - Camera / Video Systems

Applicable Industries

Cities & Municipalities

Equipment & Machinery

Applicable Functions

Facility Management

Sales & Marketing

Use Cases

Smart City Operations

Time Sensitive Networking

Services

System Integration

Challenge

Austin City Limits (ACL), a renowned music festival broadcasting live music to public television audiences across the U.S., faced the challenge of delivering exceptional sound for over 150 bands across eight stages. The show, which has been running for almost 40 years, decided to move production from its original Studio 6A location at the University of Texas to a new purpose-built facility—Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater. The move necessitated the selection of audio and video systems that could provide integrated workflows, premium sound quality, and proven reliability. Veteran engineer David Hough, who has mixed sound for virtually all of the show’s taped concerts, was tasked with finding a solution that would maintain the show's legacy as one of the country’s top live music programs.

About Customer

Austin City Limits (ACL) is a preeminent music festival that has been broadcasting a wide variety of live music to public television audiences across the U.S. for almost 40 years. The show is known for its diverse line-up, featuring over 150 bands across eight stages. The festival recently moved its production from its original location at the University of Texas to a new purpose-built facility—Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater. The move was aimed at providing a larger space for its audience. ACL is committed to delivering premium sound quality and integrated workflows, maintaining its legacy as one of the country’s top live music programs.

Solution

A consortium of sound reinforcement companies chose Avid live systems for every stage due to their universal acceptance by live sound engineers. ACL implemented a complete end-to-end Avid workflow based around Avid’s industry-leading audio and video creative tools. The software and hardware integrated seamlessly, providing ACL with the unparalleled performance needed. The theater and the original studio were equipped with identical 32-fader System 5-BP consoles with EUCON Hybrid for Pro Tools control. Each console featured 72 inputs routed from the stage boxes or Pro Tools playback sources to the main DSP engine, which could handle a total of 160 full-featured signal paths. The team also upgraded its recording facilities with an all-Avid workflow, adding Pro Tools | HD (now Pro Tools Ultimate) to the mix. This marked the first time the team committed to using Pro Tools for recording the shows.

Impact #1	The implementation of Avid live systems and the complete end-to-end Avid workflow has revolutionized the sound quality at the Austin City Limits music festival. The seamless integration of software and hardware has provided unparalleled performance, enabling the show to continue its legacy as one of the country’s top live music programs. The new system has also streamlined the post-production process. At the end of each show, all recordings are saved on the facility's ISIS shared storage system, allowing the video and audio crews to start their editing and mixing work immediately the next day. The high-speed audio and video fiber-optic links between the two locations have also facilitated quick remixing of the edited show. The new system has not only enhanced the sound quality but also improved the efficiency of the production process.

Impact #1

The implementation of Avid live systems and the complete end-to-end Avid workflow has revolutionized the sound quality at the Austin City Limits music festival. The seamless integration of software and hardware has provided unparalleled performance, enabling the show to continue its legacy as one of the country’s top live music programs. The new system has also streamlined the post-production process. At the end of each show, all recordings are saved on the facility's ISIS shared storage system, allowing the video and audio crews to start their editing and mixing work immediately the next day. The high-speed audio and video fiber-optic links between the two locations have also facilitated quick remixing of the edited show. The new system has not only enhanced the sound quality but also improved the efficiency of the production process.

Benefit #1	The new system can handle a total of 160 full-featured signal paths.
Benefit #2	Each console features 72 inputs that are routed from the stage boxes or Pro Tools playback sources.
Benefit #3	The system allows for a 64-channel audio stream from the console to Pro Tools \| HD.

Benefit #1

The new system can handle a total of 160 full-featured signal paths.

Benefit #2

Each console features 72 inputs that are routed from the stage boxes or Pro Tools playback sources.

Benefit #3

The system allows for a 64-channel audio stream from the console to Pro Tools | HD.

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Overview

Avid Systems Revolutionize Sound Quality at Austin City Limits Music Festival

Operational Impact

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