Long-time Calrec Audio user and Emmy® award-winning station, Maryland Public TV (MPT), has once again turned to Calrec with the addition of a 56-fader Artemis console into its facility. Calrec’s Hydra2 network was also integrated into the television network’s workflow.

After 16 years of award-winning broadcasts with Calrec’s Alpha consoles, MPT was ready for an upgrade. The Artemis features 240 full signal processing channels to keep up with the audio requirements of the wide variety of programs produced by the television network’s six stations.

Calrec’s Hydra2 network was implemented to work with MPT’s new fiber infrastructure. This includes fibre drops throughout the building with additional I/O mounted in a portable SKB case that can be added when more I/O is needed. Hydra2 also incorporates Waves SoundGrid and Dante cards to take advantage of additional plug-in options, as well as networking and workflow options for even more flexibility.

MPT uses the Hydra2 network to help coordinate multi-location productions, where an interview can be in one studio and a live performance in another. Streamlining the audio routing throughout the facility was an important factor to facilitate the fast setup of productions of different sizes. Simple and quick audio routing was especially important as the network continues to expand, with plans to develop Studio A in 2019 to accommodate a 235-person studio audience.

“We have a longstanding relationship with Maryland Public TV and they installed one of the first Alpha consoles in the U.S.,” says Helen Carr, regional sales manager for Calrec. “Over the years, MPT’s engineering team and A1’s have commented on the console’s reliability and how responsive the support department has been when addressing any operational questions. We are honoured to have our products used on its award-winning shows and look forward to continuing to grow and expand with MPT in years to come.”