RIEDEL’S ARTIST M INTERCOM TIES IT ALL TOGETHER

Denver, CO (April 7, 2005) – NBA Productions made Riedel Communications’ Artist M Intercom matrix its system of choice for the fourth consecutive time at the 54th NBA All-Star Game on February 20 in Denver’s Pepsi Center. The intercom provided crisp and reliable multiple communication channels for key personnel including the director, producer, lighting designer and assistant lighting designer, audio mixers, and the house video production director and producer.

“All the personnel involved with the All-Star game favor Riedel over other intercoms because it is so easy to operate and produces superior sound quality,” said Tim Kepner, lead communications engineer. “Since the system has been used at the game four times, the show has expanded its use to include unique capabilities such as audio distribution over fiber. Kepner, a freelance audio and communications engineer, served as lead communications engineer for Volume, Inc., the company responsible for implementing the audio, sound and communications systems for the arena production.

Kepner worked with Wireless First – the equipment vendor that furnished the Riedel system – to specify the technical gear and ensure that the productions’ needs and budget were met. They designed a system comprised of three Artist M nodes (matrices), connected by a dual fiber optic ring with 14 Riedel DCP-1016E desktop, three Riedel RCP-1012E and one Riedel RCP-1028E control key-panels.

The first node, installed in the Communications Room, facilitated integration of a 15 channel, two-wire dialup PL system used for feeding hardwire beltpacks. It also serviced the existing house production PL system to the NBA production system, audio input and output from the primary audio racks to various points, 4-wire RF / Wireless PL base stations, the half duplex walkie-talkie channels and phone interfaces.

The second node served the House and was used to connect the master communications panels to the scoring table (the NBA production teams primary production location), the arena mixers, lighting designer and audio inputs and outputs to various points.

The third node was fitted in the TV Truck Compound and incorporated four-wire communications circuits to & from the Turner TV trucks, World Feed TV trucks and the NBA Arena production team, and audio inputs and outputs from the NBA to TNT and World Feed trucks.

The Artist M’s unique capabilities allowed the show director to interrupt various talent IFBs, simultaneously pull the associated microphone off air and redirect the mic to the directors communications panel. The mic was restored to air when the IFB key was released allowing a private “off air” conversation between the talent and director without the need for a pre-fade from the audio console and/or a cue from the director to mute and un-mute the mic.

“Live events create high-stress environments and this show was not an exception,” added Kepner. “Special thanks should go out to Tom Nicks of Volume, Inc,, Kevin Sanford, Mary Falardeau, and John Pernal at Wireless First, and to Dave Brand and Bruce Bidlack at Riedel for pulling together everything we needed. My gratitude extends to Pete Erskine who handled RF PL’s and Dave Nichols, the assistant communications technician.”

Kepner has also used Riedel’s intercom technology for numerous projects, including: 2001 thru 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, 2003 MLB Allstar Game, 2001 thru 2003 Victoria Secret Fashion Shows, 2004 Democratic National Convention and Nora Jones film shoot in Nashville for Done and Dusted Productions