Radio 8CCC in Australia uses AEQ digital controllers

With locations in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek, the community station serves a large, uninhabited area in the Northern Secluded Lands.

8CCC Radio, A community radio station created in 1981 with programs focused on the Northern Territory of AustraliaThe AEQ.

This area of ​​Australia covers an area of ​​approximately 1.5 million square kilometers and has a population of only 240,000, which gives an idea of ​​the size of the region, as well as how dispersed and isolated local areas there are.

At the end of 2020, 8CCC Radio’s management decided to revamp the technical equipment for broadcast studios with two parameters vital to its technology idea: robust and easy to use.

Radio 8CCC has its main studios at Alice Springs With some secondary studies in town Tennant Creek More than 500 kilometers to the north. In both cases, the two cities are so far from any other population center in the area that any technical problem has a very difficult solution, as it is necessary to have particularly strong and safe equipment.

Additionally, it produces many of its programs with volunteer staff without specific radio training, which requires easy manipulation of the equipment and systems used.

With these conditions in mind, Radio 8CCC decided to install a new controller IP Forum From AEQ at Alice Spring and console AEQ Capitol IP In Tennant Creek Main Studio.

The Capitol IP controller installed in Tennant Creek is a fixed-configuration 8-channel digital audio mixing console. One of the key qualities of AEQ Capitol IP is the wide input capacity available: 4 microphone / line, 12 analog, 4 AES / EBU (AES3) digital stereo, 2 digital USB stereo, 2 optional phone line, optional multi-channel digital audio connections; 16 channels AoIP over two Ethernet or 64 channels MADI through optical fiber input.

Its output capacity is also amazing: 8 analog, 4 stereo AES / EBU digital (AES3), 2 digital USB stereo, 2 optional phone lines, optional multi-channel digital audio connections; 16 channels AoIP over 2 Ethernet or 64 channel MADI optical fiber input, control headphones, primary and secondary headphones, control booth monitoring and special output for a pair of CUE loudspeakers.

IP Forum in Alice Springs

The Forum IP controller installed in Alice Springs is based on the same technology, but has two main differences because this is the base station. On the one hand, greater I / O and control capability, with 12 dimmers and 4 program buses with direct assignment key, to make it easier to handle multiple programs or recordings simultaneously. On the one hand, there is greater safety against potential malfunctions and that is because their modular configuration makes it unlikely that you will have to send the controller for repair in Sydney, on the other side of the Australian continent. The unit is easy to locate and order to charge, and can be exchanged for station personnel.

Installation, configuration, commissioning, and training were carried out for the entire project Broadcast components AEQ’s local partner in the country, located in New South Wales, in direct contact with AEQ Central Technical Services in Madrid.