The new UK series of Big Brother, channel 4’s blockbuster “Reality TV” series, is having its sound mix performed on the first Soundcraft MH4 to be deployed out in the field. Supplied by Birmingham’s Showcom Audio Ltd to Event Technical Support Ltd, the desk is part of a rental package that went to client Roll To Record.
The 48-mono/4-stereo-channel frame, fitted with eight stereo channels, has gone into Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, England, and will remain there for three months, during which time it will be used by a number of sound engineers under the direction of Oliver France. It is backed up by a newly purchased 48-channel Soundcraft K2, which is acting as a secondary desk.
Co-owned by Malcolm Whittall and John Hooker of Event Technical Support, the duo had been seeking a multifunction, highly specified console, and the arrival of the MH4 meant that they could meet the performance criteria and stay inside their budget.
Event Technical Support previously supplied P.A. equipment for live audience broadcast to the Three Mills Island “house” before the Big Brother show relocated to Elstree. However, this is the first year it has supplied the broadcast desks, which, in the past, have been sourced direct by Roll To Record.
According to Whittall, “Roll To Record approached me to see whether I had any suitable equipment I could hire them. At the time, I was expanding my event support business and looking for broadcast equipment for large derig sets and flyaways. I became aware of the multifunction capabilities of the MH4, which is suitable for event production.
“In this instance, Big Brother was looking at a large number of channels and large aux-routing capacity,” explained Whittall. “So we have provided a 52-channel console, which is 48-frame and four stereos, optioned for another eight stereo inputs.” The MH4 will largely be fed from VT and different sound sources.
Visit Soundcraft online at www.soundcraft.com.
