Community radio broadcaster Eldos FM in Johannesburg, South Africa, is the latest broadcaster to take advantage of the benefits of IP with Calrec’s Type R for radio console. The station, which launched in 2008 and has 60,000 listeners and growing, now has one Type R console with 6-fader panels and a large soft panel in each of its two new studios. The studio build was handled by Experience Audio Solutions, chosen by Calrec’s South Africa partner Wild & Marr.
Lorreal De Lange, Station Manager at Eldos FM, said, “The MDDA (Media Development and Diversity Agency) granted Eldos FM funding to build two new studios and our installer/service provider, Abundant Media, took us to Wild & Marr to explore the latest technology. We decided on the Calrec Type R for Radio because of its multi-faceted and futuristic infrastructure.”
Both of the station’s Type R cores have the ability to handle 8 x 6-fader panels which gives them a total of 48 physical faders, and with the fader panels being dual layer, the station has access to 96 channels at the push of a button.
Eldos FM provides social, economic, cultural and political coverage for people of Eldorado Park and surrounding communities. Listeners tune in to news, interviews, music, and a wide range of shows.
“Our team built a full turnkey studio solution which included wiring the entire studio. We designed and supplied custom-made furniture, double-glass windows, acoustic doors and panels. The system was fully tested before the handover and it sounded superb,” said Tumelo Maimela, owner of Experience Audio Solutions.
“IP in the broadcast environment is becoming more widespread in South Africa as evidenced by this latest deal with Eldos FM. We’re so excited that Type R is quickly becoming the go-to IP console in the region, with its rich feature set, minimal cabling and its simple touchscreen interface,” commented Graham Murray, International Sales Manager, Calrec.
