BVE 2014 will see the UK debut of Calrec’s new Callisto console.

Callisto is designed for professionals who need to produce broadcast audio easily, but may not require the full resources of the company’s Apollo and Artemis systems.

Calrec’s aim was to keep the user interface simple and straightforward with a focus not just on features and capabilities, but on the user experience. The console is up to 30 per cent more efficient than a comparable Artemis Light.

When designing the desk, Calrec was keen to ensure that Callisto’s GUI would be suitable for a broad range of operator levels. Users control the console via a 17-inch multitouch screen inspired by familiar tablet technology, with a straightforward interface that uses established finger gestures to navigate the system.

In addition, Calrec will showcase its patented Soccer Sidekick iPad app, an assistive mixing tool designed to simplify the job of tracking the on-field audio during a soccer game. It provides an alternative approach for highly experienced operators while allowing those with less experience to create a simpler, quality mix.

One of the many tasks the audio operator must manage is to capture important on-pitch events while minimising the amount of crowd and venue noise. The operator typically follows the action using a mentally challenging workflow that requires projecting a 2D location from the pitch onto the 1D row of faders on the desk, fading up only the most appropriate microphones for that moment in time.

Soccer Sidekick provides an interface to assist the operator in this task. After defining the position and direction of the pitch microphones around an aerial image of a pitch on the display, the user simply touches the corresponding area on the screen to indicate one or more locations of interest. Soccer Sidekick then calculates the optimal contribution from each microphone to best capture events at those locations and moves the appropriate faders on the desk. The operator can take over control of the faders manually at any time.

BVE 2014 runs from February 25th – 27th at the London’s Excel Centre.

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