Calrec consoles help Full Sail University expand audio capabilities

Full Sail University has expanded its world-class performance venue, Full Sail Live, with Calrec Audio’s Artemis and Brio36 consoles.

The venue is already using a Summa console for its Show Production degree program and Brio console for its Film degree program.

The 56 fader Artemis and the Brio36 combo give Full Sail Live different options of how to use the system. It also supports a range of different protocols including analogue, AES, MADI, Waves Soundgrid and Dante, which is important for Full Sail Live as the venue works in a mixed protocol environment. Both consoles are also connected to Calrec’s Hydra2 network so either console can use any I/O resource on the network.

“It’s a total game changer for us as far as being able to distribute I/O around the facility,” said Vince Lepore, director, Event Technical Operations, Full Sail University. “We have the new system connected to our video router through a number of different MADI ports, which is tremendously helpful for being able to embed and de-embed audio off of our router. That was something we were unable to do before and that’s given us a lot more flexibility. We can also now have several consoles across campus connected over the Hydra2 network — not just within the performance venue, but over the entire campus.”

The Full Sail Live Venue is an acoustically engineered multi-purpose facility with a moveable stage and top end audio, video and lighting equipment. The venue hosts orientation and graduation ceremonies for the university, as well as serving as a multi-purpose production space for professional projects. Full Sail Live has hosted concerts, guest speakers, film screenings, gaming tournaments and live performances. When not in use, the consoles are available to students, as well as external clients that come into the space.

“The existing broadcast audio console in our performance venue was being maxed out, so an upgrade was in order,” said Scott Dansby, director, Industry Relations, Full Sail University. “We had an existing relationship with Calrec and knew its consoles had the right tools, functionality and features. Also, continuity was important to us as some of the students were already working with Calrec boards as part of their degree programs. By choosing Calrec’s Artemis and Brio36 consoles for the venue, we now have the ability to grow the system and scale it towards the events in that space. Calrec is providing us with a lot more room to grow in terms of the number of busses, channels and networks.”