New Audio Wizard Provides Magic at SPEED Facility

Among the challenges at the new FOX-owned SPEED™ facility in Charlotte, NC, was the significant quantity of varying input sources to be received and processed. The number of sources was so diverse that the setting up of each processing card to meet ever-changing needs would have been time consuming and open to operator error. The inputs from each feed/tape could change from event to event and tape to tape. There are also three different cards in a logical group, each doing a different audio function (routing, delay, upmix) that needed to have consolidated controls.

The engineering magicians at Cobalt Digital Inc. developed the “Audio Wizard” to provide quick access to set the pre-existing controls in the most appropriate way for the operators at SPEED. “Audio Wizard” is a specially developed software application integrated into select Cobalt 9000 series cards, providing specific requirements for SPEED; namely, output audio channel assignments. The “Audio Wizard” assists operators in obtaining audio channels in a fast, efficient manner to meet internal structure and practices at SPEED.

The Cobalt cards that include the “Audio Wizard” control are the 9321-DE HD/SD Embedder/De-Embedder with Dolby Decoding Option, the 9062 Up/Down/Cross Converter and the 9061 Up/Down/Cross Format Converter, Video/Audio in with Frame Sync.

The Cobalt 9000 series COMPASS™ cards for openGear™ are used extensively in the new SPEED facility. There are approximately 140 openGear™ frames containing a variety of audio and video processing, distribution and conversion cards, all being monitored and controlled via DashBoard™ software. Also in use are 14 award-winning Cobalt OGCP-9000 remote control panels, and one OGCP-9000/CC (for 9084 Color Corrector control and manipulation).

SPEED is the nation's first and foremost cable television network dedicated to motor sports and a passion for everything automotive. From racing to restoration, motorcycles to movies, SPEED delivers quality programming from the track to the garage. Now available in more than 78 million homes in North America, SPEED is among the fastest-growing sports cable networks in the country. The network is home to NASCAR, and is an industry leader in interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services. For more information, please visit SPEEDtv.com, the online motor sports authority.

For more information on the range of Cobalt 9000 series cards for openGear™, the “Audio Wizard”, and OGCP-9000 remote control panels, please contact Chris Shaw (VP of Sales and Marketing) toll-free at 1-800-669-1691 or by email at chris.shaw@cobaltdigital.com.