GHENT, Belgium — The installation of a brand-new SAS on-air console marks an upgrade of TOPradio’s broadcast studios to the digital domain and the renewal of the station’s on-air workplace.
TOPradio was founded in 1996, when the three Dansradio Vlaanderen stations in Ghent, Bruges and Kortrijk decided to expand their network. Today, TOPradio counts 18 partners across Flanders. The bulk of TOPradio programming originates from the network headquarters and studios in Ghent with some local affiliates producing their own insets.
When the Ghent studio was upgraded, TOPradio installed a Sierra Automated Systems M-Class console to replace the existing Soundcraft MD1 digital desk; Bruno Heynderickx, general manager of TOPradio, explained that it was a suggestion from TVV Sound Project, TOPradio’s consultant/system integrator, to opt for the SAS on-air desk.
The Souncraft MD1 was reconfigured for used in the TOPradio production studio.
“We decided to invest in the SAS desk because of the high quality audio and reliability — those where the crucial criteria. In addition we have some handy extras that come in,” said Heynderickx. “Apart from the fact that the SAS is fully digital, it allows us to record voice-track snippets even when the console is in the on-air mode; this is a major timesaver.”
The SAS console is the core of the new on-air studio, from which TOPradio produces round-the-clock programs for the network’s affiliates and audio streams for telecom provider TeleNet.
From Ghent, the signal is transmitted via 1.5 GHz links to the 18 affiliates.
Marc Maes is a freelance writer covering the music and media industries from Antwerp, Belgium. For information, contact Sierra Automated Systems in California at telephone: +1-818-840-6749, or visit sasaudio.com.
