BUCHAREST, ROMANIA — Itsy Bitsy FM’s studios in Bucharest, Romania, are a long way from California, where our new QuickLine studio furniture was made. Initially, we thought of having a local cabinetry maker custom design and manufacture the studio furniture for us because we didn’t want to have to deal with the bulk and cost of shipping. But we quickly ruled that out. Local furniture makers don’t know the details of how a studio operates, such as how much surface space or rack space is needed for equipment.
We weren’t sure what to do for our small studio, and then we heard about Wheatstone’s QuickLine furniture.
We were in the process of replacing our older on-air studio with a new WheatNet-IP audio networked studio, and QuickLine seemed like a good fit. Here was a studio equipment manufacturer with a lot of experience designing and building out new studios, and they just so happened to have a furniture line.
Our studio was small. We had our main Wheatstone L-12 console, three Wheatstone TS-4 talent stations and several I/O boxes that make up a WheatNet-IP audio network. We needed rack space below the counters for the I/O units and we required a free-form countertop that was rugged and fit the flow of our busy format. Itsy Bitsy broadcasts kids programming out to more than 60 percent of the country.
Flexibility
We liked that the QuickLine furniture fit small studios like ours, and the five modules that make up the furniture line can be configured 32 different ways. We could change the layout of the furniture, even from a sit-down to a stand-up position, it if we decided to add on or change our studio later. It had rack cabinets we needed, the right center space for the console, and the right-sized base, plus easy access to the back, which was important for being able to get to all equipment and cabling when needed.
We also liked the price. We might have been able to find an affordable alternative locally, but if so, it wouldn’t be by much.
The furniture was delivered in a small knock-down container that kept the shipping costs reasonable. All the hardware and assembly instructions were included, making it snap to put together. The furniture has been in place for two months and is proving to be very durable.
For information, contact Jay Tyler at Wheatstone in North Carolina at 1-252-638-7000 or visit www.wheatstone.com.
