Recently, the Hobart Studio for WIN TV required a permanent relocation, and moving at the best of times is something of an ordeal even when moving to a purpose built studio site; unfortunately for WIN TV Hobart this was not an option. Luckily, a new studio site was found for this local news studio, but unfortunately was located within a commercial office space.
Setting up a live news studio within a working commercial office space brought a number of problems and with an urgent need for a quick turnaround, Anthony Colquhoun – Network Engineering Manager for WIN Corporation, turned to Jands for a complete and customized solutions, which could be implemented quickly and efficiently.
Conventional implementation would suggest that WIN TV install tungsten lighting, purpose built sound isolation in the walls and ceilings, and purpose built audio systems for monitoring, none of which were pre-existing in the studio space; however, technologies in the industry have rapidly improved resulting in a non-conventional solution.
Chroma-Q Studio Force D12 LED Lighting fixtures were used to overcome the heat produced by traditional tungsten lighting which would conflict with the pre-installed ducted air conditioning system found within this new office space. Selecting Chroma-Q LED Lights also meant that WIN TV Hobart would be able to switch to a controlled 5600K colour temperature LED, which would mix seamlessly with any outside light pollution bleeding in from office windows. This accomplished two things: allowed for the studio shots to look natural and well lit, while also saving on the electric bill!
The low profile of the Chroma-Q Studio Force D12s fit easily into low ceiling areas without intruding downward into studio traffic areas. They also have a wide beam angle giving a soft, even spread of light. By adding diffusion filtering to the front of the LED lights it is possible to light a very wide area with a small number of fixtures, further reducing the power consumption and heat for the studio.
The Chroma-Q LEDs selected have a pleasing impact on power consumption, with LED lighting typically reducing power consumption by around 80-90% compared to conventional tungsten fixtures.
With just a small number of LED lights to control, WIN TV was able to fully utilize the Jands Stage CL lighting console, specifically designed to simply and easily control LED lighting, offering beginner to advanced control functions for inexperienced to advanced TV technicians. The Jands Stage CL console occupied a very small footprint in terms of required desk space, which is perfect for the already compact studio space WIN TV Hobart occupied, while still able to deliver a sophisticated lighting solution.
The sole purpose of the studio is for News broadcasting, and as such a lighting grid was not required. Anthony opted for a Jands JLX-PRO modular pre-wired lighting bar system configured in a fixed pattern.
“We just needed to make sure we put lights where we needed them which was tricky but successful in the end,” added Anthony.
With a working studio setup within an office space, another issue was dealing with sound pollution from surrounding office areas. Jands’ solution was to install heavy drapes which work to both control external light and sound from bleeding into the studio space, as well as studio light and sound escaping into the office areas. The studio is surrounded by a fixed wall boundary, and by adding the heavy drapes, the sound isolation was excellent.
Additional Chromakey drapes were included so that keyed backgrounds could be included when needed. A separate smaller Chromakey area was included at one side of the studio to allow for the weather presenter to have a separate, but integrated area within the studio.
The final touches to the studio were JBL EON510 fold-back speakers, which were hung in the studio giving substantial audio response on the floor. With the heavy drapes isolating the studio space, there is no distraction to the outer office area. Anthony is extremely pleased with the entire solution and how well it came together.
“They do what they’re meant to do!” he declared.
