The DirectOut PRODIGY.MP helps provide flexible audio routing and processing at Germany’s largest rock music festivals Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park.
The DirectOut PRODIGY.MP has proved to be a popular device in the live sound world. With four units being used during Lewis Capaldi’s recent festival run and several more providing the foundations to the audio infrastructure at the Eurovision Song Contest in Turin, the PRODIGY Series has built a reputation as a powerful problem solver for complex audio systems.
The PRODIGY.MP also played an integral role in the audio infrastructure implemented on the main stages of Germany’s largest music festivals, Rock am Ring and its sibling, Rock im Park.
Set in the grounds of the Nurburgring – a world famous motor-racing circuit – Rock am Ring has been a mainstay of the German festival circuit since 1985, where 75,000 were in attendance to celebrate the opening of the brand new Formula 1 circuit on the Nurburgring complex. The festival’s popularity saw a second festival launched in 1993, taking place in Vienna before finding a permanent home in Nuremberg and being named Rock im Park.
This summer, 165,000 festival goers were treated to headline sets from rock royalty Muse, Green Day and Volbeat, as well as performances from a wide range of acts across rock and its many sub-genres.
“The signal processing possibilities in the PRODIGY.MP DSP matrix are so comprehensive that we used it as a complete system matrix.”
Music festivals present a unique challenge when it comes to audio. Whilst traditional live performances may feature only a single mixing console at Front of House, festivals bring many acts together on one stage and therefore have more complex audio needs.
With twenty bands taking to the main stage at both Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park across the weekend, each with their own mixing console and other audio equipment, as well as the need for dedicated emergency announcements and dedicated mixes for outside broadcast, having a flexible central system was incredibly important to those in charge of sound at the festivals.
Philipp Knoll, head of audio from Scenotech had the responsibility of finding a solution that would fit the requirements of the festival. Thanks to its modular design philosophy and incredibly powerful signal processing capabilities, DirectOut’s PRODIGY.MP was the perfect fit.
“With the two PRODIGY.MP units in the setup, we had a technically stable and flexible solution for signal transfer from the guest consoles of the individual bands – across formats and with fallback options,” Philipp recalls.
“In addition, we were able to integrate the necessary signal paths for emergency announcements for escape, and to provide individual sums for recording and stem mixes to the OB Van. The signal processing possibilities in the PRODIGY.MP DSP matrix are so comprehensive that we used it as a complete system matrix.”
PRODIGY.MP – Multi Function Audio Processor
The DirectOut PRODIGY.MP combines modular I/O with dual network audio connections and powerful FPGA-based DSP to create a powerful device perfectly suited for handling complex real-time audio environments.
The modular design approach of the PRODIGY.MP means it can be specified to meet the requirements of any scenario. With a wide selection of modules available, DirectOut’s Multi-Function Audio Processor is designed to perform flawless in a wide range of applications across live sound, broadcast, installation, and studio.
Simultaneous operation of network audio formats is available and thanks to its Sample Rate Converter, the PRODIGY.MP can run both networks at different clock rates. This allows for flawless operation between formats like Dante and Ravenna, as well as direct channel-by-channel routing capability.
The PRODIGY.MP is designed around four local I/O slots that can be fitted with a range of analogue and digital AES-3 options for up to 32 channels. Alongside the local I/O and dual network audio options, two MADI connections are available as well as front panel headphone outputs. When combining all of its I/O options, the PRODIGY.MP is capable of handling a staggering 416 input and 420 output channels.
This flexibility made the PRODIGY.MP the perfect fit for the complex needs of the audio system at both Rock am Ring and Rock im Park, handling multiple audio consoles impeccably regardless of audio format and clocking whilst also providing redundancy and audio system failure solutions.
Find out more about the PRODIGY.MP
Digital Signal Processing
In only 4U of rack space, the two PRODIGY.MPs used on each festival offered comprehensive and flexible signal processing and routing.
Alongside its routing capabilities, the PRODIGY.MP includes a powerful DSP engine that provides 96 built-in DSP plugins. Everything from simple channel controls like gain levels and mute functions is covered, as well as signal processing with on-board EQ, dynamics and other effects.
On-board routing and summing matrices make light work of complex applications, whilst control is handled with ease by Globcon. Channels can be routed either side of the DSP engine for maximum flexibility, whilst loudspeaker management tools remove the need for dedicated management hardware systems.
For users of Waves SoundGrid, a further 128 external plugins are available via the hardware I/O module, allowing for integration with Waves servers for additional plug-in inserts and extremely low latency audio transport. Virtual soundcards can also be added for both macOS and Windows, making it possible to interface with any DAW for multitrack recording and virtual sound-checks.
Globcon – Global Control Software
With such involved routings, ease of use and control functionality are of the utmost importance. With that in mind, DirectOut opted for Globcon as the management platform of the PRODIGY series. Globcon – short for Global Control – is a free-to-download tool designed to provide comprehensive management of professional production equipment. Designed by industry professionals for use by industry professionals, Globcon has set out to create a standardized system for multiple manufacturers’ devices for consistent control.
At both Rock am Ring and Rock im Park, Globcon enabled different display layouts to be recalled simply by pressing a button, allowing quick access to all necessary functions (mute, level) and metering simply and intuitively.
Globcon also allows for advanced management of the PRODIGY.MP’s on-board matrices and flex channels, allowing for more precise control than by just using the front panel display. For recording the festivals, the stereo sums of the individual FOH mixing consoles and premixes of additional signals (auxes) were managed by a further 16×4 matrix, and presented to both PRODIGY systems via analogue, AES and Dante 48kHz having been routed via a limiter plug-in.
PRODIGY Series Licensing Options
For the intricate needs of the audio systems at Rock am Ring and Rock im Park, having access to the full power of the PRODIGY.MP and its DSP and routing capabilities was the perfect solution.
For some applications though, simply having access to the modular mainframe and the correct I/O for the job is all that is required.
For this reason, DirectOut offer the PRODIGY series with a software licensing model that brings different features at each level, providing a range of options for different budgets. The PRODIGY Series licensing is available in three different versions.
It starts with Essential, which delivers the PRODIGY without DSP, but with all the switching and redundancy options available.
From there, PRODIGY.MP Advanced brings powerful DSP capabilities to the device. This includes Dynamics, Delay and EQ effects, as well as input management tools, flex channels and up to 16 Mix Matrices for freely assigning DSP to channel groups.
Finally, PRODIGY.MP Unlimited takes the incredible DSP capabilities of Advanced whilst giving access to all future options and licenses, meaning your PRODIGY device is ready for any improvements DirectOut make down the line. Software licensing means that if your needs change, so can your license, meaning access to DSP is only a matter of clicks away when required.
Learn more about PRODIGY Series licensing options
Our thanks to DirectOut for sharing the story. For a more in-depth look at the routing and system design used at the festivals, check out the full article on the DirectOut site.