Midas digital network covers 2009 Nobel Peace Prize concert
The 2009 Nobel Peace Prize Concert took place at the Oslo Spektrum in December, with the live show and broadcast once again handled by a sophisticated network of Midas digital consoles. Norwegian audio company AVAB-CAC deployed two Midas XL8 live performance systems and three PRO6 live audio systems, extensively utilising the AES50 networking to maximum effect.
The setup was similar to the 2008 event, with three stages facilitating the rapid changeovers required for the live televised event. However this year, a house band provided musical backing for three of the artists.
FOH duties were handled by two XL8s, one taking care of the 72-piece Norwegian Radio Orchestra and the house band, leaving the second console free for visiting engineers to mix their own artists, and for MCs Will and Jada Smith. This year’s lineup included Donna Summer, Westlife, Wycliffe Jean and Amadou and Mariam.
To interface with the many audio sources, AVAB-CAC employed 192 channels of Midas DL431 active mic splitter, plus a number of Midas DL451 and DL351 modular I/O devices, totalling nearly 400 inputs, all of which were accessible to all five consoles via the AES50 network. The DL431 splitters also provided pristine audio feeds to the NRK TV trucks for simultaneous TV broadcast.
Stage sound was provided by three PRO6s, one for each of the three stages, supplying numerous in-ear mixes for bands and orchestra, as well as to the multiple floor monitors across all three stages. As well as mixing monitors for its own stage, each PRO6 was also used to create multiple stem mixes of its performance, which could then be accessed from the combined network by the other consoles. This was essential during the grand finale, when all the performers, plus the orchestra and a choir, spread across all three stages, needing to keep in time and in tune for the final number.
“The system worked so well, and that fact that it sounded amazing on the night was mainly because of the Midas consoles,” says AVAB-CAC’S monitor engineer Per Ola Holden. “All of the band’s engineers were impressed. We couldn’t do this complicated show without the Midas network.”
With current US president Barack Obama winning this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, the ceremony was always going to attract a lot of media attention. The fact it remained in synch with the TV broadcasters’ critical time schedule is a tribute to the reliability of Midas digital, and the skill of the AVAB-CAC personnel.
Photo: Midas XL8s at FOH for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize concert
Photo credit: Nigel Jopson