Digital Snake with Yamaha digital console

BBC Presenter

BBC Introducing Stage

HHB Communications has supplied a significant number of RSS Digital Snake multicore systems to BBC English Regions, which have been allocated to local radio stations all over the UK.  Seventeen stations will each receive a pair of Roland’s new S-1608 Digital Snake multicore systems, teamed with a Yamaha LS9 digital console, to update their multi-mic outside broadcast capabilities.

Explains Martin O'Donnell, HHB Broadcast Sales Manager, "The Corporation’s engineers first saw and discussed the possible applications for the new small-format RSS Digital Snakes on the HHB stand at IBC last year.  Further talks took place at SBES and, with other Corporation OB vehicles using the 32-Ch systems (S4000), the new 16-In/8-Out configuration offered many of the same facilities in an even more compact and lightweight package. With connection options via rugged Neutrik Ethercon on 80-metre CAT5 drums or Neutrik OpticalCon for longer optical runs, the system is very flexible and cost-effective."

Local radio OB vans are being fitted with carry-in equipment consisting of the 64-channel Yamaha LS9 digital console plus two S-0816 front-of-house connection interfaces, with I/O configurations of 8 inputs and 16 outputs, all supplied by HHB. The Roland digital multicores use the REAC (Roland Ethernet Audio Communication) industry-proven, low latency, high-quality 24 bit/ 96 kHz audio transport protocol.  The REAC protocol allows the Digital Snake’s signal to be ‘split’ to as many positions as required, such as monitor, broadcast and recording splits using a RSS S-4000-SP or any standard gigabit Ethernet switch.

BBC Three Counties Radio is one of the first to embrace the potential of the new Digital Snakes, deploying them in the radio station as well as out in the field.  Gareth Lloyd, the energetic presenter of the station's Friday night music show, has already used one to replace the traditional multicore cable-run that accompanies the weekly session with a live band, exploiting the Snake’s easy connectivity.

This summer, Gareth Lloyd and his team used the Digital Snakes and LS9 console to cover eight local music festivals in the Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire area.  Their first outing was to the Rhythms of the World (ROTW) event in Hitchin, 25 miles north of London, once the largest free world music festival…in the world.  Previously staged in the streets of the town, this charming annual event which attracts upwards of 20,000 people has this year relocated to the grounds of a local conference centre, and, by charging £5 a ticket, has massively improved its staging and presentation.

At ROTW, a successful initiative for unsigned bands has been given its own stage, and the local radio team is responsible for live broadcast, live streaming on the internet and multitrack recording of every band's complete set so that highlights can be played through at a future date.

Taking splits from the PA company, the broadcast team uses the two S-1608 Snakes to run 32 channels of audio over 70 metres to the OB van. Apart from the Snakes' convincing weight and size advantages over a traditional copper-cable multicore, Gareth Lloyd can point out other valuable features.  "Firstly, the Snake uses CAT5 which gives us isolation; it’s immune to the hums and buzzes and the high frequency losses that you incur with analogue snakes. There is a digital line socket, so we can provide a CD recorder for the band to burn their own mix.  There are the remote control units, which allow adjustment of incoming levels on stage as well as at our FOH location, so we are always in control.  And there are the headamps, which allow us to store volume settings for the multicore at rehearsal, and recall them for the evening show."

The radio OB team is passionate about audio quality.  Using the Snakes and the LS9 console allows them to stay in the digital domain: by placing high-quality mic-pres on stage, the sound is amplified and converted at the closest point to the sound source, providing the best possible quality audio.  "This is a major issue for us," says Gareth Lloyd.  "We're committed to the unsigned music scene, and the cleaner and better we can make their material sound, the better for all of us."