Bennett Studios Establishes Fiber Optic Recording Link to Historic Harms Theater
Established by Dae Bennett and his father, singer Tony Bennett, Bennett Studios is a 6,500-square-foot facility housed in a 100-year-old Victorian building that once served as the town's railroad depot. Telecast's Adder(tm) 322 audio multiplexers enable the facility to provide a unique recording environment that offers high-quality studio recording of live events and concerts staged at the 1,400-seat theater.
"The reality of the link between the studio and theater is even cooler than the concept," said Dae Bennett, owner, producer, and engineer at Bennett Studios. "The 64-channel fiber connection turns the theater into a huge studio, allowing us to record as though we're working right in our own facility. For artists or groups that perform best in live settings, the link to the theater allows us to capture their sound the way it should be recorded."
Dae Bennett, whose recording experience includes work with top artists ranging from Dizzy Gillespie to Queen Latifah, launched the studio in August 2001. Danny Bennett, Dae's older brother and manager for Tony Bennett, assists with production, contributing his experience in running the "Live by Request" series on A&E. Bennett Studios also provides traditional album production, audio recording for video post-production, prerecorded or live television production, Internet multimedia, and live Webcasting services -- in addition to the live theater recordings that the Adder systems facilitate.
"I built the Adder into our fiber optic connection because it's a reliable and well-made system that I knew would give us the hands-on control we need to keep things running smoothly during live events," added Bennett. "Because it's a permanent yet flexible system, we have the freedom to adjust our setup for different kinds of recording, without having to worry about technical problems interfering with a session."
An Adder 322 installed on either end of the underground fiber connection provides 64 channels of audio, up to 8 channels of video, and RS 232/422 data signals, as well as Clear-Com® intercom communications from a panel located just offstage. The mic panel may be fed directly to the studio during recording sessions or, during live performances, split off the house system without reductions in signal quality. The two facilities are visually connected via line-of-sight cameras that provide video to the studio's control rooms. The theater is designed to accommodate a video truck for cost-effective, broadcast-quality production of musical and theatrical productions.
Telecast's Adder multiplexers comprise the industry's only line of portable, fiber optic audio systems. The modular Adder systems transparently transport custom combinations of line or microphone source channels and return audios, as well as up to six intercom channels, four high-speed data lines, and two GPI switch closure interfaces in each direction -- all on one optical fiber conductor.
"We are extremely proud to work with a world-class organization like Bennett Studios," said Richard A. Cerny, president of Telecast Fiber Systems. "This installation marks an important step in the evolution of the entertainment and recording industries -- both for the recording artists who will profit from the high-quality live recordings, and for Telecast with the opportunity to introduce our equipment to state-of-the-art recording facilities."
About Telecast Fiber Systems, Inc.
Telecast Fiber Systems, Inc. is the leader in portable and fixed fiber optic systems for television broadcast production. The company's video, audio, and communications systems are used worldwide by TV networks, teleproduction companies, telecommunications providers, and private and government institutions and facilities. More information on the company can be found at www.telecast-fiber.com.