BBC Studioworks has invested in the latest technology for Kelvin Hall, while ensuring consistency with its other studios and the ability to easily adapt as technology continues to evolve. As well as installing HD facilities to ensure the best possible picture quality, Kelvin Hall features high quality audio equipment for pristine broadcast-grade sound. Resilient internet connectivity together with hardwired and radio communication systems ensures an enhanced level of robustness in production communications, user flexibility and performance.

Sustainability has been a key driver in the studio design. As part of a wider redevelopment initiative at the site, it repurposes a previously derelict section of a historically important building. The studio has been designed without dimmers to support LED and low energy lighting technology. The reduced heat generated by the low energy lighting has enabled the use of air-source heat pump technology for heating and cooling, and the ventilation plant has class-leading efficiency using heat recovery systems. The studio will reduce the carbon footprint of local TV production and fuel the growth of the sector by boosting local employment.

Technical equipment installed at Kelvin Hall:

Cameras, visions mixers and monitors

• Six Sony HDC-3200 studio cameras. The 3200 is Sony’s latest model which has a native UHD 4K image sensor and can easily be upgraded to UHD.
• Sony XVS7000 vision switcher, LMD and A9 OLED monitors for control room monitoring.

Hardwired and radio communications systems

• 32 Riedel Bolero radio beltpacks with the distributed Artist fibre-based intercom platform and for external comms, VOIP codecs.
• A Grass Valley Sirius routing platform solution to support the most challenging applications in a live production environment and to ensure easy adoption of future technology innovations.

Audio

• Studer Vista X large-scale audio processing solution that provides pristine sound for broadcast.
• Calrec Type R grams mixing desk. A super-sized grams desk providing ample space for the operation of the Type R desk and associated devices, such as Spot On instant replay machines.
• A Reaper multi track recording server.

Lighting

• ETC Ion XE20 lighting desk and an ETC DMXLan lighting network.
• 108 lighting bars with a mix of 16A and 32A outlets (if tungsten is required).
• 48 Desisti F10 Vari-White Fresnels.
• 24 ETC Source 4 Series 3 Lustr X8 coming early 2023.