Production automation has been an important trend in studio production for over a decade, and 91ɫ’s OverDrive solution has been deployed over four hundred times internationally, making it the industry’s preferred choice for highly controllable, consistent and repeatable results in the studio.
The latest versions of OverDrive (V19.3) and Caprica (V6.3) are now available and include a new Audio Lock feature enabling operators to lock or unlock specific audio channels so that automation events are overridden. This is ideal for breaking news and unexpected interview situations or mic issues. Additionally, new Virtual Keyers and Inputs allow for up to thirty-two external display devices to be controlled by a single template without using any primary switcher resources. Bus-based custom controls have also been added, simplifying the whole process of triggering devices without the need for complicated logic or user intervention. Finally, a new Live Preview feature lets operators view live video streams in the user interface and interact with sources, reducing the time spent locating video sources on a MultiViewer.
Mike Paquin, Product Manager for Automation Production & Control, highlights the issue of scalability when considering these new updates. “The ability to use new Virtual Inputs and Keyers enables our customers to create scalable plans for disaster recovery and redundancy,” he notes. “The new features also make it easy for customers with a show built on a large production switcher such as a Ross Acuity to then move the production to a studio with a smaller switcher such as a Carbonite, with much less of an impact on device control and on-set displays.”
Finally, both new versions provide a host of small additional improvements that will make a big difference to customers in terms of their day-to-day work. “A customizable RundownControl interface, CG timing updates to an on-air story that dynamically update, and a new default icon set all help ensure that OverDrive remains the most intuitive and user-friendly solution available,” Paquin says.
To view the Ross Live | 2020 “The Latest in Production Automation & Control” Tech Talk, click here.
For complete details about the entire OverDrive family, click here.