The setup was similar to the 2009 event, with three stages facilitating the rapid changeovers required for the live televised event.
FOH duties were handled by two XL8s, one taking care of the 72-piece Norwegian Radio Orchestra, leaving the second console free for visiting engineers to mix their own artists, and for MCs Denzel Washington and Anne Hathaway. This year's stellar lineup included Herbie Hancock, Barry Manilow, Florence and the Machine, Jamiroquai, AR Rahman, Robyn and violinist Joshua Bell.
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 two PRO6s and a PRO9, 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, the PRO6s and PRO9 were 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 Midas systems were flawless, allowing the show to run smoothly and sound great!" says AVAB-CAC project manager Geir Ostensjo. "The Midas network again proved to be easy to deploy, flexible and reliable, one of the major requirements of this show."
This year's prize was awarded to Chinese human rights activist Liu Xiabo, who became the fourth person to receive the prize while imprisoned or detained.
(Jim Evans)
