THE HALL, a prestigious event venue in Zurich that has won three Swiss Location Awards, has upgraded its audiovisual (AV) infrastructure to better meet the demands of modern events. The upgrade includes new equipment from Blackmagic Design, enhancing the venue's ability to handle live productions and streaming.
New Equipment Enhances Live Production
Swiss system integrator Event AG planned and executed the AV solution for THE HALL in 2017. The recent refresh includes the installation of a virtual LED stage with XR capabilities, powered by Unreal Engine and DeckLink 8K Pro capture cards.
The multicamera production setup now features 11 URSA Broadcast G2 cameras, chosen for their modern film look and versatility. These cameras are routed to two new ATEM Constellation 8K live production switchers in the main gallery.
Flexible and Scalable Solutions
The ICF Church, a regular user of THE HALL's facilities, plays a significant role in this upgrade. Simon Bachofen, project manager and product manager for video at Event AG, highlights that “The URSA Broadcast G2 delivers nice colors with less noise, and the interchangeable lens mount makes these cameras more versatile.”
The venue also boasts a new 3D cable camera system, featuring an URSA Broadcast G2 rigged with fiber optics for video, CCU signals, and control. For large-scale events like weekly church services, content is streamed and recorded on a 120 m² 4K LED wall managed by a Barco E2 Event Master processor.
Signal Management and Versatility
The AV solution incorporates Universal Videohub 288 x 288 and Universal Videohub 72 x 72, along with three Smart Videohub 12G 40 x 40 routers. DeckLink and UltraStudio capture and playback cards are used for fill and key signals across the venue.
For smaller live streams throughout the week, ICF uses an ATEM Mini Extreme ISO switcher alongside multiple Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6Ks. Marco Rychlik, technical director at ICF Church, notes that “The existing ecosystem has been successfully used since 2017, making Blackmagic products a natural choice for the latest upgrade.”
The church's Sunday service, called the “Celebration,” is streamed on its YouTube channel and broadcast on television. Rychlik emphasizes that the solution must be simple to set up and easy to use, given the frequent changes in volunteer teams.