Sonifex has recently undertaken an unusual request to modify a selection of Redboxes supplied to Total Audio Solutions. Whilst it is not unusual for Sonifex to carry out modifications on products to fulfil specific customer requirements, such modifications have, up to now, been technical in nature. This particular modification, however, was simply to change the distinctive anodised red exterior of the Redboxes to black. Total Audio Solutions made this request as they wanted the Redboxes to tone in with the rest of the state of the art equipment in the new TArdiS, which stands for "Total Audio roving digital integrated Studio" - the outside broadcast vehicle that was displayed at the UK's SBES show in November 2000.
The Redboxes supplied are from the digital and analogue audio distribution series and the converter series. These include the RB-DA6 6 way stereo or 12 way mono distribution amplifier, the RB-BL2 unbalanced to balanced bi-directional converter, and the RB-DDA6A and RB-DDA6S digital distribution amplifiers, in AES/EBU and S/PDIF formats.
Sonifex's Managing Director, Marcus Brooke commented : "We're always happy to customise our products to fit particular applications and in this case, the black Redboxes look excellent in the interior of the TardiS."
The TArdiS as a choice of name is not entirely coincidental. Like it's sci-fi counterpart, it is futuristic in appearance, uses very sophisticated equipment and, because of the enormous range of facilities on offer - 24 bit digital audio throughout, 48 input 32 track capable with programmable talkback and radio mic facilities, the inside of the van seems much bigger than the outside. The staff additionally have high credentials having spent a minimum of 6 years using BBC OB trucks. The TArdiS is already much in demand and has covered some high profile events for, amongst others, BBC Radios 2, 3 and 4, and Channel 4 TV, as well as coverage for BBC TV's 'The Weakest Link' and 'Songs of Praise'.
