The year 2020 was destined to be extraordinary. The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 swept across the globe, disrupting the pace of the world. At the same time, it was also a year marked by significant milestones, such as China’s Chang’e-5 lunar mission and the U.S. presidential election. Amid numerous major global and domestic events, DMTPro also experienced a year of challenges and achievements. Despite the difficulties, the entire DMTPro team worked together with dedicated professional users to deliver a number of outstanding and high-quality projects. Today, we present the surround sound audio production system built by DMTPro for the Beijing Radio & Television Station Winter Olympics Documentary 4K UHD Channel project.

4K UHD production and broadcasting technology represents the mainstream direction of development in the television industry. It serves as a foundational technology for applications such as live sports broadcasting, variety entertainment production, and high-quality documentary filmmaking, while also offering strong potential for cross-industry integration. In order to align with the evolving trends in broadcast technology and meet the requirements of the Beijing Winter Olympics, Beijing Radio & Television Station initiated the construction of its Winter Olympics Documentary 4K UHD Channel. This project aims to enhance the station’s brand influence, accelerate technological upgrades in Beijing’s broadcasting industry, and support comprehensive media coverage of the Winter Olympics.

The newly built surround sound audio production system is centered around the Avid S4 control surface, Pro Tools HDX2 workstation, and NEXIS | E2 storage system. It integrates multiple functions including live recording, dubbing, post-production, editing and mixing, and shared storage. The system supports high-quality production in mono, stereo, and surround formats for sports events, feature programs, documentaries, and variety shows.

The Avid S4 control surface features a 4-frame, 16-fader configuration with a joystick module for surround panning. Powered by EUCON technology, it enables precise, flexible, and deep DAW integration. Through its touchscreen and surface controls, users can directly access and control Pro Tools—from plugin editing and automation writing to executing complex tasks—quickly and efficiently. This greatly enhances workflow efficiency and allows engineers to handle demanding production scenarios with ease.

The Avid Pro Tools workstation delivers the renowned performance and reliability expected from the platform. Paired with the powerful MTRX multifunction matrix, the system provides 128 channels of MADI routing and 64 channels of Dante routing. It also integrates seamlessly with legacy in-studio equipment, offering connectivity for traditional playback sources such as MD, cassette decks, and DVD players. The system is equipped with a comprehensive suite of industry-standard audio processing plugins, including the Mercury bundle, AutoTune Pro, and iZotope RX post-production restoration tools. To meet 4K video encoding requirements, a Dolby E codec plugin package has been added, enabling Dolby E encoding for audio export. In addition to audio processing, the Pro Tools workstation supports collaborative workflows with video editing systems and provides remote control of Sony video recorders.

The Avid NEXIS | E2 storage system is an intelligent shared storage solution designed for real-time media production, offering both the reliability required today and the scalability needed for future expansion. It enables true cross-platform file-level sharing across Windows, macOS, and Linux clients. With support for Avid DNxHD media, the system facilitates seamless collaboration between different types of workstations, such as audio and video editing systems, significantly improving production efficiency. This powerful storage platform provides exceptional flexibility, control, and scalability for managing large volumes of audio assets.

For monitoring, the system utilizes Genelec 8341A three-way DSP coaxial active monitors. With built-in DSP processing, the monitoring system can be finely tuned to match the acoustic characteristics of the control room, ensuring accurate and transparent sound reproduction. An RTW TM9 9-inch desktop multichannel audio meter is also deployed for surround loudness and phase analysis and monitoring.

Additionally, the Focusrite RedNet AM2 Dante headphone amplifier is worth highlighting. Leveraging the latest AoIP technology via Dante connectivity, it allows engineers to freely switch monitoring between the control room and studio environments through headphones. Its refined build quality and compact design also add a distinctive visual accent to the control room.

The project began equipment delivery and system integration in mid-October 2020 and has since been completed and is now operating reliably. During the installation process, the project received strong support and assistance from the station’s staff, for which DMTPro expresses sincere gratitude. Moving forward, DMTPro will continue to strive for excellence and collaborate with professional clients nationwide to deliver more high-quality projects.