Tour our studios
|
Our studio complex consists of three
rooms: two are on-air capable studios and the third
is our reception room and gram library.The studio plan
on the right gives you an idea of the geography of our
studio complex.
The corridor from the main entrance (bottom right)
gives access to all the rooms.
There is a window between Studio One and the Gram
Library, but sadly there is no line of sight between
Studio One and Studio Two - however, there is a talkback
system to allow easy communication.
Studio Two was built several years after we moved
in to the new hospital and because there's a fire wall
separating the two studios meant it wasn't possible
for a window to be installed! It also means installing
equipment on the walls isn't easy!
Click on sections of the plan to find out more.
|
|
Studio
one
Originally built at the same time as the hospital
in 1989, updated to incorporate a computer based play-out
system in 1999 and refitted in August 2005, Studio One
is our main on-air facility.
All our music is stored on a server housed in the
gram library. The play-out client in Studio One is used
in live assist mode for programmes with presenters,
but also automates the station during overnight sequences.
Although we rely heavily on the computer for broadcasting,
Studio One also has cd and mini-disk players which act
a back-up in case of a server crash!
Another computer is linked to our intranet system
(we call it HWD Hospital Radio On Screen) which provides
presenters with information about what's happening on
the station, promotional scripts and special events.
A third computer is provided by the Hospital Trust
for access to NHS Net, the hospital's intranet, and
the internet.
|
|
|
Studio two
Studio Two, which was refitted in August 2007, is
smaller than the main on air studio, but the equipment
is the same and it can easily be used on air if required.
This studio was built several years after the main
studio and gram library when the hospital found they
had some unused floor space - originally Studio Two
was a store cupboard for old tvs and other junk and
converting it into a proper room fit for habitation
meant building more walls and knocking through a door
from our corridor.
Studio Two is a really valuable resource and is used
for new presenter training, pre-production, pre-recorded
interviews and show preparation.
Like Studio One, the computer has instant access to
all our music, trails and jingles at the click of a
mouse. This computer is also loaded with audio editing
software so can be used for pre-producing programme
items, editing packages and playing in as-live clips.
|
Gram
library/reception room/server room
Depending on who you are depends on what you call
our third room - so please take your pick!
The gram library houses our complete collection of
singles and albums - we think we've got something in
the order of 6,500 pieces of vinyl, probably one of
the largest collections in the whole of the county!
Every item is computer catalogued for easy reference,
which is particularly useful for our very popular Sunday
request programme "You Pick The Mix".
The library also houses the server which runs our
computer network. There are two on-air machines, production
workstations for the gram library and Studio One, an
autorecorder for IRN cuts and station logging, an information
server which runs our hospital-wide teletext service
along with a PC that controls access to the complex
via a TDSI software suite. Again, the Hospital Trust
have supplied a PC for access to NHS Net.
Station output monitoring is provided via a mini Canford
Audio speaker (under the monitor mounted on the wall)
and a mini-listening area.
|
A view of our
third room |
|
|
|
