- Music Matters Productions specializes in high-end audio-visual for festivals, activations, cruises, and more.
- To meet new demands, the company turned to the Roland V-600UHD.
- Recent clients include Perpetual Groove and Wale as well as video shoots for Jack Harlow and DaniLeigh.
Music Matters Productions describes itself as “a one-stop event production shop.” The Georgia-based company specializes in high-end audio-visual for festivals, activations, cruises, and more. Faced with creating socially distanced and virtual events, Music Matters employed several new approaches. These include their innovative In the Round performance space.
New Demands
To meet these 2020’s new demands, the company turned to the Roland V-600UHD. “We purchased the V-600UHD to deploy it in a variety of events,” explains owner and Production Designer Aaron Soriero. “From corporate shows to the standard five-camera package for a music festival where they need IMAG.”
To that end, Music Matters also built a new control room. “It was a necessary pivot brought on by the pandemic,” shares Nauman Lalani, Director of Special Projects. “We needed a dedicated hub for all things video related to the In the Round performance space.”
The team ran 12G SDI cables from the performance space to the conference room along with communication and ethernet lines. This provided control over all aspects of video. “We have the Roland video switcher along with production monitors and a controller. This is the brain of the broadcast,” says Lalani. “The program goes from the switcher through our chain to whichever content delivery platform the client prefers.”
We missed the stages, the lights, the crowds, and the music. We knew we had to do something to help in getting events back in front of crowds in a safe capacity.
In the Round Strikes a Chord
In the Round events are part of the new reality entertainment is navigating. “Our creators worked overtime to figure out the best way to fill the void left by in-person events,” says Soriero. “We missed the stages, the lights, the crowds, and the music.” In the end, it was a no-brainer. “We knew we had to do something to help in getting events back in front of crowds in a safe capacity.”
In the Round was an immediate hit. Soriero explains: “We birthed it out of curiosity and ingenuity. With Levittron Concepts, we conceptualized, rendered, and constructed a structure for virtual events.”
Indeed, the look of the space is visually striking. “In the Round is a unique experience for fans and artists alike,” adds Lalani. “There is a full 360° 15-foot LED wall, full lighting and sound package. Along with the technology for any livestreaming need, it’s perfect for hosting a virtual show with fans or filming a music video or segment.”
Recent clients include Perpetual Groove and Wale as well as video shoots for Jack Harlow and DaniLeigh. Another highlight was a segment with 2Chainz for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. “There is great energy inside of the space. The picture and sound quality blow bands and artists away,” Lalani enthuses. “It’s been a fun ride. We’re excited to continue hosting clients for their video shoots and events in the coming months.”
There is great energy inside of the space. The picture and sound quality blow bands and artists away, it’s been a fun ride. We’re excited to continue hosting clients for their video shoots and events in the coming months.
When Music Matters needed a switcher to handle 3840×2160 inputs and outputs, they chose the Roland V-600UHD. “After looking at the options, the V-600UHD was the choice,” says Lalani. It delivers streams in 4K along with receiving multiple 4K inputs from cameras and output a single 4K video signal.”
Pixel Perfect
The company provides immaculate visuals and the Roland V-600UHD helps make this possible. “Because the resolution of the video wall is 9972 x 1344, we need to get as many pixels as possible out of the switcher.”
One particular feature of the V-600UHD provided an immediate upgrade to Music Matters’ workflow. “The V-600UHD proved itself as an improvement to our efficiency. Thanks to the built-in scaler, it took over and was able to make everything 3840 x 2160 60 FPS. This helped sync all our cameras together for an optimal experience.”
One of the biggest bonuses we noticed during a livestream was the ability to add lower thirds instantaneously.
A Pleasant Surprise
Some benefits were a pleasant surprise. “One of the biggest bonuses we noticed during a livestream was the ability to add lower thirds instantaneously,” recalls Lalani. “The V-600UHD allowed us to plug a flash drive with the content right in and key on top of the cameras. This is great for our artists and allows key branding moments throughout streaming.”
With the groundbreaking work at Music Matters, they envision many uses for the V-600UHD. “It’s a great product that can work in many ways and integrates well with our gear,” says Soriero.
Music Matters sees the V-600UHD as integral to their setup. “We’re seeing a lot of corporate events. Clients ask for a basic three-camera shoot with one or two computers for content playback,” Lalani explains. “The ability to do 4K with this switcher works well with our other gear to push a 4K signal downstream to our LED Walls and monitors.”
