Colorado production company deploys Opal and VH2
SteeleBoy Productions is a Denver-based TV and audio production company that has been in operation since 1996. “I got into radio in the ’80s; then in the mid-90s, I began doing audio work for studios in Denver that were making infomercials. I’d pull up with everything in my truck, and do their audio sweetening on-site,” said Dirk Steele, owner of SteeleBoy.
“Eventually I decided that I needed a physical location to operate from, so I opened the studio and we’ve been doing both audio and video there ever since.”
One of their recurring monthly projects is “Living Full Out,” a radio show hosted by Nancy Solari from her home studio in California, where she seamlessly connects to the SteeleBoy studio through a Comrex BRIC-Link.
Each “Living Full Out” episode includes multiple segments. One segment is a caller looking for guidance from the host, followed by an interview with an inspirational guest who has wisdom to offer the audience.
To get the best possible audio from these callers, SteeleBoy has two solutions: Comrex VH2 for those who only have traditional dial tone service, and Comrex Opal for those who have access to IP calling.
Dirk Steele began using VH2, a VoIP two-line phone hybrid, after his old POTS hybrid began to fail.
“It was getting old, and when looking for replacements, I just couldn’t guarantee that the traditional copper pair telephone lines were always going to be available,” Steele told Comrex.
“And the beauty of VH2 is it sounds much better than a traditional POTS hybrid. I’m getting better quality than I would be able to otherwise.”
Cost savings is a benefit when it comes to using VH2. “I do still keep one POTS line active, in case I need it, and it costs me about $80 per month through the phone company. But the SIP service for the VH2 costs me less than $20. It’s negligible.”
While VH2 is suitable for bridging phone calls, sometimes SteeleBoy’s clients want to bring in guests who are thousands of miles away and have them sound like they’re “next door.”
In those cases, they use Opal, an IP audio gateway that enables guests to connect to the studio through a web browser using a unique custom hyperlink.
“The last time I used it was to connect a guest in England to an audio podcast we were recording here in Denver,” said Steele. “It was so easy for them to connect, and it sounded far better than a regular dial-in phone would.”
There was a learning curve when it came to implementing SIP for the VH2, but Steele was ready to tackle it.
“I felt confident about bringing this new equipment in because I knew that if I called tech support, they’d be able to help me,” he said. “As an engineer with my own studio, it’s good to know that I’ve got a lifeline. They’ve always been Johnny-on-the-spot and able to help me out.”