The EBU opened a newly improved Euroradio Control Centre (ERC) in the summer of 2004.

The ERC is primarily responsible for all transmissions over the Euroradio satellite and MusiPop networks. The ERC is a 64x32 AES/EBU digital switching centre. Daily responsibilities involve the distribution of classical concerts, operas, rock, pop and world music via the SATMUSIC automation system. The ERC is also responsible for the management of Musipop network content and FTP transfers and edits.

Concerts may be contributed to the ERC in the following ways;

• FTP FLAC files (file transfer protocol)
• DVD R +- media  (standard WAV or FLAC format)
• CD-rom  (.CDA, .WAV or FLAC format, though not recommended)
• ISDN  (Layer 2/3/AAC, APT-X)

  The EBU uses dBpower AMP software to convert the various audio coding formats to suit our needs. Concerts can also be edited in the ERC to be broadcast ready using Adobe Audition ver 1.5. The ERC has a dedicated FTP site via which members stations may send or receive files. If you are sending files to Geneva, please inform us of this by sending an email to cutliffe@eurovision.net

  To UPLOAD FLAC files to Geneva : ftp://mbrupload:ftp2euroradio@ftp.ebu.ch

  To DOWNLOAD files from Geneva :  ftp://mbrdownload:ftp2euroradio@ftp.ebu.ch

  The FTP client server used in Geneva is FileZilla. 

  Evening times involve the allocation of satellite channels to gateway stations for the broadcast of live events, anywhere from Los Angeles to Moscow! 

  This control centre is located on the ground floor of the EBU headquarters, opposite the Eurovision Control Centre (EVC). 

  There are approximately 2,500 transmissions per annum, carried over two dedicated 2Mbit/s channels on the Eutelsat W3 7° east satellite. The ERC is not generally staffed outside normal office hours, therefore please contact the EVC for assistance (Contacts). The EVC is staffed 24hours a day. 

  ERC facilities include: 

  • Comtech EF DATA CDM-570L L-band modems x 2 (installed December 2005)
  • 2 x 2Mbit/s Transmit chains & 2 x 2Mbit/s Receive chains (J.57 APT World Net Oslo on both satellite chains)
  • Genelec 1030A speakers
  • NVISION 1050 sample rate convertors slaved to satellite outputs
  • Encoda Systems/McCurdy M/2000 automatic switcher PC's (main & reserve)
  • QUARTZ 64 x 32 AES/EBU digital matrix
  • Soundcraft RM1d digital console (6 channel)
  • Mayah Centauri I 3001 ISDN codec (connected to 6b channels)
  • Telos Zephyr Xstream  ISDN codec (connected to 2b channels)
  • Mayah Centauri II 3001 ISDN & IP codec (connected to 6b channels)
  • Mayah Centauri I 3001 ISDN codec (connected to 6b channels)
  • Hard disc recorder/player DELL PC x 2 (for linear and manual FLAC recordings)
  • Lindos test equipment
  • HHB burnIT Plus CD player/writers
  • Bi-directional Fibre optic connection with the Metropolitan Opera, New York (APT Eclipse unit. coding APT @ 576KBPS)
  • Stereo Fibre optic connection x 1 to the Stern, Frankfurt
  • Prospect conference matrix (8 channel)
  • YouCom StudioSet G.711 auto-answer digital telephone hybrid (2 lines)                                    

  
  Eutelsat W3 7° East RADIO frequencies: 

  • SAT channel RAVEL (EUTH2R) Tx POL X 14,323.000 MHz - Rx POL Y 11,023.000 MHz
  • SAT channel VERDI (EUTH2V) Tx POL X 14,320.000 MHz - Rx POL Y 11,020.000 MHz
  • SAT channel MOZART (EUTH2M) Tx POL X 14,326.000 MHz - Rx POL Y 11,026.000 MHz (ad-hoc 2Mbit/s channel)
  • SAT channel N1A (EUTN1A) Tx POL X 14,340.500 MHz - Rx POL Y 11,040.500 MHz
  • SAT channel N1B (EUTN1B) Tx POL X 14,343.500 MHz - Rx POL Y 11,043.500 MHz                                     

  Euroradio earth station characteristics:   

  • Download EBU tech document 3277-E 'Essential characteristics for a Euroradio earth station' PDF file (1,493KB)