When Mario Bekes broke the world record for the longest uninterrupted audio-only live stream with a duration of 55 hours, 26 minutes, he was in familiar territory in more ways than one. As the host of the podcast “Life: The Battlefield, he encourages people to develop their full potential, so he would’ve been comfortable with his own voice pushing him onwards.
But he was also somewhere where he felt at home: behind the desk at Radio Alive — a community radio station serving the Hills District and parts of Greater Western Sydney, Australia. The station’s programming features predominantly contemporary music and community information. Bekes has been a presenter on the station since May 2018.
To qualify for the world record, Bekes and his guests could not be interrupted by any outside music, announcements or phone calls. They also couldn’t afford any technical disruptions. Hence, one of the reasons Bekes selected the Radio Alive studios — it boasted an AEQ Capitol digital audio console. The station’s technical management selected the Capitol for its high audio quality, robustness and easy operation. Broadcast Components installed and configured the system.
AEQ Capitol IP has an eight-fader fixed configuration. Its IP connectivity has a single module of 16 input and 16 output channels incorporated in its core. Available input capacity includes four mic/line, 12 analog, four digital stereo AES/EBU (AES3), two digital stereo USB, two optional telephone lines and extra digital multichannel audio links, and 16 AoIP channels over two Ethernet connectors or 64 MADI channels input over optical fiber.
Bekes says of the broadcast that it was “a strange, unconventional program,” but, importantly, he achieved the goal thanks to the support of his guests, the station’s staff and their trusted AEQ Capitol.