From July 29–Aug. 1, MagentaMusik360 brought a mixed-reality version of Wacken Open Air, a large heavy metal festival, to more than 11 million fans worldwide. For the live broadcast, Riedel Communications, Remote Recording Network (RRN) and Live Nation created a transatlantic remote mastering service. The company defines this as an “industry first.”
The audio for the event was mixed in Hamburg with Roland Prent mastering it at Valhalla Studios in New York. Riedel’s Remote Operations Center (ROC) in Wuppertal managed the communications, signal configuration, transmission, and monitoring. The company also supplied a secure server structure and a redundant system for reliable signal transmission throughout the event.
Riedel and RRN jointly developed the new remote mastering workflow. RRN‘s Founder and Grammy Award-winning producer and engineer Peter Brandt oversaw the audio production. He described the working conditions as being “perfect for a well-balanced sound.“
Both companies had already worked together on the remote mastering production of other live-streamed music events, including a concert of German artist Peter Maffay.