Overview

Ovation is the Media Server and Sequencer from Merging Technologies, now part of Neumann. Originally developed for theme park use, Ovation has evolved to be the leading solution for many applications in AV. It has also been used extensively as a playout solution for live-to-air broadcast. Since its introduction, the ability to handle many tracks of audio and route to many outputs, has made it the perfect tool for immersive audio. It is further enhanced by interfacing intelligently with industry standard 3D audio renderers, show control and video servers for the ultimate customer experience.

 


Special Offer

When purchasing a Horus, Hapi or Anubis, you can now choose between a free version of Pyramix or Ovation ELEMENTS software.

Key Features

Modularity from small installations to huge events

Ovation comes in three flavors to suit any application, ELEMENTS, PRO and PREMIUM. Complex immersive museum or theme park displays may need interfacing with video servers and the ability to easily synchronize multiple Ovation systems while a small theatre or multimedia display may just need a simple system to launch audio cues reliably with the simplest of user interfaces. Whatever the application, there is an Ovation system that will fit your needs and budget even the lowest!

Low latency & Live Mixing

Ovation features a powerful integrated audio mixer, supporting up to 128 I/O in Native mode.
When powered by the MASSCORE engine, Ovation supports an impressive 384 I/O at ultra-low latency enabling real-time mixing of live inputs — just like a digital console or dedicated DSP.

Out of the box, Ovation provides “Strip Tools” and “Bus Tools” — featuring high-quality EQ and Dynamics. Merging and 3rd party VST and VS3 plugins are also supported, offering a wide array of audio processing and effects options.

The most popular audio controllers and now OSC devices can control Ovation for hands on mixing.

Flexible 3D rendering

Ovation features its own 3D rendering engine allowing to configure a 3D space with up to 384 speakers matching a venue and render cues or live inputs (traditional busses, objects and even ambisonic) into this virtual space.

A special integration with FLUX Spat Revolution allows for even more advanced renderering including early reflection and reverbs for different spaces.

Outstanding stability

Reliable 24/7 performance comes from more than just great technology—it’s the result of Merging’s proven expertise and our customers’ commitment to excellence. Ovation builds on that foundation with features like full redundancy mode, ensuring seamless switchover in case of failure. Together, we keep the show running—no matter what.

Picture courtesy of Clair Global©

High Quality

Merging pretty much wrote the book on how to make digital audio sound amazing.

Ovation works with any sampling rate up to DSD256. When combined with Merging Audio interfaces like Hapi or Anubis, Ovation enables the show with the highest possible audio quality.

Pyramix DAW for cue editing

During show rehearsals, last-minute adjustments are inevitable and need to happen fast. There's no time to re-export and re-import between applications.

Thanks to a tight integration with Merging Technologies’ Pyramix DAW, a push of a button opens a cue in Pyramix where it can be edited on the spot, and sent straight back to Ovation.

Multi-layered cues stay fully intact when moving between Ovation and Pyramix—no flattening, no rendering, just pure, editable structure preserved end-to-end

Multi-track Audio Playback

Ovation is simplistically a multi-track audio playout server. It might look as though Ovation has many competitors in the audio industry, but this similarity is only skin deep.

Any File Type or Samplerate

Ovation is able to manage any type of audio file at any samplerate in a single show, without the need for any rendering process. This makes worry about last minute changes a thing of the past as any file brought to the stage will work without any hassle.

Sequenced or Random Access

Whether you want to play one scene after the other, or be able to display a number of sounds for random, user fired playback, Ovation has the solution. Using Timed and Standard Cue Lists, users are able to enjoy the usual “playlist” style views. But if you need to store Cues for instant “cart player” style attention, then Hot Key and Custom Cue Lists are able to be placed right alongside.

Next Gen Immersive Audio

Ovation supports all forms of next-generation audio: bus-based, scene-based, and object-based.
Traditional bus formats are fully supported — from mono and stereo to 5.1, 7.1, and even up to 30.2 channels. Ambisonics is supported up to 7th order, offering full flexibility for immersive workflows.

ADM-OSC Import

To make it easy to import object based cues carefully crafted by creatives, Ovation supports the ADM-OSC format.
Objects can be rendered either using 3rd party renderers such as Flux Spat (Spat license not included) or Merging Technologies’ built-in renderer.
This internal engine allows users to define custom speaker layouts — supporting up to 384 discrete speaker outputs with MASSCORE.

Optimized Show Control

Audio is only the beginning of the power of Ovation. From user interface design to interactivity programming, Ovation has what it takes to seamlessly integrate with other gear and receive human inputs where needed.

Interaction Rules

The logic programming in Ovation uses a simple, English language logic generator instead of specific cue types to affect interactivity within the show. Able to affect any other cue in any cue list and make that effect conditional brings an immense amount of power in a very simple interface.

Control Protocol I/O

OSC/TCP-IP/COM/MIDI/LTC/MMC/MSC/MTC/9PIN/GPIO/Script-Batch. Supporting many communication protocols, Ovation can easily be the hub of any AV install.
This allows to trigger Ovation cues from other control systems or interfaces, as well as fire actions from Ovation.

Dataton WATCHOUT sync

Synchronise individual WATCHOUT timelines with any number of Ovation cues simply by naming them the same. Enjoy sub-frame accuracy and road-tested stability using wired or wireless networking to connect to the AV industry standard for creative Video AV

Have a look at Dataton WATCHOUT

WebServer JavaScript UI

Via any web-enabled device, users can access all the commands of an Ovation show. With no need for an App, the interface appears in any web-browser. Users can even create branded designs using simple JavaScript commands!

A Complete Mixing Console

The ultimate tool to optimize when and how you mix your show, Ovation’s VS3 mix engine provides all the tools and the power of the industry’s best mixing consoles in a virtual interface.

Mix Live Inputs with Playback

Large format console doesn't mean large footprint. Ovation’s mix engine can easily mix live inputs from stage and playback channels from inside the show, allowing for an entire audio system to exist in a computer.
Whenever low latency is needed, the MassCore engine is the solution.

Save and Recall Scene Snapshots

Cues can contain more than just audio information. In any cue in the show, users can store any amount of mixer parameter information as well, making scene recall and audio playback a single event to fire.

Mix with MIDI HUI/Oasis/Eucon/OSC

The mix engine can be pre-programmed with snapshots, but can also be used in real-time with remote support for all the major brands’ protocols. Whether you are communicating with your controller using MIDI HUI, Oasis, Eucon or OSC, Ovation is the perfect virtual mixer.

VST and VS3 Plugin Support

Add your favourite plugins to any show and enjoy real-time effects that allows for show designers to bring new levels of interactivity between the playback system and performers on stage. Not having to “bounce” effects makes a world of difference to any show.

Ovation for Broadcast

Live television productions are still very popular. Whether it is a game show, sporting event, or any other TV show in need of “on the fly” playout or show control, Ovation is the ultimate solution. Tried and tested in some of the most important and influential TV stations around the world, Ovation is more flexible and powerful than the competition and brings a new level of creativity to live-to-air television productions.

Show Templates

Even if your requirements aren’t even close to this, think of the safety of using a system with this much power overhead. Run multiple stereo and surround outputs with no worry about the potential of reaching the cap and always know that every single one will be time

Instant Playback

Ovation provides the ability to move far beyond the standard workstation limit of playing one sound per output. Able to sum as many layers of sound as needed to any output in the system, users can play back as many multi-track events as needed without any need for them to be linked or chased in any way.

Down-Mix and Mix-Minus in the Box

Enjoy the Ovation mix engine for broadcast applications. Able to sum playback information into surround and stereo buses at the same time while also providing an almost limitless amount of mix-minus buses to manage live broadcast inputs makes the Ovation the perfect audio hub for broadcast productions.

As-Played Logs

Generate exportable log files from each show and run a constant background log to make sure that users always have a record of what was played and when.