Turtle AV Survives the Extremes

Turtle AV has announced the deployment of its Mineola 8×8 Dante audio bridges in the production of Survivor Québec, filmed in the remote Pearl Islands of Panama. Working alongside Headroom Productions, the Mineola platform formed a critical part of the show’s outside broadcast audio infrastructure, delivering stable, high performance Dante audio networking in one of the most demanding production environments on the planet.

Producing a major television series in a location defined by heat, humidity, salt air, and constant movement requires equipment that simply cannot fail. For Headroom Productions, Mineola delivered exactly that.

“We design our products with a focus on reliability,” said Eamon Drew.  “That said, this was a real test for any electronics. We are really pleased to see Mineola perform so consistently in those conditions.”

Built for Real World Broadcast Conditions

Survivor productions operate far from traditional broadcast facilities. Each challenge is effectively a temporary OB setup, built and dismantled daily.

The Headroom audio team designed a system centred around two Mineola 8×8 units connected over Dante, supported by Netgear AV Line switches.

One unit was deployed in a field rack close to the game area, handling program audio feeds, distribution to wireless transmitters, boom operator feeds, and backup recording paths. A second unit operated in the control room, managing audio routing into the wider production system including intercom and network stream adapters.

System configuration and tuning were handled through the Mineola WebUI.

“The WebUI made setting up the audio parameters incredibly straightforward,” said Roxanne, Head of Audio at Headroom Productions. “When you are working in the field you need tools that are quick and intuitive. Being able to configure everything through the browser saved us a lot of time during setup.”

Reliability in Extreme Environments

Filming in the Pearl Islands presents conditions that push broadcast equipment to its limits.

Temperatures exceed 40°C, tides shift dramatically, and equipment is transported daily by boat. Systems must withstand heat, humidity, sand, salt exposure, and constant handling.

“Durability and resistance of the equipment is a big concern for us,” Roxanne added. “Mineola never failed once. It was rock solid and reliable for the entire shoot.”

“The Mineola gives us a safe point in the system. If something happens elsewhere, we still have the option to record sound without relying entirely on wireless systems.”

Designed for Mobile Production

Compact system design is essential in environments where equipment is constantly moved between locations.

“The 1U format is really nice,” Roxanne said. “We try to keep everything as compact as possible for transport and the Mineola fits perfectly into our racks.”

Low heat output also proved critical. “It does not produce much heat at all which is extremely important when racks are sitting in the sun all day.”

Dante Networking That Just Works

The Dante network was powered by Netgear AV Line switches, providing a stable backbone for the entire audio system.

“We’ve been a power user of the Netgear AV line for years,” said Jean-Sebastien Roy, President of Headroom Productions. “They were life changing products for us. Netgear AV switches just make everything faster and easier and I simply can’t speak highly enough of them.”