Customer Stories
Dutch Live Music Production Company Amps up Live Stream Capability with Matrox Monarch HD
The Edit Company streams high-quality DJ performance video to social media with the easy-to-configure Monarch HD streaming and recording appliance
Background
Providing video production services for some of Europe’s most popular DJs is just another day in the office for Netherlands-based Louis van Waversveld. His live music production company, The Edit Company, provides DJ event lighting, filming, recording, and now – thanks to the Matrox® Monarch HD professional video streaming and recording device – live streaming to some of today’s top social media platforms. With Monarch HD, van Waversveld was able to easily and affordably add high-quality live streaming to his wide range of services, and help connect DJs with their fans no matter the distance.
Challenge
A veteran to video and post production – in addition to being a DJ himself – van Waversveld has been in the entertainment business for more than 30 years. “I first found out about Matrox products a long time ago,” he said. “I have used many of the company’s legacy non-linear editing products. When Matrox came out with these fantastic streaming and recording devices like the Monarch HD, I knew that I did not want to miss out.” After learning about Monarch HD at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) in Amsterdam, he decided that the compact, easy-to-use appliance would be perfectly suited for transport to different venues. When COVID-19-related travel restrictions and social distancing measures began to be put in place, van Waversveld knew that he could count on Monarch HD to maintain business continuity, and help keep Europe’s widely popular live electronic music culture alive during difficult times.
Solution
The Edit Company now uses the Monarch HD device to live stream DJ performances not only for concert webcasts, but also for private corporate events. For each performance, van Waversveld and his team rent space in a nightclub venue. At the venue, four to five cameras are used to capture video from different angles. A typical setup includes one camera attached to a crane, a few fixed cameras in various locations, and a camera operated by a video professional who moves around the set. The cameras capture all angles of the event and the signals are sent to a video mixer. Likewise, audio is sent to an audio mixer. Both the video and audio mixer transfer signals to the main switcher, which outputs one HDMI stream. This HDMI video feed with embedded audio is then sent to the Monarch HD. From the Monarch HD, the feed is uploaded to Restream, where it is then streamed on Facebook Live, YouTube, and other platforms at 1.2 Mbps. Typical viewership for a more popular live DJ event includes several thousand simultaneous viewers across all platforms.
Results
For The Edit Company, acquiring the Monarch HD device has been essential for being able to provide high-quality live streams for DJ fans despite a scarcity of in-person events. Furthermore, Monarch HD’s ease of use has made implementing live webcasting to the company’s services simple. According to van Waversveld, Monarch HD allows him to eliminate distracting extra steps when setting up for a live stream, and have more time to do what he loves – which is providing the ultimate video production experience for each DJ he works with. “The Matrox Monarch HD is incredibly intuitive and straightforward,” he said. “You only have to configure a streaming profile once, turn the device on, and go live – that’s it. Monarch HD makes live streaming a really simple process.” In the future, van Waversveld even plans to bring Monarch HD to some of Europe’s most well attended electronic music festivals in order to provide live streams for the fans tuning in from home.
