Nashville-based live event production company PTP Live has chosen FOR-A HVS-1200 video switchers and MFR-1000 routers for its rental fleet of 12G flypacks — pre-wired mobile production units used in combination with projectors, LED wall products, cameras, playback and lighting equipment. Three HVS-1200 switchers and three MFR-1000 routers will be added to the 12G flypack inventory.

The new FOR-A gear’s first gig is musician Lauren Daigle’s “The Kaleidoscope Tour,” which started on Sept. 6 and is being directed by Ken Sorrell, CTO of PTP Live.

“I’m very excited to see our new 12G video flypacks come together over the next few weeks,” said Sorrell.

For today’s live concert/event productions, where large-screen projectors and large LED panels are used, FOR-A says 4K-quality video is essential. FOR-A says the 12G-SDI transmission standard allows users to transmit a 4K signal through a single coax cable, while 3G-SDI systems require four cables. FOR-A claims single cable connectivity provides easier setup, fewer points of failure in the signal chain on location and less weight for transport.

“FOR-A has really simplified the transition from HD to 4K thanks to their 12G single-cable solution and vast knowledge of broadcast,” added Sorrell. “They have the ‘know-how’ from real-world implementation of actual working 12G 4K workflows. Plus, the operation and workflow of FOR-A’s equipment is so intuitive, which makes everything incredibly simple.”

Ease of use is a must-have for busy live event companies like PTP Live.

“Our video flypacks are used by different directors and engineers all the time. We needed to design a 12G system that’s highly functional as well as easy to use for everyone to navigate. FOR-A has done a phenomenal job making their equipment user-friendly.”

While his role at PTP Live is a relatively new one, Sorrell is no stranger to FOR-A switchers. He’s relied on HVS-390HS, HVS-110 and HVS-100 switchers for over 600 shows without a single failure. His solid experience with FOR-A’s people and technology over the past several years was behind his HVS-1200 and MFR-1000 selection.

“It really comes down to FOR-A’s reliability, ease of use, the industry’s best customer support — all at a very fair price point,” said Sorrell.

“We’re eager to work alongside Ken Sorrell again and PTP Live, which is one of the nation’s premier live event production companies,” said Satoshi Kanemura, president and COO, FOR-A Americas. “During our long relationship with Ken, he’s provided extensive customer feedback, which contributed to making our 12G systems more user- and workflow-friendly. And we look forward to seeing the exciting productions to come from PTP Live. With Ken’s talents and PTP Live’s reputation for cutting-edge, innovative productions, I’m confident they will be at the forefront of large-scale live video events.”

FOR-A says the relationship between FOR-A and Sorrell goes beyond vendor and customer.

“FOR-A has been a huge supporter of my career path and me personally over the years. I don’t see their team as vendors. Satoshi, Adam Daniul (VP of Sales) and Bob Peterson (CTO) are friends that I also happen to do business with. As I begin my role at PTP Live, I’m really excited to be able to bring them along for the ride,” said Sorrell.