Mazowsze Performance Hall adopts Optocore solution for fiber upgrade Krzysztof Polesiński bases network around AutoRouter loops and MADI M8 switching

Situated to the west of Warsaw in Mazovia, the around 650-seat multipurpose Mazowsze Performance Hall concert venue and cultural centre recently moved onto a fiber optic backbone, after adopting an Optocore topology.

Noted sound engineer and designer Krzysztof Polesiński was responsible for the specification, which included two AutoRouter loops and four Optocore M8 MADI switchers — part of a new immersive infrastructure, with L-Acoustics L-ISA and DiGiCo Quantum state-of-the-art sound at front-of-house. He wanted the entire new system to be as redundant as possible and was unequivocal in his choice of fiber-optic signal transport. 

Explaining his decision, he said, “Fiber is a medium for transmitting various types of signal losslessly, including audio, video, and data. Also, it is safe to use because it eliminates all problems associated with copper cables … notably electromagnetic interference. 

“In addition, fiber optics can support many different protocols simultaneously, significantly reducing the amount of cabling required. In both fixed and touring installations, the use of fiber optics has now become so common that copper installations are seen less and less.”

He had first become familiar with Optocore while working on DiGiCo D5 consoles, which were based on Optocore network transmission. “Although they were using an older firmware version, the possibilities were still enormous,” he said. “My next experience—with the newer firmware was on a concert tour when Optocore devices distributed the signals.”

Thus, when he was tasked with designing the installation at the Roma Musical Theatre in Warsaw, it coincided with the launch of the AutoRouter. “For me this became a game-changer for permanent installations, allowing the replacement of loop-based installations with a star topology, which in permanent installations—where different devices are connected in different locations—significantly improves the flexibility for local technicians.” It was the beginning of a long relationship with AutoRouter. 

“In subsequent installations I designed, I always tried to use the AutoRouter whenever the topology or user needs required it. After all, technology is there to make our work easier!”

At Mazowsze Performance Hall, Optocore handles signal distribution to the many locations, ensuring automatic connection and disconnection of devices appearing across a vast network. This entire network is on two Optocore loops, each of which is routed to its own AutoRouter, allowing for complete flexibility in connecting multiple points simultaneously, with all signals meeting at the consoles. 

“Up to 1,000 channels can be transmitted across the entire Optocore network,” Krzysztof explains.  “Besides network integration with DiGiCo consoles, signals can also be routed outside the consoles between X6R-FX modules, which allow for analogue, AES/EBU signal transport, and provide an Ethernet tunnel. Furthermore, if necessary, these devices can be combined with the consoles, creating another point with a set of inputs and outputs.” 

He again emphasised the importance of complete redundancy, utilising redundant Optocore network connections for each loop. “Redundancy is also present in the Optocore devices themselves, as we have two AutoRouters and four M8 interfaces, two for each [L-Acoustics] L-ISA II processor, as they are also redundant. The entire installation uses only two types of amplifier, and each type has its own redundant counterpart. 

As for the upgraded connectivity, he has detailed standard HMA connectors for the Optocore network, BNC connectors for MADI or video signals, analogue AES/EBU connectors, and an extensive network of Ethernet connections in the CAT6A category.  The connections were designed in collaboration with Andrzej Kawiak from Odeo. Audio Plus were responsible for the sound system; Polsound were responsible for the consoles and signal distribution.

The installation also required modifying the 4-ton acoustic panel hanging above the auditorium, and this operation was the most complex due to the building’s construction.

In summary, Krzysztof Polesiński says, “I believe the Mazowsze signal system is well-thought-out, allowing for very quick set-up and dismantling by the technical crew. The crew uses the same type of cabling both on-site in the auditorium and for touring concerts, which significantly improves efficiency and eliminates errors. The cabling and transport system is designed for touring applications, including the use of Optocore. 

“From the moment I discovered it, Optocore proved to be one of the most stable solutions, ensuring full galvanic isolation, lossless transmission, and easy scalability. As I already mentioned, AutoRouter is a game changer, and I can’t imagine an installation without it.”

It has certainly proven popular with operators and incoming productions, as the venue’s chief sound engineer, Piotr Przedbora, confirms. “The Optocore system is the perfect solution for all the projects I’ve had the pleasure of participating in so far. ​​Krzysiek expertly developed the entire system, taking into account the specifics of the artistic teamwork, the feedback from the acoustic team, and numerous discussions looking far into the future.

I have always been confident in the stability of the entire system. Quick network access from the consoles is incredibly convenient—and when everything is properly configured, we, as engineers, can focus on creating the mix. Then there’s no need to worry about interference or sonic limitations, as only the music matters.”

An important element behind the success of the Mazowsze fiber upgrade was the involvement of Optocore’s Polish distributor, AudioRebel, led by its founder Dawid Somló. As a former Optocore employee, he brings deep technical knowledge of the platform and practical experience from many system deployments. This background allows him to support Polish integrators, rental companies and consultants with a level of insight rarely found outside the manufacturer.

Due to this partnership, the project integrated smoothly into Optocore’s ecosystem in Poland. AudioRebel continues to play a key role in educating engineers, promoting fiber workflows and supporting advanced installations such as Mazowsze’s with solid, manufacturer-level expertise.

“
Picture credits:

Exterior building photo: Krzysztof Sitkowski

Remainder of photos: Bartłomiej Lichocki

Fiber Technology Connecting the Pro Audio World: Optocore at SoundEdit 2025

This year’s SoundEdit Conference in Łódź, Poland once again proved why it’s becoming one of the most inspiring gatherings for the professional audio community in Central Europe. The event brought together sound engineers, system designers, and students eager to learn, exchange ideas, and get inspired by the latest in professional sound technology.

Our team had the pleasure of taking part in this edition with a dedicated Optocore Fiber Masterclass, organized together with our Polish distributor AudioRebel. The 1.5-hour session focused on fiber-optic technology and its growing role in shaping modern audio networks for both live and installed sound applications.

During the session, Kamil Zajdel and RadhaMohan Rajani guided the audience through the fundamentals of fiber-based system design, explaining how Optocore’s modular and redundant network architecture ensures stability, scalability, and flexibility. From large touring productions to fixed installations, the message was clear: reliable, high-quality audio transport is built on fiber.

After the introduction, Krzysztof Polesiński from AirPol shared real-world examples from the Polish market, including flagship venues such as Mazowsze and Teatr Muzyczny Roma. Both projects rely on Optocore systems as the central audio backbone, connecting every part of the production workflow with fiber-based precision. His presentation sparked a lively Q&A, with many questions about system integration, redundancy design, and practical configuration.

The audience included students, engineers, and designers, many of whom were discovering fiber technology for the first time. Seeing such curiosity and enthusiasm reminded us how valuable educational sessions like these can be. Our time slot coincided with the peak of attendance, creating the perfect setting for active discussion and networking.

Outside the presentation, we had several meaningful conversations with local professionals and integrators, resulting in new project inquiries and contacts. Many discussions focused on the Optocore AutoRouter and the flexibility it brings to distributed network systems. The interest we encountered confirmed the strong and growing demand for fiber-based audio transport solutions in the Polish market.

“We’re proud to represent Optocore in Poland and to have contributed to SoundEdit 2025, an event that truly connects the pro audio community,” said Krzysztof Polesiński of AirPol. “Our goal was to show how fiber technology simplifies complex installations while guaranteeing reliability, safety, and pristine audio quality.”

As SoundEdit continues to grow each year, it is becoming an essential meeting point for education, collaboration, and innovation in professional sound. We are already looking forward to returning next year, sharing more knowledge, connecting with new faces, and supporting the next generation of audio professionals discovering the power of fiber with Optocore.

Rightway Audio Consultants (RAC) have been appointed Optocore distributors for China, Hong Kong and Macau. This marks a strategic elevation of the existing reseller partnership between the two companies, which has flourished for a number of years.

“It was a mutual decision to deepen cooperation, which aligns with the long-term mutual benefits sought by both parties,” stated marketing director, Nan Hu. “This will create broader synergies in the future.” 

Hong Kong-based RAC have immediately set up a programme of Optocore demos and training for their customers and partners. However, they have long been familiar with the German fibre company’s tech as Eric Liew, RAC’s Product Director, explains. “We have successfully deployed Optocore in large-scale projects in the past, such as the Tianjin Grand Theatre—as far back as 2018/2019.”

RAC are further boosted by the fact that their long-term distribution partner, DiGiCo, has integrated Optocore into its optic network structure “for as long as we can remember,” continues Liew. “We hope that with this new partnership, our users and customers will naturally accept Optocore as part of their ecosystem, which will help us establish a more solid Optocore-DiGiCo user base in China.”

Turning specifically to Optocore’s product portfolio, there were several reasons for choosing the brand. “Firstly, Optocore’s AutoRouter enables star topology in our optic fiber network, which is something that we’ve long been seeking. This not only provides redundancy for the Optocore network but also significantly simplifies DiGiCo audio routing, effectively reducing labour and material costs. It creates efficiencies where a venue has multiple theatres and halls with long distances in between.”

Optocore’s smart automatic routing, solid long-distance transmission and versatile multi-format conversion devices, complement and interact almost seamlessly with their existing solutions. “Given that we represent DiGiCo, L-Acoustics, L-ISA Immersive, KLANG, and Fourier Audio, Optocore devices are sufficiently flexible to create even greater compatibility between them, forming a formidable one-stop system solution.” 

In addition to AutoRouter, Eric Liew highlights the potential of Optocore’s M12 MADI devices. “It’s a more affordable solution that we’re able to offer to convert necessary protocols such as Optocore to BNC MADI, a feature which we value when it comes to making immersive systems like L-ISA work with our DiGiCo system.”

As RAC establish the brand so they will review the potential of Optocore sister company and broadcast fibre specialists BroaMan. “This is a brand which we have been in touch with since 2016. With our involvement in the broadcast market—with CCTV, Hunan TV, Sichuan TV, Guangdong TV and more—we hope to have an even deeper involvement in the Optocore-BroaMan partnership in the near future.”

Summarising, Eric Liew says, “Having been part of the DiGiCo family for 15 years, we know that Optocore is a key part of that ecosystem. But by becoming an Optocore distributor, we are now excited to be promoting and building the brand in a more independent and robust way. 

“At the same time we’re not only anticipating seeing more Optocore in future venues and events, but also looking forward to further diversification—not only in traditional applications like theatres and festivals, but also expanding into all types of other applications in the industry and region.”

Over the years, the Festival Box – especially our Grand version – has proven itself time and time again even in the most demanding of conditions—from multi-stage festivals and international tours to theatres and high-profile broadcast productions. Its reliability and versatility have not only ensured rock-solid performance, but have also helped streamline workflows and reduce production costs by simplifying complex signal transport infrastructures.

Designed as a protocol-agnostic transport platform, the Festival Box consolidates countless signal formats into a single 1RU fiber backbone—enabling audio, lighting, and IP data to travel together with unprecedented ease and transparency.

One Box. Every Protocol. Total Transparency.

Thanks to 12 hot-swappable SFP slots and 4 high-speed AUX fiber tunnels, the Festival Box – Grand can transport a wide range of protocols without altering or converting the signal. Whether you’re connecting digital consoles, network switches, intercoms, or lighting control, the Festival Box acts as a pure conduit—moving data exactly as intended.

Below is a list of protocols officially tested and verified with Festival Box:

AUX Fiber Tunnel – 10G Passive Throughput

One of the standout features of the Festival Box is its AUX port architecture:
Up to 4 fiber tunnels offering 10 Gbp/s of passive, unprocessed bandwidth—perfect for:

• • Native video systems (e.g. SMPTE, SDI)
  • Lighting protocols (Art-Net, sACN, proprietary)
  • High-speed network trunking between FOH and stage
  • Manufacturer-specific raw fiber links

These transparent tunnels act like pure optical extensions—no processing, no conversion, and no latency.

No Configuration. No Learning Curve. Just Plug & Play.

Built for the stressful reality of professional production, the Festival Box features:
• Zero configuration setup
• Console and protocol redundancy support
• Dual power supply with automatic switchover
• Status LEDs for quick verification

Whether it’s your first deployment or your hundredth, setup is always fast, smooth, and error-proof.

Designed for the Road. Trusted on the Biggest Stages.

The Festival Box is more than a product—it’s an established backbone for global production companies, broadcasters, and integrators who look for simplicity, speed, and reliability.

📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.optocore.com

Optocore has awarded Thomsun Trading, its long-term partner in the Middle East, with its Best Distributor Award, in respect of outstanding performance over the past 12 months. 

Although Thomsun has been Optocore’s distributor right across the GCC region for over 15 years, “the relationship between Optocore and Thomsun continues to grow,” according to Optocore sales manager, RadhaMohan Rajani. 

“As the Middle East region sees continued growth, so Thomsun, who have offices around the region, are perfectly placed to continue representing us well, providing quality support locally. Their experience with our solutions makes them a perfect partner. 

“[Senior Marketing Manager] Jose Dos Santos, our contact there, is a fantastic mediator between us and local clients who require our solutions or support. 

“We thank Thomsun for their commitment, loyalty and hard work and look forward to many more such years.”

Speaking of the company’s success in the past year Dos Santos himself stated, “Projects that had stalled due to the COVID pandemic have been revived which has resulted in a significant increase in demand over the last couple of years.” He said in particular that significant purchases by major rental houses, Agora and Clair Global had gone a long way to helping them win this accolade. “A supply to a broadcast installation company in Saudi also helped in this achievement,” he acknowledged.

In summary, he said, “The stability and reliability of Optocore systems, coupled with the redundant topology. has helped establish Optocore fibre networks as one of the preferred choices within the broadcast, rental and installation verticals.”

The presentation was made during the recent ISE Show, and pictured (left to right) are: Anju Ajesh, Ragesh C, Biju Thomas and Davis Varkey (Thomsun),Tine Helmle, Kamil Zajdel and RadhaMohan Rajani (Optocore).

German fibre network specialists Optocore in partnership with BroaMan demonstrated at last week’s ISE Show in Barcelona, that they continue to break new barriers in their technological evolution.

In particular this applies to the new 12G-SDI standard. With the increasing demand for higher bandwidth, in both the broadcast and live event spaces, 12G-SDI is the logical option to support higher speed UHD formats (4K, 8K etc), with higher bitrates and a greater number of colours.

Explaining the move, Optocore Technical Support Engineer, Marci Sós,“ states, “The advantages are obvious. As market leaders in fiber distribution, our pledge is always to keep ahead of the technological curve, supporting new standards in the evolving world of broadcast signal transmission to ensure the best outcome for our customers, and meet their demands.”

As early subscribers, Optocore and sister brand, BroaMan have been early subscribers to this evolution, ensuring their devices are capable of delivering uncompressed, unencrypted video signals, securely and robustly.

With eight times the bandwidth of standard HD-SDI, 12G-SDI allows the transmission of high frame rate and deep colour 4K/UltraHD signals, supporting rates up to 100/120fps over a single cable.

Consequently, BroaMan has been able to announce three 12G SDI capable models in its product portfolio: Mux22-12G / Repeat48-12G / Repeat48WDM-12G, all of which will be in evidence at ISE.

Optocore releases 4-channel M12 Redundancy Firmware

Optocore also announced at ISE a new, advanced four-channel version of its M12 Redundancy Firmware, which they see as a further step towards reliability, flexibility and ease of use. 

While the standard Redundant firmware upgrade gives the user the possibility of switching between the upper row and lower row on a GPI trigger, the new version enables triggering of the switchover for individual pairs of MADI streams. In other words, in a playback rig of four primary interfaces and two secondaries, a GPI trigger for MADI2 will switch the input routing only to MADI6 and leave everything else unaltered.

For enhanced compatibility and ease of use with DiGiCo consoles, the standby input routing for the MADI 5, 6, 7 and 8 streams are copied automatically from MADI 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively. This means, if the user’s playback and recording devices are not utilising all 64 channels (32 at 96k), allocating the sufficient number of channels to each stream provides the possibility of using the M12 to maximum capacity.

When FOH engineer Chris Leonard took up his latest role, piloting the sound for country star Jason Aldean, he wasted no time in streamlining his FOH set-up.

“I took up the position in February, spent March prepping and hit the festival scene in April; so it needed to be a fast transition,” he said.

One of his concerns was lack of familiarity with the existing SSL L550 Plus FOH console. “While it is  an amazing desk, I didn’t want to try and learn a new console on a gig of this size.” Instead he turned to his trusty DiGiCo Quantum 338. His other concern was the need for a reduced footprint, noting there had been no available room in the I/O rack to put both a split and two SD racks. “All of the sub snakes hit that rack and routed straight to the SSL [ML32:32] I/O boxes,” he said.

Chris Leonard looked at various options for integrating the 96 channels of MADI into his system, He was already familiar with the Optocore topology: “I had used Optocore Festival Boxes multiple times with great success—and with DiGiCo I’ve used the Optocore loop for much of the last decade too. 

“I’ve also had good experiences before with the DD4R MR-FX [MADI interface], integrating track rigs to the loop, and with them being only 1RU each, we could fit them into the existing I/O rack without having to modify it much, thereby saving time and space.” 

This time he opted for a pair of Optocore M8-BNC coaxial MADI switches, which he strategically located in Monitor World (where monitor engineer Evan RIchner resides). This enables fiber to be run back to FOH where it interconnects with his Q338 at FOH, and into the M8s, which connect to the SSL I/O—handling three streams of 32-channel MADI at 96k. 

Leonard explained the rationale. “Since the M8s are only 1RU each we were able to fit them in our existing monitor I/O rack. In fact, Evan has managed to fit all our RF, SSL I/O and ancillaries into a double wide 30RU rack. This has allowed him to both keep his footprint small and also save time during load in/load out. It also saved a lot of extra cabling each day and an entire other rack. All he has to do each day is just patch our HMA fiber into the back of the rack for FOH, and that’s it.”

A Dante network runs between monitor console, PA drive rack, the d&b DS10s (for Dante drive to the amp racks) and the Q338 at FOH. When the audio infrastructure was clocked to the Dante network, ensuring solid word clock sync between the SSL I/O and the Optocore network was proving troublesome, and a challenge to lock down. “But once we dropped in the M8s they locked right in and haven’t given us any issues. I simply take word clock via Dante from the drive rack at FOH and push that to the M8s over the Optocore loop.”

This unusual deployment, has been a great solution, he says. “Our FOH snake can stay as HMA fiber, instead of having to run a bunch of BNC MADI lines.”

Furthermore, an identical duplicated rig for upcoming ‘B’ rig scenarios uses a second pair of M8s, creating a set-up that will carry them through the foreseeable future.

In summary, Chris Leonard says, “Regardless of any changes—even to our entire infrastructure—the M8s can handle it. I can still come up with multiple uses for the M8s … even the ability to use them as matrix mixers, separate from the Optocore loop, opens up a world of potential possibilities.”

Their provider is Nashville based Spectrum Sound, long supporters of the Aldean organization. “Bobby George, our account rep, was also instrumental in making this happen,” says Chris. Audio crew chief was Loren Zimmer and extra support was provided by Brandon Coons at Optocore NA.

This year marking its 30^th anniversary, Poland’s largest festival, Pol‘and’Rock, draws aggregate crowds of between 500,000-750,000 to the Czaplinek-Broczyno airfield, making it one of the largest in the world.

This year the three-day free festival (formerly known as Woodstock Festival Poland) drew rock legends Coma, alongside Motionless in White, Flogging Molly, Less Than Jake, The Warning, Guano Apes and many others.

A veteran of the event’s successful sound since the beginning of the millennium, both as main sound engineer and crew chief, is Przemek Naguszewski (of Fotis Sound). This year he deployed an Optocore XR6 system for fiber transmission between FOH and monitors, as well as a Festival Box. “I was responsible for providing all [systems] between the sound engineer and system input,” he said. “All needed consoles, outboard, connectivity and multicores.

“At Pol‘and’Rock I always feel like I am throwing a party … with friends and for friends. As crew, from all departments, we have known each other for many years.”

Przemek is a familiar user of Optocore devices. “The first time I encountered Optocore as a brand was [in partnership] with the DiGiCo D5 back in 2005. Then the X6R [converters] appeared at Fotis Sound and I found this system very convenient to use—especially with large PA implementations, such as stadiums or big venues, with a number of delays and so on. 

“I have since used X6R’s many times as an AES/analog signal and data distribution for large PA implementations,” he says. “Its ability to provide signal and data transmission over long distances via fiber is extremely useful.” At Pol‘and’Rock he used two input and two output modules as stage console input and additional tie line.

Przemek was also aware of Optocore’s Festival Box. “I only used it for the first time this year—firstly at the Warsaw Rocks festival with, among others, the Scorpions and Europe, and then at Pol‘and’Rock.” 

The system had first been provided for assessment by Dawid Somlo at Audio Rebel. “He and Radha Mohan Rajani made a short presentation and training just before Warsaw Rocks festival. Mohan was always on hand to answer any questions, although the preconfigured unit was so simple to use that we didn’t really need any support.”

This year at Pol‘and’Rock the FOH set-up comprised DiGiCo Quantum7 as a main desk and SD12 as auxiliary, along with other desks to meet rider requirements. “In addition some artists brought their own consoles and in total there were eight different desks at the FOH shed.”

Therefore the Festival Box provided a great component in the inventory. “It saved time and effort during installation and of course saved equipment resources,” assessed Przemek. “You require only two fibers instead of a number of Cat6, fibers or BNC. We tested it in connection with DiGiCo, Yamaha, Avid and Allen & Heath—and all worked without problems.”

He continued, “Pol‘and’Rock is one of the rare cases where self-contained bands are unable to use their own multicores … or it would be very difficult to do. All stage to FOH connections go through the pipe buried in the ground so all necessary cables need to be in place at the installation stage.

“Festival Box provides an easy-to-use solution for events with a number of different consoles. It is stable and redundant and uses trustworthy fiber with HMA connectors. It saves time, effort and equipment resources.”

“From my point of view, I had only positive experiences with this equipment, and I am sure that, as with everything in this industry, it will continue to evolve.”

The aim is to educate users over a broad spectrum as to the benefits of working with fibre. “The course is aimed at the industry as whole, with a diverse attendee list,” states Lee Stevens, CMI’s 

National Business Development Manager. “This will range from consultants to integrators, and engineers to students, as well as representing a broad range of verticals from education, touring and corporate.” 

The course has been designed to cover attendees with very little fibre experience and knowledge through to experienced consultants and engineers. It will move through the fundamentals and basics of fibre technology and audio transport, to deploying complex redundant loop solutions and systems for life safety and stadia. 

Optocore are providing their full support with Marci Sos and Rohan Rajani, both highly experienced members of Optocore’s technical engineering team, presenting.

In view of the complexity of the topic, this has been split into a two-part online streamed event. Both sessions will run for approximately two hours, with time afterwards for questions.

In summary, Lee Stevens says, “Our goal with these masterclasses is to lift the industry’s understanding of fibre optic audio transport, and the benefits this can bring to our everyday lives. 

“With the cost of fibre cable now on a par with Cat cable, having a deeper understanding and giving the industry the toolbox to know the advantages of Fibre over a traditional Ethernet network based audio transport, and when to correctly deploy these solutions, can only benefit the industry as a whole.”

Part #1 takes place on July 24, 2024 3.00 PM (AEST)

Part #2 takes place on July 31, 2024 3.00 PM (AEST)  

Attendance can be registered at: https://lnkd.in/gaZc86AV