Customer:
Grand Ole Opry
Location:
Nashville, Tennessee
The Customer
Founded in 1925, the Grand Ole Opry is the longest running live broadcast
show in the world. For 100 years, the Opry has celebrated country
music's past, present and future. Often referred to as the show that
made country music famous,
the Opry broadcasts live from its home
in Nashville, Tennessee, with a packed schedule of performances by new
voices and legendary acts alike.
The Opry delivers over 240 live radio shows each year, broadcast to fans across the world via radio, TV, streaming and social platforms. With a live audience in the Opry House and millions tuning in remotely, the Opry demands technical systems that are both flawless and flexible enough to support its fast-paced, no-soundcheck show format.
Solution at a Glance:
- The Grand Ole Opry delivers 240+ live broadcasts a year, demanding flawless, flexible audio systems to keep pace with its no-soundcheck, fast-changeover format.
- With only a short window of time, the Opry team needed a broadcast audio upgrade without disrupting its century-long tradition of live excellence.
- The new Studer Vista X broadcast console brought full alignment with the existing Vista V at Front of House, while the retired Vista 9 found a new home at Ryman Auditorium.
- By combining snapshot-based mixing, the new Evertz 5700MSC-IP master clock, and SoundGrid technology, the team was able to deliver clear, reliable, and high-quality sound for every performance.
- In just six months, the Opry achieved 100% on-air reliability, seamless artist transitions, and enhanced sonic control - backed by ongoing Evertz support.
We are on air at 7 p.m. for every show. So, reliability is really number one for us. We've had Studer consoles in the building for a long time , and we've never missed a single show. That's paramount.
– Mark Thomas | Technical Services Manager | Grand Ole Opry
The Challenge
The Grand Ole Opry operates with a level of frequency and precision few live venues aspire to. In keeping with its legacy, the Opry House only darkens for a small window of time each January for technical upgrades. The broadcast events temporarily shift to its former home at Ryman Auditorium during this time. In 2025 the Opry audio production team challenged Evertz to complete a full upgrade of its broadcast audio console during that short window. Project imperatives were maintaining show continuity, audio quality and integration with existing I/O infrastructure.
In a venue where the engineering team cycles through up to 10 different acts per night: operational speed, reliability and recall accuracy are essential.
A storied tradition, all performing artists must use the house system. Maintaining a consistent yet adaptable platform across both front-of-house and broadcast is imperative. At the same time, the Opry's technical teams needed to integrate with updated clocking infrastructure and streamline file-based workflows for post-production.
The ability to reuse our existing I/O helped with both the economics and timing of the installation.
– Mark Thomas | Technical Services Manager | Grand Ole Opry
The Solution
In January 2025, the Grand Ole Opry deployed a 62 fader Studer Vista X broadcast console, replacing a Vista 9 that had served them loyally for over a decade. This followed a 2024 upgrade of the front-of-house desk to a Studer Vista V, establishing full alignment between live and broadcast operations. The existing Vista 9 was repurposed and installed at the Ryman Auditorium.
This machine kills dead air. It works and works well - no alarms, no surprises. It's exactly the same day in and day out. I mix almost solely at unity gain. That helps me build snapshots that are consistent, repeatable, and fast to tweak.
– King Williams | Broadcast & Post-Production Mixer | Grand Ole Opry
This Studer deployment was supported by Evertz engineers and timed precisely to fit within the venue's January maintenance window. The project included updates to the venue's master clock infrastructure, with a new Evertz 5700MSC-IP providing black burst and house word clock to synchronize audio and video systems.
The Vista platform makes it incredibly easy to recall, reshape, and remaster mixes—live or in post.
– King Williams | Broadcast & Post-Production Mixer | Grand Ole Opry
Because the Vista platform supports snapshot-based mixing, the Opry audio team are able to build and recall an expansive and growing archive of artist presets, minimizing the need for live sound checks and reducing on-air risks. In the broadcast control room, engineers leverage a Waves SoundGrid server using Vista's legendary Studer preamps, adding color and character to Studer's transparent signal path to compliment contemporary production styles.
For the Opry, this is the best console. The vision it gives you is better than anything I've ever worked with. We often haven't heard a band until they walk on stage, and we've got 60s to respond. Studer gives us the speed and precision to get it right.
– Kevin McGinty | Front of House Engineer | Grand Ole Opry
Studer's seamless I/O compatibility and reuse of existing infrastructure helped reduce the time, cost and complexity of the upgrade. Operators were able to transition quickly thanks to their deep familiarity with the Vista interface, while support from Evertz remained available for integration, training and troubleshooting.
The Conclusion
In just six months, the Vista X console has stored hundreds of artist snapshots and delivered 100% on-air reliability. Studer's intuitive layout and snapshot engine enable perfect recall and rapid changeovers between acts. The Evertz solution has been a valuable tool for both the front-of-house and broadcast teams, providing a high-quality listening experience for Opry fans.
At Front of House, the Vista V's large meter bridge and tactile control surface make it easy to visualize and address issues in real time, and the 62 fader Vista X broadcast console, paired with SoundGrid inserts, enables audio engineers to meet creative mix goals with enhanced sonic shaping and recall control.
Behind the scenes, Evertz 24/7/365 support team has remained available to support the end users by providing remote configuration when needed, and ensuring seamless operations.
Evertz is honored to remain an integral part of the Opry's storied legacy and exceptional audio production and broadcast infrastructure. Collaboration with industry professionals continue to fuel development of our Studer brand, the highest-quality audio consoles in the world. We appreciate the trust and partnership between us and the Grand Ole Opry.
– Eamon Coy, CTS | Product Specialist | Studer Audio, Evertz