Mobile Unit Snapshot: MU-5 (Aspen) 45′ 3G Single-Expando Production Truck

MU-5 is a 45-foot-class 3G single-expando mobile production truck in the Live Media Group fleet, built around a 4 M/E Grass Valley K-Frame X switcher, a Grass Valley Sirius 840 router under EVS Cerebrum control, a 56-fader Calrec Artemis Beam audio console, and eight Sony HDC-3500 HDR cameras. Previously known as Aspen during its Gravity Media service, it joined Live Media Group in August 2026. It carries 56 wired channels of EVS replay — a complement most trucks twice its size would be glad to claim — inside a 60′ × 22′ working footprint that fits venues a full-size expando cannot.

For producers who need big-truck switching, routing, and replay density without booking a 53-footer, MU-5 is the fleet’s answer. Here is what is inside, system by system.

Previously known as Aspen

MU-5 joined Live Media Group in August 2026, when the company acquired Gravity Media’s U.S. mobile-production assets — eight units in all, led by the three premium trucks then named Columbus, Whiskey, and Aspen, along with experienced engineering personnel and long-term contracts with major U.S. broadcast partners.

Within the fleet, those three trucks now carry Live Media Group designations — MU-17, MU-26, and MU-5. As Aspen, this unit was one of the newest trucks in Gravity’s U.S. fleet, built for high-end sports and entertainment productions, and it arrives as a working truck with a track record rather than an unproven build. “Every acquisition we’ve made has been driven by one objective: creating more opportunities to better serve our clients,” said Brad Sexton, Founder, President, and CEO of Live Media Group, in the acquisition announcement. The partnership with Gravity Media continues beyond the sale: Gravity still provides RF systems, specialty cameras, and flypack support, while Live Media Group operates the trucks.

What runs the show: switching

MU-5’s production switcher is a Grass Valley K-Frame X 3G frame with a Kayenne 4-stripe, 35-button control panel, configured for 4 M/Es with 64 inputs and 32 outputs. FlexiKey, DoubleTake, and chroma key are all licensed, so a TD can split M/Es across pre-shows, inserts, and secondary feeds without giving up the main program bus.

Replay: 56 wired EVS channels on a 45-foot truck

MU-5 carries four EVS XTVia LSM 12-channel replay servers with dual-user operation, plus an EVS XS3 six-channel spot server with a Lance controller, and the truck is wired for 56 channels of EVS. That density is the truck’s signature: multi-angle replay, melts, and spot playback for a replay-heavy show, handled onboard rather than farmed out to a B-unit.

Routing and control

Routing is a Grass Valley Sirius 840 at 384×288 under an EVS Cerebrum control system, with 46 3G framesyncs, 336×60 of multiviewer capacity, and 768×1536 of MADI audio routing. Cerebrum — EVS’s broadcast control and orchestration platform — gives engineering one control layer over the router, syncs, and multiviewers, which shortens setup on show day and makes source management legible to a visiting EIC.

Cameras: Sony HDC-3500 HDR acquisition

MU-5 fields eight Sony HDC-3500 cameras with HDR and QFR (quick frame rate) licensing, and the truck is wired for 16 CCUs. Four Sony HDLA-3505 large-lens adaptors put box lenses on hard positions, with Vinten Vector 750 heads and V20 pan heads with tripods in the support package. The HDC-3500’s native 4K sensor block means clean HD and 1080p HDR today with headroom for UHD-capable workflows as shows call for them.

Audio: Calrec Artemis Beam

The audio room is built on a Calrec Artemis Beam digital surround console with 56 faders and 12 dual-fader layers, carrying 564 DSP processing paths and 340 input channels. Console I/O spans analog, AES, MADI, and Dante (48×48 analog, 64×64 AES, 640×640 MADI, and 120×120 Dante per the truck’s published I/O), so venue feeds, RF mics, comms mix-minuses, and record splits all land without adapters and workarounds.

Comms

Intercom is a 256×256 RTS Adam II matrix with 18 RTS DBP Omneo digital beltpacks and eight Glensound Dante IFB beltpacks, supported by Beyerdynamic DT-108 and DT-109 headsets. That is matrix capacity for a full crew plus talent IFB on a mid-size show, with digital beltpacks that ride the truck’s existing Dante and Omneo infrastructure.

Power and footprint

MU-5 needs three-phase, 190–240-volt, 200-amp service and travels with 200 feet of feeder cable. The box is 43′ long by 8′6″ wide at 13′6″ tall, expanding to a 60′ × 22′ working footprint — compact enough for tight compounds, big enough inside for a full production, audio, and replay crew.

Specifications at a glance

Where MU-5 fits in the fleet

MU-5 slots into the fleet’s mid-size class with a heavyweight toolset. Its acquisition siblings bracket it: MU-17 steps up to a 53′ 3G HDR expando with five M/Es and RF camera capability, while MU-26 matches the mid-size class with a nine-camera Sony HDC-4300 package. The rest of the group’s mobile units — from 20′ production/uplink hybrids to 53′ double expandos — are on the complete fleet page. For a deeper look at a home-grown unit in the same weight class, see the MU-15 Mobile Unit Snapshot.

What MU-5 is built for

• Professional and collegiate sports where replay depth decides the show — 56 wired EVS channels handle multi-angle coverage without a support unit.
• Entertainment specials and awards-style broadcasts that need 4 M/Es of switching and a 56-fader audio room in a venue with a tight compound.
• Multi-day tournament and event coverage, where the 60′ × 22′ footprint and 200-amp service simplify siting and power planning.
• Shows feeding multiple destinations, using the Sirius 840’s 384×288 routing and 336×60 multiview to manage outputs cleanly.

FAQ

What is MU-5?

MU-5 is a 45-foot-class 3G single-expando mobile production truck in the Live Media Group fleet, carrying a 4 M/E Grass Valley K-Frame X switcher, 56 wired EVS replay channels, a Calrec Artemis Beam console, and eight Sony HDC-3500 HDR cameras.

Is MU-5 the truck previously known as Aspen of Gravity Media?

Yes — MU-5 operated as Aspen in Gravity Media’s U.S. fleet before joining Live Media Group in the August 2026 acquisition; it now carries the MU-5 designation.

How many cameras does MU-5 support?

MU-5 carries eight Sony HDC-3500 HDR cameras with QFR licensing and is wired for 16 CCUs, with four large-lens adaptors for box-lens positions.

What replay capability does MU-5 have?

MU-5 is wired for 56 channels of EVS, served by four XTVia LSM 12-channel servers with dual-user operation and a six-channel XS3 spot server with a Lance controller.

Is MU-5 an HDR truck?

Yes — MU-5 is a 3G truck with HDR-licensed Sony HDC-3500 cameras, supporting 1080p HDR production workflows end to end.

Want to know more about MU-5?

If your next production needs big-truck replay and switching in a mid-size footprint, MU-5 delivers. Download the current spec sheet on the MU-5 truck page, or reach the solutions team directly at solutions@livemediagroup.com / 833.933.5483.