Radio station 104.1 Power FM in Kigali decided to switch to Lawo’s virtual radio solutions.
104.1 Power FM, a brand new radio station that has conquered the streets with a wide range of exciting music, is one of the first radio stations in Rwanda to implement an IP broadcasting infrastructure and virtualize its radio studios with Lawo RƎLAY virtual radio software. This standards-based AES67 IP infrastructure not only provides operators with fast, efficient and flexible workflows, but also requires little traditional hardware. Using just a few components and a small UPS, it also saves space and energy by eliminating the need for a technical room.
In this new technology environment, the DJ’s large touchscreen is at the heart of all the action, replacing traditional broadcast mixers. Using only a standard PC, the Lawo RƎLAY VRX virtual radio mixer software, combined with the VSC virtual sound card drivers, provides a complete broadcast studio solution.
Best of all, this new Lawo RƎLAY setup allows remote control of off-site radio productions and broadcasts. Leveraging the cost-effectiveness of off-the-shelf commercial PCs, Ethernet switches, and CAT-5 cables, the new station does not rely on specialized hardware—all components can be purchased locally. This setup even allows you to remotely control your entire Power FM radio using just your smartphone.
Ralph Schimmel, Lawo’s Senior Director of Sales for Africa, Italy and the Balkans, comments: “I’m always amazed at the creativity that Lawo’s customers show when using our products to solve problems! Ken and his team instantly understood the possibilities offered by RƎLAY and the benefits of an IP-based virtual radio infrastructure. With their help, they developed a bespoke workflow concept that sets Power FM apart from Kigali’s radio stations.”
Broadcasters around the world are discovering the benefits of AES67 streaming, routing and mixing using Lawo RƎLAY software in production, news and remote environments. RƎLAY runs on standard Windows PCs.
The RƎLAY virtual radio software family includes
- RƎLAY VRX8, an on-air touchscreen virtual radio mixer with 8 faders, 24 inputs, advanced Lawo AutoMix and Autogain features, and audio processing capabilities via VST plugin hosting
- RƎLAY VRX4, 4-fader virtual mixer for news, editing and personal applications
- RƎLAY VPB, a Virtual Patch Bay application that can mix and route traditional audio sources, audio from PC applications, RAVENNA / AES67 streams and logic through Ember+
- RƎLAY AoIP Stream Monitor, the world’s first AES67 network inspection and monitoring tool. Customizable audio presence monitoring, loudness measurement, signal quality analysis and SDP inspection are available for 16 AES67 streams
- RƎLAY VSC Virtual Sound Card, RAVENNA/AES67 8×8 sound card replacement for Windows PC.
