On show in Orlando will be Lawo’s audio production consoles mc²36 xp and mc²56, both powered by the A__UHD Core audio engine.

With the new mc²36 xp desk, Lawo has developed an audio production console whose control surface is identical to that of the mc²36 MkII and its available fader counts (16, 32 or 48), but reliant on external DSP processing by an A__UHD Core processing unit. The perfect complement for audio setups involving several mc²56 and/or mc²96 consoles, the mc²36 xp provides the same, consistent workflow in locations where space is at premium or where lower channel counts are required. It supports up to 256 DSP channels and offers Lawo’s superior audio quality, IP network and processing redundancy, and optional multi-slice console array capability using a single, shared A__UHD core. With the optional Pooling 8 license, the DSP power of one A__UHD core can indeed be shared among eight virtual or physical console surfaces, enabling cost-effective premium-class audio processing.

The new mc²36 xpThe mc²36 xp supports 48kHz and 96kHz operation, state-of-the-art immersive audio mixing, and all relevant IP standards (ST2110, RAVENNA/AES67, ST2022-7). It is HOME-native and offers seamless data portability with its mc² siblings. Optimized for modern IP-based production environments, the Lawo mc²56 audio production console offers native support for SMPTE 2110, RAVENNA/AES67, DANTE (via a Power Core gateway), MADI and Ember+. In terms of local I/O, it includes 16 Lawo-quality MIC/line inputs, 16 line outputs, eight AES3 inputs and outputs, eight GPI/O, and a local MADI port (SFP).

The mc²56 is powered by the software-defined A__UHD Core Audio Engine with intuitive HOME functionality, which includes intuitive access to Lawo’s A__line and third-party and HOME-native I/O stageboxes. Up to 1,024 mc²-quality DSP channels can be shared between multiple consoles based on a flexible licensing system. An optional Pooling 8 license allows it to share the processing heft of one A__UHD Core with up to seven other physical or headless consoles.

The mc²56HOME, Lawo’s management platform for IP-based media infrastructures is natively built on a cloud-enabled microservices architecture, enabling users to connect, manage and protect networked production setups from the ground up. It also provides centralized access and control for all Lawo and certified third-party devices within a setup. HOME creates a powerful, agile network from a variety of devices, facilities, locations, hubs and data centers – quickly and securely. Extensive NMOS IS-04 and IS-05 support involving seamless integration of NMOS devices into the HOME environment and “NMOS translations” of HOME-native devices for an NMOS environment has just been announced.

The A__UHD Core audio engineWith its HOME Apps, Lawo presents the abstraction of broadcast and media processing functionality from the hardware that does the compute heavy lifting. Available apps are Multiviewer, UDX Conversion with HDR Processing, Stream Transcoder and Graphic Inserter.

They run on standard on-site servers, in private data centers or in the public cloud, managed and controlled via HOME’s unified user interface. Designed for Lawo-grade processing quality in a nifty, containerized software guise, HOME Apps can be spun up and down instantly via HOME’s intuitive user interface, which will conveniently preserve your settings for future use.

App usage is based on permanent licenses for constant, long-term availability, if so desired. The Lawo Flex model, on the other hand, offers peak-time relief and frees operators from the pressure (and budget constraints) of getting the project planning right for the lifecycle of dedicated hardware, with little or no wiggle room once the budget has been approved.

HOME Apps support SMPTE ST2110, NDI, SRT and JPEG XS, and are compact, purpose-specific microservices running in containers to ensure maximum agility. Thanks to the native integration of Lawo’s apps with HOME, operators enjoy a straightforward, fast and streamlined user experience. They are free to run HOME Apps only when they need them and where they need them, without long-winded configuration sessions or expert knowledge.

About Lawo

Lawo designs and manufactures pioneering network, video, audio, control, and monitoring technology for TV and radio broadcast, performing arts, houses of worship, stadiums, and corporate applications. Products include IP-based media infrastructure solutions, control and monitoring systems, digital audio mixing consoles, and video processing tools. Products are developed in Germany and manufactured according to the highest quality standards at the company’s headquarters in the Rhine valley town of Rastatt, Germany.