Lawo and NEP Sweden achieve the best audio in the new program 'Stjärnornas Stjärna (Star of Stars)' on TV4

A 48-fader Lawo mc²56 console equipped with four DSP cards, providing 192 DSP channels and 8,192 x 8,192 crossover points allows NEP to produce the new flagship program of the Swedish TV4.

Having served the audio needs of major television and music entertainment programs with one of its mobile units for a considerable time, NEP Sweden has launched a permanent control room for the new live music program in its Stockholm studios. The Star of the Stars on Swedish TV4 that premiered in March. At the center of this studio control room (SCR) is a set of products and systems from the German manufacturer Theirs.

The main focus of the 1,600m², 800m² and 167m² studios is NEP Sweden's live production of entertainment and music programs for Fridays and Saturdays. Consistent customer requests prompted Sweden's NPE to build a fixed SCR. The goal was to maintain flexible use of the studios through efficient technology and intuitive operation. Key to achieving this was the choice of a Lawo mc²56 console – the same model used in NEP’s OB vans – VSM Control and Monitoring System and an upgrade to the room acoustics.

The SCR concept and technical planning of the 26 m² SCR were handled internally by NEP Sweden, with Broadcast Solution serving as systems integrator and managing the installation. The acoustics of the room were designed by Per Sörlin from the Kista-based company Tonteknik Engineering.

The project was launched in December 2017, when the order was placed with Lawo, and was completed in early March in time for the debut of the new live music show Star of the Stars (Estrella de Estrellas) from the Swedish TV4.

Hosted by Swedish comedian, dancer, actress, television personality and now “magician to the stars”, Petra Mede, the show is a competition between established artists to perform live songs from styles other than their own, such as country, Latin, hard rock, soul, opera, synth pop, musical, Svenska (Swedish traditional songs) and disco. Each week, the show features a “genre expert” who trains the performers, then viewers vote to determine the best performer in each round and, finally, to select the “star of the stars” at the end of the season.

Console settings

The 48-fader Lawo mc²56 console at the heart of the SCR is equipped with four DSP cards, providing 192 DSP channels and 8,192 x 8,192 non-blocking crossover points with fully redundant signal paths at 96 kHz, 24-bit resolution. A Waves Plugin server is also built into the console, which features five MADI ports to accept inputs from studio, multitrack recorders and playback systems. Additionally, two Lawo DALLIS stage boxes provide you with 32 mic/line inputs, eight AES inputs/outputs and eight line outputs.

The installation includes two Lawo VSM (Virtual Studio Manager) system servers with the corresponding hardware control and monitoring panels vsmLBP-16e, vsmLBP-17 and vsmLBP-50e. There are also five multi-purpose touch screens that are used on a wireless network for mobile control of the VSM, making it easy to configure monitor walls and change content on the show's video screens from all studios. Five Lawo V__pro8 video processors were chosen for audio embedding and de-embedding and for lip sync and Dolby-E encoding.

The installation provides NEP Sweden Studios with Lawo IP-based technology and independent VSM control of all installed equipment via hardware panels and mobile touchscreen devices, enabling rapid operation through a single platform. The settings used for different shows can be easily stored, recalled and adapted.

NEP Sweden's current OB vans, as well as a new OB UHD van that will be ready for the road shortly, are equipped with Lawo mc²56 production consoles, making it easier for sound engineers to install in the new SCR.

“The engineers are used to using Lawo consoles and have an acoustic environment designed by Per Sörlin, who has delivered another masterpiece, which makes listening a pleasure,” confirms NEP Sweden senior sound engineer Mats Bengtsson. “After a thorough evaluation – taking into account that NEP has very positive experiences with Lawo and has equipped all of its OB vans with mc² consoles – the decision to go with Lawo was based on the amazing sound quality, flexibility and expandability.

“Engineers feel very comfortable in the studio's new control room thanks to the console's ergonomic and intuitive operation, as well as its enormous feature set and clear sound,” he adds. “Support was also a big consideration for us, and Lawo has been great to work with in this regard as well.”

“We were looking for a system that would provide excellent sound quality and reliability and give us the flexibility and efficiency in the use of our studios that we needed for our productions for the benefit of our clients,” says NEP Sweden Technical Director Jens Envall. “We have found it with Lawo.”

Jarle Felin, vice president of operations for northern Europe, adds that “we are grateful that NEP SE has once again shown us their confidence in choosing Lawo equipment and that they are happy with the services we are providing them, both pre- and post-sales.”