STV relies on Lawo mc²56 and A_UHD Core to bring IP audio to Glasgow facility

The news production system and sound rooms at Glasgow-based Scottish TV station STV have been upgraded with a selection of Lawo products, including the mc²56 console.

While the STV team initially only wanted to upgrade the equipment in their Glasgow studios, they eventually decided to make the leap to IP technology. One of their top choices was Lawo’s mc²56 MKIII console with the A_UHD Core, products they were able to put to the test at the 2019 IBC show. In full confinement, Lawo’s rental team sent a console to the network’s headquarters for engineers to evaluate in detail. With the support of pre-sales engineer Frank Mosch, Lawo provided remote evaluation and training for the STV team to familiarize themselves with the surface layout and otherwise plan for deeper IP integration.

As of today, the commitment to Lawo has materialized. The installation represents the first UK broadcast installation of Lawo’s A_UHD Core (Phase 2) and its 48-fader mc²56 MKIII console.

Installation details

One of the keys to the upgrade is the A_UHD Core (Phase 2) DSP processing platform, a system that has enabled STV to benefit from signal and distribution via IP. Lawo also supplied a Mix Kitchen configuration to increase the flexibility of the system and allow remote control of the console hardware.

To complete the configuration, STV decided to install Lawo A__mic8 stage boxes in their studios. Several of these solutions were installed throughout the studio in place of a larger A__stage64 unit to help reduce microphone cabling. R3LAY Virtual Patchbay (VPB) was also installed for the SpotOn playback software, leaving out a separate AES-based sound card.

Scottish Parliament elections

As the renovation of STV’s facilities progressed, a technical problem meant that the TV engineers had to use Lawo’s audio console ahead of schedule. Sam Dorman, STV’s director of channel operations, elaborates: “Technical issues resulted in us bringing the console online earlier than planned and we received instant support from Lawo. The majority of commissioning and training with the mc²56 was already completed, but kudos to the Lawo team and our STV engineering team who worked together to get everything swiftly changed over in a short space of time. It was a tense few days but the Lawo is very flexible and intuitive.”

On the other hand, Devin Workman, Lawo’s UK and Ireland Audio Sales Manager, notes that “this project serves to demonstrate the flexibility of IP technology in establishing infrastructures.”