The Lawo AoIP technology powers the latest MMG UHD mobile UHD unit

MMG, a company specialising in the production and broadcasting of sporting, cultural and entertainment events, has integrated the Lawo AoIP audio infrastructure into its new mobile unit, called UHD1.

The Lawo equipment in the new mobile unit, with UHD capabilities, includes an mc²56 production console with 48 faders, three WAN-capable A__stage 64 units that serve as internal and external stage boxes, and a Lawo A__madi6, which transports audio from the Riedel system, the SVE VIA video server and the video control room.

The UHD1, a 15 tonne mobile UHD HDR unit, is 9.50m long and 4.50m wide with the side wall extended, creating an area of 40m². The complementary rigging truck provides even more working space for editing, graphics or SVE control. A MacMini-based QLab audio feed system is directly connected to the A__UHD Core via RAVENNA, so the van can also be used for multi-track recording. In addition, the van is equipped with a fully redundant UHD/HD satellite transmission system.

Lawo delivered and installed the equipment on schedule in November 2021. In the same month, the new mobile unit had its baptism of fire with the production of MDR’s Riverboat, one of the channel’s biggest talk shows.

Betting on Ravenna/AES67

The new generation of the Lawo mc²56 benefits from RAVENNA/AES67 technology. Its A__UHD core audio engine can be configured via licenses with up to 256 DSP channels. Its compact size is suitable for installation in mobile units, it is optimised for modern IP video production environments and is designed for networking in complex production infrastructures, with full native support for SMPTE 2110, AES67 / RAVENNA and MADI audio streams.

Other mc²56 features that suit the most common mobile workflows include LiveView previews of linked video streams, multi-user, upmix, downmix and optional Lawo KICK; audio-follows-video functionality; and integrated 3D/immersive mixing, parallel compression and Lawo AutoMix tools. In addition, with the integration of Waves SoundGrid Extreme, sound engineers can access a “huge” sound library.

Robert Hänsel, managing director of MMG Leipzig, explains why the company has once again placed its trust in Lawo solutions: “The decision to go with Lawo is no coincidence. We have had good experiences with Lawo over many years, so choosing the audio infrastructure for the UHD1 was not difficult when the options were compared. We looked closely and decided on Lawo again. Important considerations, besides the quality, functionality and reliability of the mc²56, were the compact dimensions of the console and the immense space, weight and energy savings of the A__UHD core.”