NHK mobile unit is first in USA with Lawo mc256XT and 22.2 surround sound

Kazutaka Noda, NHK broadcast mixing engineer and technical coordinator

Japanese broadcaster NHK has introduced a new OB truck into the US market designed specifically to capture major US sports events and deliver a unique, high-quality audio experience to its viewers back home. The new mobile unit is the first RAVENNA-based truck in the US and utilises Lawo’s newest dual-fader mc²56XT mixing console.

The desk provides a 64 fader surface in an audio booth with only 84 inches of linear space. It accommodates 288 DSP paths with 8,192 x 8,192 audio routing capability and three DALLIS I/O stageboxes in a redundant configuration.

The RAVENNA technology fully supports AES67 and offers a proven solution for critical broadcasting operations. In addition, the truck is capable of up to 22.2 surround sound as a potential audio delivery format for the network. As part of a long-standing cooperative effort between NHK and Lawo, the two companies have been working together to develop the tools and practical applications needed to create an immersive audio experience with 3D surround audio and are committed to further technical innovations.

In its current configuration the truck supports conventional stereo and surround mix capabilities, and serves as a test bed for the deployment of 22.2 surround mixing and monitoring. The onboard operations and engineering team elected to debut the new truck in a live broadcast of a baseball game between Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees that took place on September 28 in New York. More recently, the unit has been deployed for coverage of this year’s major league baseball playoffs, including the league championships and World Series.