STV becomes first UK broadcaster to install a Lawo mc²56 console with latest A__UHD Core architecture
Scottish commercial broadcaster STV has undergone a full technical upgrade of its news production and sound control rooms and studio at its Glasgow HQ. Live programming is now on air, representing the UK’s first on-air broadcast installation of Lawo’s A_UHD Core (Phase 2) and 48-fader mc²56 MKIII console. STV’s broadcast channel reaches 3.2 million viewers each month alongside streaming service STV Player and STV Studios, Scotland’s biggest production company.
Originally planned as a technical and cosmetic upgrade of the production and sound control rooms, the STV team were determined to explore Audio-over-IP to enhance current workflows and allow a route for future expansion across the facility. The STV team approached Lawo, drawn by the flexibility of the manufacturer’s new mc²56 (MKIII) audio production console and the opportunities presented by its IP-based architecture.
With COVID-related lockdown and travel restrictions last year delaying the project, STV reviewed its requirements and Lawo Rental sent a console to Glasgow for evaluation by STV engineers. With the support of pre-sales engineer Frank Mosch, Lawo provided remote evaluation and training for STV’s team to familiarise themselves with the surface layout and plan deeper IP integration.
In December 2020, Lawo announced an update to the A__UHD Core DSP processing platform. The A__UHD Core (Phase 2) enabled STV to benefit from IP signal and distribution and a reduced rack footprint. This saving in space and power usage along with the Easy IP setup features included in the new Lawo IP management platform Home, enhanced the move towards Audio-over-IP infrastructure. Lawo also supplied a Mix Kitchen setup to increase the system’s flexibility and enable remote hardware control of the console.
Completing the setup, STV chose Lawo’s A__mic8 stageboxes for the studios. Multiple A_mic8 were installed in wall boxes distributed equally around the studio instead of a larger centrally located A__stage64 unit to help reduce microphone cabling. R3LAY Virtual Patchbay (VPB) was also deployed for the SpotOn playback software, moving away from a separate AES-based soundcard.
As construction on STV’s facilities progressed, a technical issue resulted in the new Lawo audio console system being brought online early for a series of live Scottish Parliamentary Election broadcasts in early May.
“We wanted to spend as much time with the Lawo equipment as possible before implementation to better understand how the new AoIP workflows work and integrate with our other sound systems and to be able to make the best use of the flexible and scalable workflows,” said Sam Dornan, channels operations manager of STV Central. “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.”
“We had this project scheduled to finalise in early June, when the STV control room was planned to be ready for production when unexpectedly Sam got in touch and explained the situation. Of course, the Lawo and STV teams got cracking straight away,” recalled Devin Workman, Lawo’s director audio sales, UK and Ireland. “This project serves to demonstrate the flexibility of IP technology in establishing infrastructures.”