Lawo Mix Kitchen enables audio control from anywhere

Mix Kitchen was inspired by lockdown

Lawo has announced that its mc²-series audio production consoles can be controlled from any place in the world with an acceptable internet connection.

Lawo’s Mix Kitchen is described as a long-term solution for any scenario where physical access to the broadcast centre is cumbersome or simply impossible due to changed travel arrangements, traffic conditions and so on. The most important ingredient of the proposed setup, according to the company, is remote fader control using a Mackie HUI-compatible fader panel. Lawo’s Mix Kitchen only requires slight configuration adaptations (using supplied templates) to enable the Nova73 console core on the broadcaster’s premises to be remotely controlled.

In addition, Lawo’s Mix Kitchen enables in-place access to any Mac- or Windows-based computer in the broadcaster’s data centre and can be complemented with an integrated vsmPanel providing full remote control over hundreds of third-party broadcast studio devices. Mix Kitchen includes LiveView video monitoring capabilities in combination with Lawo’s IP video solutions.

No additional Lawo hardware is required: readily available off-the-shelf tools, a laptop and Lawo’s mxGUI software (included with all mc²-series mixers) allow the engineer in charge to take control of the Lawo hardware at the broadcast centre or hub—with the same audio quality and reliability. Mix Kitchen only transports monitoring and control data, keeping mission-critical TX audio within the facility’s infrastructure and, notes the company, avoiding bandwidth-guzzling multi-channel audio transport.

“Based on our remote-control experience gathered in recent IP projects, we wanted to make these benefits available for all audio engineers that have to cope with the current social distancing measures around the world,” said Christian Struck, senior product manager of audio production at Lawo. “The Mix Kitchen setup works almost out of the box: no additional Lawo hardware, retrofits or upgrades are required. Audio engineers can work with an inexpensive fader panel that supports Mackie HUI, their laptop, a mouse and a tablet.”