Mediaset’s Virgin Radio studios become fully IP with Lawo

Mediaset, an Italian broadcaster, has recently upgraded three of their Virgin Radio studios. The upgrade includes three Ruby audio broadcast consoles, a Power Core DSP mixing engine, and VisTool visualization and control software, which will be the backbone of a fully IP-based production unit. Also included are Lawo RƎLAY virtual radio solutions.

Lawo’s mixing console power core mixing engine is 100% RAVENNA / AES67 compliant and features network-link redundancy via the ST2022-7 standard. High-density MADI and RAVENNA interfaces are both standard, and eight expansion slots permit addition of mic, line, AES3, Dante and studio I/O.

Lawo VisTool is a customizable touchscreen control environment and enables talent to mix and route audio using the same touchscreen environment used by other studio tools, and can even integrate controls for studio applications such as playout systems, phone systems and codecs directly into the mixing workflow.

ARET and Lawo have worked together for this project to deliver integration between the ruby console and the VisTool interface. The three studios share resources like codecs, playout and program feeds via RAVENNA. Studio switching is easily accomplished using just two buttons – “Enable” and “Studio xx” –. The Lawo Power Core’s internal matrix switches the chosen studios to antenna after analysing the outgoing signal by DMS and internal logic.

According to ARET, the new Virgin Radio studios have given service since their commissioning earlier this year: “Since the new studios were placed on the air, staff have told us that their intuitive controls and seamless performance make producing their shows smoother and easier than ever. The advantages of an all-IP infrastructure are clear: better technology plus better workflow equals better radio!”