RNZ Selects PAT To Supply Lawo mc² Consoles For Auckland And Wellington

Professional Audio & Television (PAT) is proud to announce that RNZ (Radio New Zealand) has chosen Lawo mc²36 MKII audio consoles, associated I/O devices and Arista switch fabric for its prestigious recording locations at Auckland’s Town Hall and Wellington’s Michael Fowler Centre.

RNZ's decision to upgrade its broadcast technology was motivated by the need for a robust, future-proof system to support its role as a producer of high-quality recordings and live broadcasts. The replacement project’s primary goal was to identify a solution capable of delivering exceptional audio quality across the entire audio signal chain, from stage connectivity and preamplification to digital encoding, processing, and final recording for production.

The chosen Lawo setup includes a pair of 32-fader mc²36 MKII consoles, one for each location, equipped with Lawo A__stage64, A__mic8, and Lawo Power Core devices, which serve as I/O extensions. The Lawo Power Cores also serve as MADI and DANTE converters, providing RNZ with a versatile, high-performance networked audio infrastructure that supports the latest in AoIP technology. To enable these systems to scale with RNZ’s future requirements, PAT will also configure and install a set of Arista 710P compact, fanless, cognitive PoE switches into both locations. These Arista switches will be responsible for the transport of SMPTE 2110-30, low-latency audio on the red and blue ST2022-7 redundant media networks.

RNZ’s selection process focused on assessing each system’s audio fidelity, intuitive operation, and flexibility to adapt to the fast-paced demands of live recording environments. Lawo’s mc²36 MKII consoles were chosen not only for their stellar sound quality and robust build but also for their compatibility with cutting-edge technologies like AES67, MADI and DANTE, ensuring a seamless connection between legacy systems and new digital workflows.

The Lawo mc² series has gained a stellar reputation within the broadcast industry, with its state-of-the-art DSP engine, intuitive touchscreen control, and precision preamplification offering an unparalleled level of performance. The integration of Lawo’s A__line and Power Core technology provides RNZ with extensive routing and connectivity options, ideal for live recording and broadcast applications. 

You might also like...

Live Sports Production: Part 3 – Evolving OB Infrastructure

Welcome to Part 3 of ‘Live Sports Production’ - This multi-part series uses a round table style format to explore the technology of live sports production with some of the industry’s leading broadcast engineers. It is a fascinating insight into w…

Monitoring & Compliance In Broadcast: Part 3 - Production Systems

‘Monitoring & Compliance In Broadcast’ explores how exemplary content production and delivery standards are maintained and legal obligations are met. The series includes four Themed Content Collections, each of which tackles a different area of the media supply chain. Part 3 con…

Sports Graphics Production: Data Driven Visualization In Sports

Here we chart the evolution of data visualization in sports broadcast, examine the technology & workflow, and pivotal role of ML in current immersive production techniques.

Sports Graphics Production: Sports Data Management

Those who work with data driven systems know that reliably acquiring data is only part of the battle - data is often not in the right format and needs to be delivered for use structured in the right way.

Sports Graphics Production: Data Sources For Live Sports Graphics

The first step in data driven sports graphics production is gathering the data itself. The nature of that data can vary dramatically from sport to sport. Here we discuss some of the data gathering technology and techniques required.