VIENNA—With the 2025-26 concert season already underway, Austrian broadcaster ORF has inaugurated its newly upgraded sound-control room at the Vienna Musikverein concert hall, which is now fully equipped with IP-based audio technology from Lawo.

The upgrade marks a significant step forward in enhancing live broadcast workflows, capturing the intricate soundscapes of orchestral performances with even greater precision and ensuring robust operational reliability for high-profile live productions, Lawo and the broadcaster said.

The smooth functioning of the control room plays a central role in mixing not only numerous concerts and live broadcasts throughout the year, but also the Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert, viewed by millions around the world.

The decision to implement Lawo technology was driven by the need to improve system compatibility and foster synergies across ORF’s production infrastructure.

“This new setup is more than just an upgrade—it’s our gateway into next-generation audio IP technology,” says Reinhard Tomek, project manager audio technology at ORF. “It offers us tremendous flexibility for future expansions and seamless integration of external devices. The incorporation of Lawo’s HOME platform simplifies system management, while keeping interfaces to external IP-enabled systems open and adaptable.”

At the heart of the new infrastructure is an mc²56 MkIII production console featuring 48 faders, powered by an A_UHD Core audio engine licensed for 256 DSP channels.

Two A_stage80 stageboxes provide connectivity, while the signal architecture is managed via Lawo’s HOME platform, designed for IP-based production environments. The console runs the latest software version 12.2, which introduces several key enhancements.

Notably, a new 7-band EQ with three dynamic bands enables sound engineers to shape orchestral audio with exceptional precision. Additional improvements include optimized channel displays, more intuitive operation of audio crosspoints via the HOME API, and the ability to switch banks and layers directly from the fader panel, the two companies explained.

Previous software versions such as 10.12 and 12.0 laid the foundation for deeper integration between console, DSP, and network. With the HOME mc² DSP app, CPU-based processing resources are now also available, Lawo said.

Another major highlight of the upgrade is the full integration of Waves SuperRack V15. Extensive Waves plug-in bundles can be loaded into the Immersive Wrapper and operated directly from the console—ideal for immersive formats such as 5.1.4, 7.1.4, or 9.1.4.

“Native control of Waves processing within the console streamlines live operations significantly,” Tomek said. “It allows complex sound processing to be embedded directly into the workflow, eliminating the need for external workstations or workaround solutions.”

Following commissioning in August, Lawo conducted a three-day, hands-on training session for ORF’s sound engineers, focusing on the practical application of the new features.

The system made its debut on Sept. 20,. during the season-opening concert featuring the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Lahav Shani. “Despite the new technology, it was a routine production for our team—a clear sign that the system is intuitive, and the transition went smoothly,” Tomek said.

With this renovation, ORF ensures that future productions at the Vienna Musikverein can be realized with maximum reliability and cutting-edge technical capabilities. At the same time, the new infrastructure enables the exceptional acoustics of the Musikverein’s Great Hall to be captured with unmatched precision and brought vividly to life for radio audiences, Lawo said.

For additional information, visit www.lawo.com.

BURBANK, Calif.—As the largest privately held, minority-owned Spanish-language broadcaster in the United States, LBI Media Inc. produces more than 50 hours of original television programming at our Burbank Television Studios each week. Our Estrella TV programming catalog consists of more than 7,500 hours of original, Spanish-language television programming available nationally in genres such as talk, drama, comedy, variety, reality, music and more.

As a professional broadcasting company, with facilities nationwide and production studios in California and Texas, one of our main goals is to easily produce creative and engrossing broadcast audio as cost-effectively as possible. Our news studios’ fast-paced environments must be adaptable, quick to set up, easy to operate and able to shift focus as rapidly as the news itself. To accomplish this, we rely on Calrec Audio’s Brio 36 and Summa digital audio consoles, which enable us to work smarter (not harder) without compromising audio quality.

NEWS STUDIO UPGRADES AND BUILD-OUTS

We chose Calrec based on the company’s reputation within the industry and also to serve as a complement to the rental trucks we use, the majority of which come standard with Calrec consoles.

We purchased the Brio 36 earlier this year for LBI’s newly launched news operation in our Dallas office, while the Summa was acquired last year as part of the much-needed upgrade at our Burbank facility. When we replaced the existing console in the video control room in our Burbank facility, the audio engineers there immediately noticed a difference in the quality of the audio. Calrec delivers a pristine sound, which we were unable to attain with our previous console.

During the initial installation, Calrec also delivered top-notch technical support and training, which brought our team up to speed quickly and without interruption. I haven’t needed to speak to anybody at Calrec since; and, in all honesty, that says a lot about a company in my mind.

FAST-PACED PRODUCTIONS REQUIRE QUALITY EQUIPMENT

Smooth workflow is incredibly important to the successful operation of any broadcast operation, especially when going live. At LBI, we continually rely on both consoles for live programming for our local and national news shows, which include “Alarma TV,” “El Mameluco,” “iTestigo,” “Noticiero Cierra de Edicion,” “Noticiero Estrella TV” and “En Vivo.”

With the fast-paced nature of a live news broadcast, having Brio’s dedicated broadcast capabilities—such as scalable and managed I/O, comprehensive monitoring, surround sound and high-bus quantities—greatly improves workflow. This, in turn, ensures that LBI and its affiliate stations are producing top-notch content for viewers around the country.

SMALL SIZE, BIG (AUDIO) PUNCH

As with any studio, real estate is important in our production spaces. The compact form-factor of the Calrec Brio makes it an ideal general-purpose workhorse that can be used when needed; its connectivity with the company’s Hydra2-compatible equipment makes it even more versatile. Brio 36 even provides analog and digital I/O and GPIO, which are built into the surface, making the console ideally suited for the broadcast environment.

Both Calrec consoles have proven to be powerful, with great networking capabilities and the ability to scale to a large number of inputs and outputs. They are easy to drive, flexible and full of assistive features that allow us to concentrate on what’s coming up next.

Chris Buchanan has spent more than 30 years in television broadcast engineering. He was hired as the assistant chief engineer for KRCATV television in 1991 and was later promoted to chief engineer. When Liberman Broadcasting purchased the station, Buchanan remained on as the chief engineer and was promoted to vice president of engineering in 2005. He can be contacted atLBIinfo@lbimedia.com.

For more info, visitwww.calrec.comor contact.

NEW BERN, N.C.— Equipment manufacturer Wheatstone has acquired Audion Labs, maker of the VoxPro digital audio editor.

“Audion Labs will remain a separate brand entity under Wheatstone,” the company stated in an announcement.

Terms were not announced. Rick Bidlack, Audion Labs’ chief technology officer, will remain with the company and operate from Seattle, Wheatstone said.

“Audion’s VoxPro is a staple in radio studios as one of the few broadcast-specific digital voice editors designed to record and quickly edit phone calls on the fly for on-air broadcast,” Wheatstone stated. The product is a PC-based software program with optional control panel surface, seen in a marketing image released with the announcement (right).

Charlie Brown created the editor in the early 1990s while working on-air in Seattle; he later founded Audion Labs. He was the seller in this transaction and was quoted in the announcement citing the benefits of the acquisition for “the care and growth of the VoxPro brand.”

North Carolina-based Wheatstone makes IP audio networking products under the WheatNet-IP brand, as well as audio processors and other gear for radio and TV broadcast uses including Vorsis and Audioarts Engineering products.

In the announcement, Wheatstone founder and CEO Gary Snow stated, “This is a terrific little company that with one product has made a big difference in the day-to-day operations of most radio stations today.”

Wheatstone said VoxPro would benefit from its 24/7 support and worldwide distribution footprint.