In a premiere event on the first day of NAB 2016, Lawo introduced two new systems, the V__matrix, a software-defined IP routing and processing platform, and RƎLAY, their virtual radio mixer. Both new products won Best of Show honours awarded respectively by NewBay Media’s broadcast magazines TV Technology and Radio World. The awards are judged on the criteria of innovation, feature set, cost efficiency and performance in serving the industry.
Andreas Hilmer, director Marketing and Communications at Lawo, on the awards: “Receiving the Best of Show awards means a lot to us, as the jury consists of engineers and industry experts which have a detailed insight into the industry and its needs. These awards are a great confirmation of our continuing commitment to develop of products that are innovative, and most importantly, that meet the needs of our broadcast customers.”
Lawo’s V__matrix is a software-defined IP core routing and processing platform based on data centre principles of flexibility, fabric computing and COTS economics. Designed to provide a completely virtualised real-time production infrastructure, V__matrix leverages multiple cores connected to a high-capacity COTS switch with redundant 10GE and 40GE connections to form a distributed IP routing and processing matrix with frame-accurate, clean switching just like a legacy baseband matrix. The central concept behind it is the employment of generic high capacity core processing blades coupled with software-defined virtual modules. The virtual modules are software applications that can be loaded to create any required functionality, enabling entire workflows to be remapped in minutes as requirements change from production to production. By cascading multiple virtual modules together, the V__matrix can be scaled linearly up to thousands of SDI I/O and audio/video processing functions for unparalleled flexibility, versatility and cost-efficiency.
V__matrix is fully based on open standards in-line with the AIMS roadmap: SMPTE 2022-6/-7, VSF TR-03/04, AES67 plus SMPTE VC-2 and Ember+ and ensures the customer’s transition to a total IP-based broadcast environment. Another benefit of the V__matrix approach results from the use of Lawo’s VSM broadcast control and monitoring system as the control layer. Since VSM was designed to be an agnostic control system for a broad range of third party products, it naturally integrates both IP and legacy SDI equipment under a single control interface that can easily be optimised to address specific workflows. The system also supports a ‘boxing’ function that enables snapshot reconfiguration of an entire production studio.
Also premiered by Lawo in Las Vegas and honoured with a Best of Show award was the innovative RƎLAY Virtual Radio Mixer. It is the equivalent of an entire radio studio on a laptop that covers not only mixing, but also voice processing, codecs, phone systems and much more, all running in a virtualised PC environment with an easy-to-use, intuitive, multi-touch-enabled GUI. RƎLAY has been designed to do everything a traditional radio console can do, and more. It is a fully-featured portable studio, complete with analogue and digital I/O and a 4- or 8-fader Virtual Mixer. A variety of plug-in apps will be available from RƎLAY partners, so it can also take care of broadcast chores that a traditional console would require extra rack-mount hardware to perform. With built-in IT technology and audio-over-IP interface capability, the RƎLAY Virtual Radio Mixer has been designed to provide a highly portable and space-efficient solution suitable for a number of different on-air tasks and reduces the price of obtaining all these tools to a fraction of that of their hardware counterparts. RƎLAY Virtual Radio Mixer bundles include the RƎLAY VRX4 and VRX8 (4- and 8-fader mixer) software, a compact Lawo On-Air 4 audio interface equipped with mic, line, AES3 and RAVENNA/AES67 I/O, and a heavy-duty RƎLAY backpack with space for a laptop and other on-air accessories like mics and headphones.
The RƎLAY Virtual Radio Mixer is scheduled to begin shipping July 2016.
