A Sapphire For Production

Now shipping: Lawo sapphire compact mixing desk

Lawo gained a lot of attention at IBC 2015 with the introduction of its sapphire compact mixing desk. Providing a new, small mixing surface with either eight or twelve motorized faders, sapphire compact is now shipping to clients worldwide.

Equipped with VisTool 5.0 software for extended visualisation and control and with innovative new features designed to help simplify the workflow of even the most complex radio programming, sapphire compact is perfectly suited to today’s quick-moving, interactive news and call-in shows.

Autogain, for example, is a life-saver for multiple-mic talk shows and news programs; with the push of a single button, Autogain adaptively optimizes the dynamic range of all active microphone preamps, turning microphone chaos into a smooth, even mix of voices.

Another Lawo innovation, Automix, is an exclusive, intelligent DSP algorithm which gives presenters the power to create radio shows virtually hands-free. Automix works by intelligently riding the gain of any combination of mono and stereo input signals to produce error-free mixes — freeing talent to prepare for what’s next.

Another unique feature present in sapphire compact is a unique “layering” capability, which enables the console to manage a live broadcast while, at the same time, performing alternate tasks such as voice tracking, phone call editing, and even light production.

Elegant and flexible, sapphire compact is available in both desktop and flush-mount styles. A powerful, compact 1RU mixing engine includes a full suite of sophisticated signal processing functions, along with analog and digital I/O, plus AoIP and baseband connections.

sapphire compact comes with VisTool screen building application software, designed to easily create custom status displays, tablet and touchscreen based button panels and even mixing console controllers. VisTool also serves to capture and manage snapshots and offers sophisticated rights management functionality. The new 5.0 version adds GUI elements including the ability to place web page objects on custom panels. It also provides integration to more devices via the Ember+ control protocol while a new logic engine enables rules-based decisions and actions.

To find out more about sapphire compact and VisTool, or for a list of Lawo distributors worldwide, please visit www.lawo.com.

About Lawo

Lawo designs and manufactures pioneering audio and video technology for TV and radio broadcast production, post-production, as well as live performance and theatrical applications. Products include digital audio mixing consoles, routers, video processing tools as well as solutions for IP-based A/V infrastructures and routing systems. All products are developed in Germany and manufactured according to highest quality standards at the company’s headquarters in the Rhine valley town of Rastatt, Germany. For additional information, please visit the company online at www.lawo.com.