Theatre Makes the IP Switch with Lawo

Rich in tradition, the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz (State Theater at the Gärtner Square in Munich, Germany) has experienced a large number of renovations, restorations and technical re-equipments in its eventful history. 165 years after its founding, the State Theater has now opted for IP audio technology from Lawo, and is producing its new season largely on the basis of an AoIP infrastructure.

The central elements of the new setup at Gärtnerplatztheater are two Lawo mc²56 audio production consoles with A__UHD core engine. I/O connectivity is guaranteed via several A__line AoIP nodes, in addition to Lawo DALLIS devices already in place in-house. Digitech, the experienced Bavarian system integrator, acted as general contractor for the design, implementation and integration of the new technology which was installed in August and successfully completed in September, 2021.

The State Theatre has been familiar with Lawo for years; in 2007, two mc²66 digital mixing consoles were installed in the auditorium and sound control room for use in sound reinforcement and to record musical, ballet, operetta and opera productions. Those earlier mixers have now been replaced by two mc²56 (MKIII) consoles, each with 48 faders and an A__UHD Core engine. A software upgrade to A__UHD Core (Phase 2), to facilitate further IP infrastructure expansion, is planned for the 2022 season. The existing DALLIS I/O systems are integrated into the network via a Nova73 HD router core, with additional connectivity via WAN-capable A__stage AoIP nodes. This flexible approach permits the continued use of existing technology within new workflows, enabling a gradual transition to a comprehensive IP infrastructure. The entire system was implemented as a redundant network to ensure security.

Dirk Buttgereit, head of the theatre’s sound department, about the upgrade: “We opted for a combination of existing equipment and new hardware and software, a perfect solution because the existing hardware, especially the analog/digital conversion systems, are still in impeccable condition, work reliably and can be integrated seamlessly with the new Lawo systems.”

Looking to the future, Buttgereit adds “This first step already allows us to take advantage of an IP infrastructure and apply new features and workflows, with theatre-specific features such as cue lists, iso sets, fade sets, and DSP pooling via the A__UHD core. In the coming years we will switch completely to IP technology.”

Buttgereit concludes: “Through the close communication Lawo maintains with clients, the company succeeds in implementing this innovative power with products and solutions that are both practical and tailored to the customer, much appreciated by us in our entry into the IP age of theatre and opera production.”