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The Grosses Festspielhaus in Salzburg, Austria, one of the world’s leading opera and concert venues, has upgraded its audio control room with Lawo technology as part of a modernization initiative by Austrian public broadcaster ORF.
The upgrade includes a Lawo mc²56 MkIII audio production console with 32 faders, an A__UHD Core audio engine and A__stage64 and A__stage80 stageboxes for high-resolution audio interfacing. The system integrates with ORF’s existing infrastructure via a fully IP-based network with redundant switches, ensuring reliable and future-proof signal transmission. Waves SoundGrid enhances sound processing capabilities.
Frank Wendtner-Andraschko, ORF Tonmeister, highlighted the challenges of live opera production, where performers and orchestras are spread across multiple stage levels and hidden areas. “The Lawo mc²56 MkIII convinced us with its flexibility and intuitive operation. The extensive Free Controls allow us to assign global or channel-specific parameters, ensuring fast and precise workflow adjustments,” he said. The system’s MIDI integration also facilitates remote microphone panning for wireless stage microphones.
The Lawo setup seamlessly connects with ORF’s broader production infrastructure, which includes studio control rooms and OB trucks. It enables centralized signal distribution across the Grosses Festspielhaus, the Felsenreitschule and the House for Mozart via fiber optics.
ORF says that the new installation has secured a high-performance, scalable audio solution designed to meet the complex demands of live opera and orchestral productions. Wendtner-Andraschko noted, “Our investment in Lawo technology has already paid off. We now have a reliable, sonically outstanding and highly adaptable solution that meets the exacting demands of the Salzburg Festival and beyond.”
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