The star among Morocco’s great variety of media is Rabat-based Maghreb Arabe Presse (MAP), a state-owned news agency founded in 1959. Recently, MAP completed its transition to IP operation, with the installation of Lawo broadcast technology in its radio production studios. The project was undertaken by Lawo’s Morocco partner, Casablanca-based LTS Network.
The extensive technical update encompasses three radio studios and two TV studios, and is fully based on IP technology. The choice of Lawo as technical partner for the project was the true-IP workflow of the company’s audio mixers, which enable operators to access all audio sources available on the network at a moment’s notice – this was especially important since MAP delivers its international programmes in Arabic, English, French, Spanish and Tamazight (the language of the Berber people).
After LTS Network won the project in 2018, a meticulous upgrade-in-place was begun. ‘The radio architecture comprises two control rooms, two small studios and another large studio that accommodates multiple guests.’ CEO Hassan Eddahbi explains. ‘Lawo’s sophisticated radio AoIP solution enables fast operation and an easy working environment for talent.
‘The ruby consoles in both control rooms have proven their effectiveness and audio quality, and their workflow is more intuitive and less involved than competitors’ offerings,’ he continues. ‘The consoles allow you to quickly switch between the different control rooms and choose the desired environments in record time, whether broadcasting live or recording for later use. They also make it possible to host all three studios at the same time during a single broadcast. Working with the Lawo team, we were able to realise all of the customer’s wishes for this project.’
In addition to the ruby mixing consoles, MAP’s radio studios are equipped with Lawo Power Core DSP mixing engines and I/O nodes. These integrate the studios with adjacent voice booths, called ‘studettes’. The set-up interlinks the studios and studettes with MAP’s large Grand Studio at the push of a button.
‘The project’s requirements were quite challenging,’ says Eddahbi, ‘New technical solutions and customer-defined workflows needed to be matched and fully integrated in the overall network. But we knew we could count on our team and the Lawo engineers – and on Lawo’s IP technology. MAP, LTS and Lawo collaborated very closely and we successfully established a future-proof IP infrastructure for our customer.’
Eddahbi notes that MAP’s new installation helps make its operation future-proof: ‘Choosing the “right” network is very important these days, not only to serve the needs of the present, but to serve the needs of your audience in the future as well. With Lawo, MAP is well-positioned to meet whatever new challenges the future brings.’
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