Japanese Broadcaster NHK has commissioned a new OB truck specifically to serve major US sports events and deliver high-quality audio to its viewers at home. It is also the first Ravenna-based truck in the US, using Lawo’s newest dual-fader mc²56xt mixing console.

While the Ravenna technology fully supports AES67 and offers a proven solution for critical broadcasting operations, the 64-fader console surface sits in an audio booth with only 84 inches of linear space, yet supports 288 DSP paths with 8,192 x 8,192 audio routing and three Dallis I/O stageboxes in a redundant configuration. In addition, the truck is capable of up to 22.2 surround-sound as a potential audio delivery format for NHK. In a long-standing cooperative effort between NHK and Lawo, the two companies have been working together to develop the tools and practical applications needed to create an immersive audio experience with 3D surround audio and are committed to developing further technical innovations.

In its current configuration, the truck supports conventional stereo and surround mixing and serves as a test bed for of 22.2 surround mixing and monitoring. The onboard operations and engineering team elected to debut the new truck in a live broadcast of a baseball game between Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees in New York. Numerous Japanese baseball enthusiasts not only watched an exciting game but were able to experience it by listening to a high-quality audio production designed to put viewers more fully in the field of play. More recently, the truck has been used for coverage of the 2015 major league baseball playoffs including the league championships and World Series.

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