It is clear that a lot of thought has gone into Dhaka’s new 96.4 Spice FM radio station – and that it is bringing a new wave of technology and a fresh voice to the Bangladesh airwaves. Launched with the claim ‘we’re gonna change the way you listen to music’, the station is changing the way programming is delivered using Lawo’s groundbreaking virtual studio technology.
Located on the 13th floor of Dhaka’s MG Tower, the 96.4 Spice FM studios are immediately impressive with their futuristic interior design. This is supported and enabled by the adoption of Lawo’s crystalClear virtual mixing. This is no over-funded folly, however, as equipment costs were also high on the Spice FM agenda.
‘Price was one of the main concerns,’ confirms Boon Siong Tan, Southeast Asia Sales Director at Lawo’s Singapore office. ‘The crystalClear virtual radio console offers the best fit for the requirement, both in terms of price and the aim to make the studio design unique – it’s a futuristic and cool set-up, with very few components in studio.’
It is a neat and simple set-up, but one that still provides full radio facilities.
In the studio, there are just two PC screens – one for the crystalClear virtual console and another one for radio automation. The PC with crystalClear also serves as social media PC and providing the station’s other internet services. There are four microphones and a headphone amplifier for guests and DJ, and a telephone set for incorporating phone-ins into the programming.
The Spice FM team discovered crystalClear technology as part of their research, both by industry word-of-mouth and via the internet. Providing a virtual mixing interface, a high-resolution computer display, crystalClear exists entirely in software. This allows it to operate without the limitations of physical knobs, buttons and faders. Instead, it presents operators with the controls and information relevant to their role, hiding anything not currently needed.
With its low profile and high functionality, crystalClear has played perfectly into the Spice FM vision: ‘We are very satisfied and grateful for the support given to complete the studios with minimum concerns over operation, technical set-up and implementation,’ the station says.
More: www.lawo.com
