Lawo

Lawo
Name	Lawo
Type	Private
Industry	Broadcast equipment
Founded	1970
Founder	Günter Lawo
Headquarters	Rastatt, Germany
Area served	Worldwide
Products	Audio mixing consoles, routing systems, broadcast processors, IP audio solutions

Lawo is a German manufacturer of professional audio and broadcast equipment, established in 1970. The company develops mixing consoles, networked audio infrastructure, and software for broadcast, live production, and installation markets. Lawo products are used by broadcasters, concert halls, theatres, and production companies across Europe, North America, and Asia.

History

Founded in 1970 by Günter Lawo in Rastatt, Baden-Württemberg, the company expanded during the 1980s in response to demand from Süddeutscher Rundfunk, ZDF, ARD and other European broadcasters. In the 1990s Lawo adopted digital audio technologies influenced by work at Fraunhofer Society, Institut für Rundfunktechnik, and collaborations with AES67 proponents. During the 2000s Lawo transitioned toward IP-based audio, contributing to developments alongside AIMS (Alliance for IP Media Solutions), SMPTE ST 2110 initiatives, and interoperability testing with Dante and RAVENNA proponents. Strategic growth included expansions into the United States, China, and the United Kingdom, supplying major events at venues such as Wembley Stadium, Royal Albert Hall, and international sporting broadcasts like the FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games.

Products and Technology

Lawo produces a range of hardware and software including mixing consoles (e.g., mc^2 series), routing systems (e.g., V__matrix), and IP audio interfaces (e.g., AoIP gateways). Their platforms integrate with standards like AES67, SMPTE ST 2110, and protocols used by Dante and RAVENNA, enabling interoperability with equipment from Studer, Solid State Logic, Calrec, and Yamaha. Lawo's control software interfaces with MIDI, OSC, and industry systems used by broadcasters such as Avid and Grass Valley. The company also offers immersive audio solutions compatible with formats championed by Dolby and research into object-based audio frameworks from NHK Science & Technology Research Laboratories and ITU-R recommendations.

Markets and Applications

Lawo serves broadcasters including BBC, Deutsche Welle, CNN, NBCUniversal, and public service networks such as ORF and RTÉ. Live production clients include touring productions for artists represented by Live Nation, rental providers like NEP Group, and fixed installations in venues such as Barbican Centre and Elbphilharmonie. Lawo equipment features in workflows for television studios at Sky, on-location OB trucks operated by IBC providers, and corporate installations for companies like Siemens and BMW. Markets also include higher education institutions such as Royal College of Music and research facilities tied to Fraunhofer, offering training in professional audio and IP media production.

Corporate Structure and Ownership

Established as a family-owned enterprise, the company retained private ownership while integrating professional management teams with experience from firms like Rohde & Schwarz and Bosch. Leadership changes involved executives with backgrounds at Thomson and Harman. Lawo maintains manufacturing and R&D in Rastatt and regional offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Beijing, and London. Strategic partnerships and reseller agreements exist with distributors including Gearhouse, PSAV, and systems integrators such as Videndum.

Research and Development

R&D focuses on networked audio, distributed processing, and software-defined mixing, collaborating with standards bodies like AES, SMPTE, and EBU. Projects have involved joint work with Fraunhofer IIS on codec interoperability and with academic partners at Technische Universität Berlin and University of York on immersive audio rendering. The company participates in interoperability fairs and plugfests alongside AIMS, AMWA, and VSF to validate implementations of ST 2110 and AES67.

Awards and Recognition

Products and contributions have earned industry awards from organizations such as the IBC Innovation Awards, NAB Show Product of the Year recognitions, and accolades from TV Technology and Broadcast Engineering magazines. Lawo engineers and executives have been speakers at AES Conventions and IBC Conference sessions, and the company has received patents cited in research by IEEE publications.

Controversies and Legal Issues

The company has navigated contractual disputes typical in the broadcast supplier sector, involving warranty and delivery terms with broadcasters and integrators like NEP Group and regional public broadcasters. Lawo has been involved in standardization debates within AES, SMPTE, and AIMS about interoperability and licensing, similar to industry disputes seen between proponents of Dante and RAVENNA. There are no widely reported criminal prosecutions or major antitrust rulings against the company.

Category:Audio equipment manufacturers Category:Broadcast engineering companies