HotFM, a commercial radio station in Lusaka is using Lawo RƎLAY and crystalCLEAR systems to assist in its broadcasts. It covers the region on 3 separate FM frequencies.
Lusaka, capital of the Republic of Zambia, is home to nearly 2 million people. With its nearby wildlife sanctuaries, thriving art scene and proximity to world-famous Victoria Falls, Lusaka is one of the fastest-growing cities in southern Africa. Radio drives the beat of this thriving city, but of all the stations on the dial, the hottest of all is HotFM.
“HotFM is one of the most modern radio stations in Africa — that’s why they chose Lawo,” said Meck Phiri of Lawo’s Zambian sales partner, Meck Media Consult. “Lawo radio products are AES67-compliant, easy to use, and future-proof. HotFM will deploy Visual Radio shortly; Lawo’s standards-based AoIP infrastructure makes that possible.”
“The new studio went on the air August 1st, and talent loves it,” said Oscar Chavula, the owner of HotFM and other stations in Lusaka. “Touchscreen mixing is a huge advantage because it’s so easy to learn and use. And in the field, a computer with RƎLAY and a 4G telephone connection makes it possible to originate high-quality remote broadcasts with much less equipment and very little setup time. We are the first in Zambia to do this and the innovation is here now.”
crystalCLEAR is an in-studio virtual mixing console for radio. Its control surface is software, driven by a multi-touch interface on a high-resolution computer display controlling the proven Lawo Compact Engine, an advanced 1RU device with AES67 / Ravenna compliance, powerful DSP signal processing for mics and other inputs, and sophisticated AutoMix and AutoGain functions that help make shows smooth and error-free.
RƎLAY is powerful software that takes advantage of computer virtualization technology adapted from the IT industry. RƎLAY enables broadcasters to mix, route, and process AES67 audio streams and computer audio via standard WDM or ASIO interfaces, making maximum use of the power of today’s powerful Windows-based laptop and desktop PCs,
Lawo’s line of physical and virtual radio solutions include the new ruby radio console, sapphire, sapphire compact and crystal mixing surfaces, crystal CLEAR and RƎLAY Virtual Radio Mixers, and advanced VisTool GUI-builder software, all designed to provide more capability for less cost.
