diamond

diamond

Modular Broadcast Console

POWERFUL. ELEGANT. INSPIRING.

Every job requires the proper tools. The more demanding the job, the higher quality the tools must be. And to achieve the highest levels of productivity, your tools must operate as extensions of yourself. This is why Lawo created the diamond broadcast console for radio and TV applications.

Our design philosophy is simple: give broadcast professionals a mixing console so intuitive, so easy to use, that using it feels as natural as breathing. A seamless synergy of physical and virtual operation, with intelligent context-sensitive controls that fall naturally to hand.

diamond is truly cutting edge. Native IP, of course. Completely modular; configurable to your most specific wishes. Scalable from as few as 2 to as many as 60 physical faders. Virtual Extensions that provide immediate information for every function. Touch-sensitive faders and rotary controls with vibrant, full-color displays. So much power — delivered with all the style and finesse that broadcasters expect from Lawo broadcast consoles.

OVERVIEW

• 2 to 60 physical faders

• 100% Modular, 100% IP for maximum flexibility

• Context-sensitive color displays, Touch-sensitive controls

• Sophisticated user and rights-management system

• Up to 120 virtual faders

• Optional Virtual Extension touchscreen control modules

• Power Core engine provides multiple license options

• Native RAVENNA / AES67 and ST2110-30 compatibility

FEATURES

PREMIUM COMPONENTS

diamond consoles use the same well-tested high-end faders, keys, and rotary encoders found in our flagship mc² live-mixing consoles to ensure long life and perfect operation every time. Silent motorized faders permit flawless integration with program automation and playout systems — perfect for multiple-layer operations involving voice tracking, remote production, or DAW control. Programmable LED button lighting highlights common control functions. And diamond‘s familiar Lawo design language puts operators instantly at ease.

EXTENSIVE VISUALIZATION

diamond’s optional Virtual Extension (powered by Lawo VisTool) integrates displays with physical controls in a way that’s both visually pleasing and highly functional. The 13.3” HD color TFT touchscreen displays context-sensitive data related to active controls, like EQ curves, compression settings and other DSP functions, routing changes, etc. An optional upgrade to VisTool Unlimited facilitates integration of controls for third-party playout software, editors, and other studio devices with HTML control interfaces.

ASSISTIVE MIXING FEATURES

diamond employs smart algorithms that speed up production workflows. The AutoMix function automatically maintains the balance of multi-mic productions, and AutoMix Grouping allows this intelligent automatic mixing to be applied to multiple independent source groups. AutoGain, an automatic gain setting function, optimizes guest and host mic levels with a single button press. Smart tools like these help operators concentrate on creating compelling content rather than watching levels.

ALL ETHERNET

diamond connects to Lawo’s Power Core mixing engine natively via Ethernet. This all-IP interface makes possible flexible new options for installing and maintaining equipment. Place the engine in the studio and connect it to diamond directly. Or, locate the engine remotely in your rack room or data center. Even install it in an entirely separate facility, connected via LAN or WAN. As many as four independent studios can share the resources of one Power Core; by using IP multicast, the diamond control modules in each studio will stay perfectly synchronized.

MIN OR MAX: HAVE IT YOUR WAY

diamond isn‘t a “one-size-only“ mixing console. In fact, it’s exactly the opposite: a holistically-designed production system that enables you to build exactly the console you envision, tailored to your specific requirements. Since it is completely modular, custom setups are easily possible. The multiple module types (faders, central modules, combo modules and key/rotary extension panels) may be freely arranged to create consoles with single frames, multiple joined frames, or multiple split-frame configurations.

Design consoles as small as 2 faders for news studios and voice recording booths. Add fader modules and rotary extensions to create 12 – 16 fader consoles ideal for on-air studios and production rooms. Build consoles of up to 60 physical faders, along with rotary and/or key extension modules and Virtual Extensions to create large consoles with integrated, intuitive touchscreen controls suitable for production and Master Control room applications. The sky is the limit.

THE VIRTUAL EXTENSION

In today’s radio stations, computer monitors are the studio’s centerpiece. Playout system controls, phone queues, news and weather, social media platforms, even live copy are onscreen — and the number of screens has increased dramatically. diamond consoles with Virtual Extension modules (powered by Lawo VisTool GUI-builder software) help combat screen clutter while giving operators intuitive touchscreen controls integrated with the console.

Virtual Extension comes with a pre-configured collection of ready to run control screens. Each fader strip is augmented with a realtime bargraph display and tallies that illuminate when DSP processing is active, plus bus assignment indicators and an info-strip with source name and details. An interactive parameter control page is shown when a channel’s Access mode is activated; just touch the screen to trim voice processing and other DSP parameters, fine-tune delay times, recall console snapshots, load audio sources and adjust source and monitor gain.

When the full-width diamond Central Control Module is used with the Virtual Extension Module, 4 “slots“ are provided on-screen that you can fill with program output meters, loudness metering, user shortcut keys, NTP-synchronized clock, event timers – even video feeds. When the diamond Combo Module is used, 2 user-selectable “slots” are available. Slot functions can be set in user profiles and recalled when users log in.

For those who prefer to use an off-console touchscreen monitor instead of the Virtual Extension module, the Diamond Desktop App comes with every diamond console. It works with any standard touchscreen display, and runs on standard Windows PCs. It also helps fight display proliferation in the studio — operators can instantly “dock” the diamond display, which shrinks to a toolbar that continues to provide vital clock, timer, metering info and user controls, while freeing the rest of the screen for playout systems, audio editors and other tasks.

FADER MODULES

The heart of any mixing console. diamond modules are 4 faders wide, with fast, silent motorized faders that respond instantly to layer changes, playout systems and remote operator input. Styled after our award-winning line of mc² audio production consoles, color-cued control buttons provide instant visual feedback for active functions; high-resolution TFTs above or below faders supply source information, confidence metering, and more. Two styles are available, with displays and control keys below or above the fader.

CENTRAL & COMBO MODULES

Central and Combo Modules feature comprehensive controls, with virtually every feature programmable to provide exactly the functions you need. The full-width Central Module provides superior control for large Master Control or production consoles. Combo Modules include two faders plus a full-featured control set, and like four-fader modules is available with ON/PFL buttons and displays placed either above or below the fader strips. Ambient light sensors automatically adjust the brightness of console displays.

EXTENSION MODULES

Radio stations that demand configurability will find it in abundance with diamond. In addition to the fully programmable keys on each fader strip and Central Modules, diamond can also be outfitted with any or all of these useful extension modules.

KEY EXTENSION MODULE has 64 keys with multi-color backlighting. Perfect for commonly-used control functions common to all users, these can be used to recall snapshots, change layers, fire routing salvos, et cetera.

ROTARY EXTENSION MODULE features 8 color displays, each with adjacent rotary selectors and back-lighted buttons. Use these for quick access to input or output selections, EQ, compression and other DSP functions, bus assignments, and other operations where multiple choices are available. Rotary knobs feature color-guided lighting rings for easy operation.

COMBO EXTENSION MODULE combines color displays, rotary controls, and 32 color-backlit function keys to deliver maximum control options in small or medium-sized diamond consoles. An excellent choice, in combination with the Combo Module, for production or remote applications where a bit of extra control is required.

DESIGN YOUR DIAMOND

Ready to design your own diamond console? Just use our Diamond Designer online design tool.

Just drag-and-drop fader modules, central modules, rotary and key modules, and Virtual Extensions to create the console you’re thinking of. Then download a copy for planning (or to dream about later).

POWER CORE

MIGHTY. SMALL.

Feast your eyes on pure power — perhaps the most powerful mixing engine ever built for broadcast applications. With redundant IP networking and redundant power capabilities. Tons of built-in I/O, with room for even more. Dozens of DSP channels. It’s like 12 rack units of power, packed into only 1RU. Enough power to accomplish any task. Even the ones you haven’t thought of yet.

At just 1RU, Power Core‘s compact form belies the immense capabilities inside. On the front panel, a high-resolution color TFT display gives status and setup information. I/O includes four RAVENNA/AES67 Ethernet ports with SFP, capable of 256 bi-directional AoIP streams, and 4 ports for high-density MADI signals (256 channels of audio in total) — perfect for native MADI-to-AES67 AoIP conversion. It complies with the ST2110-30 standard too, ensuring seamless operation in combined radio / TV broadcast plants. ST2022-7 Seamless Protection Switching enables simultaneous dual-redundant network links, if you choose. Clock sync connections, an SD memory card and a USB interface for maintenance complete the scene.

Around back, auto-switching redundant power supplies are standard. Power Core’s internal auto-ranging AC power supply is complemented by an inlet which accommodates an external 12VDC backup power supply. There are also 8 expansion slots, which accept a variety of optional IO expansion cards.

Where Power Core really shines is in raw audio processing horsepower. So much, in fact, that one Power Core can handle thousands of simultaneous signals. As many as 96 channels of DSP input processing can be unlocked to use for anything from EQ to de-essing, from dynamics to delay sync. In fact, Power Core may be the most powerful audio signal processor ever made for broadcast.

https://lawo.com/products/diamond/