Darmstadt, Germany (December 16, 2025)—Darmstadt State Theater in Germany has upgraded its sound reinforcement and recording audio infrastructure with an IP-based solution from Lawo as part of an extensive modernization.
The new audio setup in the Kleines Haus (Small Stage) includes two mc²56 MkIII production consoles with 16 faders each, complemented by two additional 16-fader extender units. The system also features multiple A__stage and A__mic8 stage boxes, an A__UHD Core licensed for 768 DSP channels, and centralized control via the HOME platform. Built on RAVENNA/AES67 Audio-over-IP, the infrastructure supports multi-user workflows, redundancy, high flexibility, and full interoperability. System integration for all venues and the recording studio was handled by long-standing partner digitech.
“The Lawo mc²56 MkIII was the ideal choice for our new audio infrastructure,” explains Sebastian Franke, head of sound. “It not only delivers the performance and feature set required for large-scale productions, but its modular user interface gives us maximum flexibility.”
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Franke continues: “We now have an mc²56 console with 16 faders at the FOH position and an identical unit in the sound control room, plus two 16-fader extenders that we can deploy wherever needed. During rehearsals, we often place them in the middle of the auditorium—because that’s the only position where we can accurately hear the 3D sound image. At FOH, the ceiling speakers aren’t audible, so moving into the auditorium is essential for immersive checks.”
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System integration also includes Waves SoundGrid, Lawo Virtual Sound Card (VSC) for macOS, RTW TM7 loudness metering, and the browser-based VisTool interface. Fourteen stage boxes from the A__stage series, including two A__mic8 units with ST2022-7 Class C redundancy, provide low-latency, fail-safe connectivity between stage, orchestra pit and production areas.
