Swiss Broadcaster Launches IP OB Truck

Gstaad, Switzerland (February 6, 2026)—Swiss broadcast service provider brutal güet launched its new S12 OB truck, outfitted with all-IP Lawo audio gear, at the Women’s Winter Classics ice hockey event in Gstaad recently.

The Winter Classics in Gstaad rank among the premier events in Swiss women’s hockey and is staged in the center of the village and framed by an alpine backdrop. For brutal güet, the event provided an opportunity to put the production concept of the new OB van into operation for the first time under live broadcast conditions.

At the core of S12’s audio control room is a Lawo mc²56 MkIII console with 48 faders, paired with a redundant A__UHD Core and an AoIP environment based on SMPTE ST 2110, AES67 and Ravenna.

For Christian Maier, senior broadcast audio engineer at brutal güet, the first production with the new system marked a technological step forward: “Overall, it initially felt quite unspectacular because I was already familiar with the system. At the same time, working with AES and Ravenna streams introduces new capabilities and advantages that still require a certain degree of adaptation.”

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Multilingual operation is a central requirement in Swiss broadcast productions. Although only one language feed was actively used in Gstaad, the audio setup was designed for trilingual operation from the outset. “Productions in Switzerland are inherently more complex. We always have to be able to deliver three language versions,” explains Maier. “That’s why I structured the setup so that all three languages are prepared—not only for this production, but for all future ones as well.”

The latest Lawo mc² generation provides advanced DSP capabilities that streamline daily workflows. “Being able to store and recall EQs, compressors and presets, as well as using dynamic EQ processing, makes multilingual productions much easier. I don’t have to build the same signal chains multiple times.”

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DSP resources can also be allocated selectively. “Not every output requires full processing. If a signal path is mainly used for information delivery, I can reduce processing there and allocate resources where they deliver the greatest sonic benefit.”