Vienna Muskverein: combining history with cutting-edge sound

The Austrian broadcaster, ORF, has unveiled its newly modernised and refurbished sound control room at the Vienna Musikverein. The historic hall is the home of the world-renowned Vienna Philharmonic orchestra. This project, which combines the concert hall’s rich history with modern audio requirements and capabilities, means the venue can provide sound befitting one of the world’s greatest orchestras, in the city that is arguably the historic home of classical music itself.

The upgrade is coinciding with the start of the 2025/26 concert season. The facility is now fully equipped with IP-based audio technology supplied by Lawo. This upgrade is intended to enhance live broadcast workflows and improve the precision and reliability of capturing orchestral performances.

Vienna Musikverein celebrated its inauguration and opening on January 6th, 1870. It was commissioned by the Society of Friends of Music in Vienna, on a piece of land given by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria in 1863. Its architecture came courtesy of Danish architect Theophil Hansen, and was built in the neoclassical style, with nods to ancient Greek temples of the classical world. Besides its famous great hall with its celebrated acoustics, the venue also has a smaller chamber music hall for smaller concerts as part of its busy music programme.

The smooth operation of this control room is central to mixing numerous high-profile events throughout the year, including the globally broadcast Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert. The decision to integrate Lawo technology was aimed at improving system compatibility and establishing synergies across ORF’s existing production infrastructure. Reinhard Tomek, project manager audio technology at ORF, states:

“This new setup is more than just an upgrade—it’s our gateway into next-generation audio IP technology. It offers us tremendous flexibility for future expansions and seamless integration of external devices. The incorporation of Lawo’s HOME platform simplifies system management, while keeping interfaces to external IP-enabled systems open and adaptable.”

Central to the new infrastructure is an mc²56 MkIII production console configured with 48 faders. This is powered by an A__UHD Core audio engine licensed for 256 DSP channels. Connectivity is established via two A__stage80 stageboxes, while signal architecture management relies on Lawo’s HOME platform, which is designed for IP-based production environments.

The console is running software version 12.2, which introduces several key enhancements, including a new 7-band EQ featuring three dynamic bands for precise audio shaping. Other improvements include optimised channel displays and more intuitive operation of audio crosspoints via the HOME API. The console provides full integration of Waves SuperRack V15. Extensive Waves plug-in bundles can be loaded into the Immersive Wrapper and operated directly from the console, supporting immersive formats such as 5.1.4, 7.1.4, or 9.1.4.

Tomek explains the operational benefit of this integration: “Native control of Waves processing within the console streamlines live operations significantly. It allows complex sound processing to be embedded directly into the workflow, eliminating the need for external workstations or workaround solutions.”

Following commissioning in August, Lawo provided a three-day training session for ORF’s sound engineers. The new system was first used on September 20, 2025, for the season-opening concert featuring the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, directed by Lahav Shani. Tomek notes the successful transition: “Despite the new technology, it was a routine production for our team — a clear sign that the system is intuitive, and the transition went smoothly.”

This renovation aims to ensure that future productions at the Vienna Musikverein are realised with maximum technical capabilities and operational reliability, capturing the exceptional acoustics of the Great Hall with high precision.