Bridging RƎLAY with broadcast automation through Virtual MIDI
RƎLAY sits in a curious corner of the Lawo catalogue. It is software pretending to be hardware, a virtual radio mixer that runs on a standard PC and offers the tactile feel of a console through mouse clicks, touchscreen gestures, or HID controllers. For broadcasters in Sydney and Melbourne who have invested in physical desks, the proposition is appealing: keep the workflow logic already on-air, but lose the rack of metal.
The reason studios reach for RƎLAY is rarely to replace every piece of equipment. Often, it fills gaps. A regional station in Brisbane might need an extra fader surface in a production booth. A podcast studio in Perth might want cart machine functionality without buying another box. In both cases, the missing piece is software, and the existing piece is the playout automation system already running the schedule.
A radio automation platform only becomes useful when it can trigger events in the wider studio: start a fader, mute a microphone, fire a PFL, light a tally lamp. Historically this has required GPI/O cards, serial cables, or vendor-specific protocols. Virtual MIDI offers a different route, keeping the connection entirely in software while preserving the deterministic behaviour on-air operators demand.
This piece walks through wiring RƎLAY to an external automation system using Virtual MIDI on Windows and macOS. It targets engineers at Australian commercial and public broadcasters who already run a recognised automation package and want to extend its reach into RƎLAY's surface without adding hardware.
Why RƎLAY fits the modern radio studio
Lawo's Broadcast 3.0 philosophy treats the studio as a software environment first. RƎLAY embodies that thinking by offering a fully featured mixer, cart player, and audio processor that lives on the same machine as the automation software. Power Core and Ruby consoles can sit alongside it for operators who still prefer physical control, while VisTool provides customisable touchscreens for talkback and monitoring.
Australia's broadcast landscape mixes large metro networks with regional services that share content but operate on tighter budgets. A network in Adelaide can use RƎLAY as an overflow surface during a major event without buying a second console, while its sister station in Hobart runs the same automation platform and expects identical behaviour. Engineers weighing this approach can read about the wider philosophy shaping the Broadcast 3.0 ecosystem before committing to a trial.
The role of Virtual MIDI in studio integration
Virtual MIDI is a software driver that lets two applications on the same machine exchange MIDI messages as if they were connected by a five-pin DIN lead. On Windows, loopMIDI is the common tool for creating virtual MIDI ports. On macOS, the IAC bus built into Audio MIDI Setup serves the same purpose.
The advantage is platform neutrality. An automation system running ENCO DAD in a Brisbane studio can send the same MIDI command set to RƎLAY regardless of whether the host is a Windows workstation or a Mac mini in a wall rack. There is no driver to license, no extra hardware to fault-find, and no firmware to update.
Setting up RƎLAY as a MIDI listener
Inside RƎLAY, MIDI control is configured through the preferences panel. Each button, fader, and trigger can be assigned a unique MIDI note or control change message. Operators usually start with the items they need most during a live show: cart start, fader open, PFL, and mic mute.
The workflow begins with creating a virtual MIDI port and pointing both RƎLAY and the automation software at it. Once the port exists, RƎLAY's MIDI learn mode captures incoming messages and binds them to specific on-screen actions. Power Core users can route the resulting commands further into the physical console, useful in larger facilities such as the ABC's Ultimo centre or commercial hubs in Melbourne's Southbank.
Mapping automation triggers to studio actions
Once the plumbing is in place, map the automation system's trigger outputs to RƎLAY's controls. Most modern playout platforms expose MIDI as a native trigger option or through a small middleware layer. RCS Zetta, popular across Australian regional networks, fires MIDI cues as part of its event scheduler. ENCO DAD offers similar functionality through Hot Key configuration.
Common mappings include starting the next item's audio on a specific fader, sending a PFL cue when a phone caller is about to go to air, and lighting an ON AIR tally for the host's mic. Two-way communication is also possible: RƎLAY can send feedback so the playout log shows which fader is live. Engineers at stations run by ARN or Nova Entertainment often use this feedback to verify that remote talent segments actually reached the console.
Working with Australian automation platforms in practice
Local realities shape the integration in ways overseas documentation rarely covers. Time zones matter: a schedule running on AEST fires hours earlier than the same schedule interpreted by a station in Perth operating on AWST. Storing the studio on a single canonical time zone and converting at the automation layer avoids drift in evening drive shifts.
Compliance with ACMA broadcasting standards also influences how on-air tally and muting behaviour is wired. Operators must be confident that the on-air light reflects the actual state of the mic, not a delayed MIDI message. Teams wanting a deeper reference will find the automation integration insights brief useful for comparing MIDI against GPI/O in mixed environments.
Keeping the link reliable during daily use
A virtual MIDI cable can fail silently. There is no visible unplug to spot, and a background service crash can leave the automation software firing cues into nothing. Building a small watchdog into the automation workflow that pings RƎLAY every few minutes is a common Australian workaround, particularly in remote sites where an engineer cannot drop in for days.
Latency is the other quiet problem. MIDI itself is fast, but the path between automation event and on-screen response includes the OS scheduler, the virtual driver, and RƎLAY's own processing. In practice this is usually under twenty milliseconds, well below the threshold on-air talent would notice. Networked setups routing MIDI over IP between Sydney and Canberra introduce additional buffering worth measuring before relying on the link for tight cues like station IDs.
The concrete next step is to download the RƎLAY trial, install loopMIDI on the same machine as your automation system, and spend thirty minutes mapping a single cart start command before adding anything else to the configuration.
