Calrec expands IP ecosystem with Type RT consoles and Apex M6

This launch lowers the barrier to entry for broadcasters transitioning to IP-based infrastructures by providing modular, fanless hardware that operates without a dedicated DSP core. By integrating NMOS-native operation and multi-format bridging, Calrec is positioning its hardware as a flexible edge device for complex, multi-vendor streaming environments. The move reflects a broader industry shift toward decentralized production where hardware must support both physical consoles and virtualized workflows simultaneously. Watch for adoption rates in the mid-market AV sector, particularly how corporate and house-of-worship venues utilize the Type RT’s compact footprint for high-end remote audio production.

Calrec's Type RT and Apex M6 arrive as the broadcast audio console market accelerates its shift from baseband to SMPTE ST 2110 IP transport. At IBC 2025, Calrec demonstrated its ImPulseV virtualized DSP platform running fully in the cloud alongside physical Argo and Type R surfaces, reinforcing the company's strategy of decoupling processing hardware from control surfaces. That same show saw Lawo unveil the mc²36 MK III console with native ST 2110-30 audio transport and AES67 interoperability, positioning it as a direct competitor to Calrec's mid-range IP offerings for OB trucks and studio installations.

On the standards and business side, the AES67 and ST 2110-30 specifications that underpin Calrec's IP ecosystem continue to gain formal industry backing. The Advanced Media Workflow Association published updated NMOS IS-04 and IS-05 conformance test suites in early 2026, giving console and I/O vendors a clearer certification path for multi-vendor interoperability. Calrec's decision to build NMOS discovery and registration natively into the Type RT and Apex M6 aligns with that push, and the company confirmed that its Calrec Connect and Calrec Configure software tools now support NMOS IS-04 v1.3, matching the latest AMWA baseline. From a procurement angle, Calrec parent company Telos Alliance reported that IP audio console shipments grew 34 percent year over year in fiscal 2025, driven largely by sports and live-event production upgrades.

Technically, buyers evaluating the Type RT and Apex M6 will also weigh alternatives from Lawo, Riedel, and Wheatstone in the same ST 2110 audio space. Riedel's Artist-1024 IP intercom system added ST 2110-30 support in a firmware update released in June 2026, extending its reach into the same IP audio fabric that Calrec targets. Meanwhile, Wheatstone introduced the WheatNet-IP XE processor with native AES67 and ST 2110-30 output at NAB Show 2026, aiming at broadcasters who want a single-vendor audio-over-IP plant without a separate DSP chassis. The Apex M6's modular card architecture, which supports up to 64 channels of ST 2110-30 audio in a 1RU form factor, gives Calrec a density advantage over most competitors at the I/O edge, a factor likely to matter in space-constrained OB and venue installations, similar to how edge infrastructure live production is being optimized across the wider broadcast sector.