With the introduction of the dLive series of mixing systems in June 2015, Allen & Heath launched a new flagship model that is able to handle nearly any possible church service or church production scenario. The heart of this full-featured system is the dLive MixRacks that hold the company's XCVI processors, audio I/O, control, and audio networking capabilities. Three different MixRacks offer identical processing capabilities, only the amount of I/O is different. The system supports up to 128 inputs with full processing, 16 effects units with dedicated stereo returns, as well as up to 64 mix busses for different configurable uses, all running at 96 kHz sampling rates.
Audio running through the MixRacks can be controlled by a laptop, iPad, other third-party controllers, or Allen & Heath's own very attractive control Surfaces. The S3000 Surface offers 20 faders and a single 12-inch touch screen, the S5000 includes 28 faders and dual, 12-inch touchscreens, and the S7000, 36 faders and dual, 12-inch touch screens.
Mixing and matching Surfaces and MixRacks allows for a completely customizable set of solutions to meet the needs and budgets of a church, regardless of its size or service type. CPM had an opportunity to test drive the S7000 Surface, the largest of the three, with the DM64 MixRack and a DX32 expander.
Findings
The dLive work surface appears to build on the Allen & Heath GLD line; the console layout and software menus are very similar to other Allen & Heath offerings, creating cohesive usability across the line. This is a solidly built desk with controls that feel like they are constructed for the long haul. For those who operate in a more stringent environment, the console (and MixRacks) support full redundant power supplies, adding additional piece of mind.
Display lighting is well thought out, with the ability to tune color and intensity for not just the bezel but for the knobs, displays, and backlighting, much of which is controlled separately. Two large touchscreen displays (just one on the smaller S3000 frame size) dominate the console and are split between bank and channel control as well as system monitoring and configuration.
Individual channel strips are simplistic in nature, with scribble strips that are easy to read. One great feature is that individual LED segments are able to display signal level, compression, and gating for every strip, simultaneously, without having to show the channel displays up on the screen, as is the case with several other consoles. Each channel has three main buttons that allow the user to quickly manage routing, parameter selection, and mix selection. They also act as very fast methods for copy/paste/reset operations for processing and routing.
The configurability of the control surface makes it very easy to create a workflow that makes sense to you.
John Spicer
Audio Ministry Director, Seneca Creek Community Church, Gaithersburg, Md.
Each display is customizable with adjustable screen layers that can show the specific options and information you want displayed at any given time. Also included is the ability to have a three-layer assignment for soft rotary sections to the right side of each screen. You can easily assign your top three controls on these layers and get to them whenever you want, without having to surf any screen menus. If comps are your “go-to” when you are mixing, assign them to layer one of the soft rotaries. If you always go to gates, you can put those on layer one. The configurability of the control surface makes it very easy to create a workflow that makes sense to you. The surface also provides 26 assignable soft keys, allowing you to get almost whatever you need at the touch of a single button.
The screen menus, routing, and assignment methodologies are very “Allen & Heath,” and anyone that is familiar with a GLD or Qu Series console will likely be able to walk up to the console and set up a show immediately. One very interesting feature of the UI is the addition of the pinch and swipe gestures on the screens. For instance, due to the high number of I/O and routing options, the I/O screen matrix sometimes became fairly busy [in our trial]. Simply using a pinch gesture allows you to zoom in and out on the screen to better see the area in which you are working.
Processing Power
Allen & Heath is touting the dLive’s DEEP processing capability, a powerful FPGA-based architecture, as the powerhouse behind dLive’s full channel processing. Input channel processing includes the normative high-pass filter (HPF), low-pass filter (LPF), gate, comp, parametric (PEQ), dual inserts, and also allows for selectable ordering of gates and comps, as well as assignable side chain. DEEP also allows the engineer to model different compressor types and various preamps. This gives more control of how you are processing your inputs, and even allows for the emulation of a valve-based preamp and all of the analog distortion goodness one might hope for. Output mix processing includes the majority of [the] same processing available for the inputs, but swaps the gate for a GEQ.
Three different MixRacks are available based upon your analog I/O needs, with additional expander packs available. Each MixRack has the identical processing power, with the analog I/O count as the only differentiator. The DM64 is the largest of the MixRacks, with 64 mic/line inputs and 32 XLR outputs. If you need to go above 64 inputs the optional expander racks allow you to increase the analog input count up to the 128 max inputs supported. It is important to note that the MixRack itself contains all of the audio processing and the Surface simply acts as remote control; forwarding commands and local I/O from the desk.
The dLive system supports external word clock, AES, ACE, DX, and ME connectivity, the latter supporting Allen & Heath’s ME-1 IEM (in-ear monitor mixing) system. In addition, the dLive system has support for up to five I/O ports, allowing the use of any audio card supported on the dLive system. This creates connectivity for Dante, Waves, ES-V2, ACE, and MADI. CPM used a Dante card in one of those slots to feed pre-recorded material during our review.
As one might expect from a large-format system with this much horsepower, the dLive sounds fantastic and is worthy of any venue in which it is used. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where the dLive will not support the I/O needs of a particular organization. It also presents itself as a well-refined system with no real bad habits. During the review period we did not have any glitches or issues with either the control interface or audio processing. Nor did we notice any sluggishness or instability that would cause reluctance to use it in a high profile or mission-critical setting.
The onboard effects, including multiple verbs, delays, chorus, and other effects, including a dynamic EQ and multiband compressors, are all quite capable and sound great. All effects units can be chained or used as individual channel inserts.
For any churches that have multi-purpose rooms where services are done on the weekend and classes/conferences are held during the week, dLive’s comprehensive user management functions allow for creation of accounts that empower other engineers to use your space mid-week without the risk of having them get lost in the technology or erasing stored settings.
Church-readiness
One of the most important aspects of any piece of gear reviewed in CPM is its user friendliness for church volunteers. In this respect the dLive performs quite well. The system interface has the completeness that any experienced audio technician would look for and yet lacks complexity that is likely to frustrate operators who are less savvy. While the technical specs are impressive, the dLive system is easily customized. The console layout and the soft rotaries allow for easy access to the most important controls without having to dive into the menu system. Comprehensive scene and cue list capabilities fit nicely into the church environment by allowing for the standardization of signal flow and console layout with one-touch scene recalls.
After spending many hours pouring over the Allen & Heath dLive system, we find it a fantastic addition to the company’s lineup. This scalable, interchangeable console series offers a range of features and capabilities that fit quite well into multiple church production environments.
