In Cornwall, UK, Allen & Heath executed one of the most successful digital console evolutions in live audio history. By engineering their proprietary XCVI 96 kHz FPGA Processing Core, Allen & Heath created the dLive Series (S7000, S5000, S3000, C3500), the sleek dual-touchscreen Avantis, and the accessible SQ Series.
Known for pristine audio clarity, blazing-fast touch interfaces, and the revolutionary DEEP Processing architecture, Allen & Heath desks have become a favorite across international concert tours, worship venues, and festival stages.
1. The Brain in the Rack: XCVI 96 kHz FPGA Core
Unlike traditional consoles where the surface houses the audio DSP, dLive uses a distributed architecture: the MixRack (DM64, DM48, DM32, CDM32) contains the entire 128-channel 96 kHz FPGA audio engine. The control surface is merely a remote controller connected over a single Cat5e cable (gigaACE).
- Fixed 0.7 ms Latency: From analog input to analog output through full channel strips and bus processing, latency is an astonishing 0.7 milliseconds.
- Fail-Safe Show Security: If a rogue stagehand kicks the control surface cable out during a festival set, the audio engine continues running seamlessly without a millisecond of interruption. Reconnecting the cable restores the screen instantly.
- Variable Bit-Depth Accumulators: The XCVI core uses 96-bit processing inside summing busses, providing infinite digital headroom and eliminating bus clipping artifacts.
2. DEEP Processing: Studio Emulations with Zero Phase Latency
Most digital consoles require you to insert external plugins or route audio out to internal FX slots, adding latency and phase misalignment. Allen & Heath's **DEEP Processing** embeds hardware-accurate circuit models directly into every input and mix channel strip:
- Dyn8 (Dynamic EQ & Multiband Compressor): 4 bands of dynamic EQ plus 4 bands of multiband compression inserted directly on channels or group busses with zero latency penalty.
- Dual Stage Valve & Tube Stage: True triode/pentode tube preamplifier warmth for fat bass guitars and lush vocal tones.
- 16T & Opto Compressors: Exact circuit-level emulations of the dbx 160 punchy VCA compressor and Teletronix LA-2A optical leveller.
- Peak Limiter 76: Blazing-fast FET compressor modeled on the classic 1176 Rev D.
3. Allen & Heath Product Lineup & System Catalog
| Console / MixRack Model | Fader Count & Screen Setup | Channel Processing & Busses | Target Deployment | Official Product Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| dLive S7000 | 36 Motorized Faders | Dual 12" Capacitive Touchscreens | 128 Inputs | 64 Fully Configurable Busses @ 96 kHz | Headliner Arena Tours, Festivals, Major Venues | dLive S7000 Official Page ↗ |
| dLive C3500 | 24 Motorized Faders | Dual 12" Touchscreens (Compact Frame) | 128 Inputs | 64 Busses (Flyable Frame Weight) | Touring Theatres, Fly-Dates, Shed Tours | dLive C3500 Official Page ↗ |
| Allen & Heath Avantis | 24 Motorized Faders | Dual 15.6" Full-HD Touchscreens | 64 Inputs | 42 Configurable Busses @ 96 kHz | Mid-Sized Touring, Houses of Worship, Live Clubs | Avantis Official Page ↗ |
| Allen & Heath SQ-7 / SQ-5 | 33 / 17 Faders | 1x 7" Capacitive Touchscreen | 48 Inputs | 36 Busses @ 96 kHz XCVI Core | Regional Production, Corporate, Compact FOH | SQ-7 Official Page ↗ |
| dLive DM64 MixRack | 64 Mic/Line Preamps | 32 Line Outs | Dual gigaACE & Dual PSU | 128-ch 96 kHz XCVI Engine in 9U Touring Rack | Main Touring Stage I/O & DSP Engine | DM64 MixRack Official Page ↗ |
4. Network Protocols & Stagebox Ecosystem
- gigaACE Protocol: Allen & Heath’s proprietary point-to-point 96 kHz transport (128x128 channels over standard Cat5e cable with sub-100μs latency).
- DX & GX Expanders: Portable remote stageboxes (DX168, DX012, GX4816) running at 96 kHz for drop-boxes on drum risers and horn sections.
- Dante & Waves V3 Option Cards: Seamless 128x128 channel audio transport into external DAW multitrack recording and broadcast networks.
5. Real-World FOH Tips & Workflow Hacks
- Custom Fader Strips: Drag and drop inputs, DCA masters, aux sends, FX returns, and matrix outputs onto any fader strip on any layer. You can place the lead vocal fader directly next to your drum DCA for single-handed mixing.
- AMM (Automatic Mic Mixing): dLive handles up to 64 channels of Dugan-style speech automixing across multiple zones, making it an absolute powerhouse for corporate panel events and theatrical speech.
(Check out our live RTA Spectrogram Tool to tune your monitor wedges and main line arrays).
