Allen & Heath’s new GLD is a user-friendly, cost effective and expandable live digital mixing system, conceptually based on the successful iLive series of digital consoles. A standard GLD 32 input system provides 28 XLR mic inputs that can be increased to 36 or 44 XLR mic inputs by adding one or two 8×4 expansion frames.
At the heart of the system is the GLD-80 mixer, providing 48 input processing channels, 8 internal stereo FX returns using iLive FX emulations, 30 assignable outputs, 20 mix processing channels (which include GEQs), and DSP power to provide full processing without compromise.
Whereas with iLive, the 64×32 RackExtra DSP mix engine is located inside the iDR MixRacks, with GLD, its 48-channel mixer is housed inside the control surface.
GLD-80’s control surface has an analog-style channel processing control section in the upper left, complemented by a graphical 8.4-inch touch screen on the upper right. A drag-and-drop layout allows quick and easy assignment of inputs and mixes to the fader strips. The 20 fader strips each have motorized fader, an LCD display that is labeled and color-coded, mute, select and solo buttons, plus a rotary control for direct access to gain, pan and aux sends.
Local I/O on the GLD-80’s back-panel includes 4 XLR mic/line inputs, 4 XLR line-outs, plus 4 RCA inputs and 2 RCA outputs, and both SPDIF and AES3 digital outputs.
The single rack-space AR84 8×4 mic/line expander connects either directly to the GLD-80 control surface or, using Allen & Heath’s dSNAKE protocol up to 400 feet over standard Cat5, to a remote 3RU AR2412 24×12 remote stage box, or to both, allowing users to build 28, 36 or 44 mic input systems. The AR2412 stage box also includes an Aviom-compatible monitor port.
GLD can also record and playback stereo signals on a USB flash drive. An expansion slot accommodates the existing wide range of iLive option cards for Dante, MADI, EtherSound or Allen & Heath’s ACE protocols, allowing multi-channel record/playback, FOH/monitor splits, and connection to A&H iLive systems.
“Designing a system which is suitable for both the professional engineer and occasional user has been a priority. With GLD, our aim was to take much of the complexity out of digital mixing, opening up the tremendous benefits of digital technology to a wider group of customers, such as the rental companies, houses of worship and live venues where our GL series analog mixers have been working so successfully for years,” comments A&H MD, Glenn Rogers.
