When I got word I’d be reviewing Allen & Heath’s dLive system, I was excited to check out its new flagship digital console. My colleagues — who regularly use Avid, DiGiCo and Yamaha consoles — had nice things to say about dLive. I wondered if the board could live up to the hype. My demo system arrived in a nice, tour-worthy road case, and consisted of an S3000 surface, a DM32 Mix Rack, and the optional M-Dante expansion card. But before we dive in, let’s take a look at the entire dLive lineup.
The Surfaces
The S3000 surface I tested is the smallest of three surfaces. It has a single touchscreen and 20 faders; while the S5000 has two touchscreens and 28 faders, and the S7000 has two touchscreens and 36 faders. Surprisingly, all three surfaces have the same generous amount of local I/O, with eight XLR mic/line inputs, eight XLR line outputs, two AES inputs and three outputs. Additionally, all surfaces have two I/O ports that accept expansion cards, with each I/O is capable adding 128 channels at 96k Hz. After a bit of research on the larger models, it seems the biggest sacrifice made on the smaller S3000 is the second touch screen. On the larger surfaces, you can have one screen devoted to processing such as EQ, dynamics and effects, while the other is devoted to system functions such as patch. Despite having a single screen, I liked the S3000’s compact form factor and layout.
Processing and I/O
Accompanying the dLive surfaces are the dLive Mix Racks. Unlike a traditional I/O rack approach, an Allen & Heath Mix Rack combines I/O and the system’s FPGA processing (known as the XCVI Core) in one central unit.
XCVI offers 36 parallel virtual processing cores generating enough power for 160 x 64 channels of processing at 96k Hz sampling. Six parallel mix engines within the Core calculate over 10,000 cross points per sample, while the FPGA router has capacity for 3,000 x 3,000 audio paths.
Three different Mix Rack models are available. Each provides an identical amount of processing power but differing amounts of fixed-format I/O. The processing capabilities of the dLive Mix Racks are nothing short of extraordinary at this price point. With a 96k Hz sample rate as standard, each of the three Mix Racks is capable of processing 128 input channels, 64 output buses and 16 stereo effects with dedicated return channels. The DM32 Mix Rack I reviewed has 32 mic/line inputs and 16 line outputs; the DM48 is 48 x 24 and the DM64 is 64 x 32.
At first, I was perplexed about having the FPGA core built into the I/O Rack and wondered how easily I/O could be added to the system. If I want to add more I/O, do I have to pay for that additional processing power that’s built into the rack? Well, Allen & Heath has another optional component — the DX32. This unit adds modular remote or local I/O to any dLive system, but unlike the Mix Racks, it does not contain FPGA processing core. Four modular I/O cards provide either analog or AES inputs and outputs to the dLive system.
In terms of digital I/O expansion cards, Allen and Heath focuses on a select few protocols — MADI, Dante, Waves SoundGrid and Ethersound — and cards can be loaded into both the Mix Racks and the surfaces, allowing for additional flexibility.
First Impressions
As I set up the S3000 surface and DM32 Mix Rack, I was impressed by the surface’s robust construction quality. I’ve reviewed quite a few consoles in this price range, and the construction of the S3000 really stood out, both in the quality of the materials and the aesthetic design of the hardware. The gentle sloping curves on the armrest and the sides add to the visual appeal.
Before connecting and booting the system, a colleague installed a Dante card into the DM32 Mix Rack. Interestingly, the card itself doesn’t fit in either the rack or the console. There are no slots that accept the Dante card directly. Instead, an M-DL-ADAPT adapter card houses the expansion cards, allowing them to fit into the dLive’s I/O port slots. Evidently, earlier Allen & Heath consoles (like the iLive) used these smaller form factor cards. Rather than redesigning all of the cards to fit into the larger card slot of the dLive, the M-DL-ADAPT converts old form factor to new. Nevertheless, once installed, the Dante card worked with no configuration issues.
I also noticed that the surface and the rack use the same power supplies. They are identical power supplies and are hot-swappable and interchangeable between the different parts of the system. The console booted with no configuration required — one of the benefits of Allen & Heath’s ACE (“Audio and Control over Ethernet”) proprietary protocol. ACE has been around for many years and is quite mature. As expected, ACE performed flawlessly. I intentionally pulled one of the two redundant ACE network cables while audio was running through the system, and the console handled it gracefully without interruption to the audio.
Harmony
Allen & Heath calls its user interface “Harmony,” and the synergy between dLive hardware and software is incredibly well thought out. For me, this has been an issue with other systems. On some consoles, it almost seems like the hardware and software were designed in isolation, only to be combined in some sort of dysfunctional arranged marriage at the last minute. With the dLive,
Allen & Heath has married the two together (in Harmony, of course), and the results are stunning. It only took me a few minutes of using the surface to appreciate the continuity between the hardware and the GUI.
As I started to explore the Harmony user interface, I was struck by the quality of the touch screen and the encoders. I write about the encoder and screen quality in every console review I do, but these encoders were unique for two reasons. First, they are slightly larger than most consoles, and the ridges around the encoders really sat well between my fingers. Secondly, each encoder has a colored LED that’s displayed through the end of the cap. Although a different approach, I really liked it. Unfortunately, I didn’t quite love the faders as much as I loved the encoders, but they weren’t bad at all, and that the motors are extremely fast when switching fader banks. The meters are very bright and their high resolution is a plus.
Available for Mac/Windows (and Windows Surface Pro) the free dLive Director editor and control software provides offline creation/tweaking of all dLive parameters, including system, channel plot, I/O patching and surface layouts. Going to the next step, dLive Director also affords a second “virtual Surface” to any dLive system, providing simultaneous real time control via a wired or wireless network connection.
The Sound
I tested the dLive with a variety of different audio sources, from a good old SM58 to a full recording of a live band and Dante network sources. In the past, I’ve found Allen & Heath consoles have a characteristic warmth, but I didn’t really find that to be the case with the dLive’s preamps. Instead, these newly designed dLive preamps were somewhat more transparent and clinical than what I remembered from my analog days. The EQ and dynamics on each input channel sounded excellent, and I noted a compressor feature that I had never seen before; a gain reduction histogram of sorts that displayed gain reduction over a period of time. That was one of those “I can’t believe no one else has done that” moments.
The dLive’s DEEP processing architecture embeds high-performance compressors and processing emulation plug-ins directly within dLive’s input and mix channels. Algorithms such as graphic EQs and modeled compressors can be inserted on the fly without latency issues or consuming FX slots. In terms of the DEEP offerings, for example, the compressor models include the nuances and non-linear ballistics of industry favorites, ranging from a Slow-Opto model, various RMS detection and soft knee circuits, through to super-fast peak and RMS-based compression/limiting devices.
On the virtual outboard side, 16 “RackExtra” effects are available on all dLive models. These include some wonderful sounding reverbs, delays and modulation effects, and I liked that the stereo effects returns were dedicated to the effects processors and didn’t eat into my 128-channel FPGA allotment. A few of my favorite effects were the Spatial Modeling Reverberator, the Dynamic Equalizer and the Multiband Compressor; all tools that I’ve become accustomed to using on other consoles.
Amazing System and Room to Grow
Overall, I was impressed by the dLive system, and I give Allen & Heath a lot of credit for managing to build such a quality console at this price point. However, there were a few missing pieces to the dLive puzzle that I couldn’t overlook. First and foremost, I thought the GUI design left something to be desired. This problem wasn’t functional as much as it was aesthetic, but I felt that the GUI looked almost cartoonish. The graphical elements simply didn’t scream “pro” to me. Fortunately, these are things that can easily be improved in future software revisions, and they don’t really hamper the day-to-day operation of the console.
At time of this review, there was no remote control iPad application available for the dLive. However, Allen & Heath has been working on its development and, at press time, a company spokesperson announced that the free iPad control app would be launched and available from the Apple store on Nov. 9, 2016.
The Bottom Line
I didn’t have a single complaint about the hardware. Allen & Heath has hit a home run with the hardware design, and that’s the part that’s going to endure for the life of the system. The areas I list above are software improvements that can be made as the system matures, and based on past history, I expect Allen & Heath will deliver those improvements in due time.
At a Glance
Digital Powerhouse
Allen & Heath’s new flagship console series delivers flexibility, great sounds and rock-solid construction
Allen & Heath dLive
PROS
- Robust and aesthetically pleasing hardware design
- Harmony user interface lives up to its name
- Vast I/O capabilities
- Reputable Allen and Heath name
CONS
- No iPad application
- GUI could use some work
STATS
- Configuration — Three available mix controllers; expandable topology with numerous I/O options.
- Sampling Rate: 96 kHz
- S3000 Size: 34.2 x 28.7 x 16.3” (W x D x H)
- S3000 Weight: 62 Pounds
- DM32 Size: Standard 19” rack width; 12.8” high; 12.3” deep
- DM32 Weight: 33 pounds
- MSRP: S3000 Surface: $14,999; S3000 Flight Case: $2,400; DM32 Mix Rack: $8,999; Dante Expansion Card: $1,599; M-DL-ADAPT-A Audio Interface Adapter Card $349.
Manufacturer: Allen & Heath
More Info: www.allen-heath.com
