Allen & Heath dLive S5000 128 channels digital audio mixer – 36 faders is the largest control surface in the dLive family, with an impressive 216 assignable faders. It features 36 faders on 6 levels, dual 12″ capacitive touchscreens and the innovative Harmony user interface for fast workflow. Where many digital consoles attempt to recreate the experience of using an analogue mixer, dLive is a true digital native, drawing on our familiarity with smartphones and tablets. The dLive consoles’ single or twin 12 capacitive touchscreens feel instantly familiar, responding to every swipe, drag and drop exactly as you would expect. Customised widget areas can also be configured on the screens to keep track of scenes, metres, special effects and other customised controls. The screen is framed by a series of rotary knob/one-function controls, allowing creativity and immediate tactile control over key processing functions, working in harmony with the visual feedback displayed on the screen. The rotary knobs have been prototyped more than 20 times for optimal grip and precision control, and feature RGB lighting, with colours mapped to functions for instant visual orientation. As systems become increasingly complex and the number of I/Os grows exponentially, engineers can feel increasingly distant from the action on stage as they become more involved in managing the arsenal of technologies at their disposal. dLive S7000, on the other hand, enables fast and transparent workflows that allow the sound engineer to focus on the mix, not the mixer. The dLive layout is fully customisable, allowing the user to create a mixing interface that matches their mental map of the show. Any input or mix can be assigned to any bank and/or layer, virtual scribble strips allow inputs and mixes to be clearly named and colour-coded for at-a-glance navigation, and the engineer has no less than 26 assignable softkeys at their disposal, plus 3 pages of 6 assignable rotables per screen. The Allen & Heath dLive S7000 is designed to offer the optimum balance of strength and weight, employing premium metal on the sides and bent steel at key points for added rigidity. Not only do each console, MixRack and expander have two power slots for redundancy, but we have also used the same robust hot-swappable PSU design across the range for peace of mind and minimal inventory. Dual redundancy is also built into every audio connection throughout the system. Special attention was also paid to console lighting, conducting rigorous testing to ensure that dLive excels in sunny, outdoor environments where many digital consoles become almost unusable.