Allen & Heath unveils Avantis console
- Details
"Joining dLive and SQ, Avantis completes our trilogy of next-gen 96kHz consoles," says Rob Clark, Allen & Heath's managing director. "Avantis takes many of the features that have made SQ and dLive so popular, putting them in a standalone 64-channel mixer that offers a new UI experience, connectivity with our Everything I/O ecosystem, and the dPack option which gives you access to our advanced dLive processing options if and when you need them.
"On top of that, we've taken a new approach with the industrial design, coming up with a full metal chassis that’s super-strong, lightweight and looks fantastic."
Encased in its alloy shell and tubular frame, the Avantis control surface is centred on the two full HD touchscreens and their corresponding rotary controls.
"Having two touchscreens isn't a new concept, but we realised we could use it to unlock exciting new possibilities, which led us to develop Continuity UI," says Andy Bell, Allen & Heath's R&D director.
"Within seconds of getting hands-on with Avantis, engineers are going to appreciate the seamless flow between the physical controls and the on-screen software. You can work gains and pans on the rotaries, then at the touch of a soft key switch to EQ or dynamics across the whole strip. The console also provides a highly configurable FastGrab tab on the right-hand side of each screen, offering another way to quickly and easily access control of aux sends, EQ, compressor and FX on the currently selected channel or spot channel.
"Ultimately, with Continuity UI, the engineer decides how they'd like to work, not the mixer."
"In the gap between SQ and dLive, the mixer market is littered with 48kHz DSP-based 'old-school' consoles,” says Nic Beretta, Allen & Heath’s head of product. “Avantis brings next-generation performance across the board. Customers in venues, houses of worship, touring and the rental market are going to be seriously impressed by how well this ticks the boxes. It's a really exciting mixer at a compelling price."
(Jim Evans)
