Allen & Heath has released Avantis firmware V1.1, a major update bringing powerful new features to the recent TEC Award-winning 64-channel digital mixer. Headline items include Avantis Director software, new dPack processors and numerous enhancements and workflow improvements for engineers working in all environments, from houses of worship to live streaming.
The centrepiece of the update is the hotly anticipated release of Avantis Director software, a free Windows and Mac OS application enabling offline editing and online control capabilities. Offline mode can be used for the creation and editing of show files and system configuration, as well as serving as a training tool for new users. Online mode delivers full remote-control of the mixer, freeing the engineer from the mix position to make changes from anywhere in the venue.
More processors from the flagship dLive system have been added to the dPack add-on bundle, including OptTronik, Hypabass and the much requested Transient Controller (all free to existing dPack owners). The latest in the DEEP family of compressors, OptTronik brings the much-loved sound of a legendary electro-optical compressor to Avantis with zero-latency operation. In the FX Rack, Hypabass enables the engineer to add both infra-bass and sub-bass frequencies to a signal, whilst Transient Designer delivers endless sound shaping possibilities via the manipulation of the attack and sustain envelopes of the signal.
Additional features include the introduction of LCR+ mode for enhanced LCR mixing, Solo-In-Place functionality and a host of new routing and patching options for advanced processing and monitoring applications.
“In the face of a challenging year, Avantis has proven itself a huge success in houses of worship, theatres, venues and for live streaming, thanks in part to its extensive ecosystem of I/O, option cards and control apps,” said Jack Kenyon, Avantis Product Specialist at Allen & Heath. “Avantis Director completes the system with comprehensive offline editing and further extends the control possibilities. As we look forward to live events returning over the course of the year, Director ensures that Avantis is ready to rock in any application.”