Allen & Heath have announced the release of dLive firmware V2.0 and the new RackUltraFX card, bringing effects processing and extensive workflow enhancements to the mixing platform.
“dLive V2.0 ushers in a new era of integrated creative FX and advanced workflow features, completely redefining what is possible in-the-mixer,” said Jack Hughes, Head of Marketing at Allen & Heath. “Four years in the making, this exciting update gives engineers the tools to supercharge their workflow and improve the mixing experience in every live sound environment.”
The workflow improvements included an overhauled Cue List system, simplifying cue list creation with manual and auto renumbering options plus custom MIDI recall, designed for fast-moving performances, heavily automated shows, and theatre applications.
The new Actions feature enabled functions across multiple channels, such as routing assignments and levels, ABCD inputs, processing and insert in/outs and strip layout to be triggered via a single SoftKey press. The Channel Library has been extended to include Mix contributions, meaning channels can now be saved with all sends, processing and name/colour data included.
The new RackUltra FX card, fitted as standard to all new MixRacks and available as an upgrade for existing MixRacks, added 8 RackUltra FX engines to any dLive system without consuming any inputs, busses or FX slots.
“The unprecedented power delivered by the RackUltra FX card’s combination of a custom FPGA FX core with ARM processing has allowed us to push the envelope with our new algorithms,” said Anthony Evans, R&D Software Manager at Allen & Heath. “We can now deploy integrated, low-latency effects that were previously unimaginable in a live console, opening up dLive to the next generation of onboard processing.”
The RackUltra FX collection, powered by the RackUltra FX card, brought together 10 new algorithms with the added benefit of low-latency integration and no licensing.
Vocal Tuner is designed for natural sounding pitch correction and Vocal Gridder produced faster, less natural-sounding pitch correction where notes “snap” to pitch almost instantly. Vocal Shifter alters vocals with formant and pitch shifting for doubling, widening, and unreal robotic and ageing effects.
dLive’s vocal processing is further improved by the addition of three harmonisers. Quad Voice Harmoniser generates up to 4 voices of natural-sounding vocal harmony. Dual Voice Auto Key Harmoniser adds up to 2 voices of harmony with intelligent Auto-Key mode which can determine the key of the performance in real-time. MIDI Harmoniser created harmonies based on an external MIDI input.
Two new reverbs utilise the full power of the RackUltra FX card, Spaces Reverb Designer is an algorithmic reverb dedicated to recreating physical spaces. Plate Reverb Designer is dedicated to replicating the build-up and tail of a plate reverb, with the choice of several plate materials.
A pair of distortion effects complete the V2.0 RackUltra FX collection. Saturator delivered five analogue saturation models, covering everything from smooth and subtle tape drive to germanium and valve crunch. Amp+Cab Distortion models the harmonically complex characteristics of guitar and bass amplifiers and emulates various classic speaker cabinets.
“This update further cements dLive’s reputation as the go-to mixer for flexibility, sound quality, and onboard processing tools,” added Jack Kenyon, Product Specialist at Allen & Heath. “We can’t wait for users to explore these new features, designed to inspire creativity and streamline the mixing process while improving the experience for engineers, artists, and audiences alike.”
