Allen & Heath iLive T Series - new lower price mixer

[mervaka]

DSP's all the same afaik.

[cedd]

Found this today, thought it might be of some interest.

http://www.thomann.de/gb/allenheath_ilive_t80.htm

Whilst it doesn't appear to have the associated digital stage blocks with it, the price seems very competitive. Clearly we have to factor in the cost of one or two of the stage blocks, the price of which I've no idea, but it still looks like a decent competitor for the LS-9. I'm certainly looking forward to getting my hands on one.

[mervaka]

if it's anything remotely similar to the vanilla iLive, it'll have its DSP in the stagebox; its a big selling point for the desk.

[MarkPAman]

Click me

[Stutwo]

Looks excellent, but at 8k for the small "budget" system targeting the Schools and colleges market is a tad optimistic. We're relatively well funded but that would be well out of our reach.

[Rob_Beech]

Looks excellent, but at 8k for the small "budget" system targeting the Schools and colleges market is a tad optimistic. We're relatively well funded but that would be well out of our reach.

 

 

I disagree. When you look at the features it has, I think it is competitively priced. If it is out of budget, choose a desk that isn't. I would guess that what is out of budget for your place of work may well be suited to another. I can almost guarantee that would would be suitable for your place of work would be out of budget for one of the schools that I went to.

[StevenW2]

Don't look at it as a desk, but a mixing system. For a school or college it means - 31 band Eq on all of your outputs - how much would that lot cost for an analogue desk?

Limiters & delays on every output = every wedge protected against clipping signals! How much could that save at the hands of inexperienced students!

Compressers, noise gates, limiters on every input, how much would that lot cost?

Up to 8 effects units built in - another saving.

No insert patch cables needed - £hundreds saved there too.

No multicore needed - £thousands saved there.

 

When you look at it like that, it's well within the price range of many educational establishments.

 

I have spoken to a sales rep for a very well known brand of outboard and they are finding it hard to sell gates, compressors & graphics now, as digital desks increase in popularity and sound better.

[JakeCTG]

When the original I-live came out I was one of the first in the country to get my hands on it, and back then I was very disappointed in it with the original version only having 2 FX units very limited GEQ's ect. The way the desk works is very different to other standard desk like LS9, M7CL ect and because of that it can take more time to get to grips with compared to the yamaha's.

 

After using the I-live I personally decided to buy a LS9 myself and have been very pleased with it, but the T series looks like they have developed it alot more than before.

 

But would it have the easy usability of the LS9 and most people who have used a yamaha digital desk can go to a LS9 without too much bother.

[mervaka]

.. but the iLive is incredibly simple to use! read up on how the select/mix buttons work.

[JakeCTG]

.. but the iLive is incredibly simple to use! read up on how the select/mix buttons work.

 

Well I suppose it depends on how you work as an engineer, it can be simple but it is very different to how LS9 M7CL ect works.

[jim b]

.. but the iLive is incredibly simple to use! read up on how the select/mix buttons work.

 

Just to add a balancing point of view to this thread...

 

I personally dislike the I-live interface and was disappointed when I finally got to get my hands on one. Before you leap to its defence let me explain my take on A&H before I used the I-live.

 

I thought they made desks which were very good value in the mid level market which weren't necessarily the best but which had enough features and high enough build quality to give a good return on investment and were perfectly usable.

 

So when I went to try the desk I had a positive perception of the company and high hopes-which weren't met by the surface.

 

I'm sure it sounds good but to me its interface got in the way of how I work and I don't need the whole channel spreading out over the same amount of surface as 20 channels of EQ on an analog desk. If I had to I could use the desk but it wouldn't be my choice. I understand the digital snake benefits but I found the SD8 interface to be better in my eyes and very competitively priced.

 

I find the LS9 interface to slow me down BUT it is a great compact desk for conferences or shows where you have time to program the show.

 

The M7CL is the desk I've had the most time on-I find the interface to be good for monitors which is the bulk of my work. I've never had one lock up or do anything unexpected.

 

Just balancing things up...

[Charlie Jeal]

.. but the iLive is incredibly simple to use! read up on how the select/mix buttons work.

 

Well I suppose it depends on how you work as an engineer, it can be simple but it is very different to how LS9 M7CL ect works.

 

 

Jake I think you'll also find that the Digidesign, Midas, Digico,Soundcraft, Innovason etc are very different from the Yamaha digital offerings as all the different manufacturers currently have there own way of implementing the workflow, maybe once they've been around as long as the analogue desks the interface will have a much more common topology from desk to desk. Currently it is very important as an engineer to be familiar with all the major surfaces out there and not be so blinkered because you aren't familiar with that "version" of a digital console.

 

FWIW I've not had any hands on with either version of the I-Live yet but having looked at the software thoroughly I'm confident I could just walk up and use one pretty easily.

 

Charlie

[Rexeltw]

The (now old) iLive system IMO shouldn't be going out without a semi competent babysitter to 'assist' a touring engineer. We had two out on a mixture of theatrical touring and festival work for the last year and the only engineer to get the hump was McFly's who used the PM5D that was next to it instead. Most competent engineers don't mind what you put in front of them as long as you give them a heads up first and have someone to hold their hand! (cue huge list of complaining engineers ;-0 )

 

I'd agree that is different to Yamaha but you'd expect it to be. Try jumping from a PM5 to an M7 and I'm sure you'll agree that they have big surface control differences. Admittedly it is not as idiot proof as the newer Yamaha products but I personally think it sound better overall especially in the FX department, unlike the PM5 where we still have to carry a 480L to most shows where they want a truly decent reverb.

 

Haven't seen the T-series yet but I'm interested by the Cat5 now being rated to 120m. The old iLive gets a bit shakey if you go past 75m on Cat5 so we have always used a fibre instead but especially for installs 120m is usually fine. Plus I'd rather install two 8mm OD cat5 than a 40mm OD 48ch multicore!

[RustyBrooks]

The (now old) iLive system IMO shouldn't be going out without a semi competent babysitter to 'assist' a touring engineer. We had two out on a mixture of theatrical touring and festival work for the last year and the only engineer to get the hump was McFly's who used the PM5D that was next to it instead. Most competent engineers don't mind what you put in front of them as long as you give them a heads up first and have someone to hold their hand! (cue huge list of complaining engineers ;-0 )

 

Rexel,

 

Only jumping into this thread as spotted a mate being bashed. Don't really like to get involved in most of the, oooo this shiny new desk is amazing, as most of them sound okay, and they all do the same thing, though, to be fair, I do think the Allen and Heath stuff does sound at the poorer end of the spectrum, and isn't really in the same league of reliability and performance as the proper desks from the the likes of Yamaha/Digico/Digidesign etc etc, god bored just getting involved...

 

Now, for the reason McFlys engineer got the hump... who, unsurprisingly is a very well respected engineer, have you seen his CV? some very interesting clients, and he gets the beer in! Right, this fella turns up to a festival, no real time for a sound check, not familier with the system, not had his systems chaps put the thing together, and he spies two desks... one a allen and grief whatyoucall it, and the other a 5d, okay, now then.... which one does he have the show, sitting in his pocket on a data card read to slot into and load up? I'd guess its the 5d... I would presume that this is much more likely to be the reason why, bith the 5d was in the tower in the first place, to allow engineers the choice, or maybe just to provide what was on the riders.

 

Though was this a while ago, thought they took their own control last summer, though wasn't a 5d out front?

 

Jon

[mervaka]

just had a play with one of these, and as far as white glove engineering goes, its the same dealio! you're just a bit limited as far as upgrades go if you own one of these. I also used a tablet with the iLive editor this evening too. I actually preferred working with it to the surface at times, as its rather nicely portable!