Norway’s Design & Architecture (DOGA) foundation has recently undergone a total renovation of the audio system in its historic machine hall (built-in 1898), with a compact Allen & Heath dLive set-up.
The foundation strives to strengthen the presence of design and architecture in Norway; promoting innovation and quality when developing products, buildings and services. Its facilities are regularly rented out for a variety of events, covering conferences, seminars, concerts and screenings. As such, Allen & Heath’s Norwegian distributors, Benum Norway, were tasked with the unique installation, which required a simple, flexible and transportable sound system for the 340sq.m hall.
The full set-up comprises a dLive C1500 surface paired with a DM0 MixRack (fitted with a Dante card), an IP8 and IP6 remote controller, and a DX168 expander for additional remote I/O. Providing an easily transportable and customizable system meant that DOGA could switch between set-ups in a matter of minutes, depending on the event requirements.
“Working in the event business, we have a lot of different clients with various backgrounds and technical competence. Our goal with this installation was to transform our main space (Hallen) into a flexible and straight forward room to rent and using the dLive C1500, made it even more so,” explained Torstein Strand (Technical Manager / Event Coordinator at DOGA). “dLive has such an intuitive interface, it makes every process easy and efficient – it’s the perfect fit for this installation.”
Torstein further added, “dLive also has some great advanced features; for example, I personally love how easy it is to route signals using the touchscreen, how intuitive the interface is and the quality of FX you have. The drag-and-drop feature when using the Strip Assign is also something that I’ve not experienced before, but love. It’s perfect for all types of people, whether with technical backgrounds or not, and that’s exactly what we were aiming for.”
The IP8 and IP6 remote controllers provide an easy to use solution for clients with limited engineering experience wishing to control the mix themselves and can also be used in place of a dLive surface, for events that require a small footprint with surfaceless control via the IP controllers and dLive’s Director app.
Torstein commented, “The IP6 and IP8 controllers are fantastic. I can easily set up channels, route signals, choose what I want to be displayed on the IP6/8 or what clients have control over. It makes the process much faster and allows users to become more confident in their abilities, which in turn makes Hallen and DOGA in general, a popular event space to use.”
Due to the size of the machine hall, dLive’s MixPad app (controlled via a tablet) is further utilised as a powerful remote mixing tool; giving the DOGA team the freedom to walk around and manage soundchecks and levels from anywhere in the room.
“The endless possibilities that accompany this system really compliments our vision at DOGA; to be as flexible and efficient as we can be, catering to every need.”
