AUDIO
PRO AUDIO IN THE TIME OF COVID : A MANUFACTURER ’ S REFLECTION | Nicola Beretta , Allen & Heath
Two years from the start of the pandemic , it seems like a good time to reflect on how audio installations have adapted or responded to the ' new normal '.
A lot has been said about the impact of COVID-19 , lockdowns and restrictions on our industry , and how other factors like component shortages and the shipping crisis have affected the pro audio business ( Jeff Hawley ’ s
‘ No Dante , No Problem ’ article for instance ). Here I want to focus instead on the application and use of audio products , more specifically mixing consoles and matrix processors . How have the requirements changed over the last 24 months ? What have we learned that we can apply in future product design ? What are the features that helped customers navigate these difficult times ?
CONTENT CREATION AND THE STREAMING REVOLUTION After an inevitable lull in orders in early 2020 , with businesses facing much uncertainty , our sales recovered at first thanks to pent-up demand for DJ and small analog mixers , a phase I would describe as ' unlocking creativity in lockdown '. Soon though , it was clear that demand for digital consoles was on the rise again , particularly from the House of Worship market ( that ’ s you !) If live streaming was a luxury only larger churches could afford prepandemic , now it was a critical step in reaching the congregation . With Allen & Heath mixers widely established in the HoW scene already , naturally customers wanted to add a secondary console for broadcast or streaming duties - be it a second dLive or scaling down to an Avantis or SQ . All our digital mixers can easily share audio , they can use the same range of audio expanders , and they present a similar workflow to the user , all factors which eased the adoption of a second or third console into the system .
Examples include the award-winning Pearl Technology ' s Methodist Church upgrade in
Peoria , Illinois , with dLive systems installed as part of a streaming , podcasting and video production studio ; and the ICF Church in Munich and Herrenberg where an IP8 remote controller was deployed for the live stream mix in the video room .
SQ mixers have done particularly well thanks to their integrated USB interface and the ability to control audio production software via MIDI . For instance , the Nexus Christian Fellowship church in Bangkok coupled an Avantis at FOH with an SQ6 in the live-stream and recording room .
But pivoting from live performance to live streaming was not a trend exclusive to churches . Theaters and other venues followed suit . The Det Nye Teateret in Trondheim , Gleis4 Cultural Centre in Frenkenthal , Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford-on-Avon and Granada Theatre in Mount Vernon are all examples of venues that opted for SQ , Avantis or dLive