AVID VENUE S3L-X

Maker of all things shiny, Avid has unveiled the latest member of its S3L system – Venue S3L-X. A compact live sound system, allowing engineers to mix and record live shows. Avid have told us that when used with Pro Tools, the S3L-X will deliver a streamlined, economical, and tightly integrated approach to mixing and recording live productions.

“Live sound professionals face tight budgets, pressure to get more value from their assets, and a multitude of technology choices,” said Chris Gahagan, senior vice president of Products and Technology at Avid. “When we first introduced the S3L, our customers immediately embraced it at major festivals, clubs, and tours. Now with the Venue S3L-X we’re enabling them to use one system for both live sound performance and mixing down final assets to monetize.”

The system delivers expanded networking, control, and processing to meet a range of live performance demands.  Customers can share the same I/O across multiple S3L-X Systems, with full automatic gain compensation. With support for 64-bit AAX DSP plug-ins, plus the open EUCON and Ethernet AVB network protocols, S3L-X ensures compatibility with a variety of Avid and third-party products, “now and in the future”. The implication being that the S3L-X is future-proof.

Venue S3L-X also features the new Venue 4.5 software, which allows live sound professionals to:

• Mix anything, everywhere—from major festivals to space-constrained clubs
• Share the same I/O across two or more Avid S3L-X Systems, with complete auto gain compensation
• Mix DAW sessions using Avid S3 as a standalone mixing surface and 4×6 audio interface
• Keep pace with the latest sound processing innovations with 64-bit AAX DSP plug-in support
• Scale the modular system to accommodate any size performance, from 16–64 mic pres
• Get exceptional sound quality, plus reliable Ethernet AVB connectivity, without the cable bulk
• Achieve maximum performance with 2x more RAM compared to Avid S3L
• Record directly to Pro Tools (or other DAW) through a simple laptop Ethernet connection
• Get great reliability for the road with the rugged, reinforced engine design
• Monitor with confidence through the high-output, low-noise headphone amp

For an in-depth look at the new S3L-X, check the video introduction with engineer Robert Scovill, here.

Pricing and Availability

Avid Venue S3L-X will be available early Q4 2014 through Avid resellers worldwide.  The Venue 4.5 software upgrade will be available in late Q3 2014 to current S3L System customers.

There’s no word as yet on price, but we will update the article once we know more.

Australian Distributor: Avid 1300 734 454 or www.avid.com