Mixers/Consoles Allen-Heath GLD 112

So my old high school is looking for an upgrade in the sound system- (something about a couple of malfunctions requiring a new board.) The director-who just so happens to be my dad- had his normal consultant to come out to the school and he was given the recommendation of the Allen-Heath GLD 112, as well as the GLD AR 2412.

Now- I will say that the money is there for this board and rack and be purchased with no problem, but at the same time, I'm worried this may be complete overkill for the needs of the space. What do you guys think?

The normal usage for the theatre are normal school assemblies (award ceremonies, talent shows, the occasional worship service) as well as two shows (generally one musical with a live pit), and some dance recitals.

He was also quoted around $12,000. Is this reasonable for this setup? I really have no idea what something like this should/would cost, I'm a fresh noobie in the sound world. Again, the money is available, but if that could be put to other upgrades, I would love to be able to relocate that.

Thanks!

Sent from my AT100 using Tapatalk HD
 
Let me start by saying that Allen and Heath is not the Ferrari of sound equipment, it is the f-150 or the ford taurus. It is not the best thing out there, it is certainly better than a lot of things, it gets the job done, sounds okay, and is pretty user friendly, but there are many better things, however I think you are on the right track.

What you have mentioned is a reasonably sized board and stage box that run over a Cat5 sake, unless A&H have changes their setup since last time I checked. This, I think is a good setup for a high school. There are EQs, comps, gates, delays, etc on this console that eliminate a lot of outboard gear. I assume that the existing system has little to no gear, so there is a huge benefit in the processing power. That is also true with most digital consoles. The learning curve on The AQllen and Heath is not bad, easy to grasp, well layed out surface.

Assuming that this will be installed and initially setup, plus some basic training for the school staff, $12,000 sounds like a square deal; google the MSRP pricing.

Also, most things are never overkill, just under utilized. 24 inputs can be eaten up pretty fast(most pro desks are at least 48) especially if you mic everyone on stage, plus the band.
This may not be an issue now, but the console/stage box are the infrastructure, and they need to have the ability to expand; I just looked it up, and you can expand the system with another stage boxe(44 xlr in I think +4 line, but don't quote me, for future expansion, check with the Rep)

A&H are popular in schools community theater and churches. This is their market. You will not find these desks touring with major Broadway and rock productions, but for you this is a great desk. AVID has a new small desk IDK what its callled, but its better than the A&H in many cases, but probably more expensive and less friendly to new users. It is the one that is cheaper than the SC48. The M7es is similar, but doesn't sound good in my opinion, and is probably more expensive, but the M7 is fairly common.


For your Application the GLD 112 looks like a solid choice, the only downside is that Allen and heath makes you pay for their iPad app.

If you have any other questions feel free to send me a message or post again here.
 
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If you had someone you trust make the recommendation then is there a specific reason that you are questioning it? What makes you think the GLD may be overkill?

There are many factors to consider when selecting a console from aspects such as the physical I/O to rider acceptance to the workflow as it applies to your use to the skills and familiarity of your users. What would this be replacing? What existing functionality must be maintained? What additional functionality or capabilities are desired? How will any digital snake aspect integrate with your existing cabling and infrastructure? What is the rest of the system? Basically, what is the basis for any mixer selection and for determining what may be appropriate or not? If there was insufficient basis provided or developed to assess what may be an appropriate console selection then that may be the issue that needs to be addressed.

As Focus noted, another factor in the cost is what documentation, installation, warranty, training, etc. is included. The console cost itself is one thing but what is being provided beyond just the actual product?

For typical use I personally think there are few more user friendly consoles in the price range than the GLD. Setup can be a bit challenging but actual operation is usually fairly simple.

I have not yet had my hands on the new Avid console but from what I have seen and heard they seemed to have focused on making it highly configurable for personal use with many multifunction and/or programmable controls. If that is true then it may be great for where there is one primary user, however it may not be the best concept for schools, community centers, clubs, bars, etc. with multiple or walk-up users. However, there are digital console offerings from Behringer, Soundcraft, Roland, PreSonus and possibly some others that may or may not be a viable option for your situation. Unfortunately, we don't know enough about the situation to offer many relevant comments or recommendations.
 
I thought the GLD line was extremely NOT user friendly and clunky to get around on. It seemed to take a lot of button presses to get to very common features (like sending an aux feed). I agree with Timmy that the Behringer X32 is probably going to work very well for you, but I don't know your exact needs.
 
Allen and Heath is running a special if you purchase the GLD 80 surface, they throw in an audio rack for free. We just took advantage of it here. The 80 (if I'm not mistaken) just lacks the extra fader bank.
 
I thought the GLD line was extremely NOT user friendly and clunky to get around on. It seemed to take a lot of button presses to get to very common features (like sending an aux feed). I agree with Timmy that the Behringer X32 is probably going to work very well for you, but I don't know your exact needs.
This reminds me of one client for whom we arranged several different console demos to a number of their staff and users. With multiple users for different types of events you were never going to get consensus on one mixer that was the best, the best you could do was find one that everyone thought they could work with and to which no one took real exception.

I also think people often overlook how much the console configuration can effect ease of use for operators. Some digital mixers are so flexible in their setup that you can really tailor the operation to one's personal preferences, however doing so may also be tailoring it against others' personal preferences.
 
I have a GLD 80 at my new job running a High School theater with lots of rentals. I'm working on learning to use it now. Although it's a great console, I remain unconvinced that it's necessary in in my setting. It's my impression that digital consoles become most valuable when you have full rehearsal time and then do the show over and over or can copy and reuse things from old shows. But in a school where you don't have rehearsals for many events or you have a renter come in the door for the evening without any setup time, I kind of want my old analog mixer. I'm usually the first to jump on the bandwagon for using new technology and maybe in time I'll change my mind. However for now, like the OP, I remain skeptical. There's something I really like about having a knob that does everything instantly at my fingertips.
 
So my old high school is looking for an upgrade in the sound system- (something about a couple of malfunctions requiring a new board.) The director-who just so happens to be my dad- had his normal consultant to come out to the school and he was given the recommendation of the Allen-Heath GLD 112, as well as the GLD AR 2412.

Now- I will say that the money is there for this board and rack and be purchased with no problem, but at the same time, I'm worried this may be complete overkill for the needs of the space. What do you guys think?

The normal usage for the theatre are normal school assemblies (award ceremonies, talent shows, the occasional worship service) as well as two shows (generally one musical with a live pit), and some dance recitals.

He was also quoted around $12,000. Is this reasonable for this setup? I really have no idea what something like this should/would cost, I'm a fresh noobie in the sound world. Again, the money is available, but if that could be put to other upgrades, I would love to be able to relocate that.

Thanks!

Sent from my AT100 using Tapatalk HD
As another poster has said, you can get the same features from an X32 (actually more channels) for $4K.

I am a big fan of A&H mixers, but I found the workflow on both the console and the iPad app more difficult than the X32 and Presonus StudioLive.

Analog may also be a decent option; however, it depends.

Is there someone there who knows their way around a digital mixer ..... or is dedicated to learning how to make the most of it? If not, then analog would be the best bet IMHO.
 
As I said before, we just invested in a GLD-80. I've had limited experience with digital mixers, but have worked on several types of Analogs. I've seen the iLive and the GLD series in action and while I can't give specifics on the differences between them, the deal (and the timing) made sense for us to buy a GLD.

After about a week I feel very comfortable using this setup. A friend of mine who has the iLive summed it up as thus- All digital mixers essentially do the same thing. Some have different bells and whistles, but if you're comfortable with the desk and the pricetag that's all that really matters. I like the GLD, I can't wait til we put it through its paces for our spring musical.

Since a few of our student techs decided it's smarter than some of the kids in our Stagecraft group, they've taken to calling it GLaDos after the antagonist in the Portal video game.
 

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