Allen & Heath Avantis vs dLive: All-in-One or Surface Plus MixRack?

Avantis puts a 96kHz dLive-derived engine in a single console. dLive splits the mixer into a MixRack that does the processing and a Surface that controls it. This guide covers the four Avantis models, including Avantis Ultra and Avantis Solo Ultra, what dLive adds on top, and how to tell when Avantis is enough.

~9 min read · Updated October 2026 · By the Stage Supply team

In this guide: The short answer · The Avantis family · Avantis vs Avantis Ultra · dLive at a glance · Side-by-side · What dLive adds · When Avantis is enough · Popular picks · FAQ

The short answer

Choose Avantis or one of its siblings if you want one self-contained console with up to 96 input channels and 56 configurable busses, and you are happy for the mixer to sit where the engineer sits. It runs on the same 96kHz XCVI FPGA engine family as dLive, with the same 0.7ms latency figure.

Choose dLive when you need more than that: 128 input channels and 64 mix outputs on every system, the processing living in a MixRack on stage while one or more Surfaces control it, up to four Surfaces on one MixRack for FOH and monitors from a single rack, more option-card slots, and (on S Class) redundant power and links.

Within Avantis, the Ultra models are the same hardware as Avantis and Avantis Solo with the dPack software upgrade and the RackUltra FX module included. An existing Avantis can be brought up to the same spec later.

If you are still choosing between Allen & Heath ranges in general, start with Qu vs SQ vs Avantis and SQ5+ vs SQ6+ vs SQ7+. This guide assumes you are already looking at the top two.

The Avantis family: four models, two form factors

Allen & Heath now lists four Avantis consoles. They come in two sizes, and each size comes in a standard and an Ultra version.

Every model uses the XCVI 96kHz FPGA engine and has an SLink port for remote I/O expanders and the ME personal mixing system. The full-size Avantis adds the second screen, double the faders and twice the local I/O of the Avantis Solo. In both cases the local sockets are a convenience: on many shows most inputs come in over SLink or an option card.

Other features Allen & Heath lists for Avantis include 16 DCAs, an automatic mic mixer (AMM) for up to 64 channels across 1, 2 or 4 zones, a 61-band RTA, Shure and Sennheiser RF integration, BNC word clock, USB stereo playback and internal stereo recording.

Avantis vs Avantis Ultra (and Solo vs Solo Ultra)

The hardware listings for Avantis Ultra and Avantis are identical: same screens, faders, SoftKeys, local I/O and I/O Ports. The difference is the mix engine. Ultra ships with what Allen & Heath sells to existing owners as two upgrades:

• dPack (software): raises the engine from 64 to 96 input channels and from 42 to 56 configurable busses, and unlocks 24 Dyn8 engines (four bands of dynamic EQ plus four bands of multiband compression), the DEEP compressor, expander and Dual Stage Valve Preamp models, and NEQ12, a 12-band EQ that can replace the GEQ on mix outputs. It also adds two dPack-only RackExtra FX, Transient Controller and HypaBass.
• RackUltra FX module (hardware): adds 8 RackUltra FX engines with their own stereo sends and returns, so they do not use any busses, channels or RackExtra FX slots. The collection covers vocal tuning and pitch effects, reverb designers, harmonisers, saturation and amp-and-cab distortion. On Avantis it requires dPack.

The same applies to Avantis Solo Ultra against Avantis Solo. So the question is not which console is better hardware, it is whether you need more than 64 inputs and 42 busses, or the DEEP and RackUltra processing, now or later.

• Buy Ultra if you already know you will want 96 inputs, Dyn8 on vocals or IEM mixes, or the RackUltra reverbs and vocal tools. Allen & Heath offers the module factory-fitted on new consoles.
• Buy standard Avantis if 64 inputs and 42 busses cover your work. dPack can be bought later from Allen & Heath’s online store, and the RackUltra FX module can be retro-fitted, but only by an authorised service centre, so plan around the downtime.

Firmware V2.0 is what raised the dPack figures to 96 channels, 56 busses and 24 Dyn8, and it added the CompStortion DEEP compressor. Keep consoles up to date before comparing spec sheets with older reviews, which quote the earlier 64-channel dPack figures.

dLive at a glance

Every dLive system is a MixRack plus a means of control. All MixRacks share the same engine: 128 input channels, 64 mix outputs, a configurable 64-bus architecture, 0.7ms latency, 16 RackExtra FX, 24 DCAs and 64 Dyn8 engines, with DEEP processing built in. Allen & Heath says the RackUltra FX card is fitted as standard to all new MixRacks, and existing DM and CDM MixRacks can take it as an upgrade kit in an internal expansion slot, so it does not use an I/O Port. The full model-by-model breakdown is in our dLive range guide, so here is the summary.

C Class Surfaces carry 6 mic/line inputs and 6 line outputs, one AES in and out, and one I/O Port of their own. S Class Surfaces carry 8 in and 8 out, two I/O Ports, and dual redundant links and power options. The Surface is a controller: the mixing happens in the MixRack.

Avantis vs dLive side by side

Expander counts on dLive assume DX Hub modules or DX Link cards. How SLink, DX and gigaACE differ, and which boxes suit which job, is covered in dLive and Avantis I/O expansion.

What dLive actually adds

The rack and the surface are separate

With dLive the MixRack sits on stage near the inputs and the Surface sits at FOH, joined by a gigaACE link. With Avantis the engine is in the console, so stage inputs reach it through an SLink expander or a networked card. Both work. The dLive approach means the show keeps its processing on stage, and the MixRack can run with no Surface at all, controlled by dLive Director, the MixPad app or IP controllers such as the IP8 and IP6. That suits installs where nobody needs a full desk on the day.

More than one Surface on one engine

A DM MixRack takes up to four Surfaces and a CDM MixRack up to two, in any mix of C and S Class. Allen & Heath lists parallel mixing, sub-mixing and FOH plus monitors from a single MixRack as the uses. Avantis is one console with one surface, so a FOH/monitor split on Avantis means a second console sharing inputs over an option card, which Allen & Heath lists as one of the uses for its I/O Ports.

Headroom in the engine

128 inputs and 64 mix outputs is the floor on every dLive, not an upgrade. dLive also has more RackExtra FX (16 against 12), more DCAs (24 against 16) and many more Dyn8 engines (64 against 24). If your input list already pushes past 96, or your monitor engineer needs dozens of stereo IEM mixes alongside FX and matrix outputs, dLive is the safer platform.

Card slots and networking

A DM MixRack has three I/O Ports and an S Class Surface two more, so one system can carry several cards at once, for example Dante, MADI and Waves. Bear in mind that on a MixRack, Surfaces beyond the first connect through optional gigaACE cards, which use those same I/O Ports. Avantis has two I/O Ports in total. Both platforms use the dLive card family, including the Dante 64×64, Dante 128×128, SuperMADI, Waves SoundGrid gigaACE, fibreACE and DX Link cards, all of which Allen & Heath lists as compatible with both dLive and Avantis. Which card does what is in our option cards guide.

Redundancy (S Class)

S Class MixRacks and Surfaces have dual redundant links and a hot-swappable power supply with a dual redundant option. C Class has an integrated power supply, and Allen & Heath lists no redundant power for Avantis. For broadcast and big touring that alone can decide it.

When Avantis is enough

• One engineer, one position. A band, theatre or church where FOH mixes and monitors either come from the same desk or from 4You, OneMix and the ME personal mixing system.
• Up to 96 inputs. With dPack or an Ultra model you get 96 channels and 56 busses, which is enough for many touring, corporate and theatre shows.
• A compact footprint at FOH. Avantis Solo and Avantis Solo Ultra put a 15.6in screen and 12 faders in a small console, with an SLink stage box such as the DX168 or GX4816 on stage.
• You want dLive processing without dLive architecture. DEEP, Dyn8 and RackUltra FX are all available on Avantis with dPack and the module.

Move to dLive when any of these apply: you need more than 96 inputs; FOH and monitors want separate Surfaces on one rack; the venue wants a surfaceless install controlled from IP controllers or tablets; you need more than two option cards; or the job requires redundant power. A C1500 on a CDM48 is a compact way into dLive, and the C1500 can go in a rack with its 19in rack kit.

Popular picks from the shop

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Avantis and dLive?

Avantis is a single console with the engine, surface and local I/O in one box: 64 channels and 42 busses, or 96 and 56 with dPack. dLive separates the engine into a MixRack controlled by one or more Surfaces, with 128 inputs and 64 mix outputs on every system, more FX and Dyn8, more card slots, and up to four Surfaces on an S Class MixRack.

What is the difference between Avantis and Avantis Ultra?

The hardware is the same. Avantis Ultra includes dPack (96 channels, 56 busses, 24 Dyn8, DEEP models, NEQ12) and the RackUltra FX module (8 RackUltra FX engines). A standard Avantis can be upgraded to the same processing later with dPack and a service-centre fitted RackUltra FX module.

Is Avantis Solo the same mixer as Avantis?

Same engine, I/O Ports and processing. The Solo has one 15.6in screen instead of two, 12 faders instead of 24, 18 SoftKeys instead of 24, and 6 analogue inputs and outputs locally instead of 12.

Can I use dLive option cards in Avantis?

Yes. Allen & Heath says the two Avantis I/O Ports accept the current dLive option cards, including Dante 64×64 and 128×128, Waves, gigaACE and MADI. fibreACE and DX Link cards are also listed for both platforms.

Can Avantis and dLive share stage boxes?

Both connect to Allen & Heath’s 96kHz expanders, Avantis through its SLink port and dLive through its DX ports, and both can use Dante expanders such as the DT164-W through a Dante card. Check the specific box against our I/O expanders guide before planning a shared rig.

Does dLive need a Surface?

No. A MixRack can be run from dLive Director on a laptop, the MixPad app, or IP controllers. Most live users add a Surface for hands-on control.