Description
The next stage in live sound
Mix and record live productions of any size with ease. Avid VENUE | S6L delivers the unmatched processing power and sound clarity artists and engineers rely on to present the best show possible. From direct AAX and Waves plug-in support and 128 tracks of Pro Tools recording, to full system modularity and 300+ processing channels, the S6L unified platform gives you the mixing efficiency, creativity, and flexibility you need to meet the demands of any gig. And now with its newly expanded line of five control surfaces, three engines, and four I/O racks to choose from—with 100% hardware, software, and show file compatibility across all—it’s easy to configure and scale the perfect system for your needs. Product Highlights
Avid VENUE | On-Stage
Control monitor mixes on stage remotely
Wish you could step away from your Avid VENUE system and fine-tune individual monitor mixes while walking around on stage? You can with the new VENUE | On-Stage iOS app, which enables you to wirelessly access and control your VENUE | S6L or S3L-X system's Aux send levels, Aux pans, and Aux master levels remotely through its VENUE-style interface. You can even let performers control their own personal monitor mixes using their own mobile devices. Best of all—it's free!HIGHLIGHTS
FEATURES
Avid VENUE | Function Pad
Trigger snapshots and events from anywhere
Whether you’re mixing on a concert tour, in a club or theater, at a festival, in a house of worship, or for a live event, the Avid VENUE | S6L live sound system makes it easy to perform complex tasks and change multiple settings instantly through its function switches. And now with the free VENUE | Function Pad iOS app, you can trigger S6L function switch-assigned snapshots and events from anywhere in the venue using your iPhone or iPad.FEATURES
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
- Avid VENUE | S6L system running VENUE 6.1 or later
- Apple iPad or iPhone running iOS 10 or later
- Wireless router connected to the ECx port of the S6L console
Tackle big productions with dual operators—just added
With the latest VENUE software, you can now designate up to two fader zones on a VENUE | S6L-48D, 32D, or 24D control surface, enabling dual-operator mixing. It’s ideal for theater sound, live broadcast events, and other complex productions. And it offers a cost-effective way to divide and conquer FOH and monitor mixing on a single S6L surface. Get more info >Open Layouts in any system with ease
Moving from a 32-fader surface to 24 faders? Layouts can now include up to 48 channel strips on all S6L control surfaces, enabling all Layout assignments and fader settings to be preserved when moving show files from a larger S6L surface to a smaller one. You can also create and store up to 48 Layouts per show file.Get better insight into your mix
With the Meters view on the Master Touchscreen, you can now get an uninterrupted continuous view of your channel metering across all of your S6L console screens. This view provides all of the same functionality as the Meters view on your Channel Touch Modules.System features
Build your perfect system
VENUE | S6L offers a variety of component options to configure and scale a system to meet any production, space, or budget requirement. Take control of your mix with a choice of five surfaces that offer from 16–48 faders. Power performances and integrate studio processing with a choice of three engines. Get all the ins and outs you need by mixing and matching any combination of four I/O rack options. And scale up or down to meet changing control, processing, I/O, and connectivity requirements, with 100% hardware, software, and show file compatibility across all components. Meet the new S6L-48D control surface Take intelligent control of your mix When you’re mixing live, there are no do-overs. You have to anticipate and react fast. With Avid VENUE | S6L, you get instant access to every facet of your mix. View detailed information across high-res displays—in even the brightest outdoor conditions. Access and adjust your mix, including plugins and VCA groups, using the touchscreen and surface controls. And gain insight into every input, aux, and more through the Universe screen. Get the brochure Experience unprecedented power
From Broadway to broadcast, many live shows require hundreds of channels. With the VENUE | E6L engine, you have the power to support over 300 processing channels. The real-time processing engine handles all routing, channel, and mixing functions. The HDX-powered DSP engine manages all plugin processing, with full automatic delay compensation, so you can create bigger, better sounding mixes—with no round trips to external servers. Simply put, it outperforms the competition—hands down.Achieve pristine sound—live
VENUE systems have always been respected for their unprecedented sound quality. The clarity. The warmth. S6L is no different—yet it totally is. And it starts at the source. Every VENUE | S6L I/O rack features the exact same professional-grade build quality, with a high-performance preamp design, so they deliver the same sound quality and clarity no matter which you choose, enabling you to present even higher quality mixes, with incredible presence.Expand your creativity
Mix with the same sound processors used in top studios to get the sounds you want. Or re-create an artist’s signature studio sound live. Because all S6L configurations support Avid and third-party 64-bit AAX DSP plugins, you’ll have far more creative choices at your fingertips than any other live mixing system. Plus, you’ll be able to use way more plugins in your mix, thanks to the system’s dedicated, scalable HDX-powered DSP processing.Directly control Waves plugins
With the WSG-HD Option Card, you can run Waves SoundGrid systems with Avid VENUE | S6L and experience full unrivaled integration, enabling you to access and control Waves plugins directly from the S6L surface and VENUE software. Just as easily as and right alongside your AAX plugins. It’s super-simple to set up, supports Snapshot automation, and provides full system redundancy for the utmost reliability. You can even open older VENUE (TDM) show files that use Waves plugins right in S6L and have all of your settings ready to go. Get more details Choose your ins and outs
With a choice of racks and I/O options available, it’s easy to customize your setup for your stage and local needs, as well as for remote I/O distribution. Connect one or more racks and choose from a variety of analog and digital I/O, including mic/line XLR, AES/EBU, and ADAT connectivity. You also have additional local I/O built into each S6L control surface for added flexibility, including up to 8x8 analog I/O, 8x8 AES I/O (4 pairs), two headphone outputs, MIDI I/O, and GPIO.Expand the local I/O of your system
Need more inputs and outputs at your local mix position? The Local 16 I/O rack provides you with eight analog ins and outs, as well as eight digital ins and outs in a compact, 3U package—with all I/O conveniently located on the back for easy integration with external processing racks.Connect with everything
S6L offers extremely reliable Ethernet AVB connectivity across all system components—no matter how long the cable runs. Put an end to expensive, bulky analog snakes. Use lightweight, inexpensive Cat5e cables for runs up to 100 meters. Or use fiber-optic cable for longer runs up to 500 meters. Need to connect to MADI or Dante devices? Just add option cards to integrate S6L into your existing environment.Share I/O
Forget fussing with bulky analog splits. You can share the same I/O across multiple networked S6L systems—without any loss of audio quality—saving thousands by reducing I/O and cable requirements, set-up time, and transportation costs. True Gain technology automatically manages gain compensation to ensure the proper signal levels in each engineer’s mix. Plus, any engineer on your network can take ownership of shared outputs on a per-option card basis. Mix monitors with ease
S6L makes it easy to handle dozens of monitor mixes to help artists deliver their best performance. Get one-touch access to any mix on the faders, whether in-ear, a wedge, or backline. Make complex level adjustments with single fader moves. Enable performers to control their own stage mixes with the VENUE | On-Stage app, or integrate Aviom personal monitoring systems over Dante. Monitor two independent stereo solo busses, which can be assigned to a cue belt pack and/or listen wedge. Plus, get two built-in headphone jacks for local monitoring.Mix theater productions with ease
Stay on top of every performer, act, and scene with new workflow enhancements that take the stress out of mixing live theater. Add any of the 96 aux sends to your snapshot Scope. Gain greater efficiency with numerous snapshot advancements. And perform complex mixing adjustments with speed and ease thanks to significant updates to the intuitively programmable Events system.Have peace of mind
VENUE | S6L not only delivers road-tested, industry-proven reliability and the same robust build quality across all of its components, it offers the highest level of service and support in the biz. Even when on the road or in the most extreme environments. All S6L systems now come with three years of Avid Advantage Elite Live support, giving you the highest priority care whenever you need help, 24x7. From ultra-fast response times, to same-day hardware exchange shipping, we’ve got you covered so your show always goes on.Software features
Learn once, mix anywhere
VENUE software is the common platform across all VENUE systems, speeding up all aspects of live mixing and recording. It eliminates complexity, so you can focus more on what matters most—your mix. You can even access a host of parameters and views with just a single touch, increasing your efficiency. If you’ve mixed on any other VENUE system, you’ll feel right at home.Record shows directly with Pro Tools
Experience the most powerful live recording and playback capabilities in the industry. S6L comes with and supports 128 tracks of redundant Pro Tools recording, so you can create a backup of all live recordings without any extra interfaces or expense. Create a Pro Tools session automatically from your current VENUE show file in seconds—complete with all track names and patching. Record and play back up to 128 audio tracks through a single Cat5e cable. And control your live mixing and recording rigs as one.Save time with Virtual Soundcheck
When sound checks get compressed or scrapped, show time becomes stress time. With timesaving Virtual Soundcheck, you can get a head start on your mix using Pro Tools recordings from a previous night’s performance in place of the live mics. Then fine-tune from there. And because it doesn’t require the presence of any performer, it’s also a great way to prep a show, from programming snapshots to experimenting with different plugins.Boost your efficiency
With Snapshots, you can store and recall console and plugin settings instantly. Set multiple snapshots to handle changes for every song in a set list. Or quickly switch settings for different performers or scenes. You can also trigger time-consuming but frequently performed actions using Events.Take your mix to go
All VENUE systems use the same software, so you can load any VENUE show file into any S6L system and be ready to rock. This makes it easy to transition from one console to another, like when going from a club tour to a big festival. Just copy your show files to a USB key and load them into S6L. VENUE software adapts the settings to fit within the available hardware and software feature set of the given VENUE system configuration.Expand your sonic palette
S6L comes with an amazing collection of studio-quality plugins to get you started. But you can expand your library even further by installing renowned plugins from Avid, Sonnox, McDSP, and other top audio designers directly into the system, as well as integrate Waves plugins through the Waves SoundGrid Option Card. From unbelievable emulations of vintage and modern hardware, to a wide array of compressors, EQs, delays, and other sound processors, your creative possibilities are endless. Find more Avid plugins Find third-party AAX pluginsExpand your mix control
Mix monitors on your iPhone or iPad
Wish you could step away from S6L and fine-tune individual monitor mixes on stage? You can with the VENUE | On-Stage iOS app, which enables you to control Aux master levels, Aux send levels, and Aux pans remotely through its VENUE-style interface. You can even let performers control their monitor mixes using their own mobile device. Best of all, it's a free download from the Apple App Store.Remotely control S6L functions
VENUE | S6L enables you to perform up to 128 custom actions/events instantly using its function keys/switches. With the free VENUE | Function Pad iOS app, which puts wireless remote control of your S6L function keys at your fingertips, you can organize, navigate, and trigger Snapshots and Events from anywhere in the venue using your iPhone or iPad.Control surface
| Control Surface | S6L-48D  | S6L-32D  | S6L-24D  | S6L-24C | S6L-16C  |
| 12-inch daylight-visible touchscreens | 1 Master Touchscreen, 5 Channel Touch Modules | 1 Master Touchscreen, 3 Channel Touch Modules | 1 Master Touchscreen, 2 Channel Touch Modules | 1 Master Touchscreen | none (requires user-provided external touchscreen) |
| Faders | 48 + 2 | 32 + 2 | 24 + 2 | 24 + 2 | 16 + 2 |
| Knob Modules with high-resolution OLEDs and tri-color function indicators | 160 assignable knobs across 5 Channel Knob Modules | 96 assignable knobs across 3 Channel Knob Modules | 64 assignable knobs across 2 Channel Knob Modules | 32 assignable knobs across 1 Channel Knob Module | 32 assignable knobs across 1 Channel Knob Module |
| Master Live Module | Graphic TFTs with soft buttons; Touch and Turn assignable encoder; 2 assignable faders; monitoring, layout and snapshot controls; transport controls and function buttons | ||||
| Metering | 30-segment meters per channel, with pre- and post-fade metering options; Nominal indicator, Expander/Gate status and Compressor/Limiter gain reduction meters | ||||
| Analog inputs | 8 XLR mic/line inputs with 48V and signal present LEDs | none* | |||
| Analog outputs | 8 XLR outputs with mute and signal present LEDs | none* | |||
| Digital inputs | 4 pairs of XLR stereo AES/EBU (8 channels total) | none* | |||
| Digital outputs | 4 pairs of XLR stereo AES/EBU (8 channels total) | none* | |||
| Headphone outputs | 2 independent 1/4" TRS stereo headphone jacks | 1 1/4" TRS stereo headphone jack | |||
| Ancillary I/O | DVI-D video out, 5 USB 2.0 (2 rear, 2 front, 1 internal), ECx Ethernet port for wired/wireless remote control, GPIO (8 in/8 out), 2 footswitch, Linear Time Code input, MIDI I/O | ||||
| Ethernet AVB ports | 2 etherCON (copper), 2 selectable as etherCON (copper) or SFP (fiber); redundant ring topology | ||||
| Power supply | Dual redundant, internal hot-swappable PSUs | Dual redundant, internal | |||
| Height (front, rear) | 3.6, 15.3 inches (91, 388 mm) | 3.6, 8 inches (91, 205 mm) | |||
| Width | 76.1 inches (1,934 mm) | 51.3 inches (1,304 mm) | 38.9 inches (989 mm) | 38.9 inches (989 mm) | 26.4 inches (671 mm) |
| Depth | 31 inches (787 mm) | ||||
| Weight | Coming soon | 155 lbs (70 kg) | 119 lbs (54 kg) | 84 lbs (38 kg) | 72 lbs (33 kg) |
* Local 16 Rack can supply local I/O ** S6L-24C and 16C power supplies are not compatible/swappable with S6L-48D, 32D, and 24D control surface power supplies, or with E6L-192 and 144 engine power supplies
Engine
| Engine | E6L-192  | E6L-144 | E6L-112 |
| Sample rates | 96 kHz | ||
| Input channels | 192 | 144 | 112 |
| Input processing | HPF, LPF, 4-band PEQ, Expander/Gate, Compressor/Limiter, Delay, 4 plug-in inserts, hardware insert | ||
| Mix busses | 96 + LCR | 64 + LCR | 48 + LCR |
| Output processing | 7-band PEQ, Compressor/Limiter, Delay, 4 plug-in inserts, hardware insert | ||
| Matrix | 24 x 24 | 16 x 16 | |
| VCAs | 32 | 24 | |
| Stereo solo busses | 2, with independent control | ||
| Graphic EQs (31-band) | 32 | ||
| Digital signal processing | Supports up to four HDX-192 DSP Expansion Cards for plug-in processing; includes one card | Supports up to two HDX-192 DSP Expansion Cards for plug-in processing; includes one card | Supports one HDX-192 DSP Expansion Card, included, for plug-in processing |
| Plug-in support | 64-bit AAX DSP; also supports Waves SoundGrid systems through the WSG-HD Option Card for full integration with S6L, or over MADI | ||
| Plug-in slots | 200 | 125 | 100 |
| Pro Tools integration | Record/play back up to 128 audio tracks via Ethernet AVB | ||
| Expansion Option Card slots | 4 max | 2 max | |
| Ethernet AVB ports | Includes one AVB-192 Ethernet AVB Network Card with two ports (up to two AVB cards supported), selectable as etherCON (copper) or SFP (fiber), with redundant ring topology | ||
| I/O sharing | Supports up to three Stage 64 and four Stage 16 racks, up to 192 inputs total (requires two AVB-192 Ethernet AVB Network Cards to share I/O) | ||
| Word Clock I/O | Clock I/O BNC, 75 Ohm coaxial | ||
| USB ports | 5 USB 2.0 ports (2 front, 2 back, 1 internal) | ||
| Power supply | N+1 redundant, internal hot-swappable PSUs | ||
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 8.6 x 16.9 x 19 inches (218 x 430 x 483 mm) | ||
| Rack spaces | 5U | ||
| Weight | 74 lbs (33 kg) | ||
I/O
| I/O | Stage 64  | Stage 32  | Stage 16  | Local 16  |
| Maximum I/O | 64 input channels, 32 output channels @ 96 kHz with one Stage 64 rack; up to 192 inputs/96 outputs supported (depending on the E6L engine in use) with three Stage 64 racks (64 ins/32 outs each) | Total of 32 input/output channels @ 96 kHz with one Stage 32 rack | 16 XLR mic inputs/preamps, 8 XLR line outputs, 4 channels of AES3 output | 8 XLR mic/line inputs, 8 XLR outputs, 4 pairs of XLR stereo AES/EBU inputs (8 channels total), 4 pairs of XLR stereo AES/EBU outputs (8 channels total) |
| I/O card slots | 12 | 4 | n/a | n/a |
| Sample rates | 96 kHz | 96 kHz | 96 kHz** | 96 kHz |
| Ethernet AVB ports | 2, selectable as etherCON (copper) or SFP (fiber), with redundant ring topology | 2 Gigabit Ethernet AVB ports | ||
| Maximum cable length | Copper: 100 meters (328 feet); Fiber: 500 meters (1,640.4 feet) | 100 meters (328 feet) | ||
| MADI | Dual MADI output offers direct split of all 64 inputs | Single MADI output offers direct split of up to 32 inputs | n/a | n/a |
| Headphone confidence monitor | 1/4" TRS stereo headphone jack with volume control; display for channel selection | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Word Clock I/O | BNC, 75 Ohm coaxial | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Power supply | Dual redundant internal PSUs | Single internal PSU | Dual redundant internal PSUs | |
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 17.5 x 17 x 12.2 inches (445 x 432 x 310 mm) | Coming soon | 6.9 x 19 x 8.1 inches (175 x 483 x 206 mm) with ears/handles out (rackmount configuration) | 5.2 x 17.4 x 11.0 inches (132 x 442 x 278 mm) |
| Rack spaces | 10U | 5U | 4U | 3U |
| Weight | 69 lbs (31 kg) | 49 lbs (22 kg) | 15.8 lbs (7.1 kg) | Coming soon |
The specifications listed above are provided for informational purposes only and subject to change without notice.
* Option cards are available as separate purchases and not included with core systems. ** When connected to Avid VENUE | S6L—operates at 48 kHz when connected to Avid VENUE | S3L-X.
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