Compact touring console setup supports Elijah Woods’ global dates
Background and context
Touring front-of-house engineers are increasingly looking for ways to keep their audio setups consistent from venue to venue, while reducing the physical footprint and complexity of their systems. For Canadian engineer Brent Washburn, that search began after years of working on whatever console was available at each show.
Washburn, whose early experience included mixing punk bands in a basement, spent years travelling with different artists before deciding that relying on house consoles and starting monitor mixes from scratch at every stop was no longer workable.
Influenced by other engineers using compact digital surfaces on major tours, he began exploring smaller, touring-ready rigs that could deliver the same sound each night, whether in clubs or arenas.
Key announcement
Washburn now carries a compact system based on Allen & Heath’s dLive platform for pop artist Elijah Woods’ current international tour. The rig centres on a DM0 dLive MixRack, controlled via an iPad running the dLive MixPad app and a C1500 control surface for hands-on operation.
The setup is expanded on stage with two DX168 stageboxes, providing remote I/O while keeping the footprint at front of house small enough for tight spaces and shared production environments. For the Elijah Woods tour, a second dLive MixRack is dedicated to monitors, connected to the front-of-house system via a digital split over Dante.
Washburn has taken this configuration across North America, Europe and Asia, using the same core system in a variety of venues. The dLive architecture allows the rig to scale up to 128 inputs as required, despite its relatively compact form factor.
Recent firmware has also played a role in his workflow. With dLive V2.1, Washburn has adopted new group-to-group routing options to simplify complex mix structures that previously required workarounds. He is also using the new CompStortion compressor model, which he says closely matches a processor used in Elijah Woods’ studio recordings.
On the vocal chain, Washburn deploys the DYN8 processor, combining dynamic EQ and multiband compression. By double-patching the lead vocal channel, he uses all eight dynamic EQ bands to control cymbal, snare and drum bleed in the upper frequencies.
Industry impact
The Woods tour provides a practical example of a trend already visible across the live sound sector: smaller, networked systems taking on roles once reserved for large-format consoles. Washburn’s approach shows how a single, portable rig can serve both club dates and arena support slots without changing core hardware.
Features such as user-configurable workflows, flexible routing and advanced dynamics processing are increasingly expected in compact touring systems, not just flagship desks. As firmware updates expand capabilities, engineers can adapt their existing hardware to more complex productions rather than moving to larger consoles.
For venues and rental companies, this kind of touring package may also ease changeovers and reduce demands on in-house infrastructure, as visiting engineers arrive with self-contained digital ecosystems built around stageboxes and network splits.
Why this matters
For touring professionals, Washburn’s deployment of a compact dLive rig underlines how portability, consistency and scalability are shaping investment decisions in live sound. The ability to carry a familiar workflow from small rooms to major arenas can reduce setup time, streamline soundchecks and improve show-to-show continuity.
More broadly, the case illustrates how firmware-driven feature additions—such as enhanced routing and new processing models—are extending the lifespan and flexibility of existing consoles. As artists like Elijah Woods continue to move between markets and venue sizes, compact, network-ready systems are likely to remain central to modern touring strategies.
Further technical information on the dLive range and its firmware features is available from Allen & Heath’s official site at https://www.allen-heath.com.
