Allen & Heath dLive C3500/Dante

Allen & Heath dLive C3500/Dante

Allen & Heath dLive C3500/Dante is available from Bsound Pro Audio in Excellent condition. The price is €7,000 per unit, with 2 units available. Each unit is offered individually.

dLive C3500 control surface

The Allen & Heath dLive C3500/Dante listing names the C3500 control surface together with Dante. The C3500 is a C Class dLive Surface with 24 faders, dual twelve-inch capacitive touchscreens and nineteen assignable SoftKeys. Allen & Heath’s dLive architecture separates the control surface from the MixRack processing engine.

That separation is important when planning a system. The Surface is the operator’s working interface, while a MixRack provides the central dLive audio-processing core and its associated I/O. This listing names C3500/Dante only, so it should be assessed on that stated basis rather than as an assumed package containing a separately listed MixRack.

Mixing workflow

The C3500’s faders provide tactile access to channels, while the dual-screen layout gives the operator visual access to the system. Assignable controls allow the working surface to be organised around the requirements of a show. The useful question is how the operator wants to access inputs, mixes and recurring actions during a performance.

When adding a Surface to an established dLive setup, document the current MixRack, firmware and I/O arrangement first. Then check the exact system connections and configuration required for the intended workflow. A complete plan considers control, audio routing and operator layout together.

Dante configuration

The supplied name expressly includes Dante, but it does not identify a card model or generation. Dante channel capacity and sample-rate details should therefore be confirmed from the actual installed card rather than borrowed from a different dLive networking option. This is particularly relevant when the Surface is expected to exchange audio with an existing network.

Use Allen & Heath’s official dLive brochure and C Class Surface guide as the starting point for the C3500 hardware and system architecture. Establishing the exact networking configuration makes the product comparison more useful than relying on the broad Dante designation alone.

Control surface and MixRack are different parts of dLive

The C3500 is the operator’s control surface in a distributed dLive system. Allen & Heath places the central mix engine in the MixRack, while the Surface provides the working interface and its own local connections. Understanding that distinction is fundamental when deciding whether this listing fits an existing system or a new project.

A control surface is not identified by the same physical-input count as a MixRack. Its faders and screens organise access to the system, while the audio sources may arrive through the MixRack, local Surface connections or the documented expansion arrangements. The complete system plan should show where the audio enters, where processing occurs and which interface the operator will use.

The supplied name specifies C3500/Dante. It does not identify a MixRack model or a particular Dante card generation. Those separate details should be established for the intended system rather than inferred from the dLive family name.

Twenty-four faders and a layered working surface

The manufacturer describes the C3500 as a twenty-four-fader Surface with six layers, giving access to 144 fader strips. The physical faders are the immediately accessible controls; the layered layout determines which parts of the system those controls address at a given time. It is therefore useful to think about a show’s operating priorities before arranging the Surface.

A layout for a band, a theatre production and a conference may place different demands on the operator. The useful design question is what needs to be visible and reachable together. Channels that are adjusted frequently may deserve a different position from controls that are rarely changed during a performance.

Layering should support a comprehensible workflow rather than become a way to hide an unclear system plan. Retain a consistent naming convention and make the relationship between the Surface layout and the actual input/output arrangement easy to explain. That is particularly helpful when more than one engineer will use the equipment.

Dual-screen operation

The C3500’s two capacitive touchscreens give the operator more than one visual working area. Allen & Heath’s Surface guide describes configurable widget areas and gesture-based operation within the dLive interface. These facilities should be considered in terms of the information an engineer needs while operating the show.

One practical question is which view needs to remain available while another task is being performed. Another is how metering, scenes and processing information should be organised for the application. The dual-screen format offers room for that organisation, but the operator still chooses a useful layout.

Visual access and tactile control complement one another. A fader position offers immediate physical feedback, while the screen explains other aspects of the channel or system. The clearest setup is one in which the controls, labels and displayed information describe the same intended operation.

Local Surface inputs and outputs

The C Class Surface guide identifies six local mic/line preamps, six balanced line outputs and stereo AES3 input/output facilities. These connections are separate from the physical analogue I/O on the chosen MixRack. Their usefulness depends on where sources and destinations need to be located in the system.

For example, an engineer may need to consider which connections should be accessible at the operating position rather than at the stage-rack location. That is a system-layout question, not a reason to assume that every source belongs at one end of the installation. The appropriate patching should be documented alongside the physical location of each connection.

Dante option and expansion-port planning

The Surface guide describes an audio-expansion port, while the exact installed card determines its particular networking arrangement. A Dante designation does not by itself identify the card’s generation, channel count or operating format. The individual card should be identified when assessing the system’s intended digital-audio connections.

This matters when adding a Surface to an established network. Confirm the format required by the other equipment and the configuration supported by the actual card. Do not select a channel capacity from a different dLive option simply because both options use the Dante name.

The system drawing should show the difference between the Surface-to-MixRack relationship and any additional audio-network route. Keeping those paths separate makes it easier to understand which connection performs which task and what needs to be reviewed if a card or system component changes.

SoftKeys, scenes and repeat operation

The C3500 provides nineteen assignable SoftKeys. Their value depends on the actions an operator needs to perform reliably and repeatedly. Choosing assignments deliberately can make a Surface easier to use for a particular show, especially where the operator needs consistent access to recurring functions.

The same principle applies to scenes and other stored operating information. A useful show file should explain the intended production arrangement through clear names and an organised structure. It should not depend entirely on undocumented knowledge held by the person who first created it.

Evaluating the C3500 for an existing system

For an established dLive installation, identify the current MixRack, firmware and network configuration, then compare the proposed Surface arrangement with the manufacturer’s guide. Consider the number of faders required at the operating position, the usefulness of two screens and the local connection requirements.

For a new system, first describe the sources, mixes and destinations the project needs. Then decide how the operator should access them. This keeps the control-surface choice tied to the work it must support rather than to a headline channel count alone.

Two C3500/Dante units are available here at €7,000 per unit in Excellent condition. The exact named components define the listing; the wider dLive system should be planned around the confirmed MixRack and networking requirements.

Monitoring the operator’s own listening path

The Surface guide identifies engineer’s wedge and IEM fader-strip facilities within the dLive interface. This is useful because the operator’s listening path has a different purpose from an audience mix or a performer’s monitor feed. Keeping those roles distinct makes the Surface layout easier to understand.

Consider how the engineer will monitor selected signals while operating the show. The chosen layout should make the relevant controls and indications accessible without confusing them with the programme outputs. Clear names are particularly helpful where several monitor-related functions are used in the same production.

The guide also describes USB stereo recording and playback and an external display output. These are specific Surface facilities rather than an assertion about an unspecified multichannel recording package. Any required computer, storage or external display arrangement should be chosen for the actual workflow and the supported connections.

For an operating position built around the C3500, think about the information that should remain visible while the engineer works through another task. The two touchscreens, the physical faders and the selected monitoring layout should complement each other. A well-organised Surface helps the operator relate what is heard to the relevant controls and meters.

This is a practical reason to evaluate a control surface through the intended working method as well as through its dimensions or headline fader count. The C3500’s hardware creates an opportunity for that organisation; the system layout and show configuration determine how it is used.

Manufacturer information and related equipment

Official manufacturer information. Explore mixing consoles at Bsound Pro Audio for related equipment.

Read the official dLive C Class Surface getting-started guide for the C3500 hardware reference.