Peak Performance with Allen & Heath's iLive-R72

Steve Linder is the principal behind SRI Training, a company that provides strategic life coach training for thousands of clients each year. Linder's presentations utilize a variety of biofeedback and neuro linguistic programming (NLP) techniques to teach leadership, communication and other interpersonal skills to both individuals and organizations. He uses an array of A/V technology to illustrate his points, including live video feeds, audio and video playback, live wireless microphones, and live telephone feeds. To control it all, he uses the Allen & Heath iLive R72 control surface paired with an iDR-16 MixRack.

"The iLive has really revolutionized my presentations," Linder notes. "The audio is so clean and easy to control, it really keeps everyone focused on the content. People will put up with mediocre video, but not bad audio. As soon as you have feedback in a room of 2,000 people, you've lost them." SRI Training presentations incorporate live wireless microphones and multiple professional video cameras to capture his interactions with audience members. With the digital signal processing and EQ available in the iDR-16, maximizing gain-before-feedback in those mics has become a much simpler, more effective and repeatable process. The set-up for each show is then saved in the scene memories, making future shows in the same venue even faster to set up.

Linder uses the iLive from his podium during the show, controlling channel faders on his iPad via Allen & Heath's iLive Tweak app. "For instance, if I want to highlight vocal inflections, say to exhibit stress markers in an audience member, I can literally just touch my iPad to make fine adjustments," he explains. "It's so intuitive, I don't even have to lose eye contact. It's amazing to have that level of control at your fingertips." In addition to his iPad at the podium, each member of Linder's team carries an iPhone with the same capability. "That way, any of my techs can assist, and there's no need to have one person anchored to the control surface."

SRI Training also captures audio and video from each presentation for use in webinars, podcasts and videos. This process is enhanced by the addition of the optional dual port iLive MADI card to the MixRack iDR-16. "The MADI card gives me the ability to capture each input channel as discrete audio, which is a tremendous upgrade over recording the mixed output," Linder enthuses. "Having that flexibility in our audio choices when we make a video lets us create a much more professional product. I used to have to manage multiple external devices with hundreds of settings. Having it so closely integrated with the iLive saves space, time, and money. And it's still all contained right in my rolling rack."

Steve Linder considers the iLive R72 with iDR-16 MixRack to be a critical factor in his success. "The core of my business is communicating clearly and effectively," he explains. "I've had both analog and digital systems in the past, and they always required a lot of expense and expertise to make it all work. With the iLive, all that drama just disappeared. Logistically, the iLive is the last piece of equipment in my rack that I would ever part with."

Another factor in Linder's satisfaction is the support he receives from Allen & Heath. "The online training they have is pretty well done," he states. "But I was amazed by their on-site, in-person training."

As a performance trainer with a strong background in technology (former head of technology engineering for Bank of America, Charles Schwab and E-Trade Financial), Linder sees a direct correlation between his iLive system and the success of SRI Training. "With our old systems, I had to hire a pro sound engineer for every show, and book plenty of set-up time at the venue," he explains. "The iLive saves SRI Training a huge amount in both labor costs and room rental, because we can set up our system and tune the room so quickly. And the system is so easy to operate, I can now train people from my own staff to set it up and operate it. The iLive is not only saving us money; it's earning us money."