Key Club on the Sunset Strip makes the move to digital with iLive

The live music scene in Los Angeles has long been centered on a group of iconic nightclubs located on the Sunset Strip. The Key Club is one of that select group, booking live music five to six nights per week in the main room that seats 650, plus the downstairs Plush Lounge, which accommodates another 75 to 100 guests. Recently, the club made the move to digital mixing with the installation of an Allen & Heath iLive-T112 mixing console.

“It’s something we’ve been talking about for a while now,” notes production manager Josh Benton. “Our old analog desk was in constant need of repair, and it made a lot more sense to look to the future rather than preserve the past. We looked at all the options and, based on sound quality and ease of use, we chose the Allen & Heath iLive.”

With the requirement to handle 48 input channels, the iLive-T112 with the iDR48 MixRack was selected. Both the installation and the learning curve proved to be fast and flawless. “About 75 percent of the bands who play here bring their own engineers, so it was really important that the console be easy to operate,” Benton notes. “When we brought in the console for a demo, our staff was up and running on it literally within a couple hours. Setting up comps and gates was effortless, and the sound quality of the iLive blew away our old analog board. It was really a no-brainer.”

Benton himself was the first to mix a show on the iLive. “The T112 arrived the day before its debut show,” he recalls. “We hooked it up to our system, named the channels, created some scenes, and dialed in compressors and gates. The next night, I mixed two bands on it and it sounded great. In fact, I had several industry people, guys I really respect, come up and tell me it was the best sound they’ve ever heard at the Key Club.”

To ensure success with visiting engineers, the Key Club routinely schedules plenty of time for sound check. “Playing the Key Club is a high profile gig for any band, so it’s important that everyone is comfortable,” Benton explains. “We accommodate that by including a grace period to make sure the engineer knows the board. Our house engineers can sit with them, show them all the parameters, answer questions, and show them how to save their settings. By the end of sound check, they know that when they bring up those master faders that night, they’re going to get the same quality that they heard during sound check.”

Reaction to the iLive among visiting engineers has been universally positive. “It’s been very interesting, to say the least,” says Benton. “A lot of these guys are used to analog or to the commonly provided digital console. But once they get past the iLive’s learning curve, which is very fast, they’re having a blast. The iLive has a very analog feel, so it doesn’t take long before they feel right at home. And once they hear how good it sounds, they’re like a kid with a new toy.”

One unexpected benefit of the iLive mixing system stemmed from the MixRack’s on-board effects. “We had a pretty nice selection of outboard effects here,” Benton relates. “Originally, we planned to keep them, but after a month of shows, we realized that nobody ever touched them. Everyone just used the onboard effects – even the old school guys. That speaks volumes about the quality of the iLive. So we actually got rid of all our outboard gear and used the money to upgrade our microphones. And we’ve never looked back.”

In fact, the Key Club is already planning to expand their commitment to Allen & Heath. The first step will be to add an iDR16 MixRack with a Dante card to enable live recording to a Pro Tools rig. Next on the agenda is replacing the analog console now being used for stage monitors with a second iLive. “This desk is perfect for monitors,” he states. “I’m really looking forward to that.”

In the competitive world of live music on Sunset Strip, the Key Club prides itself on providing the best possible experience for performers, crew members and, of course, their customers. “Being a part of this change is very exciting for me personally,” notes Benton, who has been with the club five years. “We try to be forward thinking, and from what I understand, we are the first major venue on Sunset Strip to make the transition to digital. It’s something we can be proud of, and I can’t wait to take it to the next level.”