The Marine Hall in Fleetwood has chosen an Allen & Heath ML5000 as part of a sound system re-fit at the theatre, with a brief for no compromise on quality. Tony Mitchell, sound engineer at the hall, explains: "We needed a really advanced feature set and were gobsmacked to find it all on the ML5000 at such a competitive price - and with a great EQ, as well."

The dual function FOH/monitor mixer is ideal for the varied demands of the Marine Hall, with its 16 auxes, 8 audio groups and 8 VCA groups. The console's extended VCA capability includes 128 mute/VCA snapshot memories and intelligent P/AFL switching. Equally crucial to the decision was the full three-speaker balance provided through the LCRPlus panning system, ideal for providing even coverage throughout the auditorium and compensating for the effects of the central dome.

Andy Huffer of Marquee Audio, the company that supplied the mixer, said: "I think it was the abundance of features that sold it. Marine snapped it up after a single demonstration." Since Marine Hall acquired the console, the ML5000 has faced a broad range of challenges, including a folk festival, rock gigs and musical theatre productions, all of which it handled with ease. Tony describes working with the mixer: "We can do anything we want on it. It's a really musical desk."