The ML5000, Allen & Heath's flagship live sound VCA console, has been to the dark side of the moon and back. An ML5000, owned by Yorkshire Audio, recently went on tour with Australian Pink Floyd and proved itself to be more than equal to the demands of large scale live performance. The console was designed to compete with much larger desks on a more cost-effective basis, without compromising on quality or function. Indeed, many features are sophisticated enough to be associated with more expensive consoles. These include eight assigned VCA groups as an alternative to using the audio subgroups - each with an AFP/PFL button; full three-speaker balance through the LCRPlus panning system; 128 mute/VCA snapshot memories and a group routing which allows the desk to transform into a spacious eight-group, 16-aux configuration.

It is this kind of flexibility of architecture, combined with a compact size and clean lines, that makes the ML5000 ideal for the touring market. Sound engineer Kevin Charnley, who took the ML5000 on tour, said: "I became quite used to the GL4, but this is a big step up. I can really hear the difference in the dynamics and sound separation. The EQ section is better and the ground structure is just right."