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Pioneering space-rockers,\u00a0<\/span>Hawkwind<\/span>\u00a0are a much-loved British institution with an enduring, devoted fanbase. And it\u2019s thanks to this hardcore following that the band celebrates its 50<\/span>th<\/span>\u00a0anniversary this year, releasing its 32<\/span>nd<\/span>\u00a0album and embarking on a tour that culminated in a sold-out show at London\u2019s Royal Albert Hall in November, supported by an Allen & Heath\u00a0<\/span>dLive<\/span>\u00a0mixing system.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n With<\/span>\u00a0special guests including Eric Clapton and\u00a0<\/span>Mot\u00f6rhead\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0Phil Campbell<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>joining the band\u00a0<\/span>on<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>stag<\/span>e<\/span>\u00a0along the way<\/span>, the tour saw\u00a0<\/span>long-time\u00a0<\/span>Hawkwind\u00a0<\/span>FOH engineer Rik\u00a0<\/span>Ellis<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>behind\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>dLive<\/span>\u00a0surface<\/span>. \u201c<\/span>I\u2019ve been an Allen & Heath fan for many years and the dLive is my go-to system these days, both for my own engineering duties and for my rental company\u00a0<\/span>Audioworx<\/span>,\u201d explains\u00a0<\/span>Elliss<\/span>. \u201cF<\/span>or this tour I\u2019ve been using the S5000 surface with<\/span>\u00a0a<\/span>\u00a0DM64\u00a0<\/span>MixRack<\/span>\u00a0at\u00a0<\/span>FOH. The\u00a0<\/span>MixRack<\/span>\u00a0is also fitted with a Dante card, which\u00a0<\/span>is\u00a0<\/span>used for recording several of the shows<\/span>.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Perhaps unsurprisingly, Hawkwind\u2019s dense, layered sound provides some challenges when translating to a live setting, but\u00a0<\/span>Ellis<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0points t<\/span>o<\/span>\u00a0key\u00a0<\/span>dLive<\/span>\u00a0attributes that help the process. \u201cI\u2019ve got 11 channels of keys which all need to be heard, five channels of screaming guitars, a pretty distorted bass guitar, 11 channels of drums and four vocals to deal with,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd trying to get the vocals to sit on top of this very mid-range heavy music is a challenge. But the\u00a0<\/span>dLive<\/span>\u00a0is\u00a0<\/span>great<\/span>\u00a0at keeping sounds separate and distinct<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and that separation really helps with getting a clarity to the mix<\/span>, which is\u00a0<\/span>something that\u2019s incredibly important, particularly in a venue as iconic as the Royal Albert Hall.<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n