CLP Audio and Staging Selects Violet Audio dMix 128 as Live Sound Platform Violet Audio announces that CLP Audio and Staging LLC, based in Inwood, West Virginia, has selected the Violet Audio dMix 128 as the next-generation digital mixing platform for its live production business after an extensive evaluation of today's most popular mid-market consoles. The evaluation was conducted by veteran live sound engineer JR Everhart, owner of CLP Audio and Staging, which provides audio services for concerts, festivals, corporate events, and houses of worship throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Everhart also hosts the YouTube series Grumpy Sound Guy. After building his business around other manufacturers' console platforms for many years and evaluating virtually every major console in the category, he ultimately transitioned to the dMix 128. "I've mixed on just about everything in this market," Everhart says. "The dMix 128 isn't simply another rack mixer; it sounds like a console from an entirely different class. The preamps have the warmth and headroom I expect from high-end touring desks, the processing is outstanding, and the workflow just makes sense. For what it delivers at this price, I honestly don't think there's anything else like it." Everhart began beta-testing the dMix 128 months before its commercial release, using it in demanding real-world production environments rather than controlled demonstrations. That experience, he says, gave him confidence in both its sonic performance and long-term reliability. "The more I used it, the less processing I found myself needing," he explained. "The console sounds incredibly natural right out of the gate. The dynamic EQ, saturation, effects and overall signal path give you the tools you need without getting in your way. After months of use, it has been rock-solid." Designed around a high-resolution 96 kHz audio architecture, the dMix 128 is an FPGA-based live mixing platform delivering full processing for 128 channels and 88 buses, 32 microphone inputs, and 24 outputs all in a compact, scalable design. Featuring integrated effects, redundant power supplies, optional Dante connectivity, MADI/AES3 with AES67 redundant networking, browser-based control, and Q-SYS/Crestron integration, it supports live sound, touring, broadcast, and installed audio applications. For Everhart, one of the biggest advantages is how the system fits the realities of regional production companies. "Most regional production companies aren't looking for a $40,000 console," he says. "They're looking for something that delivers professional performance while still making financial sense. The dMix 128 gives you capabilities that simply haven't existed in this segment before. It opens doors for companies that want to take on larger productions without making an enormous investment." Everhart also praised the mixer's intuitive operation, noting that engineers familiar with popular rack-mounted digital consoles can become productive quickly while still benefiting from significantly expanded functionality. "The workflow feels familiar where it should, but the feature set goes much further," he says. "Once you start exploring everything it can do, from routing and networking to processing, you realize this isn't an incremental upgrade from your standard rack mixer. It's a completely different platform." According to Violet Audio US CEO Phil Wagner, feedback from experienced engineers like Everhart has played an important role throughout the product's development. "JR works in exactly the environments we designed the dMix 128 for," says Wagner. "He depends on his equipment every day, and his business is built on reliability, sound quality, and efficiency. Seeing him put the console through months of real-world production before deciding to make it part of his company's future speaks volumes about what the platform is capable of." As the dMix 128 becomes more widely available, Everhart expects it to become an increasingly common sight in regional production, corporate events, houses of worship and installed sound systems. "When engineers finally get behind one and hear it for themselves, they're going to understand why I'm so excited about it," he said. "I genuinely believe this is one of the most important new consoles to hit the middle market in years." 
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