Digital Audio Labs is proud to announce that Livemix Pro was selected as the personal monitoring system for the orchestra at the Academy Awards — one of the most-watched and technically demanding live broadcasts on television. The deployment was led by ATK Audiotek and monitor engineer Thomas Pesa of Pesa Sound, and marks a landmark milestone for the Livemix Pro platform.
“The Oscars orchestra is one of the most complex live monitoring environments in the world. Livemix Pro handled it beautifully.”
— Tom Pesa, Monitor Engineer, Pesa Sound
The Challenge: Orchestra-Scale Monitoring on Live Television
Live orchestral monitoring at a major awards ceremony presents a unique set of challenges: large channel counts, multiple instrument sections each requiring discrete mixes, and the unforgiving pressure of a live national broadcast. ATK had previously deployed Livemix Pro at the Kennedy Center Honors, but monitor engineer Tom Pesa was new to the system and had to get up to speed quickly. The intuitiveness of Livemix Pro made that possible — Tom was able to build a scalable template as a solid starting point for all the musicians, who then customized their mixes during rehearsal.
Livemix Pro’s scalable architecture — supporting up to 64 channels of Dante-networked audio at 96 kHz, configurable at 16, 32, 48, or 64 channels — was precisely the tool for the job. The system displayed only the channels in use, reducing visual clutter and cognitive load during performance.
Group Mix Mode: Simplifying the Complex
A standout capability during the Oscars deployment was Livemix Pro’s Group Mix Mode, which allowed musicians to manage channels collectively rather than one at a time. With an orchestra spanning strings, brass, woodwinds, and percussion, the ability to group entire sections and adjust them with a single knob dramatically simplified the monitoring experience for every performer on stage. The knob-based interface — familiar to any musician — meant players could stay focused on their performance rather than their monitor mix.
MirrorMix®: Remote Monitoring Support in Real Time
Livemix Pro’s MirrorMix® remote mixing feature proved invaluable during the broadcast. Tom was able to remotely access any musician’s mix from a single unit, audition exactly what they were hearing, and make real-time adjustments — all without disrupting the performance or requiring the musician to interact with their personal mixer. The ability to push mix templates and group configurations out to multiple personal mixers simultaneously also accelerated setup and changeover times, critical in a live broadcast environment where every minute counts.
Key Features Deployed at the Oscars
- 64-Channel Dante Networking at 96 kHz — Scalable from 16 to 64 channels, displaying only what’s needed
- Group Mix Mode — Assign entire instrument sections to groups and control them with a single adjustment
- MirrorMix® Remote Mixing — Monitor and adjust any musician’s mix remotely, with targeted built-in intercom communication
- On-Board EQ, Compression & Reverb — Per-channel and master output processing for a polished, professional sound
“To have Livemix Pro chosen for the Oscars orchestra is a tremendous validation of everything we’ve built. This is one of the highest-profile live audio environments in the world, and Livemix Pro performed flawlessly. We’re incredibly proud of Tom and the entire ATK team.”
— Andy Swanson, Director of Marketing, Digital Audio Labs
A Growing Presence in High-Profile Live Events
The Oscars deployment follows Livemix Pro’s successful use at the Kennedy Center Honors by ATK Audiotek, where the system managed a complex multi-orchestra configuration with rapid turnaround times and near-instant musician adoption. Livemix Pro is also deployed on Dancing with the Stars and a growing slate of broadcast specials — cementing its place as the personal monitoring solution of choice for demanding live television.
Availability
Livemix Pro is available now through authorized Digital Audio Labs dealers worldwide. For more information, visit digitalaudio.com or contact your local dealer.