World Class Opera House at Glyndebourne Launches its 2025 Season with Technology Upgrades, Including Solid State Logic Live L550 Plus Mixing Console
Implementation of SSL Live opens possibilities of installed recording, broadcast, sound reinforcement and production communication systems holistically
Lewes, UK, 1st October, 2025 — The opera house at Glyndebourne, which has hosted an annual summer festival of world-class productions since 1934, has launched its 2025 season with newly refreshed audio technologies in place. A cornerstone of the newly implemented audio system is a Solid State Logic Live L550 Plus mixing console together with a pair of L100 Plus desks and four stageboxes capable of handling up to 112 inputs.
The upgrade project provided an opportunity to take a holistic view of the installed recording, broadcast, sound reinforcement, and production communications systems, says Jonathan Moss, Head of Sound & Video, Glyndebourne Productions Ltd. A network infrastructure was already in place at the 1,200-seat opera house—built in 1994 to replace the previous venue—so Dante compatibility was a key requirement for any audio component. “We're not really interested in buying anything that isn't network based,” Moss emphasises. “It all comes down to how these things work together.” The newly implemented SSL Live system has been successfully integrated over Dante with both the wireless microphone system and the production communications network, laying the groundwork for a more flexible and future-proof audio environment.
Full connectivity with flexible control
The SSL mixing systems at Glyndebourne fully leverage the venue’s advanced network infrastructure. The L550 Plus console provides powerful processing capabilities, whether operated directly from the console surface, remotely via one of the L100 Plus desks, or through a Live Remote Tile paired with a PC running SOLSA (SSL On/Offline Setup Application) in remote mode. “This is an opera house,” Moss notes, “There is no front-of-house mixer position. Our control position is on the side of the stage, one floor up.”
The venue is equipped with three SB 32.32 stageboxes located in the rack room, with tielines distributed throughout the building. “One stagebox handles everything we need across the festival,” Moss explains. “But we rarely use more than 32 inputs on the main stage. The second is a spare for any last-minute needs, and the third goes in the pit when we're recording. We also have an SB 16.8 in the record room.”
Glyndebourne’s demanding schedule includes daily rehearsals, a full summer festival, an autumn concert and opera season, and international touring productions. “Typically, we rehearse in the morning with full technical support—scenery, lighting and sound,” Moss says. “Then we do a turnaround to a different show for the afternoon performance. We throw 40 or 50 people at it to make the changeover happen.”
SSL Live: a powerful combination
During rehearsals, one of Glyndebourne’s L100 Plus consoles is positioned in the stalls seating area. Chosen for its compact size and lightweight design, the L100 Plus is ideal for this application. “It's one of the lighter options on the market,” says Moss. “We use it purely as a remote surface—it only needs mains power and a single cable. No audio passes through it. It's essentially a programming desk, since the L550 Plus is always running the show.” A second L100 Plus is located in a small edit room, where audio staff can fine-tune showfiles or resolve mix issues. After each public performance, a new crew arrives overnight to prepare for the next morning’s full technical rehearsal.
On rare occasions, a production requires live mixing from the house. “For that, we use a Live Remote Tile with a SOLSA setup,” Moss explains. “It’s housed in a small room off the side of the auditorium with an opening window. We don’t usually have someone there for the full show—just for a few cues.”
Glyndebourne Productions evaluated several console options before selecting SSL Live and was ultimately drawn to its powerful cue automation. “The ability to create scene groups and apply relative changes across cues was a game-changer,” says Moss. “That’s what sold it to us. Oh, and it sounds fantastic—closer to analogue than anything else we tested. The sound quality is excellent, and the usability is great.” He adds that SSL’s commitment to ongoing development and responsiveness to user feedback was another key factor in the decision.
Not just a sound desk but fundamental to the ecosystem
“Fundamentally, all sound desks are sound desks,” says Jonathan Moss. “But where it gets interesting—and fun—is asking: ‘What can I do with it that a typical desk can’t?’”
One example is the integration of the stage manager’s comms beltpack with the venue’s ‘god mic’, allowing them to address the stage at the push of a button. Another is the use of GPIO triggers to control foldback muting directly from the prompt desk. “These kinds of features make the desk more than just a mixer—they make it part of a fully integrated ecosystem,” Moss explains.
Glyndebourne Productions handles its own in-house recording for marketing purposes and collaborates with Classic FM to distribute its Glyndebourne’s “The Organ Room Sessions” online. Looking ahead, the team plans to record performances using an SSL System T setup, which includes Tempest Control App (TCA), a TE2 Tempest Engine and Desktop Fader Tile—all integrated into the venue’s Dante network. “The fact that we trigger actions across the network—like starting a recording from a remote location—means we don’t need someone physically present in the record room at all times,” says Moss. “That level of flexibility is incredibly valuable for us in the long term.” The System T setup is also future-proof: should larger productions require expanded control, a large-format surface can be added without replacing the existing TCA package.
About Solid State Logic
Solid State Logic is the world’s leading manufacturer of analogue and digital audio consoles and provider of creative tools for music, broadcast, live and post production professionals. For more information about our award-winning products, please visit: www.solidstatelogic.com.
Jeff Touzeau
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