Barcelona's El Molino Installs Solid State Logic Live L100 Plus, Following Significant Renovations and Technology Refresh
A former cabaret theatre and culture landmark for more than 100 years, the iconic club now features an SSL Live L100 Plus, along with new immersive speaker system
Barcelona, Spain, 4 June, 2025 — Barcelona’s historic El Molino, a former cabaret theatre and a cultural landmark for more than 100 years, reopened in October 2024 following renovations and a total refresh of its installed sound, lighting and stage technologies. The iconic club, which presents music, stand-up comedy and other entertainment five nights a week, now features a Solid State Logic Live L100 Plus mixing console at front-of-house that is tightly integrated with the venue’s new immersive audio speaker system.
El Molino’s Technical Director, Ramon Sendra Entrena, a 20-year live sound veteran, was tasked in late 2024 with equipping the venue, which Mayor Jaume Collboni called “a symbol of Barcelona’s vibrant artistic soul” during its reopening ceremonies. The principal challenge, Sendra says, “was implementing high-quality audio in a relatively compact auditorium that measures around 1,500 square feet (144 m. sq.) and spans three floors.”
SSL Live: the ideal solution for immersive
“We opted for an immersive and enveloping audio system, ultimately selecting d&b Soundscape after extensive research,” he reports. That in turn demanded a mixing console that not only supported Dante and could communicate seamlessly with d&b’s DS100 processor but could also deliver exceptional clarity and sonic quality. “The system also had to accommodate the venue’s evolving needs,” Sendra says, “including immersive audio, broadcast signals for television and high-quality audio for live recordings for streaming and archival purposes. At the same time, it was crucial that the system remained intuitive, ensuring that every technician could apply their expertise without being hindered by an unfamiliar workflow. Given these requirements, the SSL L100 Plus emerged as the ideal choice.”
Sendra, whose background includes working with SSL equipment in music production facilities, elaborates, “On stage, we use an SSL ML 32.32 analogue stagebox connected to the console via MADI, with a dedicated backup system. The DS100 receives Dante signals from the SSL L100 Plus through its primary and secondary card connections, which are routed via fibre connected switchers distributed throughout the venue. The DS100 then processes and sends these signals to the DS10 network bridge, which converts Dante signals into AES, directly driving the d&b amplifiers.” The entire system operates at 96 kHz.
“The system is networked so that, through d&b’s En-Bridge solution, we can control the positioning of DS100 Soundscape En-Scene objects directly from SSL’s dedicated d&b Soundscape control interface.” He continues, “This integration allows operators to focus entirely on achieving the best possible mix without having to switch between multiple interfaces.”
Intuitive GUI, with access to all parameters
The SSL Live software provides control of d&b Soundscape directly from the console GUI, enabling manipulation of object parameters, XY pan, spread, En-Space send, delay mode and mapping area from every input channel and stem. Those parameter settings can be stored and recalled from within the console’s showfile and scene memories.
The SSL Live TaCo (Tablet Control) mix app, which provides wireless control of SSL Live consoles from smart devices, “has become an essential tool for the technical team’s workflow at El Molino,” Sendra also comments. “Beyond enabling remote control of the console for on-stage monitor mixing, its real-time capabilities further streamline operations, allowing us to work more efficiently from an iPad. We’ve even used TaCo to allow musicians to adjust their own monitor mixes independently, with the reassurance that they can only access the parameters relevant to their needs.” The TaCo app can be limited to control an individual aux mix or easily unlocked to control all path fader levels and path controls.
For visiting engineers unfamiliar with SSL Live consoles, he adds, “the TaCo software provides a fast and intuitive way to directly control the console without having to learn how to operate the hardware. This allows us to focus on the soundcheck,” he says.
Seamless workflow, unified operation
Although the venue’s sound system might appear complex, Sendra says, “the seamless integration between the SSL L100 Plus control interface and d&b En-Bridge makes its operation very intuitive. This setup allows the operator to control sound object positioning directly from the SSL touchscreen, adjusting placement dynamically across different scenes to enhance the audience’s immersive experience. It almost feels like they were designed as a single, unified solution. Both companies have prioritised the sound engineer’s experience, ensuring that the technology is not only powerful but also intuitive, efficient and highly effective.”
Since El Molino relaunched at the end of last year, he says, “we’ve been thrilled to receive positive feedback from musicians, technicians and promoters. However, what has truly surprised us is reading praise from the audience — something that, in our experience, is quite rare. For ‘regular people’ to highlight the sonic excellence of El Molino is, without a doubt, a shared success, and one that belongs to the technical team, the management, and everyone who made it possible — including SSL.”
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.
