Canada's La Salle Odyssée Multi-Venue Arts Complex Installs Three Solid State Logic Live Mixing Consoles as Part of Major Upgrade

Live Sound

13/08/26

Gatineau, Quebec, Canada, August 13th, 2026 — La Salle Odyssée, an 830-plus-seat venue located within La Maison de la Culture de Gatineau in Canada, underwent a major upgrade in 2024, during which almost its entire complement of technical equipment was replaced. On the audio side, the venue’s in-house technical team selected three Solid State Logic Live mixing consoles for their flexibility and processing power, ease of use and unparalleled sound quality, enabling them to handle the wide variety of entertainment that passes through the venue annually.

“Beyond the SSL brand’s excellent reputation, we put the console to the test by comparing it head-to-head, in real-world conditions, with top-of-the-line models from five other major manufacturers. It turned out that SSL products outperformed the competition across all our key criteria. Once you've mixed on an SSL Live, you won't want to go back to anything else.”

Joël Vaillancourt, Technical Director at La Maison de la Culture de Gatineau

Four consoles, one coherent system

“We host all kinds of performances, ranging from local to international productions,” says Joël Vaillancourt, Technical Director at La Maison de la Culture de Gatineau, a multi-venue arts and entertainment complex situated just north of Ottawa. “Whether it’s comedy, vocal performances, theatre, dance, circus acts, or jazz, country, pop, and symphonic music—and even live podcasts—we’ve got it all.”

“At La Maison de la Culture de Gatineau, we are committed to providing artists, production teams and audiences with an experience that meets the highest standards in the industry," said Steve Fournier, Executive Director, La Maison de la Culture de Gatineau. "This investment not only allows us to maintain the technical excellence of our facilities but also strengthens La Salle Odyssée’s position as a premier destination for local, national and international productions.”

SSL Live wins head-to-head over five other manufacturers

Vaillancourt and his technical team carried out their due diligence before determining that an SSL Live L550 Plus, L350 Plus and L100 Plus, along with a Live Remote Tile, met their requirements. “When it comes to choosing a piece of equipment of this importance, we never cut corners,” he explains. “Beyond the SSL brand’s excellent reputation, we put the console to the test by comparing it head-to-head, in real-world conditions, with top-of-the-line models from five other major manufacturers. Our primary goal was to acquire tools that offered the best audio quality and the greatest DSP flexibility, while maintaining a user-friendly and efficient interface. It turned out that SSL products outperformed the competition across all our key criteria. Once you've mixed on an SSL Live, you won't want to go back to anything else.”

The three Live consoles were selected to cover a range of applications at the venue. “The SSL L100 Plus is for tight spaces and our small cabaret events, the L350 Plus is mainly for front-of-house due to its versatility and favourable power-to-size ratio and, finally, the L550 Plus is for when we need a monitor mix or for more demanding events,” Vaillancourt says. In the main Odyssée Hall, the console primarily drives the P.A. system in left/right or LCR configurations, and sometimes in surround sound, depending on the requirements, he says. “However, we also use smaller, more portable left/right systems, floor monitors and in-ear monitors.”

Sculpting the sound with surgical precision

Vaillancourt has nothing but praise for the audio quality of the Live consoles. “It’s incredible; it’s like sculpting sound with surgical precision. Every adjustment is precise and noticeable, and the musicality is undeniable.” Further, SSL Live’s onboard DSP capabilities are so comprehensive that the venue has no need for outboard processing, he adds: “We're perfectly happy with what's included in the console. Every situation calls for a different tool, and you can always find what works for you among the available options.”

As for SSL Live’s features and functionality, “The use of stems is revolutionary and the possibilities are practically endless,” Vaillancourt comments. “We haven't yet encountered a situation we couldn't handle. Using stems on SSL Live consoles is particularly useful for structuring the mix much more efficiently by grouping sources together, allowing for quick and comprehensive adjustments. It also provides greater control and a more consistent sound, especially during complex live performances where you can make adjustments, process in parallel and react much more quickly.”

This investment is part of La Maison de la Culture de Gatineau’s ongoing commitment to maintaining professional-grade facilities and providing artists and audiences with an exceptional live experience.

Leveraging SSL Dante Analogue Stageboxes

Because stems can handle such a wide range of tasks, he continues, “We use aux buses much less frequently than we did with our previous consoles. Sometimes less experienced users prefer to use them because the way they work is similar to what they’re used to, but for us, their use remains limited.”  

The consoles are integrated with three X-Light Bridges, three SB 32.24 Dante Analogue Stageboxes, and two SB 16.12 Dante Analogue Stageboxes, and are connected to a dedicated Dante network reserved exclusively for audio. All the SSL equipment was supplied by Perfecson, a sales, integration and service company also located in Gatineau.

SSL at PLASA Show 2026

Solid State Logic looks forward to meeting its customers and partners at PLASA Show 2026 and will be holding live demonstrations every day of the show. To learn more, register for PLASA or to book an appointment with an SSL Live expert, please visit our PLASA 2026 event page.