Allen & Heath Xone:32 (Old Design)

Not much more to ask for from the feature list.. aux sends, individual channel peak meters, fully adjustable xfader curve. They've even got little curtains running the lenght of the faders to keep the dust out! The VCF is a joy to use, that warm analogue feel to the sound puts equivilant effects on Pioneers DJM600 to shame. Being a mid to high end offering, there are a few things it could be marked down on though. The channel peak meters don't allow for too much accuracy given there represented by only 4 LEDs. I constantly find myself fine tuning the levels by ear rather than what those LEDs tell me. All the same the cue split works perfectly so getting used to it that way doesn't mean you can't nail every mix! The gain adjustments being on the rear posed me no problems whatsoever, they're easy to reach and Humvee solid. The centre channel isn't assignable to the xfader, but I use it mainly as an effects return, so don't miss the bit of functionality it's lacking. Each of the 3 channels double up as line ins too, so CD decks can go on either of the 2 xfader assignable channels anyway. The things A&H have decided to do without on this don't really detract a lot from the mixer, just make you want one of their higher models so I suppose if you really can't do with the little gripes mentioned, you really should be looking at the more expensive models. Bang for buck on the feature list, everything's there to a major extent, and what is there is done to a very high quality.

Price paid: £425 GBP

UTILIZATION

Dead simple to use, as it should be. The trickiest part to get used to is the VCF, and even that really is a cinch to get used too (it really does sound ace!) Nothing on this mixer is complicated, whether you want to change the crossfader curve on the fly to drop a few scratches, or recall a preset VCF setting to drop in some phasing effects, everything falls by your fingertips. Not seeing the gain pots doesn't detract from their usability either, the rock solid feeling through touch has never let me down. Reall can't think of one thing that takes away from this one. Once you've tried it for a mix, what would appear to detract from the experience beforehand simply isn't there.

SOUNDS

Great sound quality, as expected. Got to be one of this mixers strong points. Although there's only 3 EQs per channel, they do there job admirably, with no funny or unexpected attenuations. Really gives a nice flat response through a decent set of monitors, ready to shape as you see fit with the components in the board doing what they should to give a crystal clear signal out the back.

OVERALL OPINION

Coming up on half a year with the mixer now and not one glitch or problem. I hear A&H are generally good at customer support, but given the tank like qualities of this mixer I doubt I'll ever need to speak to them! They seem to have gone and designed a mixer without any frilly surfaces for grime to build up on, and the sensitive areas (namely, the faders) are flanked by rubber curtains. The pots are all solid as a house, and the xfader is replaceable (Penny&Giles here I come, once this one eventually bites the dust, probably in a long time for now!) The split cue fader could do with being a little more chunky feeling, but the dip is still there at 50/50 and clicks as firmly as ever, so I suppose it's just it's relatively diminutive size that makes it feel less chunky. All the push buttons have remained as responsive as their first push, and no complaints from loose jacks at the rear. All in all, this thing is up there with the best of them, I'm sure it's build quality is no less than the 62 or 92.

This thing is just out and out class, so long as you realise what it's for (ie, don't expect not to use an effects unit too, if you want as big a range of tricks as a 600). What it does it does with ease and too the highest standard. If your looking for a mixer for that you can put in the middle of a high quality, medium sized set up, this is for you. More channels would only help if you have the stuff to plug in to it, so you should know straight away if the extra channels of bigger mixers are needed. This thing sits at the top of the 3-channel pile in my estimation. I new it was exactly what I wanted before I got it, and it really has met and exceeded my high expectations. If your looking for effects, I'd recommend this and a seperate unit over Pioneers DJM600, a jack of all trades is a master of none. What this does simply, it does to perfection.

Originally posted on FutureProducers.com
Posted by: costello (January 0-, 2005)

This board has tons of great features. Like the Xone 62 the Xone 32 has VCF filters onboard, although unlike this mixer's larger counterparts you get to set the filter pitch cutoff via a fader and the resonance though a knob. This makes the VCF's really fun and easy to use. Although the manual warned that using the filters takes a bit of practice, with a few goes i was hamming it up like a daft punk live show.

The filters can be applied to each individual channel although they only effect the master mix, you can't hear filter effects thru your cans. The mixer has three channels with three levels of EQ on each. The EQ range is assymetric, you get a -26db to +6db but i must say the quality of the EQ's is amazing. The is no change in sound quality when EQ's are given a tweak, which means the DJ can really boost or cut frequencies with the utmost confidence. One well known drawback for this mixer is the fact that the middle channel is not assignable to the crossfader. This is an inconvinience for those jocks who use three decks but since each channel has a phone/line input toggle it isn't a major problem.

Each channel has an AUX send/return which lets you listen to EFX before sending them to the main outs. I don't personally use EFX units presently but I'm told this is an excellent feature omitted on many top mixers in the market. The cueing on this system is also a strong point. The mixer has a fader between cue and master, and cue is selected by depressing a well placed button at the top of each channel fader. When set to 'master' the phones put out the pure master mux, not just the master channel, which means that its really easy to monitor and make adjustments as necessary. A small criticism would be that the cueing fader is a little short, but that is easily overcome after a couple of mixes.

The headphone amp is loud and input jack for your cans is at the front, which is sensible bc you won't have to worry about snapping your can jacks off if you lean too far when you pick out your next record. The crossfader has a contour control which allows DJ's to make adjustments to suit their mixing style. The cross fader is long and conduscive to long slow blends rather than scratch mixing.

Price paid: $1500 Australian

UTILIZATION

After 4 years on a piece of shit Gemini i was a little concerned about making a big capital investment on a high end mixer. I was quite slow at picking up the basics of beat mixing and now that i had it I didn't want to lose it. So i was a little scared about the 32 from a pre sale perspective. And i'd heard the gain location was a problem. Let me tell you I debuted this mixer at a house party the day i bought it.

I mixed for 7 hours without a break and felt great when i came off because the mixer was so easy to use. For a start the board is much more spacious than you'd think from the pictures, the layout in intuitive. The faders are really long (6cm) and feel like sliding a knife through butter. The crossfader is especially smooth even though i didn't choose the optional Penny and Giles version. I have only 2 very minor complaints from a user perspective. The first is the location of th gain pots. They are located out of sight at the back of the mixer. This really isn't a big deal though, i got used to it really quickly. The second is the metering. The mixer has meters for each channel but they are only four led's long. It would have been really nice to have channel meters the same length as the master meters. The manual is excellent.

SOUNDS

The sound quality is absolutely sensational. Basslines are warm and throbbing, mids are faithfull and highs are accented. This mixer is perfect for house. The filters when applied to not "digitize" the sound.

OVERALL OPINION

This mixer is a tank. If someone threw it at me i would be very scared. Its rugged, the pots are rock solid, the faders are have a beautiful resistance and don't feel at all cheap. I have no doubts about the build quality of this board. I have never contacted customer support but my local distributor told me that if ANYTHING ever went wrong that A&H would fix it.

Love this mixer, its perfect for me. Great execution by A&H. Well worth the money, great sound, easy to use, great "replay" factor thanks to the filters.

Originally posted on FutureProducers.com
Posted by: Unknown (January 1-, 2003)

It is a good mixer primarily to house and techno. We are facing a good quality audio trs and although the quality of manufacture is trs good it is not for us to play the hardtek above.
No it is not rack and it shows.
APRS she has three votes online / phone back with More than micro.
The connector is RCA outputs (master, booth, record) are Jack and RCA. I was surprised when I got to have a common ground, but it is easily leads connected and I've never had a weight problem.
Good qualiseur with buttons surroundings of caoutchoux, it is made to mix with finesse. It has room to work.
This is a table that is soft to the touch, it is working fine and finger.
Then it filters passband up / midle / severe when used it seems to be an effect of studio time, quality and allows irrprochable also can delete compltement either the bass or acute. It takes a little time to good use especially rgler filters.
APRS there is a filter LFO but we must get the beat by tapping a touch unfortunate that this is not synchronized. I use it rarely, except for hatching the sound trs high speed once.

Good quality good sound, we feel like the leads connected a stereo amp has a sound system.

UTILIZATION

The configuration is very simple. A small point even when the gain is the talble derrire situ. They wanted more room to work. Well once the gains are rgls you touch it more.
The manual is clear, we need a good can understand how to use filters and especially the buttons that allow mmorisations enclcher at once such as voice filter.

SOUNDS

The console is clear, no breath, and a good mass trs. The qualiseur does not go down trs (-26) but the filters can be cut low as desired.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for 3 years. Not a single worry.
Small default that can be right and gain even rsoudrte which is located just derrire the table, but just by looking above we see and can easily be shaken and the qualiseur trs not going down there but that can be easily corrected with filters.
Before I had a TSB, m. ... with faders that scrapes, I had an APRS SMAC PRO4, trs well but we had no cue to the pfl mix. galre and the l. Now I get involved in over live so I may still change and I mix less and less.

-Rackable, optional
-3 Input, 4 output, see the technical doc for more details! Attention master output (mix out) in close connection jack!)
No-effects, "only" the excellent filters A & H. .. a reference (ask Sven or Richie ^ ^)

UTILIZATION

-Everything is very well thought out on this table, it is great, the knobs are well distributed, you can find everything right away ... adaptation time is 2min!
The manual is well-screwed, but in English only! The French version is readily available on the net!

SOUNDS

-No breath detected, the sound is really clear, precise, excellent bass, it is a wonder ... you can feel that happening are a cut above the Pioneer or even Ecler (yet very good!)
The EQ-precision are monsters, and everything is done fine with their progressive curve well (same for the fader). Those who want to mix in so much finesse and progressive will be happy, you can do in the very clean!
-Only small downside, which is not really annoying to be, the EQ does not kill, meaning that the sound at max, and the mini EQ, we hear the same song played qd ... but filters and fader are for bearing all this in any case it's embarrassing!

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for a week of intensive:

+ A & H! design! it clearly from the mouth!
+ The sound, almost perfect
+ General ergonomics (the gains on the back have it done immediately!)
+ Filters of course! Really excellent and well configurable!
+ The overall accuracy that emerges at the fader and EQ.

-EQ does not killent
Master-jack out wholesale, sniff
-The price for a trojan channels (in France: 780euros, thomann: 640euros)

In conclusion:

I had the opportunity to use a lot of mixer: DJM400, nuo2, nuo5, dnx100 ... The Xone: 32 is clearly my favorite, for sure it was worth the money, but everything is almost perfect. The sound is a marvel, and also filters (filters available so far on nuo5 or DJM400!).
The main defect of this table are more details and which accommodates any of the criteria of choice!

I would do without hesitation that choice, I even regret not having done it sooner ...