Allen & Heath

The ZED-14 is a top-notch mixer, coming from one of the foremost mixer manufacturers in the world. All the XLR inputs can provide phantom power for microphones and the bus routing options are more complicated than can be explained here--suffice it to say that this mixer is FLEXIBLE. I have my main outputs routing to my main room amp and speakers and the AUX outputs running to a pair of desk studio monitors. As you'll find below the ZED14 also has USB connectivity so that it can act as both a mixer AND an audio interface!! Each of the MONO channels has a 4-band EQ--high, low-mid, high-mid, low and the standard panning controls, gain, etc. The prominent mixer feature that sold me on the ZED-14 above other similar units is that the ZED-14 has sliders instead of knobs for each channel master--it's much more easy to see where everything is set. If you need on-board effects Allen & Heath makes the ZED14-FX which you can get for a little more cash. The ZED-14 and has the feel of a professional mixing board, but won't take up your whole desk OR your whole paycheck. I have yet to find ANY mixer/console/interface of this professional quality for such a low price. If you are in the market for a home mixer to start home recording I would HIGHLY recommend this package. For the price, you get a professional-class mixing board, USB interface, and Cakewalk SONAR LE. If you can find a better deal, I'd be interested to hear about it. UTILIZATION I have a good amount of gear. When I try to record something I usually used to end up spending a non-trivial amount of time running cables, disconnecting and re-connecting equipment, etc. just to get something simple recorded. A friend of mine suggested that I should get a mixer to run everything once and just leave it connected and mix in as necessary to record. I found many entry-level mixers but they all seemed to provide very little functionality and not really take into account the idea of the amateur musician who is doing home recording on a DAW. Then my local music store suggested I take a look at the Allen & Heath ZED-14 mixer they had in stock. It was larger than I had in mind, but it had the multiple I/O options I would need and looked well-built (let's not forget this is Allen & Heath). The winning blow, however, came when they explained to me that this mixer/console has a USB connection for connecting to a DAW. WHOA!! This mixer can actually act as your interface for recording!! I took it home and plugged it into my DAW. Sure enough, SONAR recognized the ZED-14 as a "USB Recording Device." I could now hook up my drum machine, multiple microphones, and amp outputs all to the ZED-14 and LEAVE THEM CONNECTED. When I wanted to record a specific part, I just muted all other inputs and just recorded the specific channels that I wanted and sent them straight to SONAR via USB--no additional interface required. How cool is that!?!?!? The ZED-14 even comes with a copy of Cakewalk SONAR LE if you don't have any recording software--BRILLIANT!! This is one piece of gear that is really well-thought-out. Allen & Heath truly considered the needs of the home recorder when designing this mixer. The fact that you can plug the mixer into your computer/DAW via USB 2.0 is a HUGE step forward for home recording--no more sending your mixer output to another interface that may color the tone in a way that is undesirable. SOUNDS The ZED-14 is dead-quiet. I have other smaller mixers and audio interfaces and all of them seem to generate SOME noise or color the sound in some way. Not so with the ZED-14. I have to keep reminding myself that although I only paid a relatively small amount for the ZED-14, it IS after all an Allen & Heath and it shows in the quality of the sound. The faders are well-tapered as are all of the EQ controls; no, "It's on one or ten" here. OVERALL OPINION When I went looking I honestly didn't think that I would get such a magnificent piece of equipment for what little I paid. I figured to get a mixer of this caliber I would have to approach the thousand-dollar mark. To find that a mixer of this quality exists with all of the on-board mixing capabilities plus the ability to use it as an interface for a DAW is an incredible bonus. I've looked around at other mixing consoles and thus far I've found nothing that can compare to the ZED-14, especially when they throw in a copy of SONAR LE. This would be an easy choice even if the ZED-14 were near double the price. Lucky for us it's not. Try one and see for yourself.

The Allen & Heath Xone : 92 is a DJ mixer that cost almost 1500 USD but it is worth every single dollar. I knew from previous Allen & Heath units that this was going to be a great buy. After I purchased it (in 2008) I was very happy with my money that I spent on it. It was very simple to start using right away and the build of it is very solid. It was honestly one of the best built units I have ever worked with under 2 thousand dollars. UTILIZATION There are 6 stereo channels, 2 aux sends, 2 LFO’s and 2 independent outputs (stereo mix). This was the mixer that I basically took with me everywhere and it was my main mixer for a long time. I had zero issues with it. There was actually another version of this that was out before this one came out, I am not sure why they discontinued that one. But I know for a fact there are no issues with this version of the Xone : 92. SOUNDS I used this mixer for well over a year and did probably between 20 and 30 major venues and clubs with it. The audio outputs on it are amazing and the sound quality was perfect for the systems of bigger clubs. The headphone output was very quiet and clean. I was able to get my next tracks ready to be mixed in easy even in loud clubs with a lot of noise going on around me. OVERALL OPINION I loved this mixer and its full MIDI capabilities. There is nothing you cannot do with this mixer and it sounds amazing. This would be my first choice in this price range if I was to go back and buy another mixer under 2 grand right now. I am very happy with my decision to go with the Allen & Heath Xone : 92!

The ZED 436 is a great mixer to use for a live show or event. There are 32 channels and it can connect to a computer via USB connections quickly and easily. The design of this mixer is one of the best ones that I have ever seen. It is big, but it is sleek with smoothly rounded edges and a beautiful finish on it. There are 6 aux sends in total and 4 sub groups that come from each of the channels. There is also a direct output on each mono channel. UTILIZATION You can easily see your levels on this mixer because there is a peak and signal light/indicator on each and every channel. Each channel also has 48 volt phantom power. All of the connections and the controls are right on the main surface of this mixer for easy switching and routing. It is easy to set this mixer up if you have to move it because there is no need to have to get behind it for any reason. It is a well organized mixer and simple to work with. SOUNDS The USB connection worked great with Cakewalk which is what software came with this mixer (Sonar LE). This mixer is very easy to work with in Sonar and set up all of the patching and plugging. I am not a huge fan of Sonar but working with it and this mixer has been pretty fun and easy. OVERALL OPINION There is a 4 band sweep able hi and low/mid EQ on channels 1 to channel 32, and a 4 band EQ on the stereo channels. There are 4 bus groups and 41 x 100 mm faders. It doesn’t have any effects but if you work in Sonar you can also add some effects as you go just as easy. This mixer is very expensive and is geared more to companies and events that hold live shows.

16 channels, each with direct outs and inserts, 6 aux sends with up to 6db boost (2 pre-fader, 2 post-fader and 2 switchable for pre- or post-fader), 48V phantom power, 4-band eq's with mid frequency sweeps, 100Hz lo-cut filter (to remove mic popping for instance) xlr and balanced line inputs, , good and lots of on board effects (reverb, delay etc) i'm only missing busses Price paid: approx 1300 euro UTILIZATION It's easy and very intuitive to use.. SOUNDS This is where i love this device.. as usual allen and heath stands for it's great sound.. internal headroom mix to o/p +23 db, channels +21db frequency response 20Hz to 50kHz (+0/-1db) OVERALL OPINION Never had any problems, the casing is solid metal and you can actually put it into a 10U space 19" rack and "flip" the connectors so they look backwards when the device is vertical (compared to "backwards" when the device is standing flat on a table) on a desktop the control panel is angled at 15 degrees for easy operation well, i simply love this device, i'm only missing the busses, but those can be "worked around" thanks to the 16 individual outs Originally posted on FutureProducers.com Posted by: baggysound ( 9-, 2005)

The Allen & Heath ZED 10 is an affordable smaller mixer that is very portable. It cannot be racked and it has 10 channels with 4 mic inputs. There are 3 stereo channels and t connects to a computer via USB connection for Mac or PC computers. Setting it up with a DAW and a computer through USB connection is very easy no matter what software you want to use with it. There are no faders on this mixer, only knobs all of the knobs are smooth moving knobs. There are no effects and no bells and whistles with this mixer. Most mixers that cost as much as this one does will not offer a bunch of effects and other higher end features. But the EQ on this mixer is very good for the price, there are 3 band sweep able EQ’s on channels 1 thru 4 and 2 band EQ’s on the stereo channels (channel 5 to channel 7). UTILIZATION The preamps are warm and have a very low noise, they are not anywhere near the best that I have heard but they are good for what you will pay for this mixer. I have used this mixer with Sonar many times and it has never cause me any problems and worked fine right out of the box. \ SOUNDS Recording with this mixer has not been a bad experience but I would rather use a mixer that has better preamps. If you have never used a more expensive mixer than this one might not sound so bad but once you have used some of Allen & Heaths higher end mixers you will not be able to use mixers like this one. OVERALL OPINION This is a good mixer for someone who is just looking for their first mixer though. It is made well and has all of the basic features one could need.

The ZED 12 FX is very affordable, it has 12 channels and 6 microphone or line in channels with 3 stereo channels. There are 16 effects built into it, it also comes with Sonar LE for software integration via USB connection with a PC or even a MAC. I have used this mixer a few times last year and I thought it was good but at the same time pretty average and standard for this price range. UTILIZATION There is a 3 band EQ on 6 of the channels and a 2 band EQ on the stereo channels. You can also purchase a rack mounting kit for this mixer but it doesn’t come with it and that can set you back some money too because the kit is not cheap at all. SOUNDS There are inserts on all for the mono channels and the faders seem to be very free or smooth. I do really like this mixer but I think there are some other mixers by different brands that basically have the exact same features for around the same price as this mixer is. For that matter I would recommend a user to save up a little more money to upgrade before thinking of purchasing any mixer in this price range because the difference between a 500 dollar mixer and a 800 + dollar mixer is huge in quality and sound. OVERALL OPINION You can connect this mixer to your software or DAW via USB and that is very easy to do and set up. There is phantom power on channel 1 thru 6. The microphone preamps are pretty warm and quiet but I have heard a lot better from Allen and Heath over the years. There are 16 built in effects all in 24 bit, they are basic effects like reverb and delays. The copy of Sonar that comes with this mixer is the LE version which works with PC computers. Though the mixer can be used with Mac computers it didn’t come with an installation disk.

The XD2-53 are a pair of closed back headphones that have 2.1 drivers. The earpieces can rotate for single ear monitoring and they can fold up. The XD2-53 are made by Allen and Heath, I have used a lot of products (mainly mixers and processors) made by Allen and Heath and everything they manufacture is made to last. These XD2-53 are the newest pair of headphones that I recently purchase and I got them a couple of days ago and when I took them out of the box the first thing that I noticed is they have a nice weight to them. They feel heavier than almost any other headphones that I have ever owned in the last 15 to 20 years. When I say heavier and weight I don’t mean like bulky, I man more like well built and made with solid materials. Also, they have a nice silver grayish finish on them and they are very comfortable. I have not worn them for more than 2 hours yet but I plan on using them a lot more in the weeks to come. They cost me 220 dollars originally but I had a online coupon through email and got them at 205. Storing the XD2-53 is simple, just fold them up and put them away. These headphones are great to have for a situation where you are in a room that has a lot of other things going on in it with a lot of noise. When you put on the XD2-53 you will not hear anything that is going on in the room. It will just be you and the music. I use this to monitor with now in a local club that we perform at and crowd noise is not a factor with the XD2-53. So far I am happy with my purchase of the XD2-53 and look forward to spending more time with them.

The Zed 22 FX is a 22 channel mixer that has 16 mic inputs/channels, and 3 stereo channels. It comes loaded with 16 awesome and high quality on board effects. In case you need a DAW, it comes with Sonar LE software for you to do all of your work in if you want to use it. The price of the Zed 22 is a little more expensive than the previous versions of the mixers from Allen and Heath but it is worth it. UTILIZATION With no talkback function on the Zed 22 FX pretty much rules it out for DJ use but for a band needing a mixer this is the one you should invest in. This is a great mixer for practice use, or live applications. The musical 3 band EQ on the main channels is great. On the stereo channels is where the 2 band EQ is. Some of my favorite effects on the Zed 22 are the reverbs, delays, flange and chorus effects. SOUNDS This mixer does connect to your computer through USB which is a plus for some and a negative for others. To me the fact that it is USB makes it compatible with any system that is out, if it was a FireWire connection I think the audio would be a little cleaner and better but a lot of computers and laptops don’t have FireWire so that would limit you a lot with the Zed 22. OVERALL OPINION This unit is very quiet (preamps) and all of the sliders and knobs are well made and smooth to slide and turn. The unit is pretty solid and made out of heavy materials. I would not trust dropping it though because I don’t see it being able to take that much abuse, so if you are using it for road gear make sure you purchase a good carrying case or gig bag for it to protect it from harmful damage.

This is an old-school analog drum machine. This was in development in the 80s and from what I understand is incredibly obscure nowadays. This machine is notable for being a tape-based drum machine, which is an older technology than the more familiar MIDI-based drum machines that came later and more or less are in use now (digital drum machines are based mostly on MIDI). There aren't exactly a whole lot of options in terms of sounds (16 different ones) but the ones that are there are good. This is too old to use Mac or PC software, so it's lacking in that regard. There are no updates to be had either. UTILIZATION Actually using this machine, assuming it's working, is pretty cool. It has pads that respond actively to you playing them, which allows the user to program a "natural" feel into the drums. There is also a really cool interface that lights up when the notes are played. It makes programming really easy, especially since all the functions are grouped really close together, which isn't always the case with drum machines this old. SOUNDS These drum sounds aren't necessarily realistic, but in my opinion, no drum machine really is, so I guess that is not to be dismissed. They also aren't the most expressive sounds I've heard but they certainly beat the majority of drum machines that came later, and were MIDI-operated. I think that this drum machine is better suited to 80s style rock and pop music than hip-hop, so I would keep that in mind if you plan on trying to use one. The converters are really not that transparent, but that might just be because the one I tried was really old. Using some of the settings on this machine reminded me of The Cure's album Pornography, which is notable for having a few tracks that are really drum-machine oriented. I don't know whether or not they used this particular machine, though. OVERALL OPINION While it's expensive to use, it has a really interesting, unique sound for a drum machine and it works surprisingly well for a tape-based drum machine. If you are more into hip-hop or later genres, this might not be great for you, but if you play in a cliche indie band with an inexplicable love for the 80s, as so many people seem to do nowadays, you might really enjoy this machine. I would caution you that getting it fixed will absolutely be a nightmare, so think hard about getting one. I personally don't know if it's worth the price, let alone the hassle, but I will say that it's a lot cooler than most drum machines and it sounds really good.

The Allen & Heath Xone: S2 is a DJ mixer that can be racked. It has 2 mono mic inputs and 4 stereo dual input channels. There are a total of 5 outputs on this mixer. The audio signals that will come out of this unit are very clean. I have used it in a many clubs and never had any issues with it. The price is pretty affordable considering all the features that it has. UTILIZATION Setting this mixer up is very quick and easy, all you need to do is plug in your gear, or if you want to use it as a USB interface you can. If you want to use it as an interface it can record directly to your DAW or you can use your computer for effects. This mixer does have mic ducking, and it will give you full control over the feature by allowing you to control the depth and release of the mic ducking. I have used many units that didn’t give me control over the release and it can get very sloppy when trying to talk over the music. SOUNDS This mixer can be put right in a rack and you will not have to worry about it at all. Even if you do not want to rack it there is nothing to worry about because it is very well built. I have had no issues with it “burning out” like I have read from other users. OVERALL OPINION Also the compressor on this mixer is very good, the limiter too. I didn’t expect to get a limiter as good as the one on the S2 was for this price. It have used this mixer as an interface and a mixer for my turntables before. It can handle just about anything and it is still working great today. I have been using it for almost 3 years now and have no complaints!

The GL2400-24 mixing console has 24 channels all in an amazing design on a beautifully constructed mixer. I have done a lot of work with this mixer for a live show and stage performances. It is very easy to work with in a dimly lit room (control room) and all of the knobs and sliders are made well and color coded. There are 6 auxiliary sends for each channel and it has a 7 by 4 matrix. I have used many boards in this price range and some a lot more expensive and this board can compete with any of them. UTILIZATION This board has 29x100 mm faders and 22 total channel inserts, the inserts are not on every channel though. This mixing console is great for larger shows in larger venues but could be good for a smaller show or set if needed but with the price tag on it I do not know why anyone would want to put that much money into something that they couldn’t use to its full capacity. SOUNDS The mixer has 24 mic preamps and they are all very quiet and warm. I have heard a large variety of microphones used with this mixer and all of them sounded great with it. From speeches to plays and musicals this mixer can handle it all with clarity. You can add led lights to this board if you wish because it didn’t come with them. I do recommend adding them if you are in a dark control room though just to make things easier. I have never been around anyone or an engineer who didn’t like this board. OVERALL OPINION If there are enough funds available to purchase the GL2400-24, it would be my first choice to recommend to someone because the quality is amazing and the board has all of the features a show could possibly need. There are no effects though but the sound quality is second to none.

The Allen & Heath ZED-R16 has 16 mic preamps and 16 channels. There are 4 band EQ’s and even MIDI controls. There is phantom power on each channel which I found to be a huge help making each individual channel usable for use, and there is even the full 4 band EQ on each channel. The only option this board didn’t have that I wish it did was some effects. It would have been really nice to at least have some basic reverb and chorus effects. UTILIZATION This analog mixer can be connected to my computer via firewire without any issues. The mixer is rather large though taking up a lot of desk space and it cannot be racked. This is something to take into consideration before purchasing because it was a lot bigger than I expected. All of the mic inputs are XLR connections. There are even 4 ¼ aux outputs and 2 XLR outputs going to the main speakers. SOUNDS This mixer has plenty of features, to work with and it is very solid. Outside of it not having any effects it is still very good and can work with effects via DAW. It is built well and despite its size it is not very heavy. I would not say it is portable though due to the fact that it is pretty big but if you needed to move it from place to place it could be done easily. The faders are 22x60 mm and made very well. OVERALL OPINION This mixer is worth the money, I have used other Allen & Heath mixers before and they have never given me any issues. All of their products seem to be well built and last a long time. The price of this mixer is pretty high but it has great preamps on all channels. The preamps are warm and quiet, we really didn’t even need 16 at the time but have grew into them and are still using this mixer frequently.