Allen & Heath ZED Mixers

Allen & Heath ZED mixers | Reviews
89
adjusting the Q in response to the
amount of gain keeps things smooth.
The stereo channels aren’t so
well-equipped, the fi rst offering only
high and low EQ and 15dB of gain,
while the second and third offer only
mix level (Stereo 2 shares a level knob
with the onboard FX ). Also, considering
the obvious appeal of this mixer to
small bars and restaurants I fi nd the
absence of any RCA/phono inputs odd.
Grateful ZED
The USB interface is class compliant
for Mac users (PCs require a driver).
Sound quality both in and out is
excellent, with inputs wired into ST2
and ST3 and three output
confi gurations: Mix1-Mix2-AUX-FX,
Mix1-Mix2-MainL-MainR and, by
default, Mix1-Mix2-Mix3-Mix4. It’s also
compatible with iOS devices (via the
camera connection kit).
It’s a nice and versatile system
suitable for studio or live show capture
and, sensibly, the USB Mix outputs
bypass mixer and EQ controls (apart
from low-cut). And for bands just
starting out, there are download codes
for Cubase LE for PC/Mac and Cubasis
LE Mobile for iOS.
The FX sound excellent with 61
presets split between delays, verb-
delays, echo verbs, plate verbs, hall
verbs, chorus/doublers, phaser fl angers,
symphony and gated verbs. There’s one
controllable parameter for each and a
tap tempo button. Unfortunately, when
changing presets there’s a second or
two interval until the next effect is
engaged. It would also be great to be
able to route the FX internally to a free
channel for basic EQing of effects and
to send the FX out via USB.
The master section is
straightforward. 1/4-inch headphone
monitoring features plenty of level. By
default you hear the main mix.
Engaging PFL for any channel cuts the
main mix monitoring and you can also
choose to monitor the FX Send, Aux
Send or Stereo 3 in.
Main outputs are XLR with a 60mm
master fader, TRS Auxiliary out with a
dedicated level knob, a TRS FX Out
(from FX sends, not built-in FXwet
signal) which cleverly doubles as a
foot-switch input for muting built-in FX.
The eight LED stereo level meters are a
step down from the original ZED 10’s
12, but it’s not traumatic.
For monitoring there’s a stereo RCA/
phono pair with a level knob, and the
signal can either be the main mix or
headphone feed. And there’s a button to
redirect the PFL monitoring signal to
the main outputs, allowing control room
monitoring in the studio.
Apart from the mains input and
switch, all controls and connections are
housed conveniently on the top panel.
The knobs feel tough and are bolted
securely to the front panel but are
tightly packed and
can be diffi cult to
turn. But if you’re
buying this mixer
you’re happy to
trade size for a
little ergonomics.
The whole thing
feels very solid and
I know it’s portable as the fi rst thing I
did with this review model was put it in
a carry-on bag and take it on a plane.
Allen & Heath’s ZED series of mixers
are all well designed, well built, well
equipped and suitable for a variety of
studio, live and mobile recording duties
so it’s no surprise I like these two. The
ZEDi-10FX is clearly the more versatile,
but both accomplish the jobs they set
out to do and at very reasonable prices
for this level of quality. Truth be told, I
fi nd the older models easier on the eye,
but in terms of features things have
improved in many important regards. If
either mixer ticks your particular feature
boxes then you can trust them not to
disappoint… for many years to come.
The Zed 6 is essentially a
bare bones version with
four channels: two stereo
with line/instrument
inputs as balanced XLR
or 1/4-inch jack (and
those DI inputs). Then
there are two stereo
channels offering TRS
jacks. All four channels
feature input trim
(infi nity to +15dB), high
and low frequency EQ,
pan, level and headphone
monitoring. The output
section is almost as
simple, offering a 60mm
master fader, 1/4-inch
headphone jack and dial
(loud but not too loud),
eight-step stereo LED
meters, a phantom power
switch and 1/4-inch
outputs. It also retains
the internal power supply
of the bigger models.
By design, the small
feature set and channel
count greatly limit ZED
6’s range of applications.
For solo live performers,
for example, featuring,
say, a mic, guitar and
laptop backing track
feed, it’s a tough little
option for stage and
studio (although even
then we’d suggest at
least one set of phono
stereo inputs alongside
the jacks). But for most
broader applications it
runs out of channels and
features pretty fast. And
in the absence of any
send/receive options,
I’d suggest looking at the
FX version.
Stripped To The Bone
The whole thing feels very solid and
I know it’s portable as the very fi rst
thing I did was take it on a plane
VERDICT
BUILD
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
VALUE
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
EASE OF USE
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
VERSATILITY
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
RESULTS
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
If you’re in the market for a small
mixer you’d be daft not to take a
look at these durable gems .
SPECS
Inputs: 4xXLR, 4x TRS, 2 x
stereo TRS pairs (incl. 2x DI,
4x 48v phantom)
Outputs: Stereo XLR, stereo
phono/RCA, 2 TRS
EQ: 4x three band (high,
mid, low), 1x two band
(high, low)
Fader: 1x master 60 mm
Rotaries: 46 regular, 1 with
push button
Buttons: 24
Headphone output: Stereo
1/4”
FX: 9 types, 61 presets
USB audio: 4 in, 4 out (with
three output
confi gurations), 24-bit
96kHz
Power: Mains 100-240v,
50/60Hz
Dimensions:
333 x 275 x 97mm
Weight:
2.3kg
ALTERNATIVES
Mackie ProFX12v2
£299
More channels, bigger
metering and FX returns
make this USB-audio
enabled mixer with built-in
FX a strong contender at a
similar price.
http://mackie.com
Behringer
X1204USB
£125
Behringer might not be
held in quite the same
esteem as Allen & Heath
but it’s hard to ignore the
features on offer at this
ridiculously low price .
behringer.com
Alesis MultiMix
8USBFX
£115
An even lower price, but
this time at the expense of
some channels and
features. But still features
built-in USB audio and FX.
alesis.com
FMU304.rev_allenheath.indd 89 3/21/16 12:41 PM