Allen & Heath has just introduced five new compact mixers, part of its popular ZED series. Three of these new models are hybrid mixer/interfaces. All of them have been designed with all the features and quality level demanded by applications such as live music, recording, or AV, in a compact, portable format.
The new ZED series mixers have been designed with all the features and quality level that musicians demand, both for live use and recording, and in other professional environments, such as AV work, in a compact and easily transportable format.
No DI Needed
The ZED6, ZED6FX, and ZEDi8 models have two mono channels with separate XLR and TRS jack inputs and two stereo channels. The ZEDi10 and ZEDi10FX, for their part, feature four mono channels and two stereo channels. Guitarists and bassists will also appreciate the high-impedance guitar DI inputs on two of their mono channels, which let you plug guitars directly into the mixer without needing separate DI boxes.
Interface and Mixing
The ZEDi models combine a compact mixer with a 2x2 USB interface (4x4 on the two ZEDi10 models) at 24-bit/96 kHz resolution, allowing playback and recording to Mac or PC computers or to an iOS device (using the Camera Connection Kit), with great flexibility in routing options. These models (ZEDi8, ZEDi10, and ZEDi10FX) include the popular Cubase LE software, which offers a powerful yet easy-to-use interface and provides software tools for audio recording, editing, MIDI sequencing, and mixing.
They also include the Cubasis LE app. This is a compact version of Steinberg’s sequencer for iPad, offering features similar to Cubasis and designed for fast, extremely simple operation, allowing recording, editing, and mixing.
EQ and Preamps
The FX models include a new, exclusively designed internal FX system featuring a multitude of FX models, combining reverbs, delays, doublers, choruses, and many other modulators, capable of creating a varied and dynamic palette of studio-quality effects.
As for EQ, the ZED6, ZED6FX, and ZEDi8 models feature a 2-band MusicQ system, while the ZEDi10 and ZEDi10FX have 3-band EQ, also MusicQ..
The new ZED mixers feature a new, exceptional preamp created by analog guru Mike Griffin, developed from the one in the prestigious GS-R24 studio console, and which has become famous for its exceptionally low noise, enormous dynamic headroom, and the warm, deep sound characteristic of the analog mixers created by Allen & Heath.
All ZED mixers have been designed and built to meet the high standards Allen & Heath sets so that its products can withstand the rigors of touring. All channels are housed on individual, vertically mounted printed circuit boards, and all rotary controls are secured to the front panel with a steel nut to protect them from possible damage caused by impacts.
Professional Finish in a Compact System
These new mixers combine the most advanced professional audio design with a compact, sleek, modern format to deliver spectacular performance that will fully satisfy the needs of any professional or hobbyist, at an extremely affordable cost. Their exceptionally designed preamp, the DI inputs, the excellent FX algorithms, the powerful USB interface, and the convenience of a properly sized internal power supply make the ZED series offer much more than any other mixer in its class.
