This is one of the few times I can speak well, and at length, about a product I have tested over a long period. It is the Allen & Heath GL4000, a very affordable (or at least it was at the time) and effective analog console for live sound and monitors—very effective. It has absolutely nothing special, distinctive or exclusive about it, but at the same time I have never missed a button, a feature or found a limitation. Well, actually I have, but we are such good friends that there is more respect than hate. An example many will be interested in: it has been touring stages for three years and has yet to pay a visit to the repair shop. Absolute reliability.
In fact, Allen & Heath is a well-known brand, especially for its good value for money. Its products work, and work well; it manages to offer a wide range of models within a single solution, and they are serious products. The purchase of this GL4000 (and later its little sister, the GL3300, although in my view there is no comparison) was motivated by the manufacturer's name, its clearly British sound and the price. Allen & Heath went largely unnoticed in our country for many years, but coinciding with a series of new models and an interest in improving the brand's image, distribution was improved and, with it, Allen & Heath's presence.
Well equipped
Our GL4000 is a 32-channel analog console, four of them stereo, with 10 aux sends (or 9 plus a knob for the direct output), eight subgroups, a 4x10 matrix and LR (left, right) and M (mono) outputs, each with its own independent fader. In terms of automation, it includes MIDI for mute management and 8 configurable mute groups. Each mono channel offers independent phantom power, phase reverse (180°), a mic/line switch, a gain control for the mic and line preamp, a variable high-pass filter from 0 to 400 Hz, four-band parametric EQ (two of them, in the midrange, with Q control), an EQ switch, its 10 aux sends (with PRE/POST selector), LR pan, a mute button with LED indicator, a PFL button, a modest level meter made up of just four LEDs (signal, 0 dB, +6 dB and peak), the group and main output assignment buttons, and the obligatory linear fader with generous travel and a logarithmic taper. The stereo channels lack parametric EQ (though they do keep the 4 bands) and add a knob for widening or narrowing the stereo image. It is easy to see that there is hardly anything exceptional to point out, although I personally appreciate the 10 aux sends and the fully parametric EQ, as well as other details such as being able to control the master level of each aux with a short-throw linear fader, paired with its own 12-LED level meter.
On the back we find the whole connection panel, with the necessary and expected features: balanced XLR inputs for mic signals and jacks for line, inserts via two balanced jacks (which complicates the snake wiring, since the rest of our consoles use a single stereo jack for inserts, forcing us to use mono/balanced-to-stereo adapters just for the GL4000), and a direct output via jack. All the subgroups have XLR outputs, as do the auxes, and they also allow you to insert dynamics processors or equalizers. The same goes for the three main outputs: L, R and M.
Let's go to a gig
The main use we give this GL4000 is as a FOH console that also handles the monitor sends. Many mid-sized concerts can't "afford" the luxury of a dedicated monitor console and its corresponding engineer. There simply isn't a budget for everything. With 10 aux sends, it is easy to devote 6, 7 or 8 to monitors (covering most of what bands ask for) and leave at least 2 for effects. The first 8 auxes, grouped in blocks of four, can be PRE or POST depending on their corresponding switch. The last two also have their own. Aux 10 can become the level control for the direct output, a feature I have never used. All the sends can be shown on a 12-step LED bridge located just above the subgroups, a bridge that, at the touch of another button, can be used to check the level of the corresponding subgroup. Since this switch is available for each strip, we can view, for example, the monitor send levels of the first 6 auxes and leave the other four LED bridges showing the levels of subgroups 8-7 and 6-5.
Routing to the subgroups is done with switches next to the fader, as is usual on other consoles. The subgroups are not VCAs (there are already Allen & Heath models that do have this attractive feature, but at a higher price), so we need to bear in mind phase and delay issues when we want to be more precise.
As always, the stereo channels are welcome. With four of them, it is easy to use them as effects and CD returns, although it also has direct stereo inputs (without EQ, though). The channel layout is comfortable, with the subgroups and main section in the middle and the four stereo channels just to their right.
The color-coding of the buttons is another practical plus, although as with any console, you need to get to know it a bit to get quickly to where you want to go.
By the way, if we want to use it as a monitor console, we just have to flip a few switches (with the help of a tool, mind you) and we are ready. The console is light, so only two people are needed to lift it and set it up.
The practical drawback is the one already mentioned with the inserts. We use send and return on the same jack. That forces us to use special adapters (or fit all our effects racks with double snakes), and if we start losing those adapters, it hardly seems worth setting up the compressor rack.
I also find the four lone LEDs next to each channel's fader a bit limited. The first LED tells you whether or not there is signal, although it probably only lights up above -20 dB, and that is not always the threshold we have on every channel. The next LED is the 0 dB one, and this is where I would ask for a few more steps (three more LEDs would be enough), allowing the minimum warning level to go lower and letting you see something of the dynamics. It is very practical to be able to see at a glance whether a channel is coming in or not, whether the musician is actually playing or not.
As I said at the start of the article, never in these three years have we had to take the GL4000 in for service. Perfect. Even while lugging two power supplies around (external, as it should be), we have never had to use the spare in the middle of a gig. Anyone who runs a sound rental company will understand perfectly the advantage of this.
Shaping the sound
The mic preamp on each channel is sufficient in most cases. SM57, SM58, C3000, D112 and the rest of the standard concert mics usually reach good levels after the preamp, especially condenser mics. Perhaps a less sensitive mic may need an excessive amount of gain, which adds some noise to the channel.
The variable high-pass filter is very effective. Unlike typical 100 Hz high-pass switches, being able to vary the cutoff frequency at will, up to 400 Hz, allows quick, easy separation and organization. Managing the low end when using a PA with 18-inch subs is very even-handed.
The EQ is quite precise, although perhaps it lacks a bit of bite. That is an unmistakable sign of this GL4000's British character, with a flat yet malleable sound.
The aux send levels are very good. With the preamp set properly, the aux control's travel is understandable and precise. Sometimes small "turns" already make clear differences. The travel of the main fader is also nice: long, precise and smooth. In the price range where we can place this GL4000, few consoles offer these features.
A vertical meter bridge provides constant information on the levels of each subgroup (or, when configured for monitors, of each send) as well as the main channels. The help a peak meter and a VU meter can provide is obvious.
Conclusion
For a "quick" gig (the vast majority of gigs in our country), turning up with mediocre gear because the budget demands it no longer cuts it. The competition is tough, and I haven't seen prices go up in a long time. So you need not only an effective technical crew (another subject we should perhaps tackle seriously in the future), but also reliable equipment. Electronics with attractive value for money that also work, and work well, and never fail. A rental company or even a touring band cannot afford a repair every five minutes. The Allen & Heath GL4000 meets all these demands (and that's not easy). Even though it may look like an old console given how long it has been in the catalog, today it can still be a serious and perfectly valid console for many. It's cheap, light and well equipped, and it delivers very decent results.
