User Manual
Allen & Heath 9 ZED-R16 User Guide
INTRODUCTION TO THE ZED-R16
A Technical Overview:
The Allen & Heath ZED-R16 mixer has been carefully and lovingly designed in the beautiful county of Cornwall in the UK and
is manufactured alongside a wide range of professional audio mixing consoles.
Allen & Heath has a long history of making classic recording mixers such as the Sigma, Syncon, System 8, Saber and the
GS3000, but for a few years have concentrated on the live sound, installation and pro DJ markets.
Re-entering the world of recording mixers is a very exciting prospect for us and our customers. We spent a long time examin-
ing how modern recording methods, equipment and software applications have changed the way musicians and sound engi-
neers work, then over a pizza lunch at one PLASA show we cemented the ideas together as the original concept for ZED-R16.
ZED-R16 is designed to fulfil the needs of musicians and sound engineers with many requirements and different ways of work-
ing, such as:
• Recording multi-channel via FireWire or ADAT.
• Monitoring each record track via the FireWire inputs.
• Using the FireWire connections to and from each channel for inserting processing plug-ins.
• Using the ZED-R16 to mix a live show and record it to multi-track (Either ADAT or FireWire).
• Mixing in analogue using the FireWire inputs, pre or post EQ.
• Mixing in digital using MIDI faders, rotaries and switches provided on the ZED-R16.
• Using analogue EQ as an analogue plug-in to a digital system.
• Using the professional studio features to control monitoring and artists feeds as well as transport control.
In many ways the ZED-R16 is a modern classic recording console. It has attributes of an old fashioned in-line recording mixer
but with digital sends from each channel as the record path and digital returns being the monitor path. Add to this the flexibil-
ity of where you send or return the digital connections within the channel strip, and then the ability to use the faders and the
other MIDI controllers to mix in your software application, it all adds up to a unique and mouth watering product.
The components used in ZED series are predominantly the same as in the larger Allen & Heath products and the construction
methods are also very similar — utilising individual vertically mounted channel circuit boards with each rotary control fixed
with a metal nut to the front panel. This provides a very robust product that will resist damage and give years of reliable use. It
also makes servicing much easier should it be required, with the ability to remove one particular channel from the mixer at a
time, or easily change a fader.
Mic/Line Pre-amps:
The ultimate performing pre-amps are fitted to ZED-R16. Similar only to those used in GL2800 & GL3800, they comprise a
symmetrical circuit with individual linearising feedback to both phases, along with the lowest noise transistors available, provid-
ing astoundingly low distortion and noise which translates to superior clarity and dynamic range.
EQ:
Some may say that the ZED-R16 has too much EQ for this size of mixer with two fully parametric mid sections and yes it is
powerful, but try it and you’ll love it, especially the low mid-great for rich punchy bass guitar and powerful kick drum sounds.
MIDI Control:
There is a MIDI controller area in the master where 12 rotary, 4 linear and 12 switches can be mapped to control your soft-
ware functions. In addition there are 5 dedicated transport keys, plus each of the 16 channel faders can be switched to MIDI
control.
FireWire & ADAT:
Each of the 16 main channels plus the master left & right mix has a digital send and return. These are flexible in that the chan-
nel signals can be sent pre-insert or post EQ and the return can be switched into pre-insert or pre-fader or not switched in at
all.
The FireWire controller we use in ZED-R16 is the DICE Jr from TC Applied Technologies and is capable of streaming up to
64 channels at a sample rate of up to 192kHz. The device employs a patented low jitter phase locked loop using its JET™PLL
technology and is able to interface to the optical ADAT connectors giving a maximum of 16 ADAT inputs and outputs. Cou-
pled to this are high quality 24 bit 114dB and 118dB ADC’s and DAC’s providing a super high quality link between the worlds
of analogue and digital.
SONAR LE:
Included with your ZED-R16 is SONAR LE, a fully working light version (limited to 8 simultaneous inputs & outputs) of the
award winning SONAR Producer audio workstation software from Cakewalk.