Allen & Heath Qu-16 Live Mixer

Allen & Heath QU-16 | Reviews
89
setting up monitors? It’s a memory test
which you could do without in battle
conditions. You can name them in the
ME-1 Personal Mixers if you’re using
that expansion option but not in the
console itself or the iPad app. While I’m
on the subject, the iPad app is a breeze.
Once the desk is connected to the
network the iPad sees the Qu-16 and
from then on you can do anything you
like from anywhere you like.
Navigating around the console views
becomes second-nature very quickly.
The Mix buttons on the right instantly
fl ash the faders to their positions for
that output so you can rapidly respond
to demands for monitor changes. And
there are FX send views as well. Routing
and muting are also a doddle, and you
can assign a maximum of four Mute
Groups which can be accessed with the
user-assignable soft keys or from the
screen Home page. Another major
omission is the lack of either sub-groups
or DCAs. You can link adjoining
channels together but you can’t have,
for example, all the drum mics under
the control of one fader.
The effects section is very good so
not having the facility for external
effects isn’t too much of a drawback.
Just having two auxiliary busses seems
a bit mean but it does help to conserve
DSP for other functions. For each of the
four effects processors there’s a big
library of preset choices. Of particular
note are the delays incorporating
tap-tempo on the touch-screen.
Scene memory is comprehensively
implemented with instant total recall of
up to 100 scenes and with the facility
to exclude assigned inputs and outputs
from the recall if need be.
For the record
Direct-to-disk multi-track recording of
all 16 inputs plus the stereo output is a
huge draw for this level of mixer. Plug a
USB drive directly into the top of the
desk, set it recording at the start of the
show and forget about it. No need for a
fragile laptop perched on the side by
the over-fl owing pint. Sadly USB keys
are not compatible, only a pre-formatted
disk is supported, but once you’ve got
one you can re-use it and transfer fi les
to your DAW in the safety of your studio.
If you do want to use your laptop, you
can still transmit the multi-track audio
over USB to a Mac and play it back
down the same channels.
The feature list in this unassuming
but good-looking and sturdily-built
creature is the sort of thing you could
only have dreamed of a few years ago.
Flying faders, direct to multi-track
recording, touch-screen editing and
remote mixing are the icing on top of
the mixing and processing features
within. Not to mention the Allen &
Heath seal of sonic quality. It really is
amazing for the price and the expansion
options such as the personal mixing
systems and remote audio connections
on a single Cat-5 cable make it even
more attractive. Best of all, it didn’t
crash once during the days of testing.
But there are a few corners cut
which perhaps shouldn’t have been: the
lack of groups or
DCA faders; and
perhaps more of a
turn-off, the lack
of channel naming
capabilities, which
is particularly
annoying when
you’re in the crowd with your iPad and
you can’t remember which channel the
lead vocal is on. If it wasn’t for the fact
that both these omissions are available
on the Behringer X-32, I could probably
excuse it. But then Allen & Heath have
the reputation for quality and build that
many others envy.
SPECS
I/O: 16 mono mic/line
inputs, 3 stereo line inputs
(2 x balanced ¼”jack, 1
unbalanced mini-jack), 4
mono mix outputs, 3 stereo
mix outputs and a main LR
stereo output
Channel noise: -92dBu @
0dB
Channel THD+N: 0.0005%
-89dBu @ 0dB
Dimensions:
440 x 500 x 186mm
Weight:
10kg
VERDICT
BUILD
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
VALUE
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
EASE OF USE
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
VERSATILITY
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
RESULTS
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
Offers an amazing feature set and
high-quality sound in gig-proof
housing at a truly affordable price.
It is possible to expand
this system into a more
professional arrangement.
At the back is an RJ-47
ethernet-style connection
that transmits proprietary
dSnake protocol and to
which you can connect
and daisy-chain a number
of options. For an elegant
and compact multi-core
alternative you can get
either an 80 or 120m
drum of Cat-5 cable on to
which connects a stage
box with full complement
of QU-16 audio inputs
and outputs (a version
with eight inputs and four
outputs is also available).
Also on that stage box is
a socket to which you can
connect the Personal
Monitoring system, the
ME-1 – mini mixers that
give the performers
complete control over
their monitor mix. You can
daisy-chain as many of
these mixers as you need
and, unlike on the QU-16
itself, you can name the
inputs and outputs and
even copy and paste them
via USB stick, to all other
ME-1s in your system.
Expanding on the Qu-16
ALTERNATIVES
Behringer X-32
£2,265
A superlative and serious
live console outing from the
famous gear giant.
www.behringer.com
PreSonus Studio Live
£1,239
An ingenious new look at
consoles, DSP and DAW
integration with unshakable
PreSonus audio quality.
www.presonus.com
Soundcraft Si
Expressions
£1,999
The masters of the live
sound arena continue to
stay in the game.
www.soundcraft.com
Flying faders, direct to multi-track
recording, touch-screen editing and
remote mixing are the icing on top
FMU275.rev_allenheath.indd 89 12/19/13 1:39 PM