Allen & Heath ZED428, 30-Channel Mixer-Powered, Grey/Red (AH-ZED428)

We are thrilled to present the new ZED Series – small format, USB-equipped stereo mixers for live and recording. This is a mixer for anyone, from entry-level to professionals, who appreciates fantastic sound, rugged build quality and imaginative feature sets.The ZED-428 features a padless DuoPreTM mic/line pre-amplifier, which is the new design first implemented on the ZED-14 and delivers a high-headroom, low-noise signal.  The 4 band, 2 sweep EQ, along with the low noise summing amps, is borrowed from the acclaimed GL2400, while the bus architecture is a simplified, but equally comprehensive, version of that employed in the successful GL series. The USB audio interface, with its uniquely flexible capability, allows different signals to be sent to USB, from LR or from selected aux buses. The USB return signal can be routed straight to the LR mix or to a stereo channel. The connectors are placed on the top surface for easy plugging & patching, and the construction, with individual circuit boards firmly nutted to the top panel, is as rock solid as Allen & Heath’s top of the range ML Series mixers. One of the great things about the ZED series is the number and variety of things you can plug in. In addition to the 24 mono channels there are two dual stereo channels, each with a main stereo input on jack sockets and with additional inputs on phono sockets. 6 aux sends are provided, of which 1&2 are prefade for foldback monitoring, and 3 & 4 are switched pre or post-fade for effects sends. and 5&6 are post-fade. Auxes 1&2 can be sent to the USB bus for recording pre-fade signals independently to the main mix. Auxes 5&6 can also be sent to the USB bus for use as effects sends. The USB implentation on ZED is super-flexible and super-easy! No longer do you need to fiddle around the back of your PC to get to the soundcard inputs, only to find that the levels are all wrong and noisy. Just plug in a USB lead to your ZED, select the USB routing on the mixer and the device on your computer and that’s it! Quality audio to and from your PC or Mac. Three switches provide different send/return configurations for recording, playback and utilising external FX. The ZED-428 has been designed using individual vertically mounted circuit boards with each rotary control fixed with a metal nut to the front panel – making a much more robust product that will resist damage and give years of reliable use. ZED also has professional 100mm faders for ultimate control over your levels.