Allen & Heath Qu-24 24-Channel Digital Mixer

With its responsive touchscreen, 25 motor faders and acclaimed AnalogiQ recallable preamps, Qu-24 combines exceptional ease of use with class-leading audio performance. Drawing on the technologies and workflow pioneered on our GLD and iLive touring systems, Qu makes Allen & Heath digital mixing more accessible and more compact than ever.Qu V1.8 Chrome firmware (scheduled for release in mid-October) adds hot new features, including Automatic Mic Mixing, more monitor mixes and a Spectrogram for feedback-hunting. Qu Chrome Edition
models will also feature upgraded, high contrast metallic finish controls.

Features

24 Mic / Line Inputs (TRS + XLR)
25 Motor Faders
3 Stereo Inputs (TRS)
4 Stereo FX Returns
20 Mix Outputs (XLR)
2 Stereo Groups (switchable to Mix mode)
Up to 9 Monitor Mixes (4 mono + 5 stereo)*
2 Stereo Matrix Outs
4 Mute Groups
4 FX Engines
4 FX Sends / Returns
10 Soft Keys
USB Audio Streaming
DAW MIDI Control
AES Digital Out
Recallable AnaLOGIQTM Preamps
Qu-Drive direct Multitrack Recording / Playback on USB drives
800×480 Touchscreen
iLive FX Library
dSNAKETM Remote Audio Port
Automatic Mic Mixer*
Compatible with ME Personal Mixing System
Qu-Pad iPad App
Trim, polarity, HPF, gate, insert, 4-band PEQ, compressor and delay on all Inputs
Insert, 4-band PEQ, 1/3 octave GEQ, compressor and delay on all Mix outputs
Built-in Signal Generator
RTA with Peak Band indication
Spectrogram to aid with feedback elimination and taming room acoustics*
High contrast metallic finish controls, matching premium GLD Chrome series

AnalogiQTM Preamps

Qu-24’s twenty four AnalogiQTM total recall preamps feature zero crossing detection and an advanced padless 1dB step gain stage, closely allied to the DSP for optimal gain accuracy and audio transparency. The analogue signal is captured by high class, low latency 24bit analogue to digital converters matched to high quality 24bit digital to analogue converters to deliver the required outputs. The AnalogiQTM design has been refined over many months to offer superb transparency, minimal distortion and an ultra-low noise floor, with a warm, musical sound that is missing from some digital consoles.

Touch Control

The 800 x 480, sixteen million colour Touchscreen and its dedicated data encoder form the heart of the Qu interface, providing super-fast, easy access to all settings. The user-friendly interface has been designed with clarity in mind. Dedicated keys and screen tabs quickly guide you to meter and RTA views, FX racks, channel processing, USB audio control, scenes, setup menus and much more.

The SuperStrip

All your key processing tools are presented in a clean layout on the SuperStrip, with 1 function per physical control. The SuperStrip is complemented by an onscreen Touch Channel for intuitive access to full processing parameters without clutter or complex menu structures. Processing for Mono and Stereo inputs includes trim, polarity, HPF, gate, insert, 4 band PEQ, compressor and delay. The main LR and the Mono mixes have controls for Insert, 1/3 octave GEQ, compressor and delay. The Stereo mixes provide Insert, 4-band PEQ, compressor, delay and balance control.

Fader Automation

Moving faders started as an expensive option in the studio desks of the 80s, and later became the norm with the advent of digital technology. Nevertheless some entry-level digital mixers lack this precious commodity which is a fundamental part of the Total Recall approach. Fader automation is essential for rapid mixing, especially when you’re dealing with multiple monitor mixes – just press a mix key and the faders immediately fly to the send levels for that mix. Qu-24 features 25 motorized ALPS faders, 24 arranged over 2 layers, allowing instant access to all channels and masters in a compact space, plus a dedicated master fader which dynamically follows the mix selection. A third, Custom layer is available for ad-hoc user strip layout, where any combination of Inputs, FX Sends, FX Returns and Mix masters can be assigned.

iLive FX

Qu-24’s dynamics and FX algorithms are derived from the FX used in our iLive pro touring series. Some of the world’s most respected audio engineers have chosen to use iLive’s FX on tour in preference to top-end plug-ins and external FX units. Qu-24 boasts 4 stereo iLive FX engines, featuring lovingly crafted emulations of legendary classic reverbs, gated reverbs, delays, modulators, flangers and more. The FX library has the ability to grow with future firmware releases. FX are returned to the mix on dedicated return channels, so you’re not tying up your mono and stereo input channels. Each Stereo FX Return has a dedicated 4 band PEQ.

Total Recall

True digital mixing is about being able to save and recall scenes (snapshots) at the press of a button. Qu-24 can store up to 100 full Scenes for recall at will. Channels and mixes can be made Safe from Scene recall. For example, if an instrument or mic gets swapped out after the soundcheck, the channel can be made safe to avoid settings being overridden by Scene recalls. Or if a broadcast feed or walk-in iPod is added last-minute before the show kicks off, that mix or channel can be made safe from any scene change. In addition, single parameter updates can be blocked using per scene Recall Filters or a Global Recall Filter. So if you tweak the graphic EQ to reflect the room response when the audience gets in, you can block this to prevent any overwriting at scene change. Custom settings for each EQ, compressor, channel or FX can be saved as Library presets. This lets you store your tried and tested SM58 EQ or reverb pattern and apply it to other channels or shows. Libraries, Scenes and the complete Show configuration can be saved to a USB key, so you can carry the show with you, ready to use on another Qu mixer.

USB Audio Streaming

Qu-24’s built-in interface streams up to 32 selectable tracks to your Mac or PC. The returns from the Mac or PC can be easily assigned to the Input channels. The interface is class-compliant on Mac OS X – truly plug ‘n play. It will be recognized straightaway by any DAW supporting Core Audio, including Logic, Cubase, Reaper, and Pro Tools. An ASIO and WDM compatible driver is available for Windows computers. Standard MIDI control is tunnelled over the USB connection so you can easily map the faders to the tracks of your favourite DAW. A DAW Control driver is available for easy setup and emulation of HUI or Mackie Control protocols on Mac OS X systems.

Automatic Mic Mixer (AMM)*

AMM is vital in applications such as conferences, meetings and panel discussions where a number of microphones are open at the same time, reducing background noise and minimising the risk of feedback. The Automatic Microphone Mixer feature helps the engineer to manage the levels of multiple mic inputs, ensuring that each speaker’s contribution is heard. Our D-Classic dynamic gain sharing algorithm is inspired by industry standard automixers. Up to 16 microphone sources can be mixed at once, with each channel having a priority setting which determines its ‘weight’ in the total system gain

Qu-Drive

Forget soundcard drivers and software setup, Qu-24 has an integrated multitrack USB recorder, providing 18 channels of 48kHz 24bit recording and playback straight to / from your USB hard drive. Capturing multitrack recordings of your shows has never been so easy. A selectable stereo pair can be recorded alongside 16 Mono channels, and multitrack audio can be played back to 16 Mono channels plus ST1. On top of this, Qu-Drive also provides stereo recording, patchable from any pair of Mix outputs, the Main LR (pre, post, or summed to mono) or even the PAFL bus, with 2- track stereo playback to ST3.