Allen & Heath ZED-14 USB Mixing Console

The Allen & Heath ZED-14 USB Mixing Console has incredibly advanced features for a mixer at this level-it has 13 independent sources to the mix, 10 independent outputs, 4 aux sends, a USB send & return for PC or Mac recording, playback and effects, a unique dual stereo input capability and some very advanced monitoring facilities. In fact, ZED-14 is so packed full of great features that you'd think it would cost much, much more.

The ZED-14 is a mixer for anyone, from entry-level to professionals, who appreciates fantastic uncolored sound, lots of headroom, a truly professional feel, and rugged build quality. It can be used for many different tasks, whether in live performance, utilizing plug-in effects via USB, live recording via USB and Cakewalk, studio recording or mixing down to produce your own 2-track recordings.

Inputs

One of the great things about the ZED series is the number and variety of things you can plug in. In addition to the six mono channels there are four stereo channels, each with a main stereo input on jack sockets, and with the ability to take additional stereo inputs from phono sockets or from the USB audio input, flexibility gives you control. In all, ZED-14 boasts 99 different controls on its front panel-way more than any of the competition! 6 mic/line channels are provided on ZED-14 - plenty for mics or DI boxes for a small band, duo or solo performer 4 stereo line inputs-dual inputs, both with gain and 2-band EQ

DuoPre

Based on the proven pre-amps from the hugely successful PA series, the ZED series has new DuoPreTM pre-amps, which use a two stage design, with carefully controlled amounts of gain in each stage. When amplifying the signal from the XLR input, the gain range is huge-69dB of range to be exact-and is very evenly distributed around the gain control, meaning better control of signal level. Most of the gain comes from the first stage, so unwanted noise is kept to a minimum. Line level signals are simply plugged into the second stage of the pre-amp by using the line input jack socket, which has the great advantage of less noise when using the line input.

EQ section

ZED-14 features a responsive 3-band, swept mid frequency design with MusiQ-optimized slope (or Q factor) for equalizing individual instruments. HF and LF also boast Xtra Boost, to make these frequencies more responsive.

Auxiliary sends

4 aux sends are provided, of which 1&2 are prefade for foldback monitoring, and 3 & 4 post-fade for effects sends. A stereo signal can be sent from auxes via USB to computer to create 2 separate record feeds independent of the main LR mix (1&2) and or used as FX sends (3&4).

USB audio flexibility

Getting audio to and from a computer easily is now a common requirement for live sound and music production. The way we have implemented this 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.

Build

At this level, most mixers are built using a single, flat PCB with all the pots and switches attached at right angles. ZED-14 utilizes individual vertically mounted channel 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.

SONAR LE

Allen & Heath has teamed up with major software supplier, Cakewalk, to bundle its SONAR LE music creation and audio production software with the ZED-14, giving you a fantastic, high spec digital audio workstation.

SONAR LE is a software application from Cakewalk and is included free of charge with the ZED-14 mixing console. SONAR LE is a powerful first step into the world of sequencing and hard disk recording on the Windows platform.
You'll be able to record from your ZED mixer, create tracks and arrange songs, then play back to your ZED mixer via the USB port. You can decide whether the SONAR family of products is right for you. If you choose to upgrade your copy of SONAR LE to a more full-featured version, like SONAR Producer or Home Studio Editions, you'll now be able to do so at significant savings.
Features
ZED-14 Mixer
14 inputs total
6 Mono Channels with XLR inputs and preamps with 3-Band EQ with sweepable mids
4 Stereo Channels with line inputs with 2-band EQ
4 Aux sends
2 Stereo returns
USB send & return for PC or Mac recording, playback and effects
48V phantom power
Insert points
High pass filter
Stereo imaging control on every channel
Channel mute switches
Advanced monitoring facilities
1/4" and 3.5mm headphones outputs
Stereo record out
Alternative stereo out
Mono sum of LR output
Main LR outputs
12-bar LR meters
Master controls for aux 1 & 2
12-100MM faders for a professional feel
SONAR LE
64 audio tracks
256 MIDI tracks
8 simultaneous inputs and outputs
24-bit/192 kHz audio quality
24 simultaneous effects
8 simultaneous virtual instruments
Integrated VST/VSTi support, without need for VST adapter
Support for ACIDTM-format loops
Support for ReWire clients such as Project5, Live, or Reason
Elegant user interface
Active Controller Technology automatically maps MIDI keyboards and control surfaces to the parameters you need most on effects, instruments, volume, pan, and other mix elements
Easier integration of virtual instruments with Synth Rack
Support for Windows Vista (32-bit & 64-bit), Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, and Windows XP operating systems

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ZED-14 USB Mixing Console Specifications:
ZED-14 USB Mixing Console
Operating Levels
Input:
Mono channel (XLR) Input: +6 to ”63dBu for nominal (+17dBu in max)
Mono channel Line Input (Jack socket): +10 to ”26dBu (+30dBu maximum)
Insert point (TRS Jack socket): 0dBu nominal +21dBu maximum
Stereo Input (Jack sockets): 0dBu nominal (control = Off to +10dB)
Stereo input (phono sockets): 0dBu nominal (control = Off to +10dB)
Output:
L, R & Mono Outputs (L&R XLR, Mono Jack): 0dBu nominal. +21dBu maximum
Aux Outputs (Jack sockets): 0dBu nominal. +21dBu maximum
Alt Outputs (phono sockets): 0dBu nominal. +21dBu maximum
Rec Outputs (phono sockets): 0dBu nominal. +21dBu maximum
Frequency Response:
Mic in to Mix L/R Out, 30dB gain: +0.5/-1dB 20Hz to 20kHz
Line in to Mix L/R out 0dB gain: +0.5/-1dB 10Hz to 30kHz
Stereo in to Mix L/R out: +0.5/-1dB 10Hz to 30kHz
THD+N:
Mic in to Mix L/R Out, 0dB gain 1kHz +10dBu out: 0.004%
Mic in to Mix L/R Out, 30dB gain 1kHz: 0.014%
Line in to Mix L/R out 0dB gain 0dBu 1kHz: 0.005%
Stereo in to Mix L/R out 0dB gain +10dBu 1kHz: 0.003%
Headroom:
Analog headroom from nominal (0Vu): 21dB
USB in & out headroom from nominal (0Vu): 14dB
USB Audio CODEC (Coder/Decoder):
USB Audio In/Out: USB 1.1 compliant 16 bit
Sample Rate: 32, 44.1, or 48kHz
Noise:
Mix L/R out, L/R faders = 0, 22-22kHz: -88dBu
Mic Pre EIN @ max gain 150R input Z 22-22kHz: -127dBu
Dimensions (W x D x H): 15.11" x 18.30" x 4.35" (384 x 465 x 110.69 mm)
Weight: 14.3 lb. (6.5 kg.)
SONAR LE
System RequirementsMinimum
Operating System: Windows XP
Processor Speed: Intel Pentium 4 1.3 GHz, or AMDTM Athlon XP 1500+ or higher
RAM: 256 MB
Graphics (resolution, color depth):1024 x 768, 16-bit color
Hard Disk Space: 100 MB for core program
Hard Disk Type: Any
MIDI Interface: Windows-compatible
Audio Interface Windows-compatible
Optical Drive: DVD-ROM, DVD+/-R, or DVD+/-RW for installation, CD-R or CD-RW capability required for CD audio disc burning
RecommendedOperating System:
Windows XP/Vista/Vista x64
Processor Speed: Intel Pentium 4 2.8 GHz [EM64T], or AMDTM Athlon 64 2800+or higher
RAM: 1 GB or higher
Graphics (resolution, color depth): 1280 x 960, 32-bit color
Hard Disk Space: 2 GB for program and content
Hard Disk Type: EIDE/Ultra DMA (7200 RPM) or SATA
MIDI Interface: Windows-compatible
Audio Interface: WDM- or ASIO-compatible, including WaveRT for Vista
Optical Drive: DVD-ROM, DVD+/-R, or DVD+/-RW for installation, CD-R or CD-RW capability required for CD audio disc burning