AudioMedia - October 2008 - (Page 44)

ALLEN & HEATH ZED R 16 Analogue Mixer/DAW Interface/Controller Things can only get better and better for A&H, as this welcome return to the studio proves. SIMON TILLBROOK has his expectations exceeded with A&H's new mixer. ome of my early ventures into audio recording and mixing involved manufacturers that, at the time, dominated the home/semi-professional market, but have since been absorbed by larger competitors or simply vanished without trace. A few seem to have changed the direction of their development and, as a result, I have had little if any contact with the equipment they have subsequently produced. Cornwall-based Allen & Heath is such a manufacturer for me. I have fond memories of using the Saber, System , and GL mixing consoles on many projects, but that seemed to be the end of the line for its studio mixers. So, some ten years later Allen & Heath has re-entered this field with the ZED R- , and I have been looking forward to checking one out. The A&H ZED R- is a x analogue mixer with integrated MIDI based DAW control and x digital connectivity via Firewire and ADAT optical. Yo u a l s o have a section with a variety of MIDI controllers (linear, rotar y encoders, and switches) that can be mapped to your system requirements. Supplied along with the Allen & Heath ZED R- is a full working copy of Sonar LE (PC-based DAW) and drivers for both Windows and Apple computers, based on standard device drivers from TC Applied Technologies. The ZED Roccupies a compact x mm footprint, and weighs a solid kg. S THE REVIEWER SIMON TILLBROOK is the Principal Music Tutor at Islington Music Workshop in London. The rest of his time is spent as a freelance engineer, mainly in the USA. From the top down we start with a balanced XLR mic input and balanced TRS line input. These two connectors are summed together at different levels (using attenuating resistors and coupling capacitors), so you Channel Strip cannot have plugs in both at the same time. Below these is an unbalanced TRS insert socket, and a v phantom power switch. The gain rotary control works the preamplifier that is based on those used by Allen & Heath’s GL and GL console preamps. A dual scale indicates a range of + to + dB for mic, and - dB to + dB for line signals. The input type is selected when a plug is inserted into the appropriate socket. A high pass filter switch with a turnover frequency set to Hz and dB per octave slope sits immediately after the input preamp. Next we have the equaliser with high and low frequency shelving featuring +/- dB at kHz, and +/- dB at Hz respectively. High and low mid sections are fully parametric. Both have +/- dB cut and boost and a Q range from . to . High mid sweeps from Hz to kHz and low mid from Hz to kHz. The entire equaliser can be switched in and out of signal flow with the EQ in button. There are four auxiliary sends on the ZED R- channels strip. Sends and are set pre fader, and sends and post fader, but all sends are pre the fader mute switch. It is possible to change the pre/post configuration in pairs using jumpers on the circuit boards, but not easy to access. The channel pan and mute controls sit above the PFL switch. This feeds the signal to the ZED R- PFL bus. There are LED indicators for signal present triggered at a threshold of - dB, and another when within dB of clipping. These LED indicators come after the EQ in switch. The ZED R- channel strip mm fader can be used to either feed the analogue L-R bus outputs using the L-R routing button, or switched to act as a continuous MIDI controller via Firewire to your DAW when Fader=MIDI is depressed. When in MIDI mode the audio is bypassed at unity gain. Three switches next to the fader determine the mode of operation and digital routing for the ZED R- , which I will address shortly. 44 AUDIO MEDIA OCTOBER 2008

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Audio Media - October 2008 Content Recording Post Broadcast Geofocus:�Portugal &�Spain What's Up UK IBC Report Microtech Geffel UM 930 Steinberg Cubase 4.5 ADK�Hamburg &�Vienna Final Cut: House of Fallen Lexicon PCM96 Review The Conch Awards Feature Sound Devices 788T Review Lexicon PCM96 Allen &�Heath Zed R16 Power: Fact & Fiction, PT.2 Product Sampler Plug-ins Video Guide AMSR Plasa Report Audio Technica IEM�M3 Rushes Live Mixing Techniques:�Bruce Johnston Drawmer 4x4 Kickbox

AudioMedia - October 2008

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