Allen and Heath roundup
Allen and Heath: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Buy the desk that fits the gig you actually do — here's how to choose the right Allen & Heath mixer without paying for scale you'll never use.
Every soundcheck I've run has taught me the same lesson: buy the desk that fits the gig you actually do, not the one with the most impressive spec sheet. The Allen & Heath range runs from pocket-sized digital mixers to full touring rigs, so let's work through what actually matters before you spend anything.
Start With the Job, Not the Brand
Reputation gets people through the door, but it won't tell you whether you need 16 channels or 64. Be honest about your typical gig: a solo act or duo needs very little, a function band with horns and in-ears needs a lot more, and a touring production with monitor world and front of house running separately needs a completely different architecture. Work backwards from that before you look at a single model name, and only then start narrowing down which Allen & Heath range actually fits.
Channel Count and Bus Count
Channel count is how many inputs you can plug in; bus count is how many separate mixes you can send out (monitor mixes, effects sends, a recording feed). It's the bus count people underestimate. A four-piece band with two monitor mixes and a stereo main needs at least three buses beyond the main output, and it's genuinely frustrating to run out mid-tour. Check both numbers, not just the headline channel figure printed on the box, since it's the detail that separates a good Allen & Heath purchase from one you outgrow within a year.
Digital or Analogue: ZED vs the Digital Range
| Platform | Type | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| ZED | Analogue | Simple gigs, no recall needed, straightforward troubleshooting |
| CQ | Digital, ultra-compact | Small bands, home producers, first digital desk |
| Qu | Digital, mid-scale | Venues, worship, education, growing productions |
| SQ / SQ+ | Digital, compact professional | Touring engineers who need scale in a small footprint |
| Avantis / dLive | Digital, flagship | Large productions, theatre, broadcast |
Digital buys you scene recall, remote control from a tablet, and far more processing per channel; analogue buys you simplicity and nothing to update or reboot. If your gigs are simple and repeatable, don't assume the digital side of the Allen & Heath range is automatically the better buy.
Latency and Processing: What the Numbers Actually Mean
The compact SQ platform from Allen & Heath is quoted at roughly 0.7 milliseconds of latency, built on its 96kHz XCVI processing engine. That figure is genuinely low, but treat it as a manufacturer specification rather than a guarantee — your real-world latency depends on the whole signal chain, including any outboard processing, in-ear systems or wireless links you add on top.
Networking and Expansion
If you're running remote I/O (stage boxes that carry signal over a single network cable instead of a multicore), check whether the model you're considering supports Dante, which several current Qu models do. It matters more than it sounds: a desk without decent networking options can leave you stuck with a heavy analogue snake for a job that didn't need one.
It's also worth checking how the range you're eyeing handles remote control from a tablet or laptop. Most of the current digital line, from CQ up to dLive, offers some form of wireless or app-based control, which is genuinely useful for walking the room during a soundcheck rather than being stuck at the desk.
Buying Current vs Previous Generation
The SQ+ range from Allen & Heath launched in 2026 alongside the existing SQ consoles, and Avantis picked up a V2.0 firmware update that meaningfully raises channel and bus counts on dPack-enabled systems. That doesn't make the older units bad buys — a well-priced previous-generation desk can be excellent value if the extra channels and processing genuinely wouldn't get used on your typical gig. Our best value picks article breaks the current range down by budget if that's your main concern.
Before You Order
- Count your realistic maximum inputs, then add a few spare channels for growth.
- Count your monitor mixes and effects sends, not just your main output.
- Decide whether scene recall and remote control are worth the extra complexity of going digital.
- Check Dante or networking support if you're avoiding a multicore.
- Confirm the desk's expansion options if you expect your gig size to grow.
If you're newer to mixing altogether and this all feels like a lot, our beginner's guide takes things a lot slower, and the full explainer covers the whole range in more depth. Buy for the gig you actually run, and any Allen & Heath desk in the right tier will serve you well.
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