At the Prolight + Sound show in Frankfurt, Allen & Heath has debuted an expansion of its Qu compact digital console range with the new Qu-SB intelligent mixer/interface.
A stage box solution with all the features offered in the Qu series but purely designed for tablet control, it frees users to mix from anywhere in a venue.
A freestanding or rack-mount surface-less mixer, Qu-SB has 16 XLR mic inputs, 2 line inputs and 14 outputs, but due to the Qu-32 core inside, it can be expanded up to 32 mic input channels and 24 outputs, enabling the mixer to connect over a single Cat-5 digital snake to AB168, AR84 and AR2412 remote audio racks.
Eliminating the on deck user interface, all control parameters on Qu-SB are provided via an iOS tablet app. User permissions can be set up to block the operator’s access to critical settings.
“These days, engineers and musicians are less dependent on physical mixing surfaces. They are digital natives looking for ultra-portable solutions and they want to operate with the familiar interface of a touch tablet,” explains A&H product manager Nicola Beretta. “Qu-SB is the perfect answer to this demand, whilst still maintaining the premium audio quality and performance Allen & Heath mixers are known for.”
The built-in 18-channel Qu-Drive can record and playback multitrack and stereo audio .wav files to a USB key or drive. Qu-SB’s 32 x 32, Windows and Mac compliant USB streaming interface also makes it well-suited for tracking, monitoring and overdubbing in the studio.
In addition, Qu-SB offers two solutions for personal monitoring: via the Qu-You iPhone app or using ME-1 personal mixers. Other attributes include automatic mic mixing, footswitch controls and the iLive FX suite.
