Qu-Pac is the newest member of the Allen & Heath Qu-series. It’s a compact rack-mountable mixer with no faders – instead all functions are accessed onboard via a touch screen and parameter knob, or it can be controlled remotely via an iPad. Qu-Pac offers 38 inputs and 28 outputs.
It also includes a built-in multi-track USB recorder called Qu-Drive that provides 18 channels of 48 kHz recording and playback from a USB hard drive.
Individual channels, mixes and FX returns can be recorded and multi-track audio can be played back for mixing or virtual sound checks.
An independent set of controls is provided for quick stereo recording of the main LR or other mix outputs, and a two-track USB return can be routed to ST3 for playback of stereo WAV files such as walk-in music.
Staying in the realm of recent rack-mount mixers, the DL32R, a 32-input model that can be completely controlled wirelessly from the Master Fader app, is a recent entry from Mackie.
All of the inputs (24 XLR, eight XLR/TRS combo) have Onyx+ recallable mic preamps, with remote control over preamp gain and phantom power.
The DL32R provides two methods for multi-track recording and playback. The first is direct to USB hard drive, which is currently a 48 kHz, 24-bit, 32 x 32 platform.
Mackie DL32R
An additional USB 2.0 computer audio interface is available for 32 x 32 recording and playback that can directly connect with any DAW.
Options expanded further last spring with the introduction of a DL Dante expansion card providing 32 x 32 of network audio I/O, allowing the DL32R to be connected to any Dante network.
The DiGiCo S21, a compact console that debuted earlier this year, offers 21 faders and two large touch screens on its surface. With 40 flexi (stereo or mono) input channels, 16 flexi buses plus a 10 x 8 matrix, this desk packs a wallop.
A pair of DMI (DiGiCo Multichannel Interface) card slots can accept optional Dante, MADI, Optocore and Hydra 2 digital network cards, allowing a wide range of interface and recording options. Onboard integrated USB2 audio I/O is also provided, facilitating recording and play back of up to 48 channels.
DiGiCo S21
Another recent DiGiCo offering is the Orange Box interface. A rack-mount box, it has two DMI slots that accept any of the 10 available interface cards to convert from one format to another, which is handy for interfacing a console with a recording unit or DAW.
While the QSC TouchMix-8 and TouchMix-16 offer lower input counts, they provide capabilities of larger consoles in a highly compact form factor. Adjusting faders or parameters is accomplished via a nicely sized onboard color touch screen or using the remote TouchMix control software with an Android or IOS tablet or phone.
Wizards and a “simple” mode helps inexperienced users operate the mixer, while knowledgeable techs can access all parameters if they choose. Capturing a live performance to multi-track is very easy. All inputs plus a stereo mix can be recorded directly to USB hard-drive. Mix-down can be accomplished on the TouchMix or tracks can be imported to a DAW.