Allen & Heath QU-24C

Allen & Heath QU-24C - Digital Mixing Reshaped!

In a new, fully featured Chrome Edition, the QU-24C redefines digital mixing, combining innovative design with exceptional functionality to deliver an outstanding, professional mixing experience. Packed with all the features you'd expect from a top-tier digital console, and drawing on the technology of the GLD and iLive digital mixing systems, the QU-24C has the power and pedigree to deliver first-class audio performance.

Features of the Qu series include multitrack recording directly to USB, automatic mic mixing, ProFactory mic presets and a growing ecosystem of apps, accessories and remote I/O.

Whether you're switching from analog gear or upgrading your digital desk, it's time to experience the new standard in digital mixing with the QU-24C!

QU Ecosystem

The Qu offers far more than a typical mixer. It provides a complete ecosystem with remote AudioRacks that let I/O be placed wherever they're needed. ME Personal Mixers expand monitor mixes and enable simple, time-saving local control; Qu apps provide full remote setup and wireless mixing onstage or elsewhere; ProFactory mic presets speed up prep time and ensure the best possible sound, plus USB recording and DAW integration deliver powerful workflow optimization from a single central device.

AnalogiQ TM Preamps

The QU-24C features 24 digitally controlled AnalogiQ TM preamps with advanced zero-crossing detection and a padless 1 dB-step gain stage tightly integrated with the DSP to achieve precise gain accuracy and audio transparency. The analog signal is captured by high-quality, low-latency 24-bit analog-to-digital converters and returned by 24-bit digital-to-analog converters to deliver the required high quality. The AnalogiQ TM preamp design has been refined to offer outstanding transparency, minimal distortion and an extremely low noise floor with a warm, musical character often missing from some digital consoles.

The Mixing Experience

Raw processing power and advanced features mean nothing if you can't get to the controls you need instantly. The true-color 800 x 480 touchscreen and its rotary encoder form the heart of the QU-24C interface, giving ultra-fast access to all settings and parameters. Dedicated buttons and screen tabs take you straight to meter and RTA views, FX racks, channel editing, USB audio control, scenes, setup menus and more. The touchscreen is complemented by the SuperStrip — a row of single-function controls for immediate access to gain, HPF, 4-band PEQ, gate, compressor, GEQ and pan. The on-screen overview also follows the control you're currently turning.

One Channel - One Fader

The QU-24C provides one fader per mono input channel and a couple of fader layers for a simpler, faster workflow. Some digital mixers don’t offer a dedicated physical fader per input, forcing you to switch to additional fader layers to control those channels — which can be confusing and time-consuming. With each mic input having its own dedicated fader for quick and easy control, the QU-24C is the ideal mixer for first-time analog-to-digital conversions and for users who don’t want to work across multiple fader layers.

Digital Memory

True digital mixing means saving and recalling scenes or snapshots at the push of a button. The Qu can store up to 100 complete scenes for recall to protect channels or mixes from accidental overwrite. The QU-24C also features 25 motorized ALPS faders, 24 of which provide instant access to all input channels and masters across two layers; the remaining fader is the dedicated master fader and dynamically follows the selected mix. A third custom layer is available for the ad-hoc strip layout and can be assigned any combination of inputs, FX sends, FX returns, DCAs and mix masters.

Rack FX

The dynamics and FX algorithms in the QU-24C are derived from those used in Allen & Heath’s pro touring consoles. Some of the world's most respected live engineers choose RackFX on tour instead of top-end plug-ins and external FX units. The QU-24C offers 4 stereo RackFX engines with carefully crafted emulations — from legendary classic reverbs, gated reverbs and delays to modulators, flangers and more. Effects are returned to the mix on dedicated return channels, so you don't have to tie up your mono and stereo input channels. Each stereo FX return has a dedicated 4-band PEQ.

Groups

The QU-24C offers 4 stereo groups that can be used as subgroups for the LR main mix to group and process — for example to compress an entire drum kit or tame multiple lavalier mics with a single graphic EQ. Groups can also be switched to Mix Mode to provide extra outputs for monitor mixes.

The Matrix

The QU-24C adds 2 further stereo matrix outputs, fully processed and available across the console's extensive I/O. A matrix is a "mixer within a mixer", fed from any combination of Group 1-4, Mix 1-10 and Main LR. It can be used to create a broadcast feed, a recording mix or main outputs for delay stacks, fill or zone speakers where independent GEQ and delay can be applied.

The QU-Drive

The QU-24C features an integrated multitrack USB recorder that provides 18-channel 48 kHz, 24-bit recording and playback directly to and from your USB stick or hard drive. Capturing multitrack recordings has never been easier. A selectable stereo pair can be recorded alongside the 16 mono channels, and multitrack audio can be played back to the 16 mono inputs plus ST1. QU-Drive also offers a stereo recording that can be patched from any mix output — from the Main LR (pre, post or summed-to-mono) or even from the PAFL bus — with 2-track stereo playback to ST3.

Automatic Mic Mixer (AMM)

AMM is essential for applications like conferences, meetings and panel discussions where multiple microphones are open at once. The automatic mic mixer reduces background noise and minimizes the risk of feedback. It helps the engineer manage levels of multiple mic inputs and ensures each speaker's contribution is heard clearly. The D-Classic Dynamic Gain Sharing algorithm is inspired by industry-standard automixers. Up to 16 mic sources can be mixed simultaneously, with each channel given a priority setting that determines its "weight" in the overall system gain.

Mac OS and Windows DAW Integration

The built-in audio interface of the QU-24C streams up to 32 selectable tracks to your Mac or PC. Returns from the computer can be assigned easily to input channels. The interface is class-compliant on Mac OS X for true plug-and-play and is immediately recognized by any DAW that supports Core Audio, including Logic, Cubase, Reaper and Pro Tools. An ASIO and WDM compatible driver is available for Windows. Standard MIDI control is tunneled over the USB connection so you can map the faders to the tracks of your favorite DAW. A driver for DAW control is available to simplify setup and emulate HUI or Mackie Control protocols on Mac OS X and Windows systems.

dSNAKE Remote Audio Racks

The QU-24C is a self-contained console, so you're well covered if you already have analog multicore. But if you want to turn that copper multicore into a Cat5 digital snake, the built-in dSNAKE port gives you a future-proof link to a remote AB168, AR2412 or AR84 stagebox. dSNAKE is our proprietary network solution with just 105 µs transmission latency over cable runs of up to 120 m / 390'. So if you want to mix FoH, you can put your I/O on stage and run a single Cat5 cable back to the QU-24C at the mixing position.

ME - Your Personal Mixing System

The QU-24C is fully compatible with our ME Personal Mixing System. The ME-1 expands available monitor mixes and gives each performer control over their own mix, allowing the engineer to focus on the audience. Any number of ME-1 personal mixers can be daisy-chained via the dSNAKE connector (or via an AR2412 or AB168 stagebox connected to the dSNAKE port).

Digital Mixing Reshaped

The distinctive chassis of cold-rolled 18-gauge Zintec steel is engineered for strength and durability. We've put it through rigorous testing, thrown it around and even run a tank over it — this console simply takes everything in its stride.

Silence is precious in a live or studio environment, so you don't want anything to spoil those moments from the mix position. The Qu's sleek profile creates optimal airflow through the mixer so no extra fans are required.

Equipped With Everything You Need

The QU-24C is equipped with 5 high-efficiency ARM core processors. The ARM cores deliver state-of-the-art processing and run in parallel to provide comprehensive control, instant operation and lightning-fast response for the dedicated cores that power the touchscreen and surface, USB streaming and Qu-Drive multichannel recording/playback, Ethernet control and fader automation. The mixer's DSP farm uses next-generation dual-core DSPs and provides 10 DSP cores, 8 of which are dedicated exclusively to channel and mix processing. The QU-24C DSP architecture uses different bit depths tailored to specific algorithms. With 48-bit processing for critical EQ functions and a 56-bit accumulator on the mix bus — where it really matters — every nuance of the audio can be preserved in the final mix.

Get Ready — The Future Starts Now!