Allen and Heath ZED-18 USB Mixer, 18-Channel

Get Allen & Heath quality in a compact, rugged rackmountable mixer with 18 channels, 10 mic preamps, 2-channel USB I/O, and 3-band EQ with sweepable mids.

The Allen and Heath ZED-18 has an incredibly advanced feature-set for a mixer at this level -- it gives musicians, venues and hire companies access to 10 full mono channels and 4 stereo channels in a compact, rack mountable format. Configurable USB audio in/out makes it easy to capture stereo recordings.

USB audio flexibility

Getting audio to and from a computer easily is now a common requirement for live sound and music production. The way this has been implemented on ZED is super-flexible and super-easy! No longer do you need to fiddle around the back of your PC to get to the soundcard inputs, only to find that the levels are all wrong and noisy. Just plug in a USB lead to your ZED, select the USB routing on the mixer and the device on your computer and that's it! CD quality audio to and from your PC or Mac.

Watch Hart Sawyer recording vocals, keyboard, acoustic and electric guitars directly into her A&H ZED series mixer:


MusiQ

ZED-18 features a responsive 3-band, swept mid frequency EQ design which utilizes MusiQ - with optimized slope (or Q factor) for equalizing individual instruments.

DuoPre

Based on the proven pre-amps from the hugely successful PA series, ZED-18 has DuoPre pre-amps, which use a two stage design, with carefully controlled amounts of gain in each stage. When amplifying the signal from the XLR input, the gain range is huge - 69dB of range to be exact - and is very evenly distributed around the gain control, meaning better control of read more signal level. Most of the gain comes from the first stage, so unwanted noise is kept to a minimum. Line level signals are simply plugged into the second stage of the pre-amp by using the line input jack socket, which has the great advantage of less noise when using the line input and also matching to a higher input impedance.

SONAR X1 LE - Provided Free!

Allen & Heath has included Cakewalk SONAR X1 LE with ZED-18 so you can immediately start to use it to create your own music - just add a PC and it couldn't be easier to get going. You'll be able to record from your ZED mixer, create tracks and arrange songs, then play back to ZED via the USB port. You can use SONAR X1 LE and your ZED mixer together in many ways - e.g. straightforward recording of a stereo mix, recording tracks individually to build up a song, or using the USB port and software as an effects loop.

Key Features

- Powered by SONAR X1
- 32 audio tracks
- 64 MIDI tracks
- 8 simultaneous inputs and outputs
- 24-bit/96 kHz audio quality
- 24 simultaneous effects
- 8 simultaneous virtual instruments

Features:

- 10 mono channels
- Neutrik mic XLR
- Neutrik 1/4" jacks
- Channel insert
- Super wide gain 'DuoPre' mic line input
- 3 band EQ with MusiQ
- 4 auxes
- Illuminated mute
- Sound image pan
- Illuminated PFL & peak warning indicator
- ALPS 100mm faders
- 4 stereo channels with 2-band EQ
- Stereo returns & playback
- All inputs with level control
- 12 bar meters
- Mono/stereo function on auxes 1&2
- Monitor output section
- Alt stereo output source
- Configurable USB stereo audio in/out
- Global +48V phantom power
- Cakewalk SONAR LE bundled with mixer
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Input Operating Levels:
- Mono channel (XLR) Input: +6 to -63dBu for nominal (+17dBu in max)
- Mono channel Line Input (Jack socket) : +10 to -26dBu (+30dBu maximum)
- Insert point (TRS Jack socket) : 0dBu nominal +21dBu maximum
- Stereo Input (Jack sockets) : 0dBu nominal (control = Off to +10dB)
- Stereo input (phono sockets) : 0dBu nominal (control = Off to +10dB)

Output Operating Levels
- L, R & Mono Outputs (L&R XLR, Mono Jack): 0dBu nominal. +21dBu maximum
- Aux Outputs (Jack sockets): 0dBu nominal. +21dBu maximum
- Alt Outputs (phono sockets): 0dBu nominal. +21dBu maximum
- Rec Outputs (phono sockets): 0dBu nominal. +21dBu maximum

Frequency Response
- Mic in to Mix L/R Out, 30dB gain: +0.5/-1dB 20Hz to 20kHz.
- Line in to Mix L/R out 0dB gain: +0.5/-1dB 10Hz to 30kHz
- Stereo in to Mix L/R out: +0.5/-1dB 10Hz to 30kHz
THD+n- Mic in to Mix L/R Out, 0dB gain 1kHz +10dBu out: 0.004%
- Mic in to Mix L/R Out, 30dB gain 1kHz: 0.014%
- Line in to Mix L/R out 0dB gain 0dBu 1kHz: 0.005%
- Stereo in to Mix L/R out 0dB gain +10dBu 1kHz: 0.003%

Headroom
- Analogue Headroom from nominal (0Vu): 21dB
- USB in & out headroom from nominal (0Vu): 14dB
USB Audio CODEC (Coder/Decoder)- USB Audio In/Out: USB 1.1 compliant 16bit
- Sample Rate: 32, 44.1, or 48kHz
Noise- Mic Pre EIN @ max gain 150R input Z 22-22kHz: -127dBu
- Mix L/R out, L/R faders = 0, 22-22kHz ZED-14: -88dBu
- Mix L/R out, L/R faders = 0, 22-22kHz ZED-18: -86dBu
- Mix L/R out, L/R faders = 0, 22-22kHz ZED-24: -84dBu

- Dimensions: 18.3" x 18.3" x 3.85"
Dimensions and Weight in Packaging
Base Item
Shipping Weight: 25.75 lbs
Shipping Dimensions: 27 x 24 x 11 in
Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): AH-ZED18

For support or warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer:
Phone: 800-431-2609
Web: https://www.allen-heath.com/support/

Reviewers gave this product an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars. (2 ratings)
Submitted September 24, 2014 by Tin A in South Florida, FL

"Great mixer"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
This is the first time I have had my hands on A and H products and I have to say, very nice. It is well built, the pots feel good, connectors are high quality units with good hold. Sound is nice and transparent. I use an off board preamp so my mics go right into line in on the channels, however I did test out the full potential of the pre's and I say very nice. Lot of gain, little to no noise. Board is well designed, easy for me to see even though there is a lot packed on it in a small space, for what it does. I have not tried the USB part of it, that was an option that I did not need so I can not say as to it's usability. I am using 2 Blue Bluebirds and a Woodpecker with ART preamp, leveler, and eq. High end, transparent, natural sound does not cost a fortune to achieve if you know the best place for your pieces. I recommend A and H and if I upgrade a mixer in the future, it will be them.

Musical Background:

25 year musician, play all orchestral string instruments as well as a variety of others. If I need it, I learn it.

Musical Style:

Style is rough, so time and examples is better: Bjork, Lesiem, Diamanda Galas, Buck Tick, Aimee Mann, Samael. Anything actually
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