By Michael Lawrence
By now, I think twice before agreeing to review any new Allen & Heath products. The problem (although I doubt the manufacturer would characterize it as such) is that after completing the product demos, I keep buying them (see: SQ, Avantis, CQ, AHM). As such, when I was asked if I would look at the new Qu series entries, what I heard in my head was “do I need another console?”
Most of us likely remember the original Qu series (the Qu-16, 24, and 32), which offered a gentle transition for first-time digital console users, with 1:1 IO patching and an accessible surface layout. Now, Allen & Heath has released a new generation of the Qu series, consisting of six models: the Qu-5, 6 and 7, with or without a “D” suffix, indicating Dante capability.
Like its siblings in the SQ series, all entries in the Qu series share the same processing capability under the hood, with the primary differences between sizes being the number of onboard IO and faders. All Qu models offer the same 38 inputs to mix, 12 mix buses, four matrices, and six stereo effects engines, with Allen & Heath’s proprietary SLink port offering 128 x 128 IO to its full line of stage boxes and, of course, other consoles, plus a 32 x 32 USB audio interface.
Read the full review at www.prosoundweb.com
