Allen & Heath ZED-6 – Ultra Compact 6-Input Audio Mixer (AH-ZED-6)

High Quality Portable Pro Sound Mixer! 2 XLR / 1/4 inch inputs. 2 stereo 1/4 inch (L & R) inputs and 2 XLR outputs. 4 Headphone Cues & output. +48V. I rented the same model locally a few times, loved it & Now Own one! My 2 Shure Mics sound way better using this little Zed6 mixer than running mics straight through my Pioneer DJ Controllers. It has a thick power cord instead of a thin flimsy USB power cord like other similar priced & sized mixers I’ve bought and returned on Amazon. Tested it today and sounded great with my brand new QSC k12.2 speakers. Will update review if any issues arise.

Its a great mixer. I've been using it for a while and totally forgot what the hateful hiss of the cheaper mixers is like.

I have a more dedicated project studio downstairs, but I wanted something decent for my office setup as well. Being a bit old school, I was excited to add a small mixer between my M1 MacBook/Motu M4 interface and Presonus Eris monitors. I was hoping for more versatility and control over random inputs I might want to experiment with. However, after a bit of back-and-forth testing, it became obvious that the signal sounded significantly better coming straight from the Motu—whether through the headphone jack or stereo outs. Both the speakers and headphones (AKG 701s) lost definition when routed through the mixer, even with the EQ set to flat. The EQ itself was unimpressive, and the headphone jack was particularly disappointing. While it’s been some time since I returned the mixer, I distinctly recall that it lost too much of the soundstage, making the listening experience underwhelming. I wouldn’t recommend this mixer if you’ve got a bit of experience with audio and are picky about sound quality. It’s been years since I worked in a music studio or audio QA (I’m a ceramic artist now!), and while I’m not a hardcore audiophile, I do expect a certain baseline experience, even for casual use. In the end, all I needed was the interface, despite my fondness for mixers. I’m honestly blown away by how good the Motu M4 and the Presonus monitors turned out to be. Unlike some other brands (A&H comes to mind), these companies haven't been bought out, which I think helps maintain their quality (No recouping buyout expenses, perhaps).

I've always liked Allen & Heath, and this model was seemingly custom-made for my needs. In particular, the compact size, the two mic inputs that each can alternatively act as high-Z input for an instrument, and with additional line-level mixing capability. Most traditional full-feature mixer functions are here in a small, easy to use package. I love it. As with any quality mixer, pay attention to your gain staging. On the ZED-6, you have input gain, mix gain, master mix gain, and if you are listening with headphones, that has a separate volume control. Setting these gain stages out of balance will raise distortion or noise. The ZED-6 has a handy solo feature that facilitates optimal setting of the input gain, perhaps the most critical in the sequence.

Only issue I had with this is that the only out is 2 XLR cords instead of a 1/4th out or a RCA out. Otherwise sound quality is sweet out of the headphone out. But going into my computer their is a slight hiss, most likely an issue on my end.

A&H is so far ahead of all the mass market products. Even with their low price point products they never compromise the sound. Outstanding!

Awesome little board...I should have gone with the onboard effects however. Oh well.

Allen and heath is the best out their

Finalmente ho trovato, dopo vari tentativi e prove, il mixer perfetto per il mio duo voce/violino elettrico 5 corde/basi midi arrangiate. Ottimi preamp, ottimo suono, piccolo leggero e facilmente trasportabile, ottime le due uscite XLR per le casse. Grandissimo punto a favore è il tastino grigio sotto ad ogni canale che permette di assegnare a propria scelta i canali da mettere in cuffia monitor, veramente comodissimo e pratico! Io ho preso quello senza effetti perché sia la mia compagna con la voce sia io col violino abbiamo già ciascuno i propri pedali effetti. Lo consiglio vivamente tutti i musicisti che suonano in duo, massimo in trio. Per gruppi più grandi esiste la stessa serie ma con più canali.

Es una buena mezcladora, compacta y muy profesional.

Great little mixer at a good price . DJ Stu

Qué se puede decir de la marca...??? Excelente. Esta mezcladora, aunque compacta, es poderosa. Excelente rendimiento y prestaciones, al nivel d elas grandes... 100% recomendable...!!!

Ya van 2 piezas que adquiero y siempre tienen la calidad que he buscado