Allen & Heath SQ6+ Digital Mixer

Overview

The Allen & Heath SQ6+ is the mid-size console in the SQ+ range and the one most engineers reach for when they want serious hands-on control without a flight case the size of a fridge. It carries 25 motorised faders, 24 XLR mic preamps, 16 SoftKeys and four SoftRotaries, so a full band or a theatre show can be mixed from local inputs alone, with 128 x 128 SLink and a 64 x 64 I/O Port ready when the stage box or Dante network arrives.

Under the surface is the same 96 kHz XCVI core as every SQ, running 48 channels, 12 stereo mixes plus LR and six matrices with less than 0.7 ms of latency. It suits touring bands, theatres, medium-size churches and installed venues covering both FOH and monitors.

Highlights

• 48 channels, 44 busses, 25 motorised faders, 16 SoftKeys and 4 SoftRotaries
• 24 XLR mic/line inputs and 14 XLR outputs on board, plus AES3 digital out
• 96 kHz XCVI core with under 0.7 ms latency and DEEP processing on every channel
• New 9 inch touchscreen with dark GUI, up from 7 inches on the SQ-6
• 12 FX engines: 4 x RackUltra from dLive plus 8 x RackExtra
• PlusPack included with registration, unlocking every DEEP and RackExtra add-on
• 128 x 128 SLink plus a 64 x 64 I/O Port for Dante, Waves, MADI or a second SLink
• 32 x 32 USB interface and SQ-Drive recording, 15.15 kg, 2 year warranty

Under the hood

The plus generation keeps everything that made the SQ-6 a fixture at front of house and in monitor world, then adds to it. The 7 inch screen has grown to a 9 inch capacitive touchscreen behind flush glass, with a new dark interface and colour-coded patching. Four RackUltra FX engines from dLive join the existing eight RackExtra engines, with dedicated stereo sends and returns for reverbs, vocal tuning, pitch and harmony, amp modelling and saturation. Extra DSP headroom unlocks three DEEP add-ons previously limited to dLive and Avantis: CompStortion, Source Expander and Dual Threshold Expander. Register the mixer and the PlusPack unlocks every existing DEEP and RackExtra add-on at no charge.

I/O and connectivity

The rear panel carries 24 recallable XLR mic/line preamps, three stereo line inputs, a talkback input, 14 XLR outputs, two TRS outputs and an AES3 digital output. The 128 x 128 SLink port connects DX168, DX32 or GX4816 stage boxes, and the 64 x 64 I/O Port takes a Dante, Waves, MADI or SLink card. A 32 x 32 USB-B interface and SQ-Drive multitrack recording cover virtual soundcheck and live capture. Free SQ+ MixPad and SQ+ 4You apps add wireless mixing and up to eight personal monitor mixes.

Built on an all-metal chassis in the new carbon on graphite finish and backed by a two year manufacturer warranty. Forefront Productions can demo, install and support the SQ6+ for venues, churches and production companies across Australia.

Specifications