ALLEN HEATH ZED-14 Channel Touring Quality Mixer User Guide

USER GUIDE
Publication AP6822 ZED-14 Channel Touring Quality Mixer

Warranty

Limited One Year Warranty
This product is warranted to be free from defects in materials or workmanship for period of one year from the date of purchase by the original owner.
To ensure a high level of performance and reliability for which this equipment has been designed and manufactured, read this User Guide before operating. In the event of a failure, notify and return the defective unit to ALLEN & HEATH Limited or its authorised agent as soon as possible for repair under warranty subject to the following conditions
Conditions Of Warranty
The equipment has been installed and operated in accordance with the instructions in this User Guide.
The equipment has not been subject to misuse either intended or accidental, neglect, or alteration other than as described in the User Guide or Service Manual, or approved by ALLEN & HEATH.
Any necessary adjustment, alteration or repair has been carried out by ALLEN & HEATH or its authorised agent.
This warranty does not cover fader wear and tear.
The defective unit is to be returned carriage prepaid to ALLEN & HEATH or its authorised agent with proof of purchase.
Units returned should be packed to avoid transit damage.
In certain territories the terms may vary. Check with your ALLEN & HEATH agent for any additional warranty which may apply.
This product complies with the European Electro magnetic Compatibility directive 2004/108/EC and the European Low Voltage Directive 2006/95/EC.
This product has been tested to EN55103 Parts 1 & 2 1996 for use in Environments E1, E2, E3, and E4 to demonstrate compliance with the protection requirements in the European EMC directive 2004/108/EC.
During some tests the specified performance figures of the product were affected. This is considered permissible and the product has been passed as acceptable for its intended use. Allen & Heath has a strict policy of ensuring all products are tested to the latest safety and EMC standards. Customers requiring more information about EMC and safety issues can contact Allen & Heath.
NOTE: Any changes or modifications to the console not approved by Allen & Heath could void the compliance of the console and therefore the users authority to operate it.
ZED-14, 18 & 24 User Guide AP6822 Issue 5
Copyright © 2007 Allen & Heath Limited. All rights reserved
Allen & Heath Limited
Kernick Industrial Estate, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9LU, UK
http://www.allen-heath.com

PACKED ITEMS

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

WARNINGS – Read the following before proceeding :
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN
ATTENTION: RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE – NE PAS OUVRIR
Read instructions: Retain these safety and operating instructions for future reference. Adhere to all warnings printed here and on the console. Follow the operating instructions printed in this User Guide.
Do not remove cover: Operate the console with its covers correctly fitted.
Power sources: Connect the console to a mains power unit only of the type described in this User Guide and marked on the rear panel. Use the power cord with sealed mains plug appropriate for your local mains supply as provided with the console. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet consult your service agent for assistance.
Power cord routing: Route the power cord so that it is not likely to be walked on, stretched or pinched by items placed upon or against it.
Grounding: Do not defeat the grounding and polarisation means of the power cord plug. Do not remove or tamper with the ground connection in the power cord.
WARNING: This equipment must be earthed.
Water and moisture: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock do not expose the console to rain or moisture or use it in damp or wet conditions. Do not place containers of liquids on it which might spill into any openings.
Ventilation: Do not obstruct the ventilation slots or position the console where the air flow required for ventilation is impeded. If the console is to be operated in a rack unit or flightcase ensure that it is constructed to allow adequate ventilation.
Heat and vibration: Do not locate the console in a place subject to excessive heat or direct sunlight as this could be a fire hazard. Locate the console away from any equipment which produces heat or causes excessive vi-bration.
Servicing: Switch off the equipment and unplug the power cord immediately if it is exposed to moisture, spilled liquid, objects fallen into the openings, the power cord or plug become damaged, during lightning storms, or if smoke, odour or noise is noticed. Refer servicing to qualified technical personnel only.
Installation: Install the console in accordance with the instructions printed in this User Guide. Do not connect the output of power amplifiers directly to the console. Use audio connectors and plugs only for their intended purpose.

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Important Mains plug wiring instructions
The console is supplied with a moulded mains plug fitted to the AC mains power lead. Follow the instructions below if the mains plug has to be replaced. The wires in the mains lead are coloured in accordance with the following code:

The wire which is coloured Green and Yellow must be connected to the terminal in the plug which is marked with the letter E or with the Earth symbol. This appliance must be earthed.
The wire which is coloured Blue must be connected to the terminal in the plug which is marked with the letter N.
The wire which is coloured Brown must be connected to the terminal in the plug which is marked with the letter L.
Ensure that these colour codes are followed carefully in the event of the plug being changed.

General Precautions:

Damage :|  To prevent damage to the controls and cosmetics avoid placing heavy objects on the control surface, scratching the surface with sharp objects, or rough handling and vibration.
---|---
Environment :|  Protect from excessive dirt, dust, heat and vibration when operating and storing.
Avoid tobacco ash, smoke, drinks spillage, and exposure to rain and moisture.
If the console becomes wet, switch off and remove mains power immediately. Allow to dry out thoroughly before using again.
Cleaning :|  Avoid the use of chemicals, abrasives or solvents. The control panel is best cleaned with a soft brush and dry lint-free cloth. The faders, switches and potentiometers are lubricated for life. The use of electrical lubricants on these  parts is not recommended.  The fader and potentiometer knobs may be removed for cleaning with a warm soapy solution.  Rinse and allow to dry fully before refitting them.
Transporting :|  The console may be transported as a free-standing unit or mounted in a rack or flightcase.  Protect the controls from damage during transit.  Use adequate packing if you need to ship the unit.
|  To avoid damage to your hearing do not operate any sound system at excessively high volume.  This applies particularly to close-to-ear monitoring such as headphones and in-ear systems.  Continued exposure to high volume sound can cause frequency selective or wide range hearing loss.

CONTENTS

Thank you for purchasing your Allen & Heath ZED mixer. To ensure that you get the maximum benefit from the unit please spare a few minutes familiarizing yourself with the controls and setup procedures outlined in this user guide. For further information please refer to the additional information available on our web site, or contact our technical support team.
http://www.allen-heath.com
http://www.allen-heath.com/zed
http://www.myspace.com/thezedspace

PANEL DRAWINGS

INTRODUCTION TO THE ZED-14 & 24

The following is a technical overview of ZED, if you want to, please skip to the next section.
The Allen & Heath ZED series mixers have been carefully and lovingly designed in the beautiful county of Cornwall in the UK and is manufactured alongside a wide range of professional audio mixing consoles. Many of the components used in ZED are exactly the same as in the larger Allen & Heath products and the construction methods are also very similar — utilising individual vertically mounted channel circuit boards with each rotary control fixed with a metal nut to the front panel. This provides a very robust product that will resist damage and give years of reliable use. It also makes servicing much easier should it be required, with the ability to remove one particular channel from the mixer at a time, or easily change a fader.
The audio circuitry is based on years of continual development and refinement , the performance of all the elements within the mixer scrutinised and perfected to ensure the very best sound quality possible.
Multi-application:
ZED’s are great for live mixing! Their layout makes them very easy to use and the 100mm faders give much better control of the mix compared to most products at a similar price.
They are also great for recording, either a live show or an audio project at home can be built up track by track and studio monitor speakers can be fed from the Alt Outputs.
ZED mixers are also ideal for teaching establishments, houses of worship, hotels and conference centres where their ease of use and robust qualities make them a top choice.
Mic/Line Pre-amps:
Based on the pre-amps from the PA series, the ZED-14, 18 & 24 pre-amps 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 signal level. Most of the gain comes from the first stage, so unwanted noise is kept to a minimum. There is no “pad” switch, or pad circuit — line level signals are simply plugged into the second stage of the pre-amp by using the line input jack socket. This has the great advantage of lower noise when using the line input. (It is common to attenuate line level signals, the amplify them back up again which can give more noise or hiss).
EQ:
The ZED series mixers are equipped with a 3-band equaliser circuit on each mono input and a 2-band EQ on the stereo channels.
The frequency and response of each has been carefully chosen to give the maximum performance when using the EQ on a variety of sources.
AUX system:
Four auxiliary buses are provided, two pre-fade and two post fader. Auxes 1 & 2 have master level controls. The auxes can be sent to the USB output for either recording or effects purposes and Auxes 1 & 2 can be configured as a stereo pair, with sends on the stereo channels switched either mono or stereo.
Mono and Stereo Channels:
One of the great things about the ZED series is the number and variety of things you can plug in. In addition to the mono channels there are four stereo channels, each with a main stereo input on jack sockets, three of them have the ability to take additional stereo inputs from phono sockets or from the USB audio input, flexibility gives you control.
USB:
Getting audio to and from a computer easily is now a common requirement for live sound and music production. The way we have implemented this on ZED is super-flexible and super-easy! No longer do you need to fiddle around the back of your computer 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! Quality audio to and from your PC or MAC.
As you can tell, we’re very proud of this product we hope you like it too.

SPECIFICATIONS

Operating Levels

Input|
Mono channel (XLR) Input| +6 to -63dBu for nominal (+ I7dBu in max)
Mono channel Line Input (Jack socket)| +10 to -26dBu (+30dBu maximum)
Insert point (TM Jack socket)| OdBu nominal +21 dBu maximum
Stereo Input Qack sockets)| OdBu nominal (control = Off to +10dB)
Stereo input (phono sockets)| OdBu nominal (control = Off to +10dB)
Output|
I., R & Mono Outputs (L&R XLR, Mono Jack)| OdBu nominal. +2I dBu maximum.
Aux Outputs Qack sockets)| OdBu nominal. +2IdBu maximum.
Alt Outputs (phono sockets)| OdBu nominal. +21 dBu maximum.
Rec Outputs (phono sockets)| OdBu nominal. +2IdBu maximum.
Frequency Response

Mic in to Mix UR Out 30dB gain| +OSA I dB 20Hz to 20kHz.
Line in to Mix UR out 0dB pin| 403/- I dB 10Hz to 30kHz
Stereo in to Mix UR out| +0.5/-I dB 10Hz to 30kHz
TFID+n

Mic in to Mix UR Out 0dB gain !kHz +10dBu out| 0.004%
Mic in to Mix UR Out, 30dB gain I kIt| 0.014%
Line in to Mix UR out 0dB gain OdBu I kHz| 0.005%
Stereo in to Mix UR out 0dB gain + 10dBu IkHz| 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 ISOR input Z 22-22kHz| -127dBu
Mix UR out, UR faders = 0, 22-22kHz ZED- I4| -88dBu
Mix UR out, UR faders = 0, 22-22kHz ZED- I8| -86dBu
Mix UR out, UR faders = 0, 22-22kHz ZED-24| -84dBu

Dimensions

Weight

| Unpacked| Packed
ZED-14| 6.5kg   (14.3 lb)| 10.5kg (23.1 lb)
ZED-18| 8.5kg   (18.7 lb)| 13kg  (28.6 lb)
ZED-24| 10.5kg   (23.1 lb)| 15kg (33 lb)

19” Rack kit for the ZED-14 – Order part number: ZED1402-RK19
19” Rack kit for the ZED-18 – Order part number: ZED1802-RK19

BLOCK DIAGRAM

MONO INPUT CHANNEL

STEREO INPUT CHANNEL ST1

STEREO INPUT CHANNELS ST2, 3 & 4 & USB

MASTER SECTION

USB & MASTER SECTION

USB CONNECTION

USB Audio Interface
The ZED is equipped with a stereo bi-directional USB 1.1 compliant audio CODEC. It is fully compliant with USB 2 ports and uses standard Windows and MAC Core Audio Drivers. In other words, plug it in and your computer will find it and be able to transfer audio to and from the ZED USB device.
You will need some form of audio software running on your computer to be able to record and play back what you record, but on a basic level, you can use your computers media player to play straight to the ZED device. Just a couple of points to look out for:
Windows XP/Vista: When you plug in your ZED USB interface to your computer, if the volume level is low or inaudible, check the device volume in control panel/Sounds and Audio Devices/Volume. Set the volume to High.
Windows 7: At present, Windows 7 treats the USB audio device as a microphone source instead if a line input, so set the device volume level much lower, we found setting to 3 is ideal.
If you want to reduce latency (delay) there are some different drivers available for your operating system. Please check the Allen & Heath website www.allen-heath.com for details and links to third party companies able to supply appropriate drivers for your operating system.

cakewalk SONAR X1 LE
DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATION
SONAR X1 LE Overview.
SONAR X1 LE is a software application from Cakewalk and is included free of charge with your new ZED mixing console.
SONAR X1 LE is a powerful first step into the world of sequencing and hard disk recording on the Windows platform. You’ll be able to record from your ZED mixer, create tracks and arrange songs, then play back to your ZED mixer via the USB port. You can decide whether the SONAR family of products is right for you. If you choose to upgrade your copy of SONAR X1 LE to a more full-featured version, like SONAR X1 Producer, you’ll now be able to do so at significant savings.
We will describe the basic steps of installing the software and getting started here, for more comprehensive help or technical support please use the Help files in SONAR X1 LE or visit the SONAR LE website:
www.cakewalk.com/Products/SONARLE/

The website will have details on registering your product and upgrading it should you wish. There are also tutorials to get you started.

SONAR X1 LE 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
• Integrated VST/VSTi support
• Support for ACID™-format loops
• Support for ReWire clients such as Live or Reason
• Active Controller Technology™ automatically maps MIDI keyboards and control surfaces to the parameters you need most on effects, instruments, volume, pan, and other mix elements
• Edit MIDI directly from the Track View with the Inline Piano Roll View.
• Support for 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP operating systems

SONAR LE Installation.

Put disk into CD or DVD ROM drive and follow instructions on screen.
Register your copy of SONAR LE by accessing the Cakewalk website. Your SONAR LE software will display its unique serial number. If the installing computer has access to the internet just click “Register”, if not, use a different computer to access cakewalk.com and register by typing in the serial number.

SONAR LE will run automatically after installation, or else click the icon created on the desktop.
To initially configure SONAR X1 LE with ZED:
Create a normal Cakewalk project (an option offered when starting SONAR).
In Edit/Preferences configure the I/O—enable the USB Audio CODEC under Devices. This is the ZED interface.
For now, disable any other devices listed, for example the computer’s internal soundcard listed here.
In SONAR X1 LE different views are available. The Track view shows audio and MIDI tracks in a timeline aspect and the Console view shows a mixer style layout. Different views can be displayed by the “dock” tabs at the bottom of the screen. On the left is the Track Inspector.
Add an audio track or two clicking Insert/Audio Track.
Tracks can be named by clicking the name box, here we have named tracks 1&2 ZED-Left and ZED Right.
Configure the inputs for the tracks using the IN/OUT routing drop-down menu in the Track Inspector. Here we select LEFT USB Audio to track 1 and RIGHT USB Audio to track 2. The track outputs are routed to the Master bus in SONAR.
Select the output for the Master bus in SONAR by clicking 0the drop-down arrow in the Inspector and selecting STEREO USB Audio CODEC which is the ZED USB return.
In order to check the configuration, enable Input Echo On (the top right button in the track view header). Play some audio through your ZED mixer and select the USB send buttons to the audio signal (for example the L-R mix).
N.B. Do not route the USB return to the L-R mix in your ZED mixer at this stage—a feedback loop could occur.
You should see the signal on the metering in SONAR LE.
To try a recording, enable the Record buttons on the tracks and click the main Record button on the transport toolbar. Recorded audio signal should be displayed in red.
Click stop, or hit the space bar on your keyboard to stop the recording.
Once you have recorded audio in your SONAR project you can play it back to the ZED mixer.
De-select the record arm buttons and Input Echo on the tracks (or you could get both the recorded track signal AND the live input signal playing, and possibly a feedback loop).
Press play or hit the spacebar on the keyboard. You should see the audio being played and levels on the meters in SONAR.
On your ZED mixer, Press USB Rtn ON and turn the level up to the desired point. Audio should be playing from the tracks in SONAR to the L-R bus in your ZED.

CONNECTING A ZED TO PRO TOOLS 9 ON A MAC

If you use Pro Tools 9 and want to connect to your ZED console using a Mac computer, here are some notes:

1. Connect your ZED mixer to your Mac via USB and power on the mixer.

2. With Pro Tools 9 installed, open Audio MIDI Setup on your Mac. PT9 should have created a Pro Tools Aggregate I/O folder in the Audio Devices list. The ZED interface should appear as USB Audio CODEC in the list along with other audio devices in your system. Tick Use to enable the device in PT9. You may need to also tick Resample in order for the audio data settings to be compatible with your PT9 session.

3. Run Pro Tools 9 and create a new session with at least two audio tracks. Open the SETUP/ Playback Engine window and select Pro Tools Aggregate I/O as the Current Engine. Click OK.

4. In PT9 click SETUP and then I/O. Select Output from the menu and the devices available should appear in a box labelled PTAI/O (Pro Tools Aggregate I/O). Here you can create a new output path if one doesn’t exist, name it (here it’s called ZED Stereo OUT) and tick it to enable.
   The output path can be set as stereo or mono channels as is required.

5. Still in I/O Setup, click the Input tab. Again the input sources should appear for enabled devices in Pro Tools Aggregate I/O. Create a new path for the inputs and name as you prefer. Here we have a stereo input named ZEDStereo Input. Note that mono channels can use one channel of a stereo input path. Make sure the path is ticked and click OK.

6. Select the inputs and outputs for your tracks in your session. Here the input for mono Track 1 is selected as the Left channel from the ZED USB interface. The track outputs can either be routed to the ZED directly or to a master bus in Pro Tools and then to the ZED.
   7. Finally check the interface and settings are working by recording some audio from the ZED mixer to PT9 and then play the audio back to the ZED afterwards. Always be wary of audio feedback loops with bi-directional interface connections which can cause high level audio feedback if signals are routed back to themselves either in the mixer or in the software system.

RECORDING APPLICATION DIAGRAM

USING USB FOR EFFECTS

1. Use post fade Aux 3 & 4 as the sends from ZED so when you move the channel fader the effects level stays in proportion.
2. Select Aux 3-4 on the USB output selector switches.
3. USB lead carries the digital signals to & from the computer.
4. Select USB Device Left for Aux 3 or Right for Aux 4 as the input for the track in the software package.
5. You can use a send bus in software as you would a hardware mixer.
6. Assign an effect from your software plug in list.
7. If using reverb, it’s a good idea to have 100% wet mix level and reduce the predelay in order to compensate for any latency in USB.
8. Send the output of the software group or bus to USB Device. In this case, and probably with most reverbs, it will be stereo so it will go to left & right.
9. Set the return level and select USB ON. You can monitor the level quickly by selecting USB RTN on the headphone monitor selection.
10. You can select the USB return to use the stereo channel ST3. Or, if using the stereo channel for another input route the USB return direct to L-R by leaving this switch un-pressed.
11. If you are using the stereo channel ST3 for the USB return signal, then this will be your effects return (Wet mix) fader for the effects to L-R.
12. You can then add some reverb for example, to your foldback (artists’) monitors.

WIRING NOTES

PRODUCT SUPPORT

Investigate ALLEN & HEATH’s other ranges at www.allen-heath.com

Registering your product
Thank you for buying the Allen & Heath ZED-14, 18 or 24 mixer. We hope that you are happy with it and that you enjoy many years of faithful service with it.
Please go to www.allen-heath.com/register.asp and register your product’s serial number and your details. By registering with us and becoming an official Registered User, you will ensure that any warranty claim you might make is actioned quickly and with the minimum delay.
Alternatively, you may either copy or cut off this section of the page, fill in the details, and return it by mail to: Allen & Heath Ltd, Kernick Industrial Estate, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9LU, UK

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