Allen & Heath SQ-6 Digital Mixer, 48 Input Channels, 7″ Colour Touchscreen, 24 Onboard Preamps, 25 Faders, 16 SoftKeys AES Digital Output

The Allen & Heath SQ-6 is a 48-channel, 36-bus digital mixing console well suited for live sound, corporate A/V, recording studios, and houses of worship. The SQ-6 features 24+1 motorized faders and 24 professional-quality microphone preamps. There are also eight stereo FX engines with dedicated return channels and access to the RackExtra FX library. The mixer’s 12 stereo outputs (configurable as groups or auxes) are well suited for in-ear-monitor setups, while the Auto Mic Mixing function offers quick and easy operation over multiple microphones for conferences, panel talks, and more.

At the heart of the SQ-6 lies the 96 kHz XCVI Core FPGA engine, which delivers professional, high-resolution audio quality, ultra-low latency (less than 0.7 ms), variable bit depth for precision and noise performance, mix coherency down to the sample, and the power to handle high channel / mix counts and ample FX processing. The SQ’s DEEP processing architecture allows you to hand-pick boutique compressor and preamp emulations and embed them directly within the mixer’s inputs and mix channels, all without adding system latency or setup hassles.

The front panel is centered around the mixer’s 7″ capacitive touchscreen and framed by an array of high-grip, illuminated encoders, which offer clear visual feedback and quick, hands-on control. You can drag-and-drop channels and mixes to any strip with custom naming and color coding on the strip display, allowing you to build a mix environment that mirrors your workflow. The SQ-6 offers softkeys, which can be freely assigned to any function for a customized and advanced workflow. The on-board recorder uses a USB Type-A port to record stereo and multitrack sessions to a flash drive. The recorder can also playback stereo and multitrack files, making it well suited for virtual sound checks and studio mixing.

The SQ-6 offers expansion options via Allen & Heath’s stage box expanders, or install an optional Dante or Waves card to adapt and expand using the latest digital technologies. SQ is fully compatible with the ME Personal Mixing System, allowing performers to take control of their own monitor mixes. Any number of ME-1 and ME-500 personal mixers can be daisy-chained from the mixer’s SLink port, or from a connected remote expander. The Allen & Heath SQ-6 ships with a power cord.

• Compact digital mixer for live, studio, and installation
• 48 input channels
• 24 local mic inputs (XLR)
• Two 1/4” stereo inputs (TRS)
• One 1/8″ stereo input
• 36 total busses
• 12 stereo mixes (Aux or Group) + Main
• PAFL bus
• 16 assignable local outputs (14 XLR + two 1/4” TRS)
• AES digital output
• Dedicated talkback mic input (XLR)
• 1/4″ TRS headphone out with dedicated control
• SLink EtherCON connection for remote audio using dSnake, DX, or gigaACE protocol (64×64 channels)
• I/O port for option card (including 3rd party protocols – Dante/Waves)
• 8 mute groups
• 8 DCA groups
• 8 stereo FX with dedicated FX returns
• DEEP processing ready
• RackFX effects suite
• 7″ color touchscreen
• 16 assignable SoftKeys
• Four assignable soft rotaries
• Dedicated physical controls for channel processing (Gain, HPF Frequency, Gate Threshold, Compressor Threshold, Pan, EQ Gain/Frequency/Width)
• 24+1 faders with 6 layers for 96 assignable channel strips
• Motorized faders for sends on faders, GEQ fader flip, and mix recall
• 24 backlit LCD channel-strip displays
• Single-point metering
• Integrated surface illumination
• Single/dual footswitch control
• Input channel linking for stereo sources
• Patchable insert points
• Input processing – Preamp, HPF, Gate, PEQ, Compressor, Delay
• Output processing – PEQ, Graphic EQ, Compressor, Delay
• Automatic mic mixing
• 31-band, real-time analyzer (RTA)
• Quick copy/paste/reset for parameters
• User permissions to restrict operator access
• 300 scene memories per show
• Channel safes, global and per-scene recall filters
• FX, processing, and channel libraries
• SQ-Drive for stereo and multitrack recording/playback direct to USB drive
• USB transfer of scenes, libraries, shows
• 32×32 channel USB streaming to/from Mac/Windows
• DAW control driver for MIDI control via USB or TCP/IP
• Wireless remote mixing apps for iPad and Android
• Compatible with ME personal-monitoring range

Allen & Heath SQ-6 SpecsMixerNumber of Analog Input Channels48Number of Mic Preamps24Number of Analog Output Channels16Max I/O Capacity48 x Input / 36 x OutputMix Routing8 x Stereo FX ReturnGroups8 x Mute Group
8 x DCA GroupPresetsYesDisplay7″ TouchscreenDisplay Resolution/ColorMain Display:
800 x 480 8-Bit RGBFaders25 x 3.9″ / 100 mmMetersMain Meter:
2 x 12-Segment LED
Channel Meter:
Single LEDMeter Range-3 dBFS Peak/Clip (+19 dBu at XLR Output)Meter Calibration0 dB on Meter = -18 dBFS (+4 dBu at XLR Output)Signal ProcessingGain/Trim RangeLine:
±24 dB (Stereo Channels)
Line/Mic:
0 dB to +60 dB (in 1 dB Steps)Input Pad-20 dBInput PolarityNormal/ReverseDynamic ProcessingInput Channels:
Compressor, Gate
Master:
Compressor, LimiterGate ParametersThreshold: -72 to +18 dBu
Depth: 0 to 60 dB
Attack: 50 μs to 300 ms
Hold: 10 ms to 5 sec
Release: 10 ms to 1 secCompressor ParametersThreshold: -46 to +18 dBu
Ratio: 1:1 to ∞:1
Attack: 30 μs to 300 ms
Release: 50 ms to 2 sec
Knee: Soft / Hard
Blend: YesSidechain FiltersCompressor:
High-Pass: 20 to 5 kHz
Band-Pass: 120 Hz to 10 kHz
Low-Pass: 120 Hz to 20 kHz
Gate:
High-Pass: 20 Hz to 5 kHz
Band-Pass: 120 Hz to 10 kHz
Low-Pass: 120 Hz to 20 kHzEQFX Returns:
4-Band ParametricEQ Parameters1 x HF Shelf:
±15 dB at 20 Hz to 20 kHz (Shelf or Bell Selectable)
2 x MF Notch/Peak:
±15 dB at 20 Hz to 20 kHz
1 x LF Shelf:
±15 dB at 20 Hz to 20 kHz (Shelf or Bell Selectable) Graphic EQ28-Band 1/3 Octave, ±12 dB 31 Hz to 16 kHzFiltersHigh-Pass: 20 Hz to 2 kHz, 12 dB/OctaveSolo/MuteMute, PFL per Input Channel, Bus, MasterChannel Output/Source MonitoringAFL, PFL, Post-Preamp, Post-HPF, Post-Gate, Post-EQ, Post-Compressor, Post-FX, Insert ReturnBuilt-In EffectsReverb
Stereo Delay (Tap)
Reverb (Gated)
ADT
2 x Chorus
Flanger
PhaserReal Time Analyzer31-Band 1/3 Octave, 20 Hz to 20 kHzAudio DelayAdjustable Up to 682 msAutomatic Mic MixingYesDigital AudioSample Rates96 kHz
AES3 Output:
44.1 / 48 / 88.2 / 96 kHz
Stereo Record:
96 kHz
Stereo Playback:
44.1 / 48 / 96 kHz
Multitrack Playback/Multitrack Record:
96 kHzBit DepthUp to 96-Bit
Stereo Record:
24-Bit
Stereo Playback:
16 / 24-Bit
Multitrack Playback, Multitrack Record:
24-BitLatency< 0.7 ms (Mic Input to Main Output)PerformancedBFS Reference Level+18 dBu = 0 dBFSHeadroom+18 dBFrequency Response20 Hz to 20 kHz +0/-0.5 dBMax Input LevelMic/Line Input:
+30 dBu
Aux Input:
+22 dBu (+4 dBu)
+18 dBu (0 dBu)Output LevelAnalog Output:
+4 dBu (2901653169)
+22 dBu (2901653168)Analog Dynamic Range112 dBI/O Impedance1/4″, XLR Output:
< 75 Ohms
AES3 Output:
110 Ohms
Aux Input:
> 7 Kilohms
Line/Mic Input:
> 5 KilohmsNoise Floor-90 dBu (with Inputs Muted)THD+N0.006% at Unity Gain
Mic/Line Input to AES3 Output:
0.002% at Unity Gain
0.003% at +30 dB GainSignal GeneratorSine, White, Pink, or Band-Pass Noise (Assignable to Any Mix)ConnectivityAnalog Inputs1 x XLR Talkback Input
24 x XLR Balanced Mic/Line Input
4 x 1/4″ TRS Balanced Aux Input (2 Stereo Pair, Half-Normalled)
1 x 1/8″ / 3.5 mm Unbalanced Aux InputAnalog Outputs14 x XLR Balanced Output
2 x 1/4″ TRS Balanced OutputPhantom Power+48 VDigital I/O1 x RJ45 (Network)
1 x XLR AES3 Output
1 x etherCON (I/O)MIDI I/ONoneUSB1 x USB-A (External Memory)
1 x USB-B 2.0 (Audio Streaming)Expansion Ports1 x I/O CardApp CompatibleYes: Android & iOS
App Name: SQ MixPad
Functionality: Access Stored Files, Adjust Settings, Firmware Update, Remote Control, SetupRecordingMax Multitrack Recording16 TracksMedia SupportUSB DriveFile Format SupportWAV