Credit Crunch Beauty
Functional, versatile and easy-to-use, Allen & Heath's new budget mixer is their cheapest yet
In these credit-crunched times, it's good see Allen & Heath unveil their smallest and most affordable DJ mixer yet - the Xone:22, which has a £250 price tag.
The build and sound quality of the Xone:22 holds up against their top of the line mixers. It's not loaded with naff effects and pointless gimmicks. Instead it features a tasty filter in the middle of the console, as well as proper isolating EQs and accurate metering. It might look a bit plain but it is in fact one seriously versatile mixer with several unique features Xone:22.
The filter on the Xone:22 might be a 'lite' version - with just a low and a high-pass filter - but these are the ones that really matter. And it gets better. External effects can be brought in to the mix using the FX loop, which then routes them back into the master signal via the filter.
DJs can send music from either channels at the press of a button and shape the tone of the effects with the razor-sharp filtering. 'Mild or wild' resonance control can also be added.
Loaded with XLR outputs, the Xone:22 could easily hold its own as a professional mixer too. Keeping an eye on levels is easy with the 10-segment LED meter, which can be set to display bars or dots.
Each channel has an input for turntables and CDs, or non-vinyl DJs can switch the phono input to line level. DJs who control a digital vinyl system with CDJs can switch between CD and DVS easily as a result.
Needless to say, Allen & Heath have loaded the Xone:22 with top quality faders, although crossfader curve control is limited to a switch rather than a dial.
Cueing music is simple with the cue mix knob below the filter. Users can mix between the two decks or hit the big red button to preview the master output.
Just like the Xone:4D, the new 22 will light up in the dark thanks to the black light UV tube for that ultimate glow rave vibe.
Finally, it features outputs to record mixes and a booth control on RCA with its own volume control, which can be used as a master if there are no XLRs for your amp.
PRICE
£250
OUT
February
CONTACT
xone.co.uk
01326 372070