Allen & Heath has added the Xone:DB2 to its Xone:DB digital mixer range.
The DB2 is a fully digital DJ mixer, incorporating two multi-FX engines, and retaining all the essential elements of the flagship Xone:DB4 but at a price point that ‘places it at the forefront of the highly competitive effects mixer market’.
The mixer has four input channels, each with a full input matrix that can select from four analogue, four USB or two digital sources. The DB4 style ‘Trimodal EQ’ is included, and can be configured as a standard asymmetric EQ (+6/-25dB), total Kill (+6dB/Off with a 24dB/octave slope), or a high-pass/low-pass filter system with adjustable resonance. Each channel has a routing switch that sends to the main mix, or to either of the two FX sections, and this control also assigns the crossfader.
There is a single microphone channel, which can also be switched to stereo line, providing two-band EQ, gain, cue and mix level. Similar to the main input channels, this can be routed to either of the FX units or direct to the main mix. Beneath the mic channel is the headphone monitor system, and to the right of the main mixer is the master section, with main mix level, booth level, and the two FX sections.
Each FX engine has five basic studio quality FX types – based on the iLive pro-touring FX system and optimised for DJ use – comprising delays, reverbs, modulators, resonators and damage, plus each FX type has a patch library of different effect variations that can be assigned to the relevant control. There is also a filter on the output of each FX bank, and each has a dedicated expression control and a rotary pot to set the wet/dry level, while further effect tuning can be performed using the encoders beneath the OLED screen.
The OLED display is claimed to be clearly visible bright sunlight, and displays the FX selection and current BPM, as well as being an intuitive interface for the Menu set-up functions. The mixer offers many user defined settings, such as meter mode, BPM range, USB audio routing scheme, display brightness, in addition to the extensive built-in FX library.
The built-in, multichannel USB2 soundcard allows replay and recording from computer-based audio software for four stereo sends and four stereo returns. All controls (except Mic and Phones level) send Midi data and the mixer can double up as a Midi controller via the Midi shift button, which allows the FX selection controls to send Midi data without changing the mixer settings.
Like the DB4, the DB2 also has an X:Link socket to allow easy integration of the new Xone:K2 software controller.
The Xone:DB2 has lightweight aluminium chassis designed to ‘make touring easy’. Other features include crossfader and upfader curve controls, multi-point level metering, digital output, analogue balanced outputs for main mix and booth, and a record output with adjustable level.
UK suggested retail price is SRP: £1,190 (ex VAT) and avavailability set for December 2011.
Allen & Heath Xone:DB2 brochure.
More: www.allen-heath.com
