Allen & Heath: A British Engineering Legend
There are companies that produce audio equipment. And then there's Allen & Heath, a company that creates audio history. From handmade mixing consoles in London to modern digital giants in arenas worldwide, this British brand has become an integral part of professional audio over more than 55 years. Their mixers are used by sound engineers on the biggest world tours, legendary club DJs, and technical coordinators in small event venues. It's a rare combination: one platform for everyone.
Today, we present Allen & Heath not just as a brand, but as a cultural phenomenon with all its history, technology, and news. And if you already know what you're looking for, you can find our entire Allen & Heath range here: stageiq.lt/collections/allen-heath.
1969: London, Music, and the Art of Handcraft
The story begins in 1969 in London, a city that was literally buzzing with music at the time. Led Zeppelin had just released their first album. Pink Floyd was experimenting with spatial sound. The Who played so loudly that they kept changing equipment suppliers. It was in this chaotic, energetic, and innovative context that Allen & Heath was born.
The company was founded by engineer Andy Bereza, soon joined by Ivor Taylor and Andrew Stirling. They started not with grand plans, but with specific needs: musicians wanted better, more flexible mixers that simply weren't available on the market. The answer was simple: make their own.
Early Allen & Heath mixers were hand-assembled in a small London workshop. Their first clients? Genesis, Pink Floyd, The Who – the British rock elite. When your first clients are names like these, your reputation builds very quickly.
That Special Console for Pink Floyd and a Man Named Alan Parsons
One of the most interesting facts in Allen & Heath's history is how these consoles ended up with Pink Floyd during the preparations for The Dark Side of the Moon tour. In 1971, the company developed a special MOD1 quadraphonic console with 28 channels. It was designed for a specific purpose: recording "Live at Pompeii" and the spatial sound experiments Pink Floyd was conducting at the time.
Behind the console at that time was none other than Alan Parsons, the man who would later become a legendary music producer and creator of "The Alan Parsons Project." Therefore, it can be safely said that in a way, Allen & Heath was part of the audio DNA of "The Dark Side of the Moon." Not an ordinary fact in a company's biography.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The Cornwall Stage: From London Workshop to Global Stages
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Allen & Heath outgrew its London workshop. Business was booming: the global constellation of rock and pop stars was growing, sound systems became more complex, and the need for reliable high-quality consoles became ever more pressing.
The company relocated to Penryn, Cornwall, which was a somewhat unexpected address for a major audio equipment factory (more often you find fishing boats by the sea, not mixing consoles). However, Cornwall proved to be an excellent location: a peaceful environment, talented engineers, and space for expansion. Allen & Heath has been based in this region ever since, hundreds of miles from the hustle and bustle of London, but still in the heart of Great Britain.
In the 1980s, the company expanded its product range to professional sound systems for schools, radio stations, and large events. The GL series became synonymous with "reliable live sound equipment," used not only by musicians but also by event organizers who simply couldn't afford downtime.
Xone:92: The Mixer That Defined Club Culture
If Allen & Heath has a distinguished history in the live sound world, in the field of DJing and electronic music, they literally created a legend. Released in 2003, the Xone:92 quickly became not just a "good mixer," but the standard by which all others were judged.
What made the Xone:92 so special? First and foremost, the analog Voltage Controlled Filters (VCF), which gave the sound that indescribable authenticity and warmth that simply cannot be perfectly replicated digitally. In addition, the four-channel design with a sequential signal path allowed the DJ to work with true precision both in the studio and in a noisy club. And reliability? Simply indestructible.
In Berlin, Amsterdam, Ibiza, London: the Xone:92 hung and still hangs in the best clubs worldwide. This mixer has been and is used by names like Jeff Mills, Ricardo Villalobos, Nina Kraviz. It's no longer just equipment; it's a cultural artifact.
Today, the Xone:96 and Xone:PX5 continue this tradition, adding modern digital connectivity and a USB audio interface, while retaining that same analog soul. If you're looking for a DJ mixer that will last for decades and sound like no other, the answer is here.
XCVI FPGA: The Technology Powering Stage Titans
Speaking of the digital era, Allen & Heath has a clear technological advantage: their proprietary XCVI FPGA processor. This isn't some off-the-shelf chip; it's an architecture specifically designed and optimized for audio processing, allowing for results that standard processors simply can't achieve.
What does this mean in practice? Very low signal latency, studio-grade accuracy, and the ability to process hundreds of channels and processes simultaneously without any degradation in sound quality. In the most advanced mixer models, this processor operates at 96 kHz, providing digital "ultra HD" audio that captures even the most subtle timbral nuances.
This technology underpins four main professional mixer series: dLive for the largest tours and installation projects, Avantis as a mid-range premium class with two HD screens, SQ flexible professional mixers for medium to large-scale events, and the updated Qu series for beginners and the mid-range segment.
2025 New Release: The New Qu Series Raises the Bar Even Higher
In May 2025, Allen & Heath announced news that captivated the entire audio world: the launch of six new Qu series models. This isn't a cosmetic update, but a complete rethinking of the platform from the ground up.
The new Qu series gets the same XCVI core that was previously reserved only for more expensive series, with 96 kHz processing, improved I/O capabilities, and DEEP Processing functionality (allowing for premium compressor and preamp models). Each channel now has its own display and chromatic meter for better visual control, and the updated touchscreen has become clearer and more responsive.
The model line includes three frame sizes, each available with or without integrated Dante connectivity: the compact Qu-5 and Qu-5D (17 faders, 16 XLR inputs), the larger Qu-6 and Qu-6D (25 faders, 24 XLR inputs), and the most powerful Qu-7 and Qu-7D (33 faders, 32 XLR inputs). All models feature a 32x32 USB-C audio interface for DAW recording and 32-channel multitrack support via SD card.
In the words of Allen & Heath Senior Product Manager Keith Johnson: "Every aspect has been re-evaluated, from the XCVI core and I/O capabilities to the screen and faders. We have completely redesigned the user interface, while maintaining the straightforward layout and workflow for which Qu is known and loved."
These mixers are already available in our range. Qu-5, Qu-5D, Qu-6, Qu-6D, Qu-7 and other models await you at stageiq.lt.
From Billie Eilish to Your Stage
Today, Allen & Heath mixers are used not only by rock legends but also by contemporary pop culture titans. Billie Eilish tours, Lewis Capaldi performances, Bring Me the Horizon: these are just a few names from a long list of artists whose sound engineers choose an Allen & Heath mixing console as their primary tool.
However, a particularly valuable aspect of Allen & Heath's philosophy is that the same quality enjoyed by world tour sound engineers is also available for medium-sized concerts, schools, radio studios, and home recording studios. The CQ series is compact and intuitive, with a user-friendly touch interface, designed precisely for those who need professional sound without extensive technical expertise. The Qu series is ideal for event venues and active sound engineers. The SQ is a stationary stage titan. And dLive and Avantis are equipment that, upon seeing it, colleagues will immediately understand that this is serious business.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The "Everything I/O" Ecosystem: Future Infrastructure Today
One aspect that distinguishes Allen & Heath from its competitors is its well-thought-out "Everything I/O" ecosystem. This is a network of remote I/O nodes (stage boxes) and processors, allowing for the creation of a fully scalable sound system from a single console to a multi-zone network with hundreds of channels.
AR2412, AB168, DT168, DX168 are just a few of the stage boxes in our range that transmit dozens of channels from the stage to the console and back via a single cable (AES50 or Dante network). This is not only convenient: it also significantly reduces cable clutter, improves sound quality (digital transmission does not pick up interference), and provides flexibility to configure the system according to the needs of each event.
Together with SQ-WAVES and SQ-DANT64-AX expansions, allowing for direct integration of Waves plugins into the console or extending the system's Dante capabilities, Allen & Heath offers a complete ecosystem that can grow with your projects.
Audiotonix Group and Global Vision
Today, Allen & Heath is part of the Audiotonix group, one of the largest professional audio equipment manufacturing groups in the world, which also includes names like DiGiCo, Calrec, Solid State Logic (SSL), and KLANG:technologies. This provides Allen & Heath with resources and infrastructure for large projects, but the company has retained its identity and engineering culture. That's why products are still designed and engineered in Penryn, Cornwall, where tradition and innovation go hand in hand.
Despite belonging to a large group, Allen & Heath has remained Allen & Heath with its character, audio philosophy, and that unmistakable style of British engineering.
Why Does Stage IQ Offer Allen & Heath?
We are selective in choosing our product range. It is important to us that the equipment we recommend truly works not only in the store description but also live, on stage, after several years of intensive use.
Allen & Heath meets all our criteria: long experience, documented reliability, continuous firmware updates (even for older models!), a large user community, and a clear development ecosystem. Investing in Allen & Heath is not just a one-day decision. It's a long-term infrastructure.
In our range you will currently find:
- Digital mixers: Qu-5, Qu-5D, Qu-6, Qu-6D, Qu-7, SQ-6, SQ-Rack, etc.
- Compact CQ series mixers: CQ12T, CQ18T, ideal for musicians and small events
- DJ mixers: Xone:96, Xone:PX5, analog classics with modern connectivity
- Stage boxes and I/O nodes: AR2412, AB168, DT168, DX168
- Expansions and cards: SQ-WAVES, SQ-DANT64-AX, SQ-SLINK, etc.
You can find the full range with prices and technical specifications at: stageiq.lt/collections/allen-heath
55 Years and Just Getting Started
In today's world, technology changes at an incredible pace, and what was "state of the art" five years ago may seem outdated today. However, Allen & Heath has achieved something rare: remaining relevant for over five decades by consistently updating its architecture and not losing its engineering ethics.
From handmade mixing consoles in London workshops to 96 kHz FPGA processors, from Pink Floyd in Pompeii to Billie Eilish on world tours, Allen & Heath's journey is not just a company's history. It is a chronicle of audio technology evolution, written by the hand of British precision and passion for the art of sound.
Can't find the Allen & Heath product you're looking for? Contact us: info@stageiq.lt or +370 636 55536
