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Iconic Analog Mixing Ascends to a New Xone of Sound





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Allen & Heath’s Xone:92 mixer has been a staple of DJs across the globe, from vinyl-only OGs to aural innovators and nightclub basements to six-figure crowds at your favorite festivals. Renowned for its adaptability and all-analog character, the Xone:92 has endured as the leading choice of premium performance for 20 years. Thus, it’s no surprise that Sweetwater’s DJs are floored by the long-awaited successor, the Xone:92 Mk2. Due to the distinctive sonic character of its predecessor, designing the Xone:92 Mk2 required a meticulous approach to preserving its hallmark sound while updating and upgrading core features and capabilities. To strike this balance, Allen & Heath turned to their Xone:96 and limited-edition version of the original Xone:92, revamping the lauded Xone:VCF (Voltage-controlled Filter) and phono preamps to capitalize on the strides made with each respective mixer, distilled for the Mk2. A custom innoFADER Pro features a methodically tuned crossfading curvature while across-the-board improvements and enhancements to the 4-band EQ, faders, switches, source-matching, and stereo-trimming ensure your mixes are seamlessly supported. With extensive modulation and MIDI capabilities supplementing the Xone:92 Mk2’s versatile auxiliary architecture, Allen & Heath’s masterclass mixer illustrates why improving upon a performance powerhouse might take 20 years. And it’s been worth the wait.





Related Videos: Xone:92 Mk2 Analog 4-channel DJ Mixer


Powerful performances, classic character





The original Xone:92 was celebrated for the distinctive output of its analog architecture, Xone:VCF, multimode filtering, and flexible 4-band sonic contouring. The Xone:92 Mk2 perfects the iconic Xone:VCF twofold. Optimizing the control curve and refining the VCF’s tapers significantly increases the precision of its frequency position, with a detailed resolution to nail your sound shaping. Moreover, the Xone:92 Mk2 draws from Allen & Heath’s Xone:96 mixer to introduce silent switching to the Xone:VCF ? a lauded mixing tool that makes sound design, expression, switching filters, and mixing a seamless, unobtrusive experience. The Xone:92 Mk2’s mini innoFADER Pro crossfader was painstakingly developed and custom-tuned to match classic P&G-style faders, ensuring greater accuracy across an expanded, smoother range of mixing.





What’s more, the phono preamps were updated to utilize the enhanced topology that the limited-edition Mk1 model used. These RIAA preamps reinforce the aural aesthetics that defined the original while bolstering the sweet spots to faithfully preserve and reproduce every nuance of vinyl-only DJ sets. Finally, the Xone:92 Mk2 implements a Clean Feed bus for its dual mic inputs, adding switches to the mixer’s rear panel that let you toggle whether the microphone signal is routed to both the Booth and Record outputs or skips them altogether.





Upgraded and enhanced for sequel-worthy sonics





While the Mk2’s expanded performance capabilities owe to new features and components, the 20-year tenure of the Xone:92 Mk2’s predecessor gave Allen & Heath plenty of time to discern which updates, upgrades, and enhancements would support the mixer’s continued rein without sacrificing what’s made it so special to DJs around the world.





Input improvements: across its four channels, input levels and source-matching are seamlessly attenuated and optimized


Upgraded output: improvements to the factory-trimmed stereo channel mitigate distortion more effectively than ever before


Rebuilt selector: the Mk2’s 3-way switch for choosing from the three global Channel Curve fader profiles makes for solid selections, with satisfying tactility


Enhanced switches: the flush-mount filter, crossfade-shape selector, and the Ducking 2-way toggles of the MIC/RTN channels have all been improved for greater accuracy and endurance


Time-tested control and exceptional EQ accuracy





For all its improvements and augmentations, Allen & Heath subscribed to the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality with the Xone:92 Mk2 everywhere that it counts. Each channel features the company’s signature 4-band EQ, with dual midrange controls and full-kill range for the high- and low-frequency bands, giving you access to extreme sonic contouring that’s augmented by the Xone:92 Mk2’s extensive sound-shaping tools. Crossfading with the custom-built mini innoFADER Pro gives you access to a spectrum of curvature behavior, with Dip and Cut at its poles: Dip gives you a progressive curve that dips in the center, while Cut maintains a constant, uninhibited level across most of the crossfader’s range, before near-instantaneously dropping off at the edges. Anything in between is rife for tailoring performances to meet your sonic and tactile preferences! Plus, each channel can be individually assigned to the X- or Y-side of the crossfader or disconnected from it entirely. If that weren’t enough, the Xone:92 Mk2 lets you select from three different curvatures for the vertical faders of each channel.





Filtering, modulation, and more, from Mild to Wild





Sound shaping is an essential component of mixing, whether you’re going all-analog or full digital. Still, the Xone:92 Mk2 continues the tradition of offering an exceptional suite of possibilities. This mixer distinguishes itself from its 4-channel contemporaries with its mix-bus summing capabilities, enabling you to send any channels to either Mix 1 or Mix 2. For both sides, high-, low-, and bandpass filters can be selected from dedicated soft switches for each. In contrast, filter frequencies are manually manipulated to give you complete control and plenty of runway for performance panache. To further seize your sound, the Xone:92 Mk2 features a Resonance control to adjust the filter’s Q-value, regardless of which filter style you’re using, opening the doors for everything from Mild modification to the Wild wizardry of evocative boosts of resonant feedback.





We’re not done yet, however, as the Xone:92 Mk2 supports a slew of modulation capabilities. For starters, the mixer features the lauded Xone:VCF, which can be used for individual control of each mix or linked to control both sides, in addition to each side’s VCF being able to control the crossfader’s activity. What’s more, each side of the mix has its own LFO, both of which can have their rates independently adjusted, X2- and tap tempo synchronized, or used for external MIDI control. Every channel can be separately toggled to go to one of the two filters, as well as bypass the filtering altogether.





Malleable mixing and MIDI magic





Thanks to enhanced RIAA preamps, analog aural aesthetics abound, with variable Phono and Line operations selectable for each channel. While four channels offer an extensive range of multi-source madness, the Xone:92 Mk2’s dual auxiliary channels and MIDI output expand your sonic aperture to include countless opportunities to incorporate drum machines, synthesizers, sequencers, and more. On each of the four master channels, the levels of both Aux channels can be independently adjusted from full-kill to 6dB, and they can be toggled for pre-send/return loop playback. Furthermore, the Aux options offer Allen & Heath’s hallmark 4-band EQ, in addition to send/return and level controls, all of which you can control outside of each Aux’s presence within a master channel. Plus, using the 5-pin MIDI output, you’re able to send real-time clock and system commands, in addition to CC signals, giving you access to highly synchronized performances across multitudes of mixers and instruments, as well as exceptionally musical control of filter frequencies and crossfader position. When the beat demands it, the Tap Tempo gives you a streamlined pass to instantly align your external gear with the pre-recorded track you’re playing or queueing.





Allen & Heath Xone:92 Mk2 Features:


Long-awaited successor to a landmark mixer improves and expands functionality without sacrificing the aural character that’s cemented its iconic status


Xone:96-inspired silent-switching means seamless on-the-fly selection and activation of filters


Optimized RIAA preamps utilize a refined topology to preserve the powerful analog sound that makes vinyl-only DJ sets hit as hard as any other medium


Rear-mounted Clean Feed switches let you choose whether one or both mic inputs route to the Record and Booth outputs or bypass them entirely


Custom-built mini innoFADER Pro crossfader gives you detailed, smooth mixing and exacting precision


Onboard MIDI capabilities and 5-pin MIDI output let you integrate near-infinite configurations of hardware and software drum machines, synths, sequencers, and more


Dual multimode filters include HPF, LPF, and BPF options to expand mixing and FX-texturizing opportunities, with per-filter LFOs that can be MIDI-synced or freely operated


Real-time visual feedback provides detailed yet unobtrusive information to allow you to focus on the mix without sacrificing creative versatility


4-band EQs on each channel provide flexible sound-shaping with variable “Q” values and “infinite kill” for high- and low-frequency bands


Flexible crossfader includes adjustable response curves to match your style of DJ performances


Variable curvature options for vertical faders further expand opportunities for tailored mixing