Preamp

The Preamp page provides access to the Input Channel source patching and other Input settings.

1. Source Select – Open the drop-down menu to choose which source to patch to the channel, touch the Socket box then turn the screen Rotary to select the required socket or number, then touch Apply.

Sources that can be patched include Local sockets, SLink inputs, USB stereo playback, I/O Port inputs, the output of built-in effects, and the Signal Generator.

2. Socket Preamp – If the patched source is a Mic/Line XLR input then its Preamp controls are shown. These provide remote control of the input preamp circuit located at the socket. Pad switches in a 20dB input attenuator, and the combined Gain + Pad value is shown in the Gain box. Touch and hold the 48V button for 1 second to enable or disable phantom power.

Enable the Scene Recall Safe option to make the Preamp Gain, Pad and 48V settings safe from Scene Recall. This can be useful when splitting the same mic preamp to two or more channels.

ⓘ Making a channel Safe using the Safes key automatically makes the associated Preamp safe. Turning off Safe using the physical key unsafes the Preamp.

3. Stereo Image – If the channel is configured as stereo then the Stereo Image settings are shown. Mode selects normal stereo input (L/R), reversed stereo input (R/L), stereo with inverted Left polarity (L –Pol/R), reversed stereo with inverted Right polarity (R –Pol/L), mono sum (Mono), Left as mono source to both sides (L/L), Right as mono source to both sides (R/R), Middle/Side decode to stereo (M/S) with the first input of the pair acting as the MID signal and the second signal of the pair acting as the SIDE signal. Width adjusts the Stereo Image from 0% (mono) to 100% (stereo).

4. RF Info – If the patched source is associated with an RF Device Channel then the RF Info box is shown. Channel name, mute status, battery level, RF signal strength and receiver audio level/peak information is displayed. Touch anywhere in the RF Info box to open the External Device Channel window. 

5. Trim – Trim provides +/- 24dB control in addition to the Preamp Gain or when the source does not have a preamp (for example inputs from an I/O Port). Trim is part of the channel, not the preamp, and is therefore useful in situations where the preamp is shared between FoH and Monitor consoles.

When Gain Tracking is activated, Trim automatically changes to compensate for preamp gain changes. This can be useful in situations where a single preamp is accessible by two mixers – e.g. when using a DT168 or DT164-W with two Avantis mixers.

Touch and hold Options and touch anywhere in the Preamp screen to define a Gain Tracking channel range. This allows the operator to quickly enable or disable Gain Tracking across a range of channels.

A post-Trim signal meter is shown. Polarity toggles normal and reverse.

6. Channel Library - Opens the Input Channel Library. Input channel Libraries store Preamp settings, Stereo Width, Preamp Model, Filters, Gate, PEQ, Compressor, Delay, Name & Colour, Direct Out Level, and Routing (sends and assignments to mixes). Recall Options let you choose which of these settings to recall.

7. Preamp Options – Preamp on Surface lets you choose whether the fader strip rotaries control the Preamp Gain or channel Trim when in Gain mode. Turn on Preamp on Surface for normal, single console operation. Turn it off to prevent accidental Gain changes in situations where the same preamp is shared between FoH and Monitor consoles. When off, the dedicated Preamp rotary control is disabled and a warning pop-up appears any time the Gain setting is adjusted on screen.

⚙ Touch and hold Options and touch anywhere in the Preamp screen to access a global setting for disabling Preamp on Surface. This affects all channels.

Touch Preamp Library to access the preamp Library and load a preamp model.

8. Preamp Model – Displays the DEEP Processing model and controls, if one is loaded. 

• Dual-Stage Valve – Inspired by a known studio preamplifier, this model recreates the distortion characteristics of valve circuits, from very subtle coloration to full overdrive. It can be fully bypassed with the On/Off switch.

  • Stage-1 adds subtle tonal harmonic distortion and offers two modes which mirror the typical valve topologies of analogue preamplifiers: Triode is richer in even order distortion resulting in a musical, warm response; Pentode is stronger in odd order distortion (predominantly 3rd), resulting in crisper, sharper sound.

  • Stage-2 provides overdriven valve emulation. It can be switched off circuit or to either Triode or Pentode mode. Bias controls the level of overdrive. With HiDrive Off, it produces pronounced ‘break up’ distortion and compression at high levels. HiDrive changes the gain structure to produce a continuous overdrive effect.

  • The HF control adjusts the HF content to compensate for mid-range tonal lift and high frequency compression.

  • The Output level is effectively a make-up gain to compensate for the level loss.

     

• Tube Stage – Derived from our Dual-Stage Valve DEEP processor, this model recreates the distortion characteristics of valve circuits, from very subtle coloration to full overdrive, with a simplified control set. It can be fully bypassed with the On/Off switch.
  • A number of modes are available via the rotary selector switch offering different distortion characteristics – see the Dual-Stage Valve section in Section 13 for more information.
  • The Drive control adjusts the amount of distortion applied to the signal.
  • The Level control is effectively a make-up gain to compensate for the level loss.

Ext In (Mix only)

You can assign an external input to any Mix channel, for example for bus summing, combining console outputs, or external communications. The Ext Input sums with the Mix channel pre-insert and is affected by the Mix processing and fader.

Open the Source Select drop-down menu to choose which source to patch, touch the Socket box then turn the screen Rotary to select the required socket or channel number, then touch Apply. Socket Preamp and Trim controls are shown in this page when an Ext In is assigned.

Filter (Input only)

The Filter page provides access to the HPF and LPF filters.

1. Graph – Touch and drag the HPF (green) or LPF (yellow) dots to adjust the filter cut-off frequency.

2. HPF – The frequency for the High Pass Filter is adjustable from 20Hz to 2kHz, and the Slope can be selected from 12dB/octave to 24dB/octave. Two filter types are available: Butterworth (optimized frequency response) and Bessel (optimized phase response).

3. LPF – The frequency for the Low Pass Filter is adjustable from 20Hz to 20kHz. The slope is fixed 12dB/octave.

Gate (Ducker)

This page provides access to the Input channel Gate settings and sidechain filter.

Touch Library to access the Gate Library. This includes the option of a channel Ducker to replace the Gate.

1. Side Chain – Touch the Side Chain Source box to open a window for selecting the Key (trigger) input to the Gate. An adjustable HPF and LPF filter can be switched in to limit the frequency range of the Key signal. The curve turns yellow when the filter is switched in.

2. Histogram – Shows Gate activity over time.

3. Gate Settings – Touch and drag in the graph or touch a parameter box and use the screen rotary to adjust.

Threshold sets the level at which the gate opens to let the signal through. The meter on the left lines up with the graph and shows the signal at the input to the gate. The gain reduction meter on the right shows when the gate is closed. Depth sets how much the signal is attenuated when the gate closes. Attack, Hold, Release set how fast the gate opens when the signal rises above the threshold, how long it is held open after the signal falls below the threshold, and how long it takes to attenuate after it closes.

Inserts

You can insert external equipment, external plugins, one of 24 internal Dyn8 engines (requires dPack), one of 12 internal RackExtra FX units, or one of 8 RackUltra FX units (requires dPack and RakUltra FX module) into a channel. Input channels provide two Insert points (post Gate and post PEQ/Comp).

1. Insert Settings – Press In to switch the inserted device in circuit. Choose the Operating Level of the insert point: Digital sends the signal at 0dB for use with external digital equipment via AES3 or I/O Ports; Analogue compensates for the +4dBu nominal level on the XLR outputs, so that the overall gain of the insert circuit is 0dB; -10dBV is a standard for consumer equipment. Press Unassign to clear the current Insert assignment.

2. Insert Patch – Use the drop-down menus to assign the Send and Return to physical sockets, I/O Ports, Dyn8 engines or FX units. Touch the boxes and use the screen rotary to select socket or number. When assigning Dyn8 engines, the system automatically selects the next available (unassigned) engine. Touch Apply to confirm.

If an internal RackExtra FX is assigned, the controls for the device are displayed in the Insert screen for convenience, together with a button to access the FX Library and a Dry/Wet control to adjust the balance of direct and effect signal.

PEQ

The Parametric Equaliser provides 4 fully adjustable bands of equalisation. It can be adjusted using rotary controls on the mixer, or by using the touchscreen.

⚙ Touch and hold Options and touch the navigation tabs area to access channel options including the processing order of PEQ and Compressor. The default order is PEQ first, Compressor next. You can invert the order on a per channel basis or globally.

ⓘ The PEQ/Comp order for each channel is stored in Show files. It is not stored in Scene memories.

⚙ Touch and hold Options and touch anywhere in the PEQ screen to access the Fill Curves and 20Hz-20kHz options. Fill Curves displays the individual response of the 4 PEQ bands and HPF / LFP filters with shaded colours. The frequency range for the 4 bands may be set globally for all Input or Mixes to be limited or Full Range.

1. Graph – Touch and drag the 4 band dots to adjust their centre frequencies. Touch and drag the HPF / LPF dots to adjust their cut-off frequencies. Touching and holding the dot of a band whilst using a second finger to “pinch” the screen can be used to adjust the Q (width) of the band. The overall frequency response curve turns yellow when the PEQ is switched in and grey when switched out. The RTA can be overlayed in the graph.

2. PEQ Settings – Frequency sweeps the shelving, centre or cut-off frequency for each band. Width adjusts the width in octaves of the bell-shaped EQ band. Gain allows up to +/-15dB boost or cut for each band. The LF and HF EQ bands can be set as shelving, bell shaped or low/high cut 12dB/octave filters.

3. RTA Settings – Touch RTA to enable or disable the RTA overlay.

Set the Min and Max Scale to adjust for sensitivity or signal level. Touch Position and drag the RTA area on the graph to locate and resize the overlay. You can also control the Opacity of the overlay. Select the view Type (Bar or Line) - this is independent from the Type selected in the main RTA screen.

For a detailed description of the RTA graph and other settings, please refer to the Meters chapter later in this guide.

NEQ (Mix only)

A choice of 28-band 1/3 octave Graphic Equaliser or 12-band PEQ is provided on each of the Mix outputs. It can be adjusted using the touchscreen or the Surface faders.

GEQ

1. GEQ Graph – The top part of the screen shows the combined frequency response curve of the GEQ. The curve turns yellow when the GEQ is switched in and grey when switched out. An RTA of the PAFL signal with optional peak band indication is also superimposed on the graph.

ⓘ Make sure the PAFL source is related to the selected channel (typically the very same channel or a separate measurement microphone).

2. GEQ Sliders – Touch a frequency slider to select and drag it up / down or use the screen rotary to adjust the gain.

3. GEQ Settings – Press GEQ Fader Flip to control the GEQ with the mixer faders. The fader strips and their displays show the settings of the GEQ frequency bands, while the right-hand fader becomes the master for the selected Mix and the fader strip meters display the RTA for the currently selected PAFL. Press GEQ Fader Flip again to toggle between frequency ranges and back to normal mixing.

Use the NEQ Type drop-down menu to select one of four DEEP Processing GEQ models or a 12-band PEQ. These offer different types of cut/boost response:

Constant-Q - Symmetrical cut/boost where the width (Q) of the filter is a constant 1/3rd octave for any amount of cut or boost.

Proportional-Q - Provides smooth wide Q for low cut/boost, which progressively tightens beyond 1/3rd octave for max boost/cut.

Digi-Q - Gain and width are optimised to minimise band interaction and to provide a frequency response as close to the slider positions as possible.

Hybrid - Allen & Heath have developed the best of both worlds. The boost is proportional-Q for smooth and warm small boost settings. The cut is Constant-Q providing clinical 1/3rd Octave attenuation with minimal band interaction.

12 Band Mix PEQ – (See dPack section – NEQ12)

Compressor

This page provides access to the channel Compressor settings and sidechain filter.

⚙ Touch and hold Options and touch the navigation tabs area to access channel options including the processing order of PEQ and Compressor. The default order is PEQ first, Compressor next. You can invert the order on a per channel basis or globally.

ⓘ The PEQ/Comp order for each channel is stored in Show files. It is not stored in Scene memories.

ⓘ See the dPack section in this guide for more details on Compressor models.

1. Side Chain – Touch the Side Chain Source box to open a window for selecting the Key (trigger) input to the Gate. An adjustable HPF and LPF filter can be switched in to limit the frequency range of the Key signal. The curve turns yellow when the filter is switched in.

2. Parallel Path – Lets you balance the dry ‘uncompressed’ signal with the compressed output. When turned off, only the compressed signal is routed to the output.

3. Compressor Settings – Touch and drag in the graph or touch a parameter box and use the screen rotary to adjust.

Threshold sets the level at which the compression starts. The meter on the left lines up with the graph and shows the signal at the input to the compressor. The gain reduction meter on the right shows how much the signal is being compressed. Ratio sets the amount of compression when the signal exceeds the threshold. A ratio of 1:1 means no compression. Set Ratio to ‘Infinity’ to use the compressor as a limiter. Gain is the make-up gain to compensate for the drop in overall volume after compression. Soft Knee adds compression gradually with gentler ratio as it approaches the threshold. Attack and Release control how fast the compressor pulls back the signal when it exceeds the threshold and how long it takes to let go when the signal drops below the threshold.

4. Compressor Histogram – Shows Compressor activity over time.

Manual RMS - Offers the response of a fairly fast pre-threshold RMS detector with added ability to manually modify the post threshold ballistics for classic sounding RMS compression with additional attack or release smoothing.

Manual Peak - Offers the response of a peak based threshold detector with various smoothing, auto hold/recovery schemes to minimise distortion. The algorithm is capable of ultra fast attack time with minimal lag before onset.

Ducker - The Library for the Gate and Compressor processing blocks includes a channel Ducker with key source selection and LPF/HPF filters, plus controls of Threshold, Depth, Attack, Hold and Release.

Delay

The delay settings for all the channels or mixes are shown on this page, with the currently selected channel highlighted. Use the screen rotary to change its value or touch another parameter box to adjust the delay for a different channel. Touch the In buttons to toggle the delay in or out. Input delays can be adjusted up to 340ms, Mix delays up to 680ms.

⚙ Touch and hold Options and touch anywhere in the Delay page to access the unit and temperature preferences for the Delay. The default unit is ms but can be changed to metres, feet, or samples. This can be changed globally for the Input channels and for the Mix channels. Enter the ambient temperature if using distances so that Avantis can compensate for the effect on delay.

MIDI Strip (MIDI channels only)

Custom MIDI messages can be assigned to faders, all six rotary functions (Gain, Pan, Send and Custom 1-3), Mute, Mix and PAFL keys.

Touch a control box to type in a custom MIDI message where <VAR> represents a variable value.

Turn Local on if you want the key LED indicator to follow local presses. Turn this off if you want the indicator to follow remote messages (MIDI tally).

The following default CC and Note on messages are assigned within the factory Template Shows for MIDI Strips 1-32 (hex values shown):

Fader B1, 00, <VAR> to B1, 1F, <VAR> DAW track Level
Gain Rotary B2, 00, <VAR> to B2, 1F, <VAR>
Pan Rotary B2, 20, <VAR> to B2, 3F, <VAR>
Sends Rotary B2, 40, <VAR> to B2, 5F, <VAR>
Rotary Custom 1 B2, 60, <VAR> to B2, 7F, <VAR>
Rotary Custom 2 B2, 60, <VAR> to B2, 7F, <VAR>
Rotary Custom 3 B2, 60, <VAR> to B2, 7F, <VAR>
Mute switch = 91, 00, <VAR> to 91, 1F, <VAR> DAW track Mute
Mix switch = 91, 20, <VAR> to 91, 3F, <VAR> DAW track Select
PAFL switch = 91, 40, <VAR> to 91, 5F, <VAR> DAW track Solo

Where <VAR> is the value determined by the position of the control.

ⓘ Download the MIDI Control Driver from www.allen-heath.com to convert the default MIDI messages to popular HUI or Mackie Control protocols for DAW use. Levels and On/Off commands can also be sent and received in CC and Note On format using MIDI Control Driver as a translator. A MIDI Thru option is available for a straight throughput of the MIDI messages with no translation of A&H MIDI messages. The MIDI Control Driver is available for Windows and MacOS.