ZED-6FX 6 Channel Live + Recording Mixer User Guide
Thank you for purchasing this Allen & Heath ZED-6FX.
We recommend that you read all of this user guide to get the best from your mixer and after
reading, please keep this safe for future reference.
Included in this package is:
ZED-6FX Mixer
IEC C5 Mains Power Cable. Please check correct mains plug is fitted for your country.
This User Guide!
1. Get to know your mixer
1.1 MONO INPUT CHANNELS (M)
1. Mic Input Socket uses a st andar d 3-Pin XLR socket for connecting dynamic or
condenser microphones.
2. Line / Inst Input Socket uses a stan dar d 1/4” (6.25m m) Jac k s oc ket f or
connecting balanced or unbalanced signals such as guitars and other instruments.
3. Gain Control adjust s t he gai n o f t he inpu t p reampli fi er to dr ive the s ou rc e
signal level. Gain ranges from 5dB to 60dB.
4. Instrument act ivat es t he Line / Inst input circu it for elec tr o -acoustic and
electric guitars, basses and other Direct Input instruments. When activated the
Mic Input Socket is disabl ed.
5. lo-cut (Hi-Pass Filter) is used for reducing Low Frequency noise such as handling
noise, popping, rumble and proximity effect in microphone signals.
6. HF EQ (High Freq uen cy) equal is er aff ect s trebl e fr equen ci es i n th e si gnal for
adding “brightness” and “definition” or for reducing “hiss” and “harshness”.
7. LF EQ (Lo w Frequen cy) equalis er aff ect s bass f req uencies in the sig nal t o
cover “boom” and “sub-bass” frequencies.
8. FX send cont r ol s t he amo un t of si gn al s ent fro m t he chann el to th e FX buss
and the FX OUT. The signal is post-fader (MIX) which means it’s affected by the
channel MIX control so it stays in proportion to the signal going to the MAIN MIX.
There is no master level control for the FX OUT.
9. PAN adj us ts sig nal from a m ono in put ch ann el between the left and ri ght
busses and subsequently the main outputs.
10. MIX ro tar y f ader c on tr ols th e amou nt of si gnal to the left and right bu sses .
11. Pre-Fade Listen (PFL) swi tc hes the c hannel i np ut sig nal to the h eadp hones
for checking before adding it to Mix. The PFL signal is taken after the EQ but
before the MIX control.
The LR Meters display the channel input level when the PFL switch is activated.
1.3 MASTER SECTION
1. MAIN OUT L & R are li ne l evel o ut puts f or the m ain st ereo mix using st andard XLR ou tput
connectors and are impedance balanced for rejection of unwanted interference.
2. 48V swit ches in dustr y s tandard 48V (phanto m power ) to all the m ic rop ho ne i nputs fo r use
with condenser microphones and active D.I. boxes requiring +48V.
3. POWER LED in di cates that the mi xer is s wi tched o n.
4. LR Meters di sp lay t he l evel of t he MAIN MIX or the m on o PFL si gn al if activated b y any of
the PFL switches.
5. MAIN MIX fader is th e master v ol um e c on tr ol f or the main st ereo mix .
6. PFL (Pre-Fade Listen) LED i nd ic ates w hen a PFL s wi tch has been pres sed on o ne o f t he
channels.
7. PHONES level cont ro ls t he v ol ume o f s ignal t o t he PHONES output.
Warning! To av oi d dam age t o yo ur hear ing do no t operat e headp ho nes or s ou nd sys tem
at excessively high volume. Continued exposure to high volume sound can cause frequency
selective or wide range hearing loss!
!
8. PHONES output us es a st andard 1/4” (6.25mm) jac k s ocket.
2. Good practice
1.2 STEREO INPUT CHANNELS (ST)
ST1 and ST2 Inputs u se s tan dard 1/4” (6.25mm) J ack socket s f or balan ced or
unbalanced line level stereo sources such as professional keyboards, drum machines and other pro audio equipment.
ST1 and ST2 Gain Control ad ju sts th e in put lev el t o the ch ann el.
HF and LF EQ are the sam e for ST1 & ST2 as th ey ar e fo r M1 & M2 and are s et at
the same frequencies.
BAL adjus ts the relat ive level bet ween the l eft and r ig ht ster eo s ignals as t he y
are sent to the left and right busses and subsequently the main outputs.
3. Connect mics, instruments and other equipment
3.1 Connecting Microphones
Dynamic or condenser microphones and DI boxes should be connected to the Mic Input Socket
using a balanced XLR Microphone cable.
If you‘re using a condenser microphone, it will require 48V Phantom Power to work.
Some active DI boxes may also require phantom power.
Avoid ‘hot plugging’ when connecting any equipment and make sure AUX MASTER and MAIN MIX controls
are turned down before 48V is switched on as this as may cause loud thumps and bangs!
3.2 Connecting Instruments and Line-Level Equipment
High-Impedance (Hi-Z) instruments such as electro-acoustic guitars, basses and other Direct
Input instruments should be connected to Line / Inst Inputs on channels M1 & M2 usi ng a jack to
jack instrument cable, and do not require an additional DI box or preamp.
The Instrument switch must be activated to match extremely high impedance signals (10MΩ)
from instrument pickups.
Line level instruments such as keyboards, synthesizers, drum machines or equipment such as
external effect processors can be connected to Line / Inst Inputs on channels M1 & M2, and
LINE in pu ts on M3 & M4 fo r m ono so urces o r ST1 & ST2 fo r s tereo so urc es.
For channels M3 & M4 th e LINE/PAD s wi tch mu st be activ ated.
Follow the application examples in Section 7. for connecting devices to relevant input and outputs.
2.1 “Zeroing”
It’s good practice to “zero” your mixer and turn down relevant channels before
connecting any devices as this prevents potential damage to speakers or other
equipment.
Follow these steps to make sure you’re safe and you avoid thumps and bangs
when plugging equipment in.
Speakers should always be switched ON LAST and OFF FIRST!
1. Make sure the power switch on the rear of the mixer is set to “OFF”
2. Connect the AC Mains Lead provided to the AC MAINS IN socket on the rear of the
mixer.
Check that the correct mains plug is fitted for your country and plug the AC Mains Lead
into a standard household mains socket.
3. Turn channel Gain controls all the way down (left).
4. Make sure Instrument, HPF, PFL and 48V swit ches are n ot pres sed in.
5. Set all channel EQ and PAN controls to the centre position marked “▼”
6. Turn all FX send, AUX send and MIX controls all the way down (left).
7. Lower the MAIN MIX fader to “∞”.
8. Turn down the PHONES level.
9. Double check speakers or amplifiers are switched off!
10. Connect speakers, instruments and other equipment.
11. Switch on instruments and other equipment, then mixer, THEN speakers !
Speaker or amp volumes should be set according to manufacturer guidelines. !
4. Get the best sound
4.1 Gain Structure
1. Once you’ve connected your instruments and equipment you will need to set input levels before
you can mix the signals together.
2. Gain structure is important to get the maximum signal level without undesirable distortion.
Setting gain properly helps to optimise signal quality and ensure that the signal to noise ratio
remains as low as possible.
3. If you‘re using a microphone make sure the mic is placed at an appropriate distance to the sound
source. (Close for quiet sources, further away for louder).
4. Press the PFL switch on the corresponding channel. This will allow you to hear the pre-fader
input signal and will show the signal level on the LR Meters.
5. Sing, talk or play your instrument at a typical level of loudness.
6. Slowly raise the Gain Control on the corresponding channel until you see a good signal level in
the LR Meters. Maximum peaks between “0” and “+6” on the meters are a good indicator.
7. Connect professional monitoring headphones to the Phones output and t ur n up th e
PHONES level to a safe l is tening vo lume.!
8. If the signal sounds undesirably distorted at a low signal level, enable any pad switch on the
microphone, or move the microphone further away from the source and repeat the process.
Once you’re happy with the input signal level, you may wish to use lo-cut (Hi -pass Filter) and the EQ
to enhance intelligibility or to remove unwanted frequencies, and improve the tonal balance of the
source sound, so keep the channel PFL switch enabled for now!
Section 4. continued overleaf...
Microphone
Electro
Acoustic Guitar
Powered PA Speakers
Portable
Media Player
Electronic Piano
Powered Wedge
Monitor
4.2 Shaping Sound
Microphone
Electro
Acoustic Guitar
Electronic Piano
Drum Machine
Active Studio Monitors
Audio
Interface
EQ fil ters aud io pass in g thro ugh it and all ows yo u t o ‘cut ’ (t urn do wn) or ‘ bo ost’ (t ur n u p) sel ect ed f requ enc ies.
‘Boosting’ a frequency too much may cause the signal to clip or distort. ‘Cutting’ a frequency will cause a reduction in
signal level.
Overuse of EQ may cause the sound to be unnatural. Understanding the frequency
responses of different instruments and how they might overlap will help you make
good decisions on how to EQ musically.
1. lo-cut (Hi -pass Filter) removes unwanted low frequency noise such as rumble,
handling noise, thumps and proximity effect and helps maintain clarity in the
signal. lo-cut aff ects bo th Mic an d Line/Inst in pu ts . The co rn er frequ enc y
is set at 100Hz.
2. HF EQ (Hi gh Frequ enc y) affect s t rebl e fr equ enci es i n the si gn al. The
corner frequency is at 12kHz for adding “brightness” and “definition” to guitars or
for reducing “hiss” in vocals and “harshness” in cymbals.
3. LF EQ (Low Fr equ ency) equ ali ser af fect s b ass freq uen ci es in th e si g nal.
The corner frequency is 80Hz for adding “roundness” and “sub-bass” to bass
guitar or kick drum, or to remove “boom” from toms.
When you’re happy with the input signal level and tone you can disable the
channel’s PFL switch and think about how to mix all these sounds together!
4.3 Balancing the Mix
Once you have set input gain levels and applied EQ to source signals, you can start to mix all of your
channels to the outputs. Consider the importance of each instrument and how they should be heard in the
mix.
1. Make sure all PFL switches on your mixer are disabled to show MAIN MIX metering in LR Meters.
5. ZED FX Multi Model Processor
5.1 EFFECTS SECTION
Effects such as reverb and delay are generally used to add “natural sounding” acoustics and a sense of
space to the mix, but can also be used to add interesting repetitions in time with the music. Modulation
effects can be used to enhance a sound harmonically or to add depth and motion.
1. FX OUT/MUTE is a line level output from the FX buss and uses a standard 1/4”(6.25mm) jack
socket.
The stereo signal from the outputs of external effects processors should be returned into ST1 or
ST2 Inputs.
A latching footswitch can be connected to the FX OUT instead and used to mute the output from
the ZED FX Multi Model processor. The footswitch must be wired between Tip and Sleeve.
It is possible to connect the FX OUT to the input of a powered speaker for monitoring purposes
however the signal is post-fader (MIX) which means will be affected by the changes to both the
channel FX send and MIX level.
2. The ZED FX Multi Model processor is a high quality built-in effects unit which is fed with a mono
signal from the FX buss. The output signal from the processor to the MAIN MIX is stereo.
3. FX Select / Parameter control is u sed to scrol l t hr oug h ef fects pres ets an d m ake chang es t o
editable parameters.
4. TAP TEMPO Button can be u sed t o ad ju st t he f requ enc y o r tem po of delay eff ect s that
include a Tap Tempo parameter. If a delay effect is selected then you will see a flashing decimal
point on the right hand side of the preset display.
Change effects parameters b y p ressin g an d h oldin g d own th e TAP TEMPO butt on and
turning the effects FX Select / Parameter control. The display will show a parameter value of P0 to
P9.
Turn off the internal effects b y s ett ing th e ZED FX Multi Model preset to “ 00”.
Reset the editable effects parameters to fac to ry defau lt s, by ho ld ing down FX Select /
Parameter control and TAP TEMPO Button at t he s ame ti me whilst switc hi ng o n t he p ow er .
5. MIX r ot ary fader co ntr ol s t he vo lume of th e (wet ) effec ts si g nal in to the MAIN MIX.
2. Slowly raise the MAIN MIX fader to around “0”.
3. Turn up channel MIX controls to send their signal to the main mix.
4. You will see the signal level displayed in the LR Meters.
5. As you mix the signals together you will see the combined level getting higher in the meters.
6. Avoid clipping and leave headroom for any louder moments in the program material.
Average peak s aroun d “ 0” on the meters are a good indicator.
Maintain a natural sounding balance and relationship between voices and instruments.
i.e. which instruments should be heard more clearly over others.
If you find that MIX controls are turned up very high and signal is still low, or MIX control is very low but
signal is too high, readjust channel Gain and EQ controls to improve gain structure and tone (see
section 6.1)
8. Use PAN and balance to separate sounds and give instruments space in the mix or a realistic
impression of where they might sit in the stereo image.
Ideally, high energy LF sounds such as kick drum should be kept centre to distribute them evenly and
share the load between speakers.
6. Important Safety Precautions
Water and moisture:
Do not expose the mixer to rain or moisture or use it in damp or wet conditions.
Do not place containers of liquids on it which might spill into any openings.
5.2 Applying Effects to the Mix (ZEDi-10FX only)
Before adding effects think about whether you want it to sound as though the voice or instruments are
in a certain performance space, if you want to add repetition effects such as echo (delay) or if you want
them to sound like they do on that classic album.
Using too much of an effect may mean losing definition or intelligibility of the original sound!
1. Select the desired effect preset and turn the FX Select / Parameter control to that number.
2. Press PFL on the channel and on the effects section to monitor (dry) channel signal and (wet)
effect return via the PHONES output b efore add in g to th e MAIN MIX.
3. If you have selected a delay effect and there’s a flashing decimal point on the preset display, use
the TAP TEMPO Button to bring the effect in time with program material.
4. Turn up the FX send on the channel until you hear the desired amount of effect.
The channel MIX control must be turned up because the FX send is post-fader.
1. Repeat this for any additional channels.
2. Once you’re happy with the sound disable all PFL switches.
3. Slowly turn up the effects MIX control to “0” to add the effects signal to the MAIN MIX.
4. Readjust channel FX send controls, if necessary!
Sending too much signal to a regenerative delay or using too much regeneration can cause sound to
build up very quickly, caution is advised! !
7. Application examples
Ventilation:
Do not obstruct the ventilation slots or position the mixer where the air flow required for ventilation is impeded.
If the mixer is to be placed in a rack unit or flight case ensure that it is well ventilated.
Heat and vibration:
Do not place the mixer where it is subject to excessive heat or direct sunlight.
Keep the mixer away from any equipment which produces excessive heat or vibration.
Servicing:
Switch off equipment and unplug the power cord immediately if it is exposed to moisture, spilled liquid, objects fallen into
the openings, if the power cord or plug have become damaged, during lightning storms, or if smoke, odour or abnormal
noise is noticed.
Refer servicing to qualified technical personnel only.
Installation:
Install the mixer in accordance with the instructions printed in this User Guide.
Do not connect the output of power amplifiers directly to the mixer.
Only use audio connectors and plugs for their intended purpose.
Read instructions:
Retain these safety and operating instructions for future reference.
Adhere to all warnings printed here and on the mixer and follow the operating instructions printed in this User Guide.
Do not remove cover:
Never operate the mixer if the cover is not correctly fitted.
Power sources:
Only connect the console to mains power of the type described in this User Guide and marked on the rear panel.
Use a power cord with sealed mains plug appropriate for your local mains supply as provided with the mixer.
If the provided plug does not fit into mains your outlet consult your service agent for assistance.
Power cord routing:
Run the power cord so that it is out of the way and not likely to be walked on, stretched or pinched by items placed upon or
against it.
Grounding:
Never remove or tamper with the ground connection or polarity in the power cord.
Additional Information
Live
For all additional information such as hardware specification, product information or technical support please go to
A limited one year manufacturer’s warranty applies to this product, the conditions of the warranty can be found at
For service or support in your local area please go to
http://www.allen-heath.com/where-to-buy and search f or the cou nt ry you are i n.
Please register this product at http://www.allen-heath.com/register to r ecei ve us efu l i nform ation f ro m time t o t im e.
Copyright © 2015 Allen & Heath Limited. All rights reserved.
Allen & Heath Limited, Kernick Industrial Estate, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9LU, UK
http://www.allen-heath.com
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ZED-6FX User Guide AP10002 Issue 2
Studio
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