SQ-5 48ch digital mixer, 96kHz, 16 Mic/Line 12 XLR out, 8FX, 17 faders, touchscreen, SLink & I/O Port, rackmountable
 
Powered by Allen & Heath’s revolutionary XCVI 96kHz FPGA engine, SQ-5 is built for professionals in the most demanding live sound applications. Delivering class-leading high resolution audio with an ultra-low <0.7ms latency, the SQ-5 gives you unrivalled power and audio fidelity. The mixer has 16 onboard preamps and 8 stereo FX engines with dedicated return channels and access to the acclaimed RackExtra FX library. 12 stereo mixes (configurable as groups or auxes) make SQ the perfect companion for in-ear monitoring setups, whilst Automatic Mic Mixing* takes the strain in multi-mic environments. SQ-5 gives you all the tools to meet any requirement, from AV and corporate events to live productions and houses of worship.
 
Powerful Processing
 
SQ comes equipped with all the processing you need to craft the perfect mix. Every one of the 48 inputs has HPF, a super-fast gate with sidechain and filter, a musical 4-band parametric equaliser, and Peak/RMS compressor for control and shaping of levels and transients. Mixes have both a parametric and 28 band graphic EQ along with compressor as standard, all ready to switch in when required. The XCVI core even allows for every compressor in SQ to have its own parallel path, without phase or coherency worries.
 
DEEP Plug-Ins Available
 
SQ’s DEEP processing architecture allows owners to hand-pick boutique compressor and preamp emulations to suit their style and needs. DEEP plug-ins can be embedded directly within the mixer’s inputs and mix channels, all without adding system latency or setup hassles.
 
RackExtra FX
 
SQ is armed with 8 stereo FX engines and comes complete with the acclaimed RackExtra library, featuring emulations of legendary classic reverbs, gated reverbs, delays, modulators and more. Every engine has its own dedicated stereo return too, so you don’t need to use up any of your 48 input channels.
 
Expandable up to 48 mics
 
SQ-5 has all the onboard I/O you need for standalone operation. Thanks to its SLink intelligent port, SQ can also be expanded up to a total of 48 mic inputs via a family of 96kHz and 48kHz rack and stage box expanders (e.g. AB168, AR2412, AR84 and DX168), making it a flexible, mix ‘n’ match solution for owners of other Allen & Heath digital systems. You can also link your SQ directly to another SQ or even a dLive system.
 
The Mixing Experience
 
With each new design, the Allen & Heath team strives to get closer to the ultimate mixing experience. SQ’s dashboard is centred around a high-res 7” capacitive touchscreen, framed by an array of high-grip, illuminating encoders to create an intuitive, integrated blend of clear visual feedback and immediate, hands-on control. Channels and mixes can be dragged and dropped to any strip, with custom naming and colour coding on the colour strip displays, allowing you to build a mixing environment that mirrors your own workflow. Each strip features our patented Chromatic channel metering system, giving you at-a-glance level indication thanks to LEDs with variable brightness and colour.
 
Designed for the pro
 
We know that the live environment can be tough on gear – that’s why we devised our most punishing regime of testing and retesting yet for SQ. From its 3-tier, all metal chassis to its extruded aluminium light bar, SQ has tremendous strength and rigidity underlying its good looks.
 
Dante, Waves and more
 
SQ is the centrepiece of a growing ecosystem of apps, expanders, audio networking, personal mixers and more, allowing you to connect, adapt and expand to your heart’s content. It’s compatible with leading audio networking standards too – add an audio networking card such as Dante or Waves to SQ’s I/O port and you’re ready to integrate with installed systems, provide a digital FoH / Monitor split and more.
 
Advanced AMM
 
SQ’s advanced automatic mic mixers (AMM’s) make it a natural choice for mixing conferences, panel talks and TV shows. They’re fully integrated in the mixer too, with no extra latency, so you don’t need to route the audio to an internal DSP rack or an external plugin system. Two fully independent 24 channel AMM’s can be utilised for two zones or combined into a single 48 channel AMM for larger events.
 
Flexible multitrack recording
 
The integrated SQ-Drive makes it quick and easy to capture a 96kHz multitrack or stereo recording of the show direct to a USB key or drive. No software setup, no soundcard driver issues and no extra laptop to bring to the performance. SQ-Drive is also a smart way to manage walk-in music.
 
Also provided is a built-in 32×32 96kHz audio interface for multitrack recording, backing tracks or virtual soundcheck applications. The interface is Core Audio and ASIOTM compliant and comes complete with MIDI and DAW control capabilities.
 
SQ Apps
 
There are two essential apps for SQ – SQ MixPad for engineers and SQ4You for performers.
 
SQ MixPad app is available free on iOS and Android platforms, providing wireless control of the main mixing functions. This enables the engineer to mix from different listening positions, set up monitor mixes from the stage, or just add extra local control.
 
SQ4You is a personal mixing app to accompany SQ series mixers, allowing up to 8 performers to control their own monitor mixes from their Android or iOS devices and freeing the audio engineer to focus on the front-of-house sound.
 
The Ultimate IEM Mixer
 
With no less than 12 stereo mixes, super-low latency, and both parametric and graphic EQ on every mix, SQ is the perfect companion for in-ear monitoring setups. SQ’s airline-friendly compactness and rugged build quality mean there’s no reason to gamble on house monitor consoles again.
 
ME Personal Mixing System
 
SQ is fully compatible with the ME Personal Mixing System, allowing the performers to take control of their own monitor mixes. Any number of ME-1 and ME-500 personal mixers can be daisy-chained from the mixer’s SLink port, or from a connected remote expander.