Allen & Heath ZED-24 24-Channel Analog Mixer with USB Audio Interface

Allen & Heath ZED-24: A Flexible 24-Channel Analog Desk With Built-In USB

The Allen & Heath ZED-24 is a 24-channel analog mixer that combines sixteen mono channels, four stereo channels and a computer-ready USB interface for engineers who want a large, hands-on surface without onboard effects. In an analog console, each input travels a continuous electrical path from preamp to output, giving a directness and a sound that many engineers still prefer for live work. The ZED-24 is the effects-free member of its family, a deliberate choice for operators who run outboard processing or simply want a clean, uncluttered signal chain. It routes 23 independent sources to the mix and offers ten outputs, so a full band, a set of monitors and a recording feed all coexist on one desk. For a house of worship or a club that mixes different acts every night, that flexibility with analog immediacy is the appeal.

Sixteen DuoPre Preamps for Clean, Natural Gain

Sixteen mono channels each carry an Allen & Heath DuoPre preamp, the two-stage circuit that spreads amplification across matched sections to hold noise down while gain climbs. Because the preamp is the first and most important gain stage a microphone signal passes through, its transparency sets the tone for the entire mix. Each mono strip pairs a Neutrik XLR mic input with a 1/4 in line input, switchable 48V phantom power for condenser microphones, and a channel insert for patching in a compressor or gate. Engineers repeatedly praise the ZED-24 for preamp headroom and clarity that belie its class, which is why it turns up on stages far larger than its footprint suggests. On vocals, acoustic guitars and overheads, that clean gain is the difference between a mix that sounds open and one that sounds congested.

Configurable Stereo USB Without Onboard Effects

Unlike the ZED-22FX, the ZED-24 has no built-in effects engine, and that is by design: it keeps the signal path dry so the engineer decides exactly what processing, if any, colors the sound. What it does include is a configurable stereo USB interface, letting the mixer serve as a soundcard that records a stereo mix to a computer and returns stereo playback into the console. The assignable send and return points mean an operator can capture precisely the mix they want and feed backing tracks or walk-in music in wherever it belongs in the chain. This makes the ZED-24 a natural fit for a room that already owns outboard reverb or runs effects in a DAW and does not want to pay for FX it will not use. It is a purist's console with a modern recording bridge built in.

Sweepable EQ, Long-Throw Faders and Ten Outputs

Every mono channel offers three-band EQ with a sweepable midrange, so the engineer can move the mid band to the exact frequency that needs cutting or boosting instead of relying on fixed points. Four aux sends drive monitor mixes and external effects, and the desk lays out on 100mm long-throw faders that give the smooth, repeatable level control a live mix depends on. With 23 sources reaching the mix and ten outputs leaving it, the ZED-24 supports main left/right, subgroup-style feeds, multiple monitor sends and a record output all at once. That routing depth is what lets one console cover front-of-house and monitors for a mid-sized band without a second desk. The balanced XLR main outputs deliver the finished mix to the PA at professional line level with strong noise rejection.

Built to Work Night After Night

The ZED-24 is built into a solid steel chassis with an internal universal power supply on a standard IEC lead, the kind of construction meant to survive repeated transport and rough handling. A metal enclosure and an internal supply are hallmarks of a console designed for real venues rather than a desktop, and reviewers routinely note the solid build and flexible routing as reasons the desk lasts. Because it delivers professional Allen & Heath sound at a sensible size, it lands equally well in a worship space, a theater pit, a rehearsal room or a small touring rig. Its clean preamps and dry signal path make it a dependable canvas that the engineer colors to taste. For anyone who wants a large analog console with USB recording and no effects to pay for or work around, the ZED-24 is the direct answer.