Allen & Heath ZED-428 4-Bus Analog Mixer, 24 Mono, USB, 7x2 Matrix

Allen & Heath ZED-428: Twenty-Four Mono Channels on a 4-Bus Touring Console

The Allen & Heath ZED-428 is a four-bus analog console offering twenty-four mono channels and two dual-stereo channels, the mid-sized member of the ZED Max range. It exists for the engineer whose input list has outgrown the ZED-420 but who still wants the speed, sound and reliability of a genuine analog surface. A four-bus console gives the operator subgroups to control clusters of channels together and a matrix for extra outputs, the routing structure that a full band and a busy stage demand. With twenty-four mono strips, the ZED-428 can host a complete rock band, a worship team with strings and horns, or a musical theater pit without running out of inputs. It brings that capacity in a road-ready package that a single engineer can rig and trust.

Twenty-Four DuoPre Preamps at Scale

Each of the twenty-four mono channels carries an Allen & Heath DuoPre preamp with up to 69dB of clean gain, a Neutrik XLR mic input, a 1/4 in line input and switchable 48V phantom power. The value of putting the same high-grade preamp on every one of twenty-four channels is consistency: no matter which input a source lands on, it meets the same clean, quiet, musical front end. A 100Hz high-pass filter and a channel insert on each strip keep low-end mud out and let outboard dynamics be patched where needed. Reviewers describe the ZED-428 preamps as clean and punchy, the trait that keeps a dense, multi-source mix clear rather than congested. Across two dozen channels of a live band, that uniform preamp quality is what holds the whole mix together.

Four Subgroups, a 7x2 Matrix and Deep EQ

The ZED-428 routes through four audio subgroups and a seven-by-two matrix on top of its main left/right output, the same architecture as the rest of the ZED Max line scaled to a larger channel count. Subgroups let the engineer fold twenty-four inputs down to a handful of master faders, so drums, vocals and instruments each ride on their own group during the show. The 7x2 matrix builds independent feeds for lobby zones, delay towers, assistive listening or a broadcast split without consuming a monitor aux. Every mono channel also carries a four-band EQ with two sweepable mid bands and a high-pass filter, offering surgical control over a large source list. That depth of routing and EQ is precisely why users praise the desk for its deep routing and matrix in a road-friendly form.

Six Aux Sends and Onboard USB Recording

Six aux sends, arranged as two pre-fade, two post-fade and two switchable, give the ZED-428 the send count to run several stage monitor mixes and still leave effects sends free. Pre-fade sends keep monitor levels steady no matter what happens at the main fader, so performers hear a stable mix, while post-fade sends follow the fader for time-based effects. A built-in 2x2 USB interface records a stereo mix to a computer and returns stereo playback, letting an engineer archive the performance or run walk-in music without extra gear. The 100mm faders across the surface give the smooth, repeatable level control that a twenty-four-channel mix relies on. For a monitor world where every performer wants their own mix, that aux flexibility is a core reason to choose the larger ZED Max desk.

Built Like a Tank for Larger Shows

The ZED-428 rides on a touring-grade steel chassis with an internal power supply on IEC mains, engineered for the repeated load-ins and long calls of larger events. Its robust, road-ready build is one of the qualities users cite most, alongside the great analog console value it represents at this channel count. The desk lands in front-of-house live sound, larger houses of worship, theater and performing-arts venues, and festival and band mixing where twenty-four inputs and real subgroups earn their place. Because it delivers genuine Allen & Heath preamps and EQ across every channel, it produces a professional mix that holds up night after night. For an engineer scaling up from a compact desk to a full four-bus console, the ZED-428 is the workhorse in the middle of the ZED Max range.