Allen & Heath XONE: PX5 Review

Allen & Heath’s XONE: PX5 arrives on the scene to capitalise on the ever-shifting world of DJ technology. We get hands-on to see how it performs… Manufacturer Allen & Heath Price £1,150 Contact Audio Technica 0113 277 1441 Web www.allen-heath.com The world of DJ technology has, of course, been moving forwards as rapidly as that […]

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Allen & Heath’s XONE: PX5 arrives on the scene to capitalise on the ever-shifting world of DJ technology. We get hands-on to see how it performs…

px5

Manufacturer Allen & Heath
Price £1,150
Contact Audio Technica
0113 277 1441
Web www.allen-heath.com

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The world of DJ technology has, of course, been moving forwards as rapidly as that of music production, so much so that the lines between the two have often become blurred, with DJs incorporating Ableton Live and external hardware into their sets, while producers often incorporate DJ tech into their live sets.

The new XONE:PX5 mixer from Allen & Heath certainly helps both scenarios. It’s a very high spec’d DJ mixer, but could quite easily find itself at the centre of a live music performance rig – featuring all manner of instrumentation plugged into it. This is because not only does it act as a high-quality, 20-channel 24-bit/96kHz soundcard for connected laptops, but there’s also so much effect processing going on under the hood that DJs could well love it, and experimental producers might glean just as much from it, too.

It’s a four-channel mixer featuring four stereo three-source channels for phono, line and USB inputs and there’s a MIDI/sync connector around the back. This means that it caters for a huge range of live scenarios. So you can plug your laptop in and mix music from it with turntables as standard, but then blend instruments in as well. Imagine Ableton Live producers with live scratching and instruments being triggered; or DJs mixing laptop music with turntables, drum machines and synths.

Of course, other DJ mixers enable much of this, but the PX5 has a suite of effects – delays, reverbs, modulators, flangers and distorters – plus a great filter section and, importantly, it’s all very straightforward to use. These features really do mean that DJs can take their skills up a notch, onto another creative and performing level.

So, yes the XONE:PX5 is a DJ mixer at heart, but it’s packed with so many features and technology that it’s certainly one of those products that’s pushing both DJs and producers to explore each other’s realms and bring parts of them into their live sets that they may not have considered before. It’s expensive, but don’t consider it as just a mixer – it’s potentially the hub of something greater. Just think a little out of the box to get there.

XONE: PX5 Key Features

  • DJ mixer on steroids
  • Four stereo channels and mic
  • Three types of input (phono, line and USB)
  • 20 channel, 24-bit/96kHz soundcard
  • Rugged finish for live use
  • XONE:FX for spectral delays, resonators and reverbs
  • MIDI In/Out
  • 3-band EQ, plus filter
  • Weight: 5.21kg
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