Allen & Heath Xone S2 Rotary edt.

In fixed installations, a defined maximum level and separate outputs for different sound zones are important. The Allen & Heath Xone S2 Rotary Edition is a 19-inch DJ rack mixer with rotary controls that brings together four stereo sources and two microphone or line channels and is designed for connection to a PA system.

Each of the four stereo channels accepts phono or line signals. There are also two separate Mic/Line channels, for microphones or additional line sources, for example. The 3-band EQ per stereo channel lets you adjust the sound of the music sources; the Mic/Line channels have their own 2-band EQ.

The Xone filter system is available for sound processing. You can route one of the four stereo channels to the filter section and use high-pass, low-pass or band-pass filtering. Frequency and resonance are adjustable; the filters can be used individually or in combination. The rotary controls on the Rotary version adjust the level of the stereo channels, and a separate crossfader is also included.

The output limiter with adjustable threshold limits the maximum level of the main outputs independently of the input signal. The balanced XLR master outputs feed the PA; a mono XLR output for zone or sub-bass applications and a separate monitor output are also available. An additional Zone output can supply a second sound zone.

For announcements, there is an alarm audio input and a control input. When the alarm is activated, the four music channels are muted while the microphone channels remain open. Auto Talk Over lowers the music when microphone signals are detected; the amount of attenuation and fast or slow recovery can be adjusted. Front-panel stereo RCA inputs accept additional line sources.

The USB audio interface connects the mixer to a computer and supports playback and recording of audio signals. The USB audio path can also be integrated into an effects workflow; suitable software is required. For cueing and monitoring, there are three headphone connections and a Split Cue function that routes the cue signal and the main mix separately to the two earcups.

With its rotary controls, four phono/line stereo channels, microphone and alarm functions, and separate outputs, the mixer is suitable for DJ racks and fixed installations with multiple sound zones. The limiter and zone connections are particularly useful when you want to limit the output level or supply additional areas separately.