48-channel 96 kHz digital mixer with 16 Mic/Line inputs, 12 stereo Mix buses, 8 stereo FX engines, 32×32 USB audio interface and SLink audio networking.

Allen & Heath SQ-5 is a compact professional digital mixer designed for live sound, installation, recording and streaming applications. Its 96 kHz XCVI FPGA processing core delivers high-quality audio processing with less than 0.7 ms latency, while 48 input channels and flexible signal routing make the SQ-5 suitable for both compact and larger sound systems.

The mixer provides 16 local XLR Mic/Line inputs, 3 stereo inputs, 12 stereo Mix buses, Main LR, 3 stereo matrices and 8 stereo FX engines. The SLink EtherCON connection allows the system to be expanded with Allen & Heath DX, GX, AR and ME devices, while the dedicated I/O Port accepts optional interface cards, including Dante and Waves solutions.

For hands-on control, the SQ-5 features 17 motorised 100 mm faders, 6 fader layers, a 7" colour touchscreen, channel LCD displays and 8 assignable SoftKeys. The integrated 32×32 USB audio interface provides multichannel audio connectivity with a computer, while SQ-Drive supports stereo and multitrack recording and playback directly to and from a USB drive.

Key Features

• 48 input channels
• 96 kHz XCVI FPGA processing
• <0.7 ms latency
• 16 × local XLR Mic/Line inputs
• 3 × stereo Line inputs
• 12 × stereo Mix buses + Main LR
• 3 × stereo matrices
• 8 × stereo RackFX engines with dedicated FX Returns
• 17 × 100 mm motorised faders
• 6 fader layers
• 7" capacitive colour touchscreen
• 8 DCA groups and 8 Mute groups
• DEEP Processing ready
• 32×32 USB audio interface
• SQ-Drive stereo and multitrack recording/playback
• SLink EtherCON connection for remote I/O
• 64×64 I/O expansion port
• Dante and Waves expansion card support
• AES digital output
• 8 assignable SoftKeys
• Compatible with Allen & Heath ME personal monitoring systems

Specifications

Channels and Buses

• Input channels: 48
• Total buses: 36
• Mix buses: 12 × stereo, configurable as Aux or Group
• Main: stereo LR
• Matrices: 3 × stereo
• DCA groups: 8
• Mute groups: 8
• FX: 8 × stereo RackFX engines with dedicated stereo FX Returns

Local Audio Inputs

• 16 × balanced XLR Mic/Line inputs
• 2 × stereo 6.3 mm TRS Line inputs
• 1 × stereo 3.5 mm input
• 1 × XLR Talkback microphone input
• +48 V phantom power
• Mic/Line analogue gain: 0 to +60 dB
• Switchable –20 dB Pad

Local Audio Outputs

• 12 × balanced XLR outputs
• 2 × balanced 6.3 mm TRS outputs
• AES/EBU digital XLR output
• 6.3 mm TRS headphone output

Control

• 17 × 100 mm motorised faders
• 6 fader layers
• 7" capacitive colour touchscreen
• 16 channel LCD displays
• 8 × assignable SoftKeys
• Chromatic Channel Metering
• Integrated surface illumination

USB and Recording

• 32×32 USB-B audio interface
• 24-bit / 48 or 96 kHz USB audio streaming
• SQ-Drive stereo recording: 24-bit / 96 kHz
• SQ-Drive multitrack recording: up to 16 channels at 96 kHz or 32 channels at 48 kHz
• USB MIDI and DAW control support

Audio Networking and Expansion

• SLink: Neutrik EtherCON
• Supports dSnake, DX and gigaACE/GX protocols
• Compatible with Allen & Heath remote I/O and ME personal monitoring systems
• 64×64 I/O Port for optional interface cards
• Dante and Waves expansion options

Audio Performance

• Sampling rate: 96 kHz
• Dynamic range: 112 dB
• Frequency response: 20 Hz–20 kHz (+0 / –0.5 dB)
• Headroom: +18 dB
• Latency: <0.7 ms, local Mic input to Main L/R

Power

• Mains power: 100–240 V AC, 50/60 Hz
• Maximum power consumption: 75 W

Dimensions and Weight

• Dimensions (W × D × H): 440 × 514.9 × 198 mm
• Weight: 10.5 kg