The Allen & Heath ZEDi-10 mixers are amazingly powerful for the price and they just might be
the perfect fit for musicians, podcasters, and recording engineers on a budget. But if this is
our first time meeting, my name is Kyle. Welcome to Audio University. By the way, real quick, if
you decide that this mixer is a good fit for you, buying one through the link in the description of
this video will help support Audio University at no extra cost to you. Let's get started.
We'll start by taking a look at the inputs. The ZEDi-10 mixers have a total of 10 inputs,
but the type of source you can connect to each input varies. The first four channels have
XLR inputs with built-in microphone preamps. These are the only four inputs that you can
connect a microphone to directly. You can connect dynamic mics or condenser mics using the global
switch to supply phantom power to all microphone inputs. You can also connect line level sources
to the first four channels. That could include smartphones, laptops, turntables, keyboards, etc.
The two stereo inputs are useful if you have a left and right signal from a line level device,
such as music from a smartphone. The left and right signals will stay separated but you can
use a single channel strip to easily control them together. It's important to note that while
stereo input 1 has a preamp that you can use to turn up quiet signals, stereo input 2 does not.
The lack of a preamp on stereo input 2 shouldn't be a problem if the device you're connecting to
it has its own output level control, but it's just something to keep in mind. If
you have an instrument level source like an electric guitar, an acoustic-electric guitar,
or a bass guitar, you can connect them directly to one of the first two channels.
Pressing this instrument switch effectively turns the channel into a direct box input.
To recap, we've got two inputs that accept either mic level, line level, or instrument level; two
inputs that accept either mic level or line level; and a total of four line level inputs using these
two stereo channels. If you're keeping count, that's only eight inputs. The ninth and tenth
input are inputs that come from a USB device, which come into the mixer on stereo input three.
Later in the video we'll talk more about USB configurations for inputs and outputs.
The first four channels have a high pass filter and a three band EQ, which can be
useful for making small adjustments. You'll also find a two band EQ on stereo input one.
Now let's take a look at the output capabilities of the ZEDi-10 mixers. There are infinite ways
that you can use each output, but I'll go through a few of the most common ways. First, you've got
the two main XLR outputs. These would usually be connected to the main PA speakers in a live event
or to the studio monitors in a studio setting. To route signals to the main outputs, you adjust the
mix knob at the bottom of each channel strip. You've also got a pair of auxiliary outputs.
One is called Aux Out and the other is called FX Out. These could be used to route signals to stage
monitors so that the musicians on stage can hear themselves play. You could create headphone mixes
if you had an external headphone amp. Another way to use them is for effects like reverb and delay.
To route signals to these outputs, you use the aux send knobs on each channel strip.
The headphone output lets you listen to individual inputs or
mixes without disrupting what's coming through the main speakers.
One of the best features of this mixer is the built-in USB interface. Most mixers like this
only allow you to record up to two channels. However, the ZEDi-10 mixers let you record
four separate tracks into your DAW, which is a huge advantage for podcasters and people who
are recording bands. Depending on how you plan to use the mixer, there are a few USB configurations
and you can see each option in this section. The first option is to route mic input 1, 2,
3, and 4 to the computer. This would allow you to record four podcast guests or four instruments to
separate tracks in your recording software. The second option is to route mic input 1,
mic input 2, and the main outputs to your computer. The third option is to route mic
input 1, mic input 2, Aux Out, and FX Out to the computer.
So is the ZEDi-10 worth the money? Honestly, I'm blown away by the features you get for
such a low price. If I were trying to record a band or a podcast with more than two guests
(while staying under 250 bucks), I'd probably go with this mixer.
If you're getting this mixer for live sound, it might be worth spending the extra money for
the ZEDi-10FX so that you can get access to the built-in reverb and delay effects,
but for those who will be using the mixer at home for recording, I don't think it's worth it.
You'll probably already have reverb and delay plugins within your DAW, so there's no need.
If you want some help using this mixer,
or any mixer for that matter, check out the video on the Audio University website
that will step you through everything you need to know. You can find that at
audiouniversityonline.com/mixing-console-tutorial/.
If you enjoyed this video, hit the "Like" button and let me know in the comments if
you think this mixer is good fit for you. I'll see you in the next video.