We have our hands on both a Midas M32 digital console and an Allen & Heath Qu-32 digital console. Looks like it’s time for a comparison! As a side note, there is also a rack mountable version of the M32, known as the Midas M32R. As far as the Qu-32 is concerned, there are two others in the Qu Series, the Allen & Heath Qu-16 and the Allen & Heath Qu-24. Now, on to the comparison!
For starters, the Midas M32 is MUCH heavier than the Allen & Heath Qu-32. The main reason for that is due to a huge air gap under the Qu-32. Its design varies from the M32, which is solid like traditional mixing consoles. While the weight of these consoles has nothing to do with their capabilities, it still says something about compatibility and transportation. It would be much more difficult lugging the Midas mixer around than it would the Qu-32. There is also a difference in prices. The M32 costs nearly $1400 more than the Qu-32!
On to the features! We’ll start with the Midas M32, which was designed by Bentley Motors Designer Rajesh Kutty. This digital mixer has 40 channels and 25 mix buses. There are 32 award-winning Midas microphone preamplifiers in this console. Midas combines premium components and their 40+ years of experience in the professional audio industry to craft these beauties. In addition to that, AD/DA conversion operates at 192kHz.
The surface controls offer a user-intuitive interface. Midas Pro motorized faders are arranged in three banks of eight. These faders have been rated for up to one million cycles. All important channel parameters are arranged in a single section to give users quick control over things like EQ and gate. The 7” TFT display is high-contrast and easy to read. This Midas digital mixer has the usual console features like scenes, mute groups, expansion ports (Dante, MADI, etc.) , etc.
On to the Allen & Heath digital mixer. This sleek digital mixer has 32 AnalogiQ microphone preamps. These mic preamps feature total-recall, phantom power and zero crossing detection. Furthermore, the preamps are tied in with the DSP for fantastic transparency and gain accuracy. 24-bit A/D and D/A converters capture analog signal with high quality and low latency. Its processing power is amazing, thanks to five dedicated cores of high efficiency ARM.
The surface controls are as sleek as the design of this Allen & Heath digital mixer. Its layout is ergonomic and helps create a fluid workflow. There are 33 motorized and automated faders arranged over two layers. The color touchscreen has dedicated keys and tabs for quick viewing of essential settings. The Qu-32 also features onboard dynamics, effects and an integrated multi-track USB recorder. This Allen & Heath console also has scenes, instant recall and plug-and-play DAW compatibility.
Both the Midas M32 and the Allen & Heath Qu-32 have their own mobile applications for wireless remote control. Get in touch with a Muzeek World Sales Rep to learn more about these powerful and capable consoles!
You can get in touch with us at sales@muzeekworld.com.