Allen & Heath MixWizard WZ4 16:2 Analogue Mixer

Allen & Heath MixWizard WZ4 16:2 Analogue Mixer – 16-Channel Console with Twin FX Engines

The MixWizard WZ4 16:2 is the fourth generation of Allen & Heath’s long-running all-purpose analogue console: sixteen microphone and line inputs, a stereo main mix and the kind of direct, one-function-per-control layout that working engineers can operate without a screen. It is a 19-inch rack-mountable design with a connector system that adapts between desktop, rack and flight-case use, which is why the same model turns up in live rigs, houses of worship, rehearsal rooms and fixed installations.

Each of the sixteen channels provides a high-performance preamp on balanced XLR and TRS connections, an insert point, a direct output, and a four-band EQ with two sweepable midrange bands. Six auxiliary sends, two stereo returns and two built-in stereo effects engines cover monitor mixes, external processing and the reverbs and delays a live mix normally needs, without any outboard rack being mandatory.

Key features

• 16 mono mic and line channels with XLR and TRS inputs, inserts and direct outputs
• Four-band EQ with two sweepable mids on every channel
• Six aux sends: two pre-fade, two switched and two post-fade
• Twin stereo FX engines with 20 studio-quality presets
• 100mm faders and 12-segment tri-colour bargraph metering
• Dedicated mono output and independent A-B output for recording, fills or foldback

Channel strip and EQ

The four-band EQ is the working centre of the console. Fixed high and low bands shape the overall weight and presence, while the two sweepable mid bands let the engineer find and treat the exact frequency that is feeding back, boxy or masking a vocal, rather than being limited to preset mid frequencies. Phantom power at 48V is available for condenser microphones, signal and peak LEDs on each channel make gain setting quick at soundcheck, and EQ in and out switching allows instant comparison of a correction.

Six auxes and twin effects

Six auxiliary sends, arranged as pre-fade, switched and post-fade pairs, are enough for several separate monitor mixes plus effects sends in a typical band setup — the practical requirement that decides whether a compact console can actually run a show. The two internal FX engines provide twenty presets each covering reverbs, delays and modulation, returned through a stereo return with its own level control and a footswitch socket to mute the first effects return between songs or during spoken sections. Two further stereo returns accept external processors.

Outputs and installation flexibility

Beyond the main stereo output there is a dedicated mono fader output, which can feed a centre or fill speaker or be switched to provide a summed feed for a subwoofer, and an independent A-B output suited to a two-track recording, an overflow room or additional foldback. The QCC connector system allows the rear connector pod to be repositioned, so the mixer can sit on a desk, drop into a rack with connections accessible, or live in a flight case without cable strain. An optional USB multi-channel card can be fitted later, sending sixteen channels to a computer for multitrack recording with a stereo return, which extends the console into recording work without replacing it.

The WZ4 16:2 suits engineers who want a complete analogue mixing system in one rack-mountable unit: sixteen quality preamps, flexible EQ, enough auxes for real monitor work and built-in effects, in a format that can be set up quickly and operated by whoever is on duty that night.