Allen & Heath Xone:96 Analogue DJ Mixer With Dual USB

Allen & Heath Xone:96 Analogue DJ Mixer – Analogue Mixing with Dual USB Soundcards

The Xone:96 is Allen & Heath’s flagship analogue DJ mixer, developed from the Xone:92 that defined the professional club booth. The signal path remains fully analogue, with the familiar Xone four-band EQ and dual voltage-controlled filters, but the connectivity is thoroughly modern: two independent USB soundcards are built in, so two laptops can stay connected at once and changeovers between DJs no longer mean repatching cables mid-set.

The layout is a 6 plus 2 channel design. Four main stereo channels handle turntables, media players and line sources, each with the four-band EQ. Two further stereo channels, A and B, carry a three-band parametric EQ and serve as flexible inputs or returns, and there are two dedicated auxiliary stereo returns for external effects, plus a separate master insert for outboard hardware that should process the whole mix.

Key features

• Fully analogue signal path with four main stereo channels and refined four-band EQ per channel
• Dual 32-bit USB soundcards, 24 channels at up to 96kHz, with Traktor Scratch certification
• Dual Xone VCF filters with resonance control and CRUNCH harmonic distortion
• Two dedicated FX sends, two stereo return channels and a separate master insert
• Two independent headphone cue systems for back-to-back sets and smooth changeovers
• InnoFADER crossfader and 60mm VCA channel faders

Two soundcards, no changeover gap

Each USB connection provides six stereo inputs and six stereo outputs, so a single cable connects a laptop for playback, recording and digital vinyl control. Because there are two completely independent interfaces, the outgoing and incoming DJ can both be patched, sound-checked and ready before the handover. For hybrid rigs the mixer also accepts synths, drum machines and samplers on its line inputs, and an X:Link socket connects compatible Xone controllers while MIDI over USB supports software control.

The filters are the instrument

The dual VCF section is the creative heart of every Xone mixer. Each main channel can be assigned to filter A, filter B or neither, and the filters sweep from low-pass through band-pass behaviour to high-pass with adjustable resonance. The CRUNCH control adds controlled harmonic distortion as resonance rises, which can move a transition from a clean blend to something deliberately gritty. Used with the four-band EQ, which gives separate control over low and low-mid bands, long blends stay controlled because the bass elements of two tracks can be separated rather than simply stacked.

Monitoring built for two performers

A second, fully independent cue system means two DJs can each plug in headphones and monitor different sources at the same time — the detail that makes genuine back-to-back performance practical. The booth output carries its own three-band EQ so the monitor rig can be tuned to the room without touching the master. Master, booth, record and headphone outputs cover the standard booth wiring of a club or studio install, with balanced XLR main outputs for the PA feed.

Build and workflow

The control surface follows the Xone:92 layout closely enough that experienced users need no relearning, and the construction is intended for nightly professional use: metal chassis, high-quality faders and clear, backlit channel assignment. The mixer is a line-level device and does not power loudspeakers; its outputs feed powered speakers or an amplifier system. Phono inputs with grounding serve turntables directly, and two microphone inputs on XLR handle announcements or a vocal channel.

For DJs who mix on an analogue surface but perform from laptops, vinyl or a hybrid of both, the Xone:96 combines the sound and feel of the classic club mixer with the dual-computer connectivity that modern booths demand.