ALLEN & HEATH GS-R24M REVIEW

I've really been treated this month when it comes to DAW controllers! I thought that my luck had peaked when I was asked to review the awesome SSL Nucleus last week, but no sooner had I stopped typing the final sentence, I received an e-mail asking if would mind taking a look at the new Allen & Heath GS-R24 mixer/control surface/interface. Would i mind? Let me think... this job certainly has its perks! :D

ALLEN & HEATH GS-R24M - INTRODUCTION

As I have already touched upon, the Allen & Heath GS-R24 is pretty much a combination of everything! It's a mixer, a controller and an interface all in one, giving you pretty much everything you could ever need! It's worth noting that the Allen & Heath GS-R24 is actually available in two different models... the standard GS-R24 and the more expensive (and slightly heavier) GS-R24M. The only difference between the two models (apart from the price) is the fact that the GS-R24M features motorised faders. The faders on the standard GS-R24 can still send MIDI data, they just can't receive and respond to MIDI messages sent from your DAW.

The Allen & Heath GS-R24 features 24 mono channels, each with individual faders, mic/line input preamps, 4 band EQ, a meterbridge and more! Also on this mixer, you get 2 valve inputs, 6 auxes, 4 subgroups, a main stereo and mono bus, PFL, AFL, Solo in Place, and 5.1 surround monitoring. In short, the product description was more than enough to get me excited about this review before I had even started!

ALLEN & HEATH GS-R24M - FIRST IMPRESSIONS

In fact, let's start a little bit further back and talk about my preconceived conceptions of Allen & Heath products. Having worked the Bournemouth club DJing circuits in the past, it was always a treat to get behind the decks and see that I had an Allen & Heath mixer to work with. For me, Allen & Heath radiate quality and this is a trend that I have seen carried on throughout every single product that I have come across from their extensive catalogue.

Thankfully, despite having such an impressive reputation to live up to, I found that the GS-R24 did not disappoint! I was using the GS-R24M (with motorised faders), which weighed in at a massive 38kg, so this is definitely a product that you will want to get help manouvering around... although hopefully, once you have it in position, it should stay there for a long time... you won't have to pick it back up and pack it back away again within the day like me! :( Sob!

Obviously, you are going to need a fair bit of space to fit this into your home studio! It's official dimensions are stated as 1125mm x 616mm x 192mm, so this is certainly not a product that is going to fit on your little desk next to your keyboard! Anyway, moving away from stating the obvious, so let's see what this thing can really do...

ALLEN & HEATH GS-R24M - INTERFACE MODULES

Unfortunately the Allen & Heath GS-R24 (and GS-R24M) doesn't come with a module (both the analogue and Firewire modules are available separately or as a package with the desk - call us on 01202 597180 for more details), so I was left with a decision about which one I should choose for my review. In the end I opted for the Firewire module as I felt that it would be a lot more flexible and would lend itself better to my way of working, although I will give you a quick overview of each...

The Analogue module features standard 5-pin MIDI In and Out connectors (allowing you to have MIDI communication with a host DAW) and two 37 pin connectors (for analogue inputs 1-32 and analogue outputs 1-32). Unfortunately the 32 inputs and outputs with this module are unbalanced, although this shouldn't cause any problems as long as you aren't running any crazy set-ups with really long cables.

The Firewire module fits into the same slot as the Analogue module (simply requiring 2 screws) and features a fair few additional connections in comparison. Firstly, it has 2 Firewire 800 connectors, giving you a quick and easy way to hook the GS-R24 up to your computer and also giving you a simple way to link the GS-R24 to another module. These connections are followed by some Mode Switches, which allow you to set the module up as 'Firewire only', 'ADAT only', or using a mixture of both. The next connector on this module is for a Word Clock Output and this is followed by 4 ADAT outputs (handling 8 channels each), 4 ADAT input connectors, a Word Clock Input and MIDI In and Out connections.

ALLEN & HEATH GS-R24M - FIRST IMPRESSIONS

It's difficult to judge this product on first impressions in comparison to other products that I have reviewed, just because it is so much bigger than everything else and so it immediately appears more impressive! However, I will do my best to remain consistent with my views...

First things first... the build. I'm pleased to say that the build did not disappoint in any way. If you have ever used a top-end Allen & Heath mixer before, then you can expect more of the same in terms of build; solid pots, faders with a great feel to them (the faders on Allen & Heath mixing desks are some of my favourites on the market) and buttons with a lovely firm 'click' to them - especially on the large Solo/Select buttons!

The immediate presence of the Allen & Heath GS-R24M, combined with its plethora of professional controls will immediately elevate the feel of your home studio. This is certainly a serious piece of kit and whilst it may even appear too feature-rich for a lot of project-studios, for others it will no doubt be a dream come true!

ALLEN & HEATH GS-R24M - SET UP

As I was using the Firewire Module, I firstly had to install the GS-R24 drivers from the Allen & Heath website before I hooked up the unit to my computer via a Firewire cable. I then had to figure out how to get the GS-R24M linked with my Logic DAW. Luckily, there was a handy document online ('Configuring Apple Logic with GS-R24'), which walked me through everything. It was a case of creating a new project with 24 mono audio tracks and assigning each one to individual inputs (1-24). I then needed to ensure that the GS-R24M was set-up as my default device in in Logic's audio preferences... a standard procedure that all seasoned Logic users will be familiar with.

So, that dealt with how to get audio into Logic from the Allen & Heath GS-R24M, but what I was just as interested in was getting the Allen 7 Heath GS-R24M to work as a DAW controller. I'm not going to bore you by explaining the exact procedure that I had to go through in order to achieve this (check the 'Configuring Apple Logic with GS-R24' PDF document on the Allen & Heath website for full information or watch the video below for some tips), but it was a simple case of pressing a few buttons on the GS-R24M and making a few selections in the 'Control Surfaces Setup' window in Logic Pro. Once this was done, as if by magic the faders of the Allen & Heath GS-R24M were mapped to the first 24 faders in my Logic project, the PFL/SEL buttons controlled track Solo mode (and track Mute mode when you use them in conjunction with the Shift button) and the Transport buttons and jog wheel of the GS-R24M were all configured with Logic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRXTUNf88Yk&feature=channel_video_title

After a quick check that everything was working I was ready to get on with using this thing for real. However, I should also add that if you are not a Logic user, fear not, as there are also set-up guides available for Pro Tools, Reaper, Sonar and Cubase.

ALLEN & HEATH GS-R24M - MAKING A RECORDING

Before making a recording, I gave the rear of the Allen & Heath GS-R24M a good old look to see what inputs were available to me! I found that each channel offered me a 1/4" direct output socket, a 1/4" insert socket, a 1/4" input socket (balanced/unbalanced) and an XLR mic input. There were also a couple of valve channels, which offered exactly the same connections as the regular channels, except that they featured Line/Instrument inputs as opposed to the standard Line inputs of the other channels.

So, on this evidence, a few test recordings were in order... one for a microphone on a standard channel, one for a microphone on a valve channel, one for an electric guitar on the valve channel, and one using the line inputs, just because I had a Novation Ultranova to hand (although unfortunately it did not belong to me!)

So, firstly, let's start with the microphone recording... as you will know if you have read some of my other blog posts, I am no singer, but I set myself up with a Reflexion filter, a pop-shield and an SE2200A condenser microphone (a fairly budget mic but with excellent quality and some pleasing colouration for vocals) and prepared myself to mutter some highly unoriginal sentences such as 'testing, testing, one, two, three!'

Allen & Heath state that the pre-amps featured on the GS-R24 are their best to date, with a wide bandwidth, a 'super linear' response and extremely low noise. In fact, the preamps of the GS-R24 (and GS-R24M of course) are the same as those featured in the Allen & Heath Zed-16, a product that has previously received rave reviews.

I have never used the Zed-16 before, but the preamps on the GS-R24M certainly impressed me, in as much that I found them extremely clean and transparent and more than capable of producing extremely detailed professional recordings. Very impressive stuff! These are preamps that I would be very proud to have in my own studio...

Now, as I've just finished reviewing the SSL Nucleus with its super-analogue pres, it makes sense to give you a little idea about how they measure up... Whilst I was very impressed with the GS-R24M's preamps, I have to admit that the super analogue pres on the SSL are superior. It's a strange thing, because if I had not recently heard the SSL Nucleus, I would have been blown away with the Allen & Heath pres! It's just that those ultra-clean super-analogue SSL pres with unbelievably low distortion levels are hard to rival... but then again, if you were to purchase a recording desk with 24 super analogue pres installed on it, you would be looking at a product that goes well into five figures in terms of price! For this reason, I am more than happy with what the preamps built into the Allen & Heath... in fact, compared to most other preamps that I have used, these Allen & Heath ones are superior!

Now, the valve channels were obviously added to give a little more colour and warmth to your recordings seeing as the standard preamps are so neutral. This is a fantastic little touch in my opinion and whilst some people may feel that they would ideally prefer more than 2 valve channels, in my opinion 2 should be enough for most projects. It's enough to warm up your lead vocals and lead guitar, which are arguably the most important aspects to set the feel of a song, and you can also overdub! Plus, I imagine that Allen & Heath were very wary of the significant rise in cost that adding more valve channels would have caused.

The valve input channel features a number of controls, which I will give you a quick run through... the 'I/P = DAW' can be used to swap the source for the valve stage from the Mic/Line/Inst sockets to the interface return for that channel. The 'Inst' switch can be used to toggle the source from the XLR to the Line/Instrument jack. Next, you get a red +48V phantom power button, a phase invert switch and an Instrument boost button. However, the main control that you will be concerned about on this channel is that chunky 'Drive' dial. This control determines how much of your signal passes through the valve stage, and as such, how much harmonic colouration your output sound has. I found that this was an excellent control to have at your disposal and whilst it may not be ideal for every recording situation, it certainly leant itself well to giving my voice and electric guitar recording some added character.

Finally, as I mentioned before, I also created a little test recording using the line inputs to capture the output from a Novation Ultranova. As would be expected, I found everything in order here... nice clean recordings, although there is not as much to say on the matter of line level recordings as there is with preamps, which vary a lot more widely in quality.

ALLEN & HEATH GS-R24M - EQ

The Allen & Heath GS-R24 features fully parametric mid-EQs, a continuously variable resonance (Q) control from 0.8 to 6 and a low-mid sweepable EQ that extends down to 18Hz! In terms of flexibility, the GS-R24 certainly gives you the tools to sculpt your sounds to perfection and the EQs are very smooth and sound excellent! I've used Allen & Heath EQs before on some of their top-end DJ mixers and they have always impressed me, although the 4-band EQs on this unit were obviously a lot more flexible.

ALLEN & HEATH GS-R24M - MORE CONTROLS AND CONNECTIONS

Obviously the Allen & Heath GS-R24M is a highly flexible piece of kit, so I am no way going to have time to test and write about every single aspect of this kit in this short blog post. The idea is mainly to give you a general idea of what this thing can do, so I'm going to use this section to run through a few more features, without going into too much detail...

• As well as all the controls mentioned so far, each channel of the Allen & Heath GS-R24 also features a fixed high-pass filter switch at 100Hz and a number of auxiliary sends (6 in total - each with an associated 1/4" jack connection on the back of the unit), plus a pan dial and bus routing switches.

• The Allen & Heath GS-R24 also features a dedicated section for controlling 4 group busses, with each Group bus featuring a 1/4" jack output socket on the back of the unit. In terms of controls, the front panel then gives you an 'L-R' switch, an 'M' switch (routes the post fade group signal to the main mono mix bus), a pan dial, a group meter, a group Mute switch, a group AFL toggle and a group level fader.

• In terms of physical outputs, the Allen & Heath GS-R24 gives you a whole bunch - many more than I would ever need in my home studio it has to be said! You get 1/4" Control Room outputs, 1/4" Alt/Rear outputs, 1/4" Center and Sub outputs for 5.1 systems, 1/4" Mono Out, Mono Insert and Headphone sockets, XLR main outputs, Main L and R mix insert sockets and stereo Phono 2Track In and Out connections.

• Onto the master section of the Allen & heath GS-R24, which gives you yet more controls! Working downwards from the L-R monitor meters, you get some 2Track dubbing switches (including a replace L-R switch), a talkback level dial, microphone and routing switches ('To Studio', 'To Aux 1 & 2', 'To Aux 3 & 4', 'To Groups'), a headphone level dial with switches for selecting the default source for the headphones and main out, a Control Room dial, some speaker toggle switches and a Digital Master input return! Plus of course, there is that whole meterbridge with swanky VU meters for the main outputs!

In fact, there is a whole lot more that I could mention as well, but I am already aware that this blog entry is rapidly deteriorating into a boring list, so I would suggest that if you want to learn all the ins and outs of all the controls, visit the official Allen & Heath website for yourself!

ALLEN & HEATH GS-R24M - DAW CONTROLLER

Well, this is certainly the largest MIDI controller that I have ever used! As well as the standard jog wheel and transport buttons, the Allen & Heath GS-R24 also features two 60mm faders, which you can freely assign to any MIDI parameter on your system, and you also get 12 rotary encoders that you can assign in a similar way, plus 8 assignable buttons.

In terms of functionality, it worked with my Logic system as well as any other controller I have used! The only comment that I would make is that because this unit is not a dedicated DAW controller, I did find that making use of it solely for this purpose was a little confusing at first. For example, there was no dedicated 'Record Arm' button for each channel and the lack of a scribble board to display my track names and parameter value settings was also apparent, meaning that I had to use the computer screen a lot more than I do with other DAW controllers such as the SSL Nucleus, the Mackie Control Universal and the Euphonix MC. That said, this thing is a lot more flexible in terms of other things that it can do compared to most other DAW controllers, so as always it will be a case of choosing a product that most suits your needs even if it means compromising in a few areas.

ALLEN & HEATH GS-R24M - SUMMARY

From my short time with it (and I really wish I had longer to get to know it!) I can conclude that the Allen & Heath GS-R24M is a very special product. It's something that is advertised as being ideal for project studios, post production and mix downs and it certainly gives you all the tools to do this. In fact, this product would fit in equally as well in a small professional recording studio as well as with a high-end home set-up.

The highlights for me with the GS-R24M were the look (it's definitely got the 'wow' factor), the clean preamps, the warm valve channels, the smooth EQs and the general build of the unit. In fact, another major highlight of the Allen & Heath GS-R24 is the sheer number of controls that it gives you!

If you are after something to act as a centerpiece to a modern digital/analogue studio and the Allen & Heath GS-R24/GS-R24M fits within your budget, then i would highly recommend this piece of kit! However, despite being such an impressive unit (and perhaps because it is such an impressive unit) I would only recommend this product to someone who is going to be using all of its features on a regular basis. For example, if you are mainly after a DAW controller, but also want an interface for making the occasional DAW recording, then get a dedicated DAW controller and a seperate interface (or a dedicated DAW controller with a built-in interface such as the SSL Nucleus). If you are mainly going to be using the GS-R24 as a DAW controller, then the wealth of other controls that the unit features on its front panel will probably just get in the way and so I would recommend getting a much less cluttered device that has been specifically designed for this purpose. As I say though, if you are going to use all the features of the GS-R24, then go for it! It certainly links a lot of different ways of working together in a very intuitive way.

That's all I've got to say on this subject for now I think! So in the mean time I think I will just go and cry in the corner because I didn't get to use this thing for longer! For the price, which I happen to believe is excellent considering what you actually get with the GS-R24, I am finding it very hard to pick any real faults with this thing!

If you want any more information on the Allen & Heath GS-R24/GS-R24M or want to buy one (you lucky person!), then click the relevant link below or give us a call on 01202 597180.

Allen & Heath GS-R24M - Purchase/More Information

<span style="font-size: large;">Allen & Heath GS-R24 - Purchase/More Information

<span style="font-size: large;">Allen & Heath GS-R24 ADAT Firewire Card - Purchase/More Information

<span style="font-size: large;">Allen & Heath GS-R24 Analogue IO Card - Purchase/More Information

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