Allen & Heath Qu-Pac: rear panel, front panel and setup guide
The Qu-Pac is a 4U rack or desktop digital mixer with the Qu-32 mix engine and no faders. You mix from its touchscreen or wirelessly from an iPad. It has 16 mic/line inputs on the back, expandable to 32 over dSNAKE. Click any socket on the panels below to see what it does.
- 4U rack or desktop
- 16 mic/line in
- 3 stereo line in
- 10 mix outs + main LR
- AES digital out
- dSNAKE
- 32 x 32 USB audio
Qu-Pac specifications
| Model | Qu-Pac |
| Format | Free standing, or 4U in a 19 in. rack (rack ears included) |
| Dimensions, desk | 440 x 174 x 181 mm (17.4 x 6.9 x 7.1 in.) |
| Dimensions, rack | 483 x 174 x 177 mm (19 x 6.9 x 7 in.) |
| Weight | 6.6 kg (14.5 lb) |
| Mic/line inputs | 16 local, each with XLR and 1/4 in. TRS, expandable to 32 over dSNAKE |
| Stereo inputs | ST1 and ST2 on the back (TRS), ST3 on the front (3.5 mm) |
| Talkback | Dedicated XLR input with 48V |
| Outputs | 10 mix XLRs, main L and R XLRs, AES digital XLR, 2TRK and Alt out on TRS |
| Mixes | 4 mono, 3 stereo, LR, 4 stereo groups, 2 stereo matrix |
| FX | 4 internal FX engines with dedicated returns |
| USB | Qu-Drive USB A on the front (stereo and 18-track), USB B on the back (32 in, 32 out streaming) |
| Network | 100 Mbit Ethernet for Qu-Pad, Qu-You, Qu-Control and MIDI over TCP/IP |
| Touchscreen | 5 in. TFT, 800 x 480 |
| Power | Internal 100 to 240 V AC supply, IEC inlet, 55 W max |
| Operating temperature | 0 to 35 °C (32 to 95 °F) |
Every socket on the Qu-Pac, explained
Click a card to light up those sockets on the panels above.
Mic inputs (XLR)17 on the panel
The bottom row of the top block is 16 balanced XLR mic inputs. Turn on 48V for condenser mics and active DI boxes, and mute the channel before you plug in with 48V on to avoid thumps.
The XLR at the far left of that row is the Talkback mic input, with its own 48V switch.
Line inputs (TRS)20 on the panel
Above each mic XLR is a balanced 1/4 in. TRS line input for the same channel, for keyboards, playback and radio mic receivers. Use a DI box into the XLR for passive pickups.
ST1 and ST2 at the lower left are stereo line inputs. Plug a mono source into L/M only and it feeds both sides.
Mix, main and AES outputs (XLR)13 on the panel
Mix outputs 1 to 4 are mono, and 5-6, 7-8 and 9-10 are stereo pairs, for monitor wedges, in-ears and fills. They are balanced line level, up to +22 dBu.
R - Main - L are the main mix outputs to your FOH processor, amps or powered speakers. The AES out is a 2-channel digital output on one XLR, patched in Setup / Output Patch.
2TRK, Alt and phones (TRS)5 on the panel
2TRK out is a stereo feed of the post-fader main mix for a recorder. Alt out is a patchable stereo output for a zone, a fill or a broadcast feed, with its level knob on the front.
The Phones socket on the front is the engineer's headphone output, with its own level knob.
dSNAKE1 on the panel
The etherCON dSNAKE port connects an AR2412, AR84 or AB168 AudioRack over one Cat5e cable, up to 100 m (330 ft), adding channels 17 to 32 and more outputs. It also feeds the ME personal mixing system. Use shielded Cat5e or better.
Network1 on the panel
The RJ45 Network port connects to a wireless router for Qu-Pad, Qu-You and Qu-Control, or to a computer for MIDI control over TCP/IP.
USB B streaming1 on the panel
USB B connects to a Mac or PC for 32 channels in and 32 out of audio streaming for multitrack recording into a DAW. Windows and Mac drivers are on the Allen & Heath website.
Qu-Drive USB1 on the panel
The USB A port on the front takes a USB drive for stereo or 18-track recording and playback, and for moving scenes, shows and firmware updates.
ST3 stereo input1 on the panel
The 3.5 mm ST3 socket on the front is an unbalanced stereo input for a phone or laptop playing walk-in music.
Mains power1 on the panel
The IEC inlet feeds the internal 100 to 240 V supply. The ON/OFF switch and the mains fuse sit next to it, and a cable clamp holds the lead in place.
Lamp1 on the panel
The 4-pin XLR at the top left powers a 12 V gooseneck lamp of 5 W or less, such as the Allen & Heath LEDlamp.
Two sockets per channel. Each of channels 1 to 16 has an XLR and a TRS. You choose which one the channel uses on the Preamp screen, so plug in one source per channel.
What is on the front
- Touchscreen in the middle for every mixing and setup screen. The Channel screen gives you a virtual fader for the selected channel.
- 15 SoftKeys on the left, that you assign to the functions you use most.
- 16 Sel keys along the bottom, assignable to any channels, masters or DCAs.
- Fn, Copy, Paste and Reset keys and the screen rotary under the screen.
- Qu-Control, Processing, Routing, Channel and Home, FX, Scenes, Setup keys to the right of the screen.
- ST3 input, Qu-Drive USB, Phones and Alt out level in the right-hand column.
Rack mounting the Qu-Pac
- Remove the 4 rubber feet if they are in the way, by prising out the center grommet with a small flat screwdriver.
- Fit a rack ear to each side with 2 M4x8 screws per side.
- Set it in a 4U space and fasten it with rack screws and washers.
Leave room behind it. The front panel tilts up 17 degrees. Pick a case with at least 200 mm (8 in.) of internal depth, allow 274 mm (10.8 in.) total with cables plugged in, and keep the rear vents and sides clear.
Connecting and powering up
- Plug in mics, line sources and outputs. If you use an AudioRack, connect it to dSNAKE with shielded Cat5e. A second AudioRack connects to the EXPANDER port of the first.
- Keep the PA amps off, then press ON/OFF. The Qu-Pac boots in a few seconds and restores its last settings.
- Turn the amps on last.
- To shut down, go to Home, touch Shut Down, wait for it to finish, then press ON/OFF. Switch the amps off first.
Mixing from an iPad
Connect a wireless router to the Network port, check the network settings in Setup / Network, then join the router with your iPad and open Qu-Pad. Qu-You lets performers mix their own monitors from a phone, and Qu-Control gives staff a simple custom screen.
Frequently asked questions
How many inputs does the Qu-Pac have?+
16 mic/line inputs on the back, each with an XLR and a TRS, plus ST1 and ST2 stereo line inputs, ST3 on the front and a talkback XLR. Add an AudioRack over dSNAKE to reach 32 mic/line channels.
Does the Qu-Pac have faders?+
No. You mix from the touchscreen, where the Channel screen gives you a virtual fader, or wirelessly from an iPad with Qu-Pad.
Is the Qu-Pac rack mountable?+
Yes. It takes 4U in a 19 in. rack and ships with rack ears. The front panel tilts up 17 degrees for easier access.
Which AudioRacks work with the Qu-Pac?+
The AR2412, AR84 and AB168 connect over dSNAKE with one Cat5e cable up to 100 m.
How many USB channels does the Qu-Pac stream?+
32 channels in each direction over the USB B port on the back. The front Qu-Drive port records stereo or 18 tracks to a USB drive.
What is the Alt out on the Qu-Pac for?+
It is a stereo TRS output you patch to any source, for a zone, fill speakers or a broadcast feed. Its level knob is on the front panel.
Plan this digital mixer in your rack
The Qu-Pac is in the Allen & Heath library for DaMatrix, with every port mapped so you can drag it into a rack, patch it and print the documentation.
Related Allen & Heath devices
Summarized from the Allen & Heath Qu-Pac Getting Started Guide AP9815 and Qu Mixer Reference Guide AP9372. This page is a quick reference; check the full manual for safety warnings and model-specific limits.