**In the XONE! Allen & Heath Xone:24C and K3 Review | Beatsource Tech — Transcript & Summary | SozAI**
Source: https://sozai.app/transcript/allen-heath-xone24c-k3-review/

In-depth review of Allen & Heath Xone:24C mixer and K3 controller, highlighting upgrades, sound quality, build, and connectivity.

## Key Takeaways

- The Xone:24C is a well-built, compact mixer with excellent analog sound and versatile inputs.
- The USB audio interface on the 24C is a valuable addition for recording and digital DJ setups.
- Mini Innofader crossfaders improve performance over older Allen & Heath models.
- The K3 controller offers seamless integration with popular DJ software via pre-mapped controls.
- Despite minor quirks, the 24C and K3 represent strong, modern options in their price range.

## What the video covers

- Allen & Heath's Xone:24C mixer replaces the long-standing 23C model from 2014, and the K3 controller succeeds the K1.
- The 24C mixer features two main channels with switchable line/phono inputs and a third channel for mic or aux, plus USB audio interface.
- The 24C offers excellent analog sound quality with natural headroom and some of the best phono preamps in its price range.
- Build quality is solid with metal construction, knurled pots, and sturdy connectors, while maintaining a compact and portable size.
- The mixer includes mini Innofader crossfaders, improving on previous models, though some minor adjustments may be needed.
- Connectivity is strong, featuring USB-C, USB hub ports with power output, balanced XLR master outputs, and multiple RCA outputs.
- The 24C's USB interface is highly praised for recording and DJ software integration, making it a recommended upgrade over the 23C.
- The K3 controller is compatible with Virtual DJ 2026 with pre-mapped controls including EQs, effects, stems, and cues for plug-and-play use.
- The review notes some limitations like the lack of multi-channel audio support for certain streaming software and minor EQ characteristics.
- Overall, the 24C mixer is seen as a significant upgrade in the budget mixer category, balancing analog sound quality with modern features.

## Chapters

1. 00:00 Introduction to Allen & Heath and product lineage
2. 01:47 Sound quality and build of the Xone:24C mixer
3. 03:28 USB connectivity and power features
4. 06:35 K3 controller features and Virtual DJ integration
5. 08:06 EQ characteristics and sound demonstration
6. 11:50 Mixer interface and audio routing options

Answers

## Questions about this video

What are the main improvements of the Xone:24C over the 23C?

The Xone:24C adds a USB audio interface, more versatile input switching, a third channel with mic/aux options, and improved crossfaders, making it a significant upgrade.

Is the Xone:24C suitable for digital DJs who want to record their sets?

Yes, the 24C's USB interface offers excellent recording capabilities and integrates well with DJ software, making it ideal for digital DJs.

How does the K3 controller integrate with DJ software?

The K3 comes pre-mapped for Virtual DJ 2026, providing plug-and-play access to EQs, effects, stems, and cue controls for a smooth DJing experience.

## Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

00:00

Speaker A

The British manufacturer Allen & Heath is a unique brand in that many of their products tend to stick around for a very, very long time. The products we're looking at today are great examples of that. The Zone 24C mixer replaces the 23C, which launched all the way back in 2014. And the Zone K3 controller is the successor to the K1, which is equally long in the tooth. To be able to continue selling a single model of anything for over a decade in the fast-moving DJ market is really impressive. So, today I'm asking, were these needed? And if so, what new stuff are they bringing to the table?

00:14

Speaker A

23C, which launched all the way back in 2014. And the Zone K3 controller is the successor to the K1, which is equally long in the tooth. To be able to continue selling a single model of anything for over a decade in the

00:30

Speaker A

My relationship with Allen & Heath is one of highs and lows. I've never shied away from the fact that I'm not a fan of their most enduring and popular product, the Zone 92. And so, I think they've been loath to send me the Mark II version of that, which does make sense. Although they've made changes with the Mark II version, which will mean I like it more than the original, I'm still never going to love it. It's just not for me. But some of their products I'm really into. I thought the DB4 was a challenging but incredibly special mixer. And the Zone 96 remains a truly world-class club mixer, which I'm more than happy to use when I come across it.

00:44

Speaker A

My relationship with Allen & Heath is one of highs and lows. I've never shied away from the fact that I'm not a fan of their most enduring and popular product, the Zone 92. And so, I think they've been loath to send me the Mark II

00:57

Speaker A

My last encounter with their more budget mixers was when I reviewed the Zone 23 for DJ Tech Tools in 2014, the year it launched. That was a very high-quality mixer for the money, but I thought then and still do that it was a bit weird. The layout is strange, the routing is odd, and the number of inputs was very limited compared to its competition. But clearly the market disagreed with me, as it successfully stuck around for 12 more years. And if it wasn't selling, it would have been replaced long ago. There are two versions of their new affordable mixer, the 24 and the 24C. Street price is just under €400 for the 24, with the 24C coming in around €75 more. There isn't a whole lot of competition in that price range, with things like the new Mark Scratch, some of the more budget rotaries from the likes of Omnitronic and Reloop have a few mixers under €500, too. Something worth noting is that both the 24 and 24C are what Allen & Heath call two plus one channel mixers. You have the two main fully featured channels, switchable between line and phono and USB on the 24C, and then an extra channel, which is switchable between mic and a line level aux input, which can be cued, has a two-band EQ, and can be assigned to the filter. It's also usable as a third USB output on the 24C. For me, this is all a significant upgrade over the 23, which had just two line and two phono inputs, each with their own gain control, not a switch. Both versions are analog mixers, with the 24C adding in a USB audio interface, but the main signal path remains analog.

01:08

Speaker A

really into. I thought the DB4 was a challenging but incredibly special mixer. And the Zone 96 remains a truly world-class club mixer, which I'm more than happy to use when I come across it.

01:20

Speaker A

I'll talk more about that interface later, but I'll say this right away, it is excellent, and my suggestion would be that everyone buys the 24C. You may not be a software DJ playing only vinyl or with standalone media players, but every DJ needs to record their sets at some point, and you won't find a better separate recorder or interface for the €75 you're paying for the upgrade here.

01:34

Speaker A

The layout is strange, the routing is odd, and the number of inputs was very limited compared to its competition. But clearly the market disagreed with me, as it successfully stuck around for 12 more years. And if it wasn't selling, it

01:47

Speaker A

From now on in this review, I'll only refer to the 24C, as that's the one I've been testing, but all of my points will apply to both, aside from the digital features. Many people are drawn to Zone mixers for their sound, and the 24C is absolutely no slouch in that department. Whether with vinyl or digital sources, the analog output is very pleasing with a ton of natural headroom. Crunchy digital distortion is just not a thing here. Some of the best mixers in the world today are digital, but at the more budget end of things, it's easy to hear the limitations of cheap digital and analog conversion, so good analog sound is something to be treasured. The phono preamps, I think, are the best I've heard in this price range, and they are well matched with the line inputs, which hasn't always been the case on Zone mixers in the past. The build quality is great, too. Being so compact, the 24C is pretty light, but everything feels incredibly solid and well put together with all metal construction, knotted pots, and sturdy connectors. Speaking of size, it's very portable at less than 8 inches wide and around 12 inches deep. Very easy to transport in pretty much any DJ bag, but the controls don't feel cramped at all. Something I've often criticized older Zone mixers for was their crossfaders. The one on the original 92 is one of the primary reasons why I disliked that mixer so much, but the trend of late has been for them to come spec'd with mini Innofaders, which continues here, and that makes me very happy. It's not all roses. On my unit, I found the actual cutting distance to be a touch too long, but I'm sure that's something that can be tweaked either at the factory or by the end user later on.

02:03

Speaker A

price range, with things like the new Mark Scratch, some of the more budget rotaries from the likes of Omnitronic and Reloop have a few mixers under €500, too. Something worth noting is that both the 24 and 24C are what Allen & Heath

02:17

Speaker A

Connectivity here is just excellent for the money. Power is supplied by an external 12-volt power brick, which I won't complain about on a mixer of this size.

02:30

Speaker A

which can be cued, has a two-band EQ, and can be assigned to the filter. It's also usable as a third USB output on the 24C. For me, this is all a significant upgrade over the 23, which had just two

02:42

Speaker A

Next to that on the 24C are the USB hookups, which are superb. With a USB-C port to connect to your computer or mobile device, and another two ports which work as a hub. They have a decent 7.5-watt power output, too, so will have no issue juicing products like Phase or the K3, which we'll talk about later. There are the aforementioned switchable RCA line and phono inputs on the two main channels, and another pair of RCAs for the aux input on the third. That's accompanied by a combo XLR and jack socket for the mic, always my preference. I generally do prefer multiple turntable ground points, as connecting two decks to one can be a faff, but I get why they have just one here in terms of space, and at least it's massive, so easy to tighten or loosen. There are three outputs, balanced XLRs for the master, and two pairs of unbalanced RCAs, one for booth with its own level control, and a record output. Again, for a mixer of this size, I won't criticize the lack of a balanced booth output. At least it has a booth output. One note though, both the booth and record outputs are clean feeds, so you won't hear the microphone through them. There's no effects loop for individual channels, but there is a master insert on RCAs, so you can easily connect up an effects unit to the master or run out to an isolator or some other kind of signal processor. The unit is supplied with a pair of shorting plugs, which I recommend using if you have nothing on the insert, as otherwise if you accidentally engaged it with the button on the top panel, audio would cut off. Right, a quick demo of the features here on the 24C. It will be fairly brief because there's not a whole lot to talk about, but I'm not going to fault this straightforward mixer for being straightforward. I'm using it with Virtual DJ 2026. I've got the Zone K3 here, which [music] is pre-mapped in Virtual DJ 2026. Really nice mapping. It's got EQs, it's got effects, it's got stems controls, it's got cues, all of that. So, yeah, just works really nicely, plug and play. That is connected into the USB hub on the rear of the 24C, and then the 24C itself is going into my MacBook Pro, and that means I'm using the audio interface inside the mixer for this as well.

02:54

Speaker A

I'll talk more about that interface later, but I'll say this right away, it is excellent, and my suggestion would be that everyone buys the 24C. You may not be a software DJ playing only vinyl or with standalone media players, but every

03:07

Speaker A

We'll start with the faders here. We've got the inner fader, which on my unit I would like the cutting distance to be a touch shorter. You know, it's an inner fader, it has a sharp cut there, and you can choose three positions for the curve control. [music] But yeah, I just like that to be a little bit shorter. Maybe that's a running change that Allen & Heath could make as they go on with this, but it's still an inner fader, and therefore it does still rule absolutely. And I'm really glad they went the extra mile to put a great fader in here. I think, of course, a lot of potential buyers of the 24C will not be interested in a crossfader, so you can disable it there if you want to, but yeah, I'm...

03:16

Speaker A

From now on in this review, I'll only refer to the 24C, as that's the one I've been testing, but all of my points will apply to both, aside from the digital features. Many people are drawn to Zone mixers for their sound, and the 24C is

03:28

Speaker A

absolutely no slouch in that department. Whether with vinyl or digital sources, the analog output is very pleasing with a ton of natural headroom. Crunchy digital distortion is just not a thing here. Some of the best mixers in the

03:41

Speaker A

world today are digital, but at the more budget end of things, it's easy to hear the limitations of cheap digital and analog conversion, so good analog sound is something to be treasured. The phono preamps, I think, are the best I've

03:53

Speaker A

heard in this price range, and they are well matched with the line inputs, which hasn't always been the case on Zone mixers in the past. The build quality is great, too. Being so compact, the 24C is pretty light, but everything feels

04:05

Speaker A

incredibly solid and well put together with all metal construction, knotted pots, and sturdy connectors. Speaking of size, it's very portable at less than 8 in wide and around 12 in deep. Very easy to transport in pretty much any DJ bag,

04:20

Speaker A

but the controls don't feel cramped at all. Something I've often criticized older Zone mixers for was their crossfaders. The one on the original 92 is one of the primary reasons why I disliked that mixer so much, but the

04:32

Speaker A

trend of late has been for them to come spec'd with mini innofaders, which continues here, and that makes me very happy. It's not all roses. On my unit, I found the actual cutting distance to be a touch too long, but I'm sure that's

04:43

Speaker A

something that can be tweaked either at the factory or by the end user later on.

04:48

Speaker A

Connectivity here is just excellent for the money. Power is supplied by an external 12-V power brick, which I won't complain about on a mixer of this size.

04:55

Speaker A

Next to that on the 24C are the USB hookups, which are superb. With a USB-C port to connect to your computer or mobile device, and another two ports which work as a hub. They have a decent 7.5 W power output, too, so will have no

05:10

Speaker A

issue juicing products like Phase or the K3, which we'll talk about later. There are the aforementioned switchable RCA line and phono inputs on the two main channels, and another pair of RCAs for the aux input on the third. That's

05:22

Speaker A

accompanied by a combo XLR and jack socket for the mic, always my preference. I generally do prefer multiple turntable ground points, as connecting two decks to one can be a faff, but I get why they have just one

05:33

Speaker A

here in terms of space, and at least it's massive, so easy to tighten or loosen. There are three outputs, balanced XLRs for the master, and two pairs of unbalanced RCAs, one for booth with its own level control, and a record

05:46

Speaker A

output. Again, for a mixer of this size, I won't criticize the lack of a balanced booth output. At least it has a booth output. One note though, both the booth and record outputs are clean feeds, so you won't hear the microphone through

05:58

Speaker A

them. There's no effects loop for individual channels, but there is a master insert on RCAs, so you can easily connect up an effects unit to the master or run out to an isolator or some other kind of signal processor. The unit is

06:09

Speaker A

supplied with a pair of shorting plugs, which I recommend using if you have nothing on the insert, as otherwise if you accidentally engaged it with the button on the top panel, audio would cut off. Right, a quick demo of the features

06:21

Speaker A

here on the 24C. It will be fairly brief cuz there's not a whole lot to talk about, but I'm not going to fault this straightforward mixer for being straightforward. I'm using it with Virtual DJ 2026. I've got the Zone K3

06:35

Speaker A

here, which [music] is pre-mapped in Virtual DJ 2026. Really nice mapping. It's got EQs, it's got effects, it's got stems controls, it's got cues, all of that. So, yeah, just works really nicely, plug and play. That is connected

06:49

Speaker A

into the USB hub on the rear of the 24C, and then the 24C itself is going into my MacBook Pro, and that means I'm using the audio interface inside the mixer for this as well.

07:02

Speaker A

We'll start with the faders here. We've got the inner fader, which on my unit I would like the cutting distance to be a touch shorter.

07:12

Speaker A

You know, it's an inner fader, it has a sharp cut there, and you can choose three positions for the curve control. [music] But yeah, I just like that to be a little bit shorter. Maybe that's a running change that Allen & Heath could

07:24

Speaker A

make as they go on with this, but it's still an inner fader, and therefore it does still rule absolutely. And I'm I'm really glad they went the extra mile to put a great fader in here. Um I think of

07:35

Speaker A

course a lot of potential buyers of the 24C will not be interested in a crossfader, so you can disable it there if you want to, but yeah, I'm just glad it's there.

07:44

Speaker A

[music] The up faders got really nice curve on them. Perfect for those long blends.

07:51

Speaker A

And a nice feel to them. Very, very happy with those. Then we come up to the Q. You can actually decide whether or not you want to have multiple Qs assignable at once or do the auto switching like it's doing

08:06

Speaker A

here. [music] That's an option that you have. Not the longest travel buttons in the world, but they have a nice positive action to them.

08:17

Speaker A

A nice clear illumination as well. Then we come up to the filter. You know, these legendary zone filters. There's one of them here.

08:25

Speaker A

But I don't mind that because you can assign it [music] very easily and there's no popping or clicking when you do so.

08:34

Speaker A

So, it's very straightforward to just assign that to either [music] channel or all three channels if you want to. One thing I will point out is that the mic is routed internally past the filter.

08:45

Speaker A

So, when I do the filter, my voice is not affected. Actually, the mic the mic goes straight through to the master.

08:54

Speaker A

But if you have something on the aux or the USB, then that will [music] be affected by the filter there. And it's just a great filter.

09:01

Speaker A

They nailed these like 25 years ago or something. [music] Adjustable resonance. High or low pass.

09:16

Speaker A

It's a great filter all around. The EQs have got an interesting kind of cut off point curve [music] to them.

09:25

Speaker A

They've only got plus 6 dB boost on each. But it feels to me like maybe the [music] mid is quite narrow.

09:38

Speaker A

Like with the bass taken out, you're taking out a fair bit of the lower mids as well.

09:44

Speaker A

And when you take out the mids, you're not taking out a whole lot [music] of stuff.

09:48

Speaker A

And then when you take out the top end, you're taking out some of that upper mid as well.

09:55

Speaker A

Not saying that's bad or good, it's just that's how it sounds. And yeah, with that plus six boost, they are full kill. So, if you take them all out, you no signal.

10:13

Speaker A

You can't get too out of control with the levels when you boost. So, yeah, overall, liking the EQs.

10:22

Speaker A

Over on the left-hand side, we've got this, you know, the mic USB or AUX channel, this kind of 0.5 extra channel.

10:28

Speaker A

That does have low and high EQ, plus 12 or minus 12 on those. And those do affect the mic.

10:38

Speaker A

So, you can hear it my voice there gets a bit more boomy and everything else, so.

10:43

Speaker A

I like what they've done with the meters on here, you know, you've got this just the signal LEDs for the channels, and including the 0.5 channel. And then you've got the master.

10:53

Speaker A

[music] And it does change for your cue split. Speaking of cue, we've got a level, we've got a cue master blend knob, and a hardware split cue.

11:04

Speaker A

All good there. And one thing that really makes this thing feel pro to me is the amount of headroom on it.

11:12

Speaker A

Obviously, it's Although it has a a USB audio interface within it, it is also an analog mixer. And with that comes a degree of headroom that you don't get [music] with digital mixers at this kind of price. So, as you can see, I'm [music]

11:28

Speaker A

bringing in via the audio interface into this channel, I'm barely over 9:00 on that gain pot there.

11:35

Speaker A

The headphone level, I'm barely at 9:00 and that's kind of loud enough [music] for me.

11:40

Speaker A

Loads of gain left on the mic. There's just loads and loads of headroom on [music] this thing and that is something that makes a a mixer feel pro [music] to me. Let me know in the comments if you

11:50

Speaker A

agree with that, but for me that's something that just kind of makes it [music] it gives it that pro sheen. I mean, obviously this thing is really well built and put together and everything else. It feels solid, you know, but

12:01

Speaker A

that's another element that just makes this feel more than just a simple budget mixer.

12:07

Speaker A

Obviously, we have the booth and the master outputs. And then we've got the switch for the master inserts.

12:12

Speaker A

[music] You can cut that in or out. There is a slight kind of change in the you know, like a not a pop or a click, but you can you can hear it engaging and disengaging, but that's not generally

12:22

Speaker A

something you'd be turning on or off during a set anyway. You would have it turned on or turned off.

12:27

Speaker A

It is a master insert. It's designed for [music] you know, it's not an on-the-fly effects unit kind of thing. You just leave it on or or leave it off.

12:35

Speaker A

[music] But that's it. Very, very simple, very straightforward, but that's absolutely not a criticism of this device cuz that is what it's supposed to be. In the demo, I mentioned changing how the cue buttons work and that's pretty neat. You

12:48

Speaker A

can do that while the mixer is powered on by holding the right combo of buttons down for a few seconds. Check the manual for more info. But there's also a way to enter the setup mode when you power the

12:57

Speaker A

mixer on and then on the 24c, you can also adjust how the audio interface works, which we need to talk about now.

13:04

Speaker A

Truth be told, I used to approach most products with my Serato goggles on. If an interface wasn't supported by Serato, it wasn't a whole lot of use to me. But times change and now I'm as much a user

13:15

Speaker A

of Algoriddim's djay Pro as I am Serato and that, as with other software like Traktor, Virtual DJ, and Rekordbox, is not hardware locked to a particular set of audio interfaces. So, the first thing I did with the 24C was to connect DJ

13:29

Speaker A

Pro, Traktor, and Virtual DJ on my Mac, and everything worked entirely as expected. All the outputs and inputs were seen and performed great. But, then I realized something else. The 24C interface is core audio compliant, which means no drivers are needed on Mac, and

13:45

Speaker A

also it should work just as well on iOS devices. And indeed, it was so. With the 24C connecting and working beautifully with DJ Pro on both my iPhone and my iPad. One really clever touch is that on the rear of the mixer you have switches

14:00

Speaker A

for the two main channels, which route either the line or phono inputs to the USB for DVS, depending on what you need.

14:07

Speaker A

So, here I'm using the phono level output on the RP-7 to send control signal to the iPad, but I could just as easily switch over to a line level source instead, just by pushing that one button. Very elegant. The audio

14:20

Speaker A

interface has more features up its sleeve, too, though. By booting the mixer in that setup mode, you can choose between three different modes. The default mode is stream, which puts the master output onto the first stereo pair. That means that software which

14:32

Speaker A

doesn't support multi-channel audio, like OBS, will pick it up. That signal is post clean feed, too, so the mic comes through. Then, the other two stereo input pairs can still be used for DVS. Mode two is called DVS Pro, which

14:46

Speaker A

shuffles things around, so the master output goes to the third stereo pair instead. Then, mode three is called DAW, and that enables per channel post EQ, but pre-fader recording, which could be used to great effect in the studio.

14:59

Speaker A

Allen & Heath also points out in the manual that you could use the USB hub to create aggregate devices, too. This interface is shockingly deep, considering how simple it seems at first glance. Oh, and some of the controls

15:12

Speaker A

send MIDI over that USB connection, too, because why not? What I haven't really touched on is the sound quality of the interface yet, and that is excellent, too. It's capable of 24-bit 96 kHz operation and sounds just as good as the

15:25

Speaker A

line and phono inputs in use. Overall, I am super impressed by the Zone 24C. If you're a Serato user, it won't be for you, but if you use other DJ software or you don't use software at all, what

15:37

Speaker A

you're getting is a great sounding mixer which offers a surprising amount of flexibility, sterling build quality, and a super compact form factor at an extremely good value price. Fully recommended.

15:50

Speaker A

We move on to the Zone K3 controller. What is it exactly? Well, it's a MIDI controller with 12 rotary pots, 30 buttons, six endless encoders, and four 60 mm faders. It has multiple layers, too, and everything can be set up to the

16:04

Speaker A

user's exact preferences using the updated controller editor software. It spits out standard MIDI protocol and is class compliant, so it's going to work without drivers on pretty much any platform, including iOS and Android. It has a street price of around 230 euro,

16:21

Speaker A

which is more than like a basic MIDI pad controller, but is in the ballpark of the Traktor X1 Mark III. That comes with onboard displays, which the K3 doesn't, but the K3 has a lot more controls and, in my opinion, is much more solidly

16:35

Speaker A

built. It has a similar shape to that Traktor X1 and similar Native Instruments controllers, narrow but long front to back. It's not very tall, so you might want to use something like Allen & Heath's own case as a riser to

16:47

Speaker A

bring it up to the height of a mixer if you'd prefer it like that. I'm a big fan of this form factor as it means the K3 will slot easily in between other bits of kit in a booth or can be put off to

16:57

Speaker A

the side, and you don't need some unwieldy stand behind the mixer to mount it on. Connectivity is really interesting. They've switched out the old USB-B port for USB-C, which I'm happy to see, but the K3 also retains the proprietary X Link ports from Allen

17:12

Speaker A

& Heath, which means you can daisy chain multiple K3s with each other as well as with K1's, K2's, and zone mixers like the Zone 96, the PX5, and the DB series with regular ethernet cables. This can get a little confusing as there are lots

17:27

Speaker A

of potential configurations. For example, the XLink port on the mixers will provide both power and data to a number of K3's, but the K3 itself doesn't pass through power to another K3 when powered via USB, whereas the K1 and

17:42

Speaker A

the K2 did. This is all a bit of a change from old units, but there's good reason for that, which I will get to later. Previously, there were two models in the K lineup, the K1, which the K3

17:52

Speaker A

closely resembles, and the K2, which also included a USB audio interface. At this time, there's no sign of a replacement for the K2, which I know a lot of existing users feel some kind of way about. In my opinion, it makes much

18:05

Speaker A

more sense, a decade on, to prioritize a unit without an interface, as so many more mixers found in venues already include one than they did in the 2010's.

18:15

Speaker A

I'm coming at this review from two angles. Firstly, I'm trying to put myself in the shoes of the existing K series audience, who are probably using them with Traktor and/or Ableton Live, and there are some small upgrades and

18:26

Speaker A

one major one for those users. The chassis is now made of diecast metal, not plastic, with the build quality overall being much more solid. The more minor updates include the addition of RGB LED feedback on the buttons, but

18:39

Speaker A

users who have existing mappings for K1's or K2's should find those work pretty much the same. For those users, whether the update is worth it will be really on a case-by-case basis. It's not me. I've never been interested in the K

18:52

Speaker A

series before. Why? Well, many years ago, I was deeply into custom MIDI mapping stuff. I would carry around MIDI fighters, pad controllers, and I even used Lima on an iPad. But, in 2026, I'm almost exclusively using equipment which

19:07

Speaker A

is already mapped for my software with dedicated marked controls. I do usually go in and make a few mapping tweaks of my own to make functions that I use often more accessible, but that's really the extent of it. And the main reason

19:19

Speaker A

that people love the K series, the ability to create deep complex mappings using the controller editor, just doesn't appeal to me. Call me basic if you like, but these days I'm just a plug and play kind of guy. So, when I first

19:32

Speaker A

tried the K3, I was fairly ambivalent about it. I went in and tried to create my own mapping in DJ Pro, but I couldn't make the cue point colors match the on-screen ones. Different controls needed a lot of adjustment, and I found

19:44

Speaker A

and still find the controller editor software to be very powerful, but not very accessible. I could see the appeal, but it just wasn't for me. Then, after a little tip-off from Allen & Heath, I opened up Virtual DJ 2026, currently in

19:59

Speaker A

early access, and boom, the software recognized it and applied its own dedicated mapping. This mapping works superbly well with myriad controls for transport, cues, EQs, stems, and much more, all with different layers and the correct LED feedback. No custom mapping

20:15

Speaker A

required. What's happening here explains why the USB-C power and data protocol is slightly different on the K3. The unit now presents a dedicated device ID.

20:25

Speaker A

Software can see it as a specific K3 device, not just a generic MIDI controller, which means apps like Virtual DJ can address it like any other controller in its mapping database without any user intervention, and they can do this for multiple K3s at once. At

20:42

Speaker A

the time of making this video, I think Virtual DJ is the only software currently leveraging the K3 in this way, but I've been told there are more platforms on the way. Traktor users will already be served by Allen & Heath with

20:53

Speaker A

a dedicated TSI file for the K3, which is coming very soon, but I'm fully on Algorithm's case to push them to get a mapping done for DJ Pro ASAP, because for me, the K3 could be the perfect add-on or even main controller for that

21:08

Speaker A

software, especially as it works on iOS. And if they do release that mapping, well, I'll probably be buying a K3 straight away because I really do like the design, the form factor, the build, and the feel of the controls. But for

21:21

Speaker A

me, life is too short to spend days or even weeks perfecting a custom mapping.

21:25

Speaker A

And so, having it be completely plug and play with my software of choice elevates the whole product massively for me. I could use it as an add-on controller with DVS or even my main controller alongside a mixer like the 24C. A mixer,

21:39

Speaker A

a controller, and an iPad all comfortably fitting in one small bag sounds like a killer combo to me.

21:46

Speaker A

So, there you go. My thoughts on the Zone 24C and the K3. Starting with the mixer, quite simply, I love it. The 23 and 23C stuck around for so long because they fulfilled a demand for a high-quality analog mixer with great

22:02

Speaker A

sound which didn't break the bank. And the new ones serve that purpose equally well. In my opinion, most DJs would be best advised to skip the 24 and go for the 24C instead. The price difference isn't huge. And even if you're a purely

22:18

Speaker A

vinyl or standalone DJ, having the fantastic audio interface in there opens up the ability to do zero-cost recording or streaming. But if you are a software DJ, well, that interface is pretty killer. And the USB hub is a great

22:34

Speaker A

addition. The K3 is an interesting one for me because I've always discounted the K series controllers out of hand in the past. Setting them up just seemed like far too much work. And that was my initial reaction with the K3 until I

22:48

Speaker A

realized that Allen & Heath are actually working behind the scenes with software developers to make it plug and play.

22:55

Speaker A

Based on my experience with the Virtual DJ mapping, I can absolutely see myself picking up a K3 to use with DJ Pro in the future, which honestly is something I'm surprised to hear myself saying. Let me know your thoughts on the 24c and the

23:10

Speaker A

K3 in the comments. And also, let's talk about MIDI mapping. I used to be a real devotee of mapping or remapping all of my kit, but in recent years I've generally just remapped a few specific controls on mixers and controllers to

23:24

Speaker A

put my favorite functions in the place that I want them to be. So, let me know in the comments, do you ever get into MIDI mapping your hardware, or do you like to keep things entirely plug and play? And if you do map stuff, what kind

23:37

Speaker A

of features do you focus on? As always, sound off down below. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of BeatSource Tech.

23:44

Speaker A

If you liked it, be sure to give us a thumbs up, subscribe, and tap the bell so you don't miss any future videos. And hey, if you haven't already, you can try BeatSource for free and join DJ City for

23:54

Speaker A

just $10. All the links are down in the description. I'll see you next time.

Topics: Allen & Heath Xone 24C Xone K3 DJ mixer review DJ controller budget DJ gear analog mixer USB audio interface DJ equipment 2024 Virtual DJ mapping


---
This is the markdown twin of https://sozai.app/transcript/allen-heath-xone24c-k3-review/ — the same content, without the markup.
Published by SozAI (https://sozai.app). Reuse and quotation are allowed with attribution and a link back.
Machine-readable index: https://sozai.app/llms.txt · data API: https://sozai.app/api/