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Allen & Heath AB168 16x8 Digital Stage Box for Qu / Avantis / SQ Mixing Systems

AudioRack Remote Unit for Allen & Heath GLD and Qu Digital Mixing System
4 Write review Item ID: AB168
$1,449.00

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Allen & Heath AB168 16x8 Digital Stage Box for Qu / Avantis / SQ Mixing Systems
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$1,449.00
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Quality Sound and Convenience from Allen and Heath

The AB168 audiorack from Allen & Heath is the portable stagebox solution for your GLD and Qu systems. You'll have plenty of ins and outs with 16 incomparable Allen & Heath preamps for your inputs, and 8 outputs you can assign as monitor sends, main outputs - anything you need. Sweetwater knows convenience is second only to sound where portable PA is concerned, and with the AB168's dSNAKE Cat 5 connectivity, protective rubber bumpers, and carry handle, Allen & Heath has you covered!

Allen and Heath AB168 Audiorack Features:
  • 16 high-quality mic preamps give you plenty of great sounding inputs
  • Phantom power indicator on each channel lets you keep an eye on your input status
  • 8 XLR sends give you plenty of outputs to get your sound where you need it
  • dSNAKE protocol gets your audio where you need with convenient Cat 5 connectivity
  • Expander port lets you expand your system or connect your ME personal mixing system
  • Rubber bumpers protect from disastrous dings and drops
  • Convenient carry handle makes loadins quick and easy on your back
  • Rackmountable with optional kit
The AB168 gives you quality sound and convenience for your Allen and Heath sound sytems!

Warranty Info

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Tech Specs

  • Type: Digital Stage Box
  • Compatibility: SQ, Qu, Avantis, AHM-64, GLD-Series Digital Mixing Systems
  • Channels: 16 x 8
  • Inputs - Mic Preamps: 16 x XLR
  • Phantom Power: 16
  • Outputs - Main: 8 x XLR
  • Data I/O: 2 x EtherCon
  • Power Source: Standard IEC AC cable
  • Height: 6.1"
  • Depth: 7.4"
  • Width: 16.2"
  • Weight: 10.6 lbs.
  • Manufacturer Part Number: AH-AB-168

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Customer Reviews

4.5 out of 5

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Best snake

We found this snake to be every thing we needed to complement our new sound system. The ease of connection and set up was great. Thanks Mr. Snow for your help. Looking forward to a great working relationship with Sweetwater.
by RODNEY CRANFORD from Dayton Ohio on
Music background: Limited

Allen & Heath AB168 16x8 Digital Stage Box

This box is also completely compatible with the excellent new SQ-series of digital mixers. I run the SQ-6.

I added the AB168 to my existing AR2412 (both 48KHz boxes) to provide additional on-stage inputs as well as outputs. The preamps in this box are crystal clear and deliver a fantastic signal. My primary sound customer wanted to move from mono to stereo in-ear mixes for all 8 group members, demanding 16 individual outputs organized into pairs. Within seconds of connecting the AB168 to the AR2412, my SQ-6 recognized the additional I/O available to me, and it was routine to patch in the routing and run a great live show flawlessly. The band loved the clarity of the stereo custom mixes I sent them, which the AB168 and AR2412 handled perfectly. I also recorded to multi-track SSD, taking advantage of the additional stage inputs from the AB168, and the recording was absolutely clean and clear. This is literally as easy as plug-and-play, plus making your routing choices.
by Rick Turcotte from Greater St Louis on
Music background: Drummer, studio owner and chief engineer, live sound engineer, drummer.

Perfect Match for A & H Digital Mixers!

This box works flawlessly with the A&H digital mixers and is a godsend for long runs where you have to have a rack on stage anyway, but would normally have to ALSO have a snake box on stage. This little unit lets me have everything in one convenient rack AND I no longer have to fight with a 100-pound plus conventional snake. I have nightmares remembering having to unroll and re-roll a 150' conventional snake before and after each show; it was absolutely the worst part of any live set-up and tear-down. Now I just run my CAT5 cable off a reel only as long as I need and get pristine A to D conversion, just as much headroom, and save on my back muscles. I must admit, I was one that took a long time to convert to the digital snakes, even though I had converted to a digital board several years ago. My Sales Engineer had been trying to convince me of the benefits of using a digital snake for many years, and he finally broke through. I should have just listened in the first place lol! The only reason I knocked it down 1/2 star is because of the fact that Allen & Heath do not include the rack ear kit with this unit. For $1000 you would think they could include that critical accessory. Instead, you have to buy it separately for about $90, so that deserves a slight knockdown from what would have been a solid 5-star rating. I also echo the other reviewer's sentiments that Allen & Heath should offer a 32-channel version. I own a Qu32, and while this 16-channel box takes care of the needs of most of my shows, I know I will need to add an expansion box in the very near future, especially if I get into a situation where I am running 4 in-ear stereo monitor mixes. The board itself has all the outputs to accommodate this, but one of these boxes will not get it done with only 8 returns. Bottom line is that this box is a conveniently small size, very lightweight, and sounds phenomenal. You lose NOTHING in the way of sound quality or latency by using this box, and I have A-B'd it against a conventional snake so I can say that with certainty. If you are using an Allen & Heath digital board and regularly have snake runs over 30' I would tell you to get this box. You can thank me for it later!
by D.J. from Denver, Colorado on
Music background: Vocalist, Recording Engineer, Live Sound Engineer

AB168

The gear is magical and makes my work a lot neat and easier. I wish there was a 32 channel stage box to minimize expansions.
by Sweetwater Customer on
See also: Allen & Heath, Allen & Heath Digital Stage Boxes
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