The Allen & Heath SQ7+ is a game-changer for live sound engineers, offering a familiar yet significantly enhanced mixing experience. This console is a testament to the manufacturer's commitment to innovation and customer feedback, addressing many of the original SQ-7's limitations while retaining its core strengths. The SQ7+ is an evolution that feels like a revolution, providing a seamless blend of improved functionality and a user-friendly interface. Personally, I find it fascinating how Allen & Heath has managed to enhance the SQ platform without disrupting the user experience. The console's layout remains intuitive, allowing users to quickly adapt to the new features. The ergonomic improvements, such as the larger touchscreen and refined rotary controls, make the SQ7+ feel more premium and user-friendly. What's truly remarkable is how the SQ7+ retains the SQ-7's core strengths while adding new capabilities. The enhanced processing power enables the console to run advanced effects and channel processing, such as premium reverbs, delays, de-essers, and multi-band dynamics processors, which were previously unavailable or limited on the original model. The addition of the RackUltra FX further expands the console's capabilities, offering a suite of high-quality effects that elevate the mixing experience. However, I find it disappointing that these effects are not included as standard and instead require separate purchases or bundles. The SQ7+ also addresses the issue of channel insert limitations, allowing users to add compressors as channel inserts, which was a notable omission in the original SQ-7. The console's software improvements are particularly impressive, with a more detailed and user-friendly interface. The new 96kHz XCVI on-board processing core enables the console to run the latest generation of effects and channel processing, ensuring that users have access to the most advanced tools available. In my opinion, the SQ7+ is a significant upgrade for live sound engineers, offering a familiar yet enhanced mixing experience. The console's improvements are subtle yet impactful, making it a compelling choice for those looking to upgrade their mixing setup. The Allen & Heath SQ7+ is a testament to the manufacturer's commitment to innovation and customer feedback, and I believe it will be a popular choice for live sound engineers looking to elevate their mixing game.
