Allen & Heath Xone:K3 DJ MIDI controller

General

Why do most MIDI controllers look like some kind of mixer? Or like a collection of rotary knobs? Or like a fader bin? Simple: because that was the stuff we used to have way back when. And in a kind of digital revolution, or virtual revolution, manufacturers tend to base the new gear on the old methods, to make the transition for studio users as easy as possible. But what about DJs? Well, they can opt for an Allen & Heath Xone:K3. That's basically a MIDI controller, but one that has much more click with DJs in terms of form-factor, build quality and layout. Not so much scratching DJs, but mainly DJs who really work in-the-box, and especially look for a physically solid controller to control (live) their parameters.

Features of the Allen & Heath Xone:K3

Anyone still familiar with the K2 (quite an old product by now) will have noticed that the K3 lacks things: outputs. The K3 is much more of a pure MIDI controller - and a big one at that. And if we look around us and see what has been put on the market in recent years, well, does such a controller still need to be an audio interface itself? It is far from surprising that Allen & Heath left these things out of the K3. In addition, this controller has X:link, which allows you to link the K3 to other Allen & Heath Xone mixers. And those mixers, of course, do then have the outputs.

MIDI settings

So the nice thing about the K3 is that it is a modern device, equipped with USB-C. There are thirty buttons, twelve rotary knobs, six push encoders and four faders. And the free Xone Controller Editor app lets you programme everything nicely. Because of the three layers, we're talking a total of 174 controllers. On top of that, you can use this controller (besides your desktop Mac or PC) with mobile devices: Android and iOS. Oh, and is 174 not enough? Multiple K3s can work together, as you can also see in some pictures. The K2, old that it is, still continued to sell very reasonably. Apparently, 'tis a product that works, and attracts fans. The K3 is the logical successor, and if you have no problem with the slightly changed paradigm (purely a controller), the K3 will presumably enjoy the same popularity!