Allen & Heath XONE:K3

Compact, solid, and fully customizable, the Allen & Heath Xone:K3 comes with 52 physical controls: 4 60 mm faders, 12 potentiometers, 6 infinite encoders with push function, and 30 RGB buttons for 3 layers. The XONE K3 is designed to offer total physical control over software and hardware in any context: from club to hybrid live, from recording studio to visual performance. With the Xone Controller Editor app, you can assign Control Change messages or MIDI Notes to each individual control, customize RGB LED coloring, and save presets directly to the device's internal memory. Compatible with all operating systems (macOS, Windows, iOS, Android) it requires no drivers. The Xone:K3 comes in a compact format designed to be easily placed in any set-up and to respond to the professional's touch. Its 52 physical controls, divided into 4 60 mm faders, 12 rotary potentiometers, 6 infinite encoders with push function, and 30 tactile RGB buttons, form an extremely versatile control surface. Each physical control can be freely configured, and thanks to the 3 independent layers with latching option, a total of 174 MIDI commands can be achieved. The buttons and encoders are backlit with RGB LEDs that are clearly visible even in brightly lit environments, individually programmable at will by selecting from one of 16 available colors for immediate feedback. The layout, inherited from the ergonomic logic of Xone mixers, makes every gesture intuitive, encouraging instinctive use during performances and studio productions.

• Xone Controller Editor for maximum customization

Through a clear and intuitive graphical user interface, in the free Xone Controller Editor application the user can configure each individual instrument control in real time, changing behaviors, MIDI data to be transmitted and LED colors as naturally as adjusting a mixer. Each potentiometer, button or encoder can be mapped to Control Change or MIDI Notes, choosing between Absolute, Relative or Accelerate modes for continuous controls, and Gate, Toggle or Trigger for buttons. You can define the range of values (0-127), resolution (step) and direction of control, up to configuring separate actions on press and release. The fully programmable visual feedback allows selection of up to 16 RGB LED colors, either by individual control or by active layer. The hardware and software map management system offers total flexibility with Factory Map, Unit Maps and Local Maps. The Editor includes a Virtual Panel that graphically replicates the controller and shows real-time control status and transmitted MIDI data. What are the "MAPs" of the XONE:K3? The mapping system of the Xone:K3 offers three distinct levels of configuration: Factory Map, Unit Maps and Local Maps. This provides maximum flexibility to the user, preserves operational stability and allows for advanced customizations. Each has its own purpose, scope of use and rules for use/change. The Factory Map is the default mapping installed at the factory (Slot 1). This configuration was made by Allen & Heathto ensure immediate compatibility with previous generation mappings (K1, K2) and provide a stable and tested starting point. The Factory Map cannot be modified or deleted by the user: it is the "base" reference that always guarantees safe recovery in case of errors or resets. Main advantages: standardization, stability, immediacy of use. Unit Maps are the customizable mappings saved directly in Slot 2, Slot 3 and Slot 4 of the K3's internal memory Each Unit Map can be edited within the Xone Controller Editor. You can redefine each control, assign MIDI messages, choose operating modes and LED lighting colors of the controls. At boot, that is, when you turn on or reset the K3, you can select which Unit Map should be active (or revert to the Factory Map). Unit Maps allow you to have fully customized presets always ready on the hardware, without depending on a computer or external files. Local Maps are configurations saved on the user's computer or device (project libraries, backups, shareable files). They do not reside in the controller's internal memory, but are imported/exported via the Xone Controller Editor application. Advantages: you can store dozens (or hundreds) of maps, export them for backup or sharing, switch between environments without having to rewrite everything directly to the hardware. Basically, Local Maps are the user presets saved as files on your computer, while Unit Maps are the active versions loaded nal controller itself and thus and quickly recallable without having to resort to the editor, to the computer.

• Workflows and applications of the XONE K3

The Allen & Heath Xone:K3 is designed to fit into any creative workflow. In the world of DJing, it can become your controller for Ableton Live, Traktor, Serato Studio or any MIDI-compatible software, handling clips, loops, cue points and The effect parameters. Combined with a Xone:96 mixer (click here for info) or Xone:PX5 (click here for info) - to which you can connect it via X:Link - you get a perfectly integrated ecosystem in which audio and MIDI control coexist without the need for USB hubs or external power supplies. In the studio, the K3 becomes a natural extension for DAW software such as Logic Pro, Bitwig or Cubase, controlling plug-in parameters, volumes or automations. In hybrid live sets, the XONE K3 excels as a universal controller: connect it via USB-C or X:Link and you have full control of virtual synthesizers, hardware modules, or lighting and video control systems via MIDI. Compatibility with the mappings already available for the K1 and K2 controllers (a true standard in the DJ/Producer industry) makes integrating and configuring the XONE K3 straightforward.

• Professional Allen & Heath-style construction and design

Like every Allen & Heath product, the Xone:K3 is built to last. The die-cast metal chassis provides strength and durability and protects the entire components. Nut-mounted potentiometers, tactile switches and 60 mm faders ensure precision and reliability. On the back, connections include a USB-C port for data and power (5 V/450 mA) and two X:Link RJ45(IN/OUT) ports for direct connection to compatible Allen & Heath mixers. Full-duplex communication allows data and power to be shared through a single cable, minimizing setup complexity.

• Power-On Setup: direct configuration from the panel

Even in the absence of the editor and/or computer, Xone:K3 can be configured thanks to the Power-On Setup mode. By holding down the first encoder in the lower left corner during power-up, the controller enters the setup menu: a cascading light sequence on the LEDs will confirm entry into this operating mode. From here it is possible to change the global MIDI channel (by default it is 15, to avoid conflicts with 16, which is the default channel in XONE mixers), manage the Latching Layers (with 5 operating modes: Off, Switch Matrix, Pot Switches, All Switches, All Controls) and recall the Unit Maps saved in the internal slots. Settings remain stored even after powering off, making the K3 fully autonomous and ready for any use.