ALLEN & HEATH Xone:K2 User manual

Allen & Heath 1 XONE:K2 User Guide
USER GUIDE
Publication AP8509

Allen & Heath 2 XONE:K2 User Guide
Limited OneYear Warranty
This product is warranted to be free from defects in materials or
workmanship for period of one year from the date of purchase by the
original owner.
To ensure a high level of performance and reliability for which this
equipment has been designed and manufactured, read this User Guide
before operating. In the event of a failure, notify and return the
defective unit to ALLEN & HEATH Limited or its authorised agent as
soon as possible for repair under warranty subject to the following
conditions
Conditions Of Warranty
The equipment has been installed and operated in accordance with the
instructions in this User Guide.
The equipment has not been subject to misuse either intended or
accidental, neglect, or alteration other than as described in the User
Guide or Service Manual, or approved by ALLEN & HEATH.
Any necessary adjustment, alteration or repair has been carried out by
ALLEN & HEATH or its authorised agent.
This warranty does not cover fader wear and tear.
The defective unit is to be returned carriage prepaid to ALLEN &
HEATH or its authorised agent with proof of purchase.
Units returned should be packed to avoid transit damage.
In certain territories the terms may vary. Check with your ALLEN &
HEATH agent for any additional warranty which may apply.
This product complies with the European Electro magnetic
Compatibility directives 89/336/EEC & 92/31/EEC and the
European Low Voltage Directives 73/23/EEC & 93/68/EEC.
This product has been tested to EN55103 Parts 1 & 2 1996 for use in
Environments E1, E2, E3, and E4 to demonstrate compliance with the
protection requirements in the European EMC directive 89/336/EEC.
During some tests the specified performance figures of the product were
affected. This is considered permissible and the product has been passed as
acceptable for its intended use. Allen & Heath has a strict policy of
ensuring all products are tested to the latest safety and EMC standards.
Customers requiring more information about EMC and safety issues can
contact Allen & Heath.
XONE:K2 User Guide AP8509 Issue 2
Copyright © 2011 Allen & Heath Limited. All rights reserved
Allen & Heath Limited
Kernick Industrial Estate, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9LU, UK
http://www.allen-heath.com http://www.xone.co.uk

Allen & Heath 3 XONE:K2 User Guide
PACKED ITEMS
Type A-B USB Lead
To connect the Xone:K2 to
your computer.
Xone:K2 Software Controller
Xone:K2 Carry Case
Xone:K2 CD-ROM
RJ45 patch lead for
connecting to other
X:LINK enabled prod-
ucts

Allen & Heath 4 XONE:K2 User Guide
CONTENTS
Congratulations on purchasing the Allen & Heath Xone:K2 software
controller and audio interface. To ensure that you get the maximum
benefit from the unit please spare a few minutes familiarizing yourself with
the controls and setup procedures outlined in this user guide. For further
information please refer to the additional information available on our web
site, or contact our technical support team.
To register your Xone product please visit www.allen-heath.co.uk and, in
the ’Support’ tab, follow the ‘Register Your Product’ link.
Warranty............................................. 2
Packed Items....................................... 3
Product Overview............................. 5
Software Installation Mac................. 6
Software Installation PC................... 7
MIDI Controls.................................... 9
Front and Rear Panel Connectors . 10
MIDI Channel Number..................... 11
Latching Layers................................... 12
MIDI Implementation Send.............. 14
MIDI Implementation Return.......... 17
MIDI Note Implementation............. 19
The X:LINK Protocol ....................... 21
Application Examples
Single Setup (Phones Only) ........ 22
Single Setup (Phones and Mix)... 23
Single Setup (External Mixer)..... 24
Dual Setup (Phones Only) .......... 25
Dual Setup (Phones And Mix).... 26
Dual Setup (External Mixer)....... 27
Setup with a DB series Mixer .... 28
Specifications ...................................... 29
Registration Card .............................. 29

Allen & Heath 5 XONE:K2 User Guide
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
The XONE:K2 is a software controller and audio interface designed to work with all DAW
applications that implement MIDI. The main features of the Xone:K2 are:
• 52 hardware controls providing up to 171 MIDI control commands across three layers
• Customisable Latching Layers system
• Back lit switches with individually accessible tri-colour LED illumination
• Four-channel 48kHz 16-bit internal soundcard
• Carry case that doubles as a stand is included with the product
• USB Bus Powered
• X:LINK
• Light plastic base with steel front panel
• Flat board construction but still employing A&H ‘nutted pots’ construction principle
MIDI Interface
The MIDI interface of the Xone:K2 can be customised by the user. The unit can be left in ‘Open
Architecture (Latching Layers Off) Mode’ or set to ‘Latching Layers Mode’. The blocks of control
surface components that are linked to the Latching Layers can be configured by the user.
Audio Interface
The Xone:K2 has an internal four-channel16-bit soundcard that can operate at 44.1 and 48kHz. All
four channels run from the PC to the Xone:K2 and are configured as follows (the labelling is from the
perspective of a DAW):
Soundcard Output 1 - Headphones Left
Soundcard Output 2 - Headphones Right
Soundcard Output 3 - Master Out Left
Soundcard Output 4 - Master Out Right
X:LINK
It is possible to link two Xone:K2 units together using the X:LINK protocol. The provided RJ45 cable
is used for power and data transfer from one unit to another—this releases one USB port if a second
Xone:K2 is being used for control only.
X:LINK does not transfer audio between the units, so if units are to have their audio aggregated then
two USB ports will be necessary.

Allen & Heath 6 XONE:K2 User Guide
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION MAC
The Xone:K2 is class compliant and enumerates as a MIDI device and four-channel audio device on a
Mac.
AGGREGATE AUDIO
To aggregate two Xone:K2 units together, click the ‘+’ button in the bottom left of the audio devices
window to create a new aggregate audio device. Next, in the right hand side of the window, select
both instances of the K2 and you will essentially create one device with eight outputs.

Allen & Heath 7 XONE:K2 User Guide
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION PC
The Xone:K2 is class compliant and enumerates as a MIDI device and two-channel audio device on a
PC. To benefit from the full four-channels of audio provided, the Xone:K2 ASIO Driver must be
installed.
Software Installation (Windows 2000, XP, Vista and Windows 7)
Follow the procedure described below to install the USB audio and MIDI drivers:
1—Open the Drivers folder and run Setup.exe
2— Select your preferred language
3— Select Install the driver
4— When prompted, connect the Xone:K2
to the PC with the USB lead.

Allen & Heath 8 XONE:K2 User Guide
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION PC
The Xone:K2 will now initialise.
5— Once the driver installation is
complete you will be prompted to
reboot your computer.
The USB drivers will now initialise.

Allen & Heath 9 XONE:K2 User Guide
MIDI CONTROLS
1
3
Rotary Encoders
Turning an encoder produces MIDI CC
(continuous controller) messages with a
unique controller number in two’s
compliment binary encoding
These encoders feature a built in
momentary push switch. Pressing down
on the encoder knob activates the switch
and sends a “Note On” MIDI message,
releasing the switch sends a corresponding
“Note Off” message.
The window below the top row of
encoders can be used to display the state
of the encoder switch in the same manner
as the other switches. For more
information please refer to page 16.
1
Switch Matrix
The switch matrix consists of 16 back-lit
tri-colour switches.
5
Pot Switches
Each rotary potentiometer has a switch
with tri-colour illumination below it.
3
2
4
5
6
Linear Faders
Moving a linear fader will send a MIDI
message with a unique CC number and a
control value from 0 (bottom) to 127
(top).
4
Layer Button
The Layer button is completely user assignable but can also function as an embedded layer
button. For more information please refer to page 12.
6
Rotary Potentiometers
These controls are standard
potentiometers with end stops. Turning a
pot from left to right will send MIDI
messages with a unique CC number and a
control value from 0 to 127.
2

Allen & Heath 10 XONE:K2 User Guide
FRONT AND REAR PANEL CONNECTORS
1 2 3 4
1 Audio Connectors
RCA Phono connectors for connecting to an external device such as a mixer or
amplifier.
2 X:LINK In Socket
RJ45 socket for proprietary connection to another X:LINK enabled Xone device.
4 USB Connector
Socket for connecting the Xone:K2 to the PC/Mac.
3 X:LINK Out Socket
RJ45 socket for proprietary connection to another X:LINK enabled Xone device.
1
1 Headphones Output
Stereo 3.5mm mini-jack. Plug in good quality stereo headphones intended for DJ
monitoring. Use closed-ear headphones that provide maximum acoustic isolation
when cueing your sources. We recommend that you use high quality headphones
rated between 30 to 100 ohms impedance. 8 ohm headphones are not
recommended.
Warning ! To avoid damage to your hearing do not operate the headphones or sound
system at excessively high volume. Continued exposure to high volume sound can cause
frequency selective or wide range hearing loss.
Ensure that the headphone level in your DAW is turned to an appropriately low level
before connecting headphones.

Allen & Heath 11 XONE:K2 User Guide
MIDI CHANNEL NUMBER
By default the MIDI Channel number is set to 15 to prevent control interaction with Xone DB series
mixers which default to channel 16.
To change the MIDI channel number on your XONE:K2, you must first enter setup mode.
Setup Mode
To enter setup mode, press and hold down the encoder [1] then power up by plugging the USB cable to
your PC/Mac, (or RJ45 lead if powered from X-LINK). The switch matrix LED’s will flash RED three
times to indicate that the K2 has entered setup mode.
The display will default as above, with Switch ‘A’ (the MIDI CHANNEL setup option) being
illuminated.
Press the setup encoder [1] to display the current MIDI channel number; see below.
1
Setting MIDI Channel Number
The channel number is represented by the number of illuminated switches; in
this case MIDI Channel 14.
To change the MIDI Channel number, rotate the Setup encoder.
Once the desired MIDI Channel Number has been chosen, press the Setup
Encoder [1] to store it and return to the setup mode.
Press the amber switch to exit setup mode and the switch matrix LED’s will
flash RED three times.

Allen & Heath 12 XONE:K2 User Guide
LATCHING LAYERS
Latching Layers’ provide embedded layer control via the ‘LAYER’ button on the Xone:K2. If Latching Lay-
ers are on, the LAYER switch is used to toggle between the RED, AMBER then GREEN layers. From this,
if the LAYER switch is RED, any switch used on this layer will illuminate RED; if the layer switch is
AMBER, then any switch used on this layer will illuminate AMBER etc.
To change the Latching Layers system on your XONE:K2, you must first enter setup mode.
Setup Mode
To enter setup mode, press and hold down the encoder [1] then power up by plugging the USB cable to
your PC/Mac, (or RJ45 lead if powered from X-LINK). The switch matrix LED’s will flash RED three
times to indicate that the K2 has entered setup mode.
The display will default as above, with switch ‘A’ (the MIDI CHANNEL setup option) being illuminated.
Rotate the setup encoder [1] clockwise to illuminate switch ‘B’; see below.
Once switch ‘B’ (the LATCHING LAYERS setup option) is illuminated, press the setup
encoder [1] to display which components are attached to the latching layers; see overleaf.
1

Allen & Heath 13 XONE:K2 User Guide
LATCHING LAYERS
If Latching Layers are ‘on’ (states [2], [3], [4] and [5]), the LAYER switch is used to toggle between the
three layers.
LATCHING LAYER OPTIONS
Use the rotary action of the Setup encoder to select between the Latching Layer options. The Latching
Layer states shown above are described as follows:
Once the desired controls are linked to the Latching Layers, press the setup encoder to store and return
to the setup mode. Press the amber switch to exit setup mode and the switch matrix LED’s will flash
RED three times.
If controls have been added to the latching layers system, the LAYER switch will be illuminated RED (layer
1) once the unit has exited setup mode.
1 2 3 4 5
1 LATCHING LAYERS OFF - In this state, Latching Layers are disabled and the ‘Layer’ button is avail-
able for user configuration.
2 SWITCH MATRIX - In this state, the 16 switches in the Switch Matrix are linked to Latching Layers.
3 POT SWITCHES - In this state, the switches under the pots and the top row encoder switches are
linked to Latching layers.
4 ALL SWITCHES - In this state, all switches on the surface are linked to Latching Layers.
5 ALL CONTROLS - In this state, all controls on the surface are linked to Latching Layers. The fad-
ers and pots have an embedded soft pick up algorithm to provide seamless integration across layers.

Allen & Heath 14 XONE:K2 User Guide
MIDI IMPLEMENTATION SEND
▼E3 ▼F3 ▼F#3 ▼G3
◄►CC0 ◄►CC1 ◄►CC2 ◄►CC3
▼E6 ▼F6 ▼F#6 ▼G6
◄►CC22 ◄►CC23 ◄►CC24 ◄►CC25
▼E9 ▼F9 ▼F#9 ▼G9
◄►CC44 ◄►CC45 ◄►CC46 ◄►CC47
◄►CC4 ◄►CC5 ◄►CC6 ◄►CC7
◄►CC26 ◄►CC27 ◄►CC28 ◄►CC29
◄►CC48 ◄►CC49 ◄►CC50 ◄►CC51
■C3 ■C#3 ■D3 ■D#3(Eb3)
■C6 ■C#6 ■D6 ■D#6(Eb6)
■C9 ■C#9 ■D9 ■D#9(Eb9)
◄►CC8 ◄►CC9 ◄►CC10 ◄►CC11
◄►CC30 ◄►CC31 ◄►CC32 ◄►CC33
◄►CC52 ◄►CC53 ◄►CC54 ◄►CC55
■G#2 ■A2 ■A#2(Bb2) ■B2
■G#5 ■A5 ■A#2(Bb5) ■B5
■G#8 ■A8 ■A#2(Bb8) ■B8
LATCHING LAYERS OFF
LATCHING LAYERS ON
LATCHING LAYERS OFF
LATCHING LAYERS ON
LATCHING LAYERS OFF
LATCHING LAYERS ON
LATCHING LAYERS OFF
LATCHING LAYERS ON
LATCHING LAYERS OFF
LATCHING LAYERS ON
▼E3 ▼F3 ▼F#3 ▼G3
▼E6 ▼F6 ▼F#6 ▼G6

Allen & Heath 15 XONE:K2 User Guide
MIDI IMPLEMENTATION SEND
◄►CC12 ◄►CC13 ◄►CC14 ◄►CC15
◄►CC34 ◄►CC35 ◄►CC36 ◄►CC37
◄►CC56 ◄►CC57 ◄►CC58 ◄►CC59
■E2 ■F2 ■F#2 ■G2
■E5 ■F5 ■F#5 ■G5
■E8 ■F8 ■F#8 ■G8
◄►CC16 ◄►CC17 ◄►CC18 ◄►CC19
◄►CC38 ◄►CC39 ◄►CC40 ◄►CC41
◄►CC60 ◄►CC61 ◄►CC62 ◄►CC63
■C2 ■C#2 ■D2 ■D#2(Eb2)
■C5 ■C#5 ■D5 ■D#5(Eb5)
■C8 ■C#8 ■D8 ■D#8(Eb8)
LATCHING LAYERS OFF
LATCHING LAYERS ON
LATCHING LAYERS OFF
LATCHING LAYERS ON
LATCHING LAYERS OFF
LATCHING LAYERS ON
LATCHING LAYERS OFF
LATCHING LAYERS ON
LATCHING LAYERS OFF
LATCHING LAYERS ON
■G#1 ■A1 ■A#1(Bb1) ■B1
■G#4 ■A4 ■A#4(Bb4) ■B4
■G#7 ■A7 ■A#7(Bb7) ■B7

Allen & Heath 16 XONE:K2 User Guide
MIDI IMPLEMENTATION SEND
LATCHING LAYERS OFF
LATCHING LAYERS ON
LATCHING LAYERS OFF
LATCHING LAYERS ON
■C0 ▼C#0 ▼D0 ■D#0(Eb0)
■E0 ▼F0 ▼F#0 ■G0
■G#0 ▼A0 ▼A#0(Bb0) ■B0
LATCHING LAYERS OFF
LATCHING LAYERS ON
◄►CC20 ◄►CC21
◄►CC42 ◄►CC43
◄►CC68 ◄►CC69
■C1 ■C#1 ■D1 ■D#1(Eb1)
■C4 ■C#4 ■D4 ■D#4(Eb4)
■C7 ■C#7 ■D7 ■D#7(Eb7)
■E1 ■F1 ■F#1 ■G1
■E4 ■F4 ■F#4 ■G4
■E7 ■F7 ■F#7 ■G7

Allen & Heath 17 XONE:K2 User Guide
MIDI IMPLEMENTATION RETURN
▼E9 ▼F9 ▼F#9 ▼G9
▼E3 ▼F3 ▼F#3 ▼G3
▼E6 ▼F6 ▼F#6 ▼G6
■C3 ■C#3 ■D3 ■D#3(Eb3)
■C6 ■C#6 ■D6 ■D#6(Eb6)
■C9 ■C#9 ■D9 ■D#9(Eb9)
■G#2 ■A2 ■A#2(Bb2) ■B2
■G#5 ■A5 ■A#5(Bb5) ■B5
■G#8 ■A8 ■A#8(Bb8) ■B8
■E2 ■F2 ■F#2 ■G2
■E5 ■F5 ■F#5 ■G5
■E8 ■F8 ■F#8 ■G8

Allen & Heath 18 XONE:K2 User Guide
MIDI IMPLEMENTATION RETURN
■C2 ■C#2 ■D2 ■D#2(Eb2)
■C5 ■C#5 ■D5 ■D#5(Eb5)
■C8 ■C#8 ■D8 ■D#8(Eb8)
■G#1 ■A1 ■A#1(Bb1) ■B1
■G#4 ■A4 ■A#4(Bb4) ■B4
■G#7 ■A7 ■A#7(Bb7) ■B7
■C1 ■C#1 ■D1 ■D#1(Eb1)
■C4 ■C#4 ■D4 ■D#4(Eb4)
■C7 ■C#7 ■D7 ■D#7(Eb7)
■E1 ■F1 ■F#1 ■G1
■E4 ■F4 ■F#4 ■G4
■E7 ■F7 ■F#7 ■G7
■C0 ■D#0(Eb0)
■E0 ■G0
■G#0 ■B0

Allen & Heath 19 XONE:K2 User Guide
MIDI NOTE IMPLEMENTATION TABLE
DEC HEX NOTE
0 00 C-1
1 01 C#-1
2 02 D-1
3 03 D#-1
4 04 E-1
5 05 F-1
6 06 F#-1
7 07 G-1
8 08 G#-1
9 09 A-1
10 0A A#-1
11 0B B-1
12 0C C0
13 0D C#0
14 0E D0
15 0F D#0
16 10 E0
17 11 F0
18 12 F#0
19 13 G0
20 14 G#0
21 15 A0
22 16 A#0
23 17 B0
DECIMAL HEX NOTE
24 18 C1
25 19 C#1
26 1A D1
27 1B D#1
28 1C E1
29 1D F1
30 1E F#1
31 1F G1
32 20 G#1
33 21 A1
34 22 A#1
35 23 B1
36 24 C2
37 25 C#2
38 26 D2
39 27 D#2
40 28 E2
41 29 F2
42 2A F#2
43 2B G2
44 2C G#2
45 2D A2
46 2E A#2
47 2F B2
DECIMAL HEX NOTE
48 30 C3
49 31 C#3
50 32 D3
51 33 D#3
52 34 E3
53 35 F3
54 36 F#3
55 37 G3
56 38 G#3
57 39 A3
58 3A A#3
59 3B B3
60 3C C4
61 3D C#4
62 3E D4
63 3F D#4
64 40 E4
65 41 F4
66 42 F#4
67 43 G4
68 44 G#4
69 45 A4
70 46 A#4
71 47 B4

Allen & Heath 20 XONE:K2 User Guide
MIDI NOTE IMPLEMENTATION TABLE
DECIMAL HEX NOTE
72 48 C5
73 49 C#5
74 4A D5
75 4B D#5
76 4C E5
77 4D F5
78 4E F#5
79 4F G5
80 50 G#5
81 51 A5
82 52 A#5
83 53 B5
84 54 C6
85 55 C#6
86 56 D6
87 57 D#6
88 58 E6
89 59 F6
90 5A F#6
91 5B G6
92 5C G#6
93 5D A6
94 5E A#6
95 5F B6
DECIMAL HEX NOTE
96 60 C7
97 61 C#7
98 62 D7
99 63 D#7
100 64 E7
101 65 F7
102 66 F#7
103 67 G7
104 68 G#7
105 69 A7
106 6A A#7
107 6B B7
108 6C C8
109 6D C#8
110 6E D8
111 6F D#8
112 70 E8
113 71 F8
114 72 F#8
115 73 G8
116 74 G#8
117 75 A8
118 76 A#8
119 77 B8
DECIMAL HEX NOTE
120 78 C9
121 79 C#9
122 7A D9
123 7B D#9
124 7C E9
125 7D F9
126 7E F#9
127 7F G9