The day that A&H announced this unit I bought one. Used it quite a few times since then for conferences and multitrack recording, and have loved every minute of it. Perfect blend of compactness and power for small gigs.
@@charlescowper Yes, absolutely you can link stereo pairs. Every odd/even pair can be turned into a stereo input. Also, inputs 9-16 have combo jacks so you can use 1/4” directly, and there is a separate dedicated pair of 1/4” jacks for an additional stereo input.
Have been very curious about this mixer. Glad to see you cover it and give us a walk through. It definitely looks plenty capable of several types of smaller gigs!
Timely video. Just saw this mixer in the shop two days ago. Mighty fine device. Your video covered many things I couldn't check out in the short time I had with it.
I picked up a CQ 20 and have loved it so far. Fast and easy if you want it, more complex if you need it, and multi track recording on sd card. Some limitations in the routing, but overall excellent.
Thanks for the review-I really appreciate that you didn’t just walk through the features, because as you said those go out of date so quickly. The file name/date thing is a long-standing complaint with the SQs as well: there’s no onboard clock on the unit, so it has no sense of time or date when it boots up. I keep hoping they’ll add something we can configure manually, though!
That's great to hear, I think you'll enjoy it for the smaller stuff for sure. Let me know what you think after you've used it a bit, it would be good to hear your thoughts coming from the dLive.
a good candidate for a top cover would be from Decksavers. They started out covering DVS controllers. Maybe with enough demand they can probably make one for the CQ.
Thanks for the rotary toggle tip, set that up straight away! I agree with the case, for it's size there should be a tonne of storage space underneath for additional cables, DIs etc
Thankfully we were in the market to replace an x12 for location Audio Visual use when this was announced. It's been great so far! Thanks for the video.
That's a great tip, thanks for the recommendation. Do you know the name or model number of the one you got? They just opened a new Harbor Freight here in town & I've been looking for a good reason to go check it out.
I don't remember the model number but it's one of the midsize ones. You can take measurements of the mixer and when you get to Harbor freight get measurements of the cases they have and get the one that will fit. @@DcSoundOp
I ❤ this mixer, so far only 2 months in, it’s miles better than my previous mixers at similar price points, it’s extremely well built, has loads of well functioning features, and the support , if you need it ( which I did as an old guy ) was first class, we all love top class support, thank you Allen and Heath and DC sound Op for your help in our sonic world.❤
Just a question, in case I want to replace my current mixer, instead of using the lcd screen on the mixer, is it possible to use an iPad app to make specific adjustments from inside the concert hall in a live setting ? That would be essential in our case.
@@PierreDybman Hi Pierre, yes absolutely, I use my iPad for remote mixing and it connects to the built in Wi-Fi receiver without any problems, unlike other mixers which I won’t mention, hope this helps.
The CQ looks like a great fit for some of the smaller rooms at our facility. Would especially love if they come out with a version with built-in Dante and S-Link connectivity.
Thanks for the message Drew, they are great for smaller rooms and break-out sessions for sure. I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for a Dante version though. All the best!
That weird date in 1969 is called the unix epoch, if you're curious. Timestamps are commonly stored as seconds since Jan 1st 1970 at midnight UTC, so these are set to "0" (or not set at all).
Thanks for the great info, this is why I love RUclips comments! For anyone who wants to know more, there is unixtime.org where you can find the current Epoch Unix Timestamp, as well as a handy translator.
Thanks SO much for giving us a heads up on the smart rotary knobs/EQ assignment! I play in a band, and run the sound with the CQ18-T on a stand next to my microphone. Tweaking the EQ has been a pain, but now I can do it much more quickly. I also haven't tried the Feedback Wizard (or whatever they call it on this mixer). I would use it for monitors. I hate having to guess at which monitor out is the trouble mix! So far, I prefer this over the TM16 I was using a few months prior to buying this. Oh.........and I DID buy the case a few weeks ago. Oops.
Hey, thanks for the message. Hopefully you get on better with the case than I did. It does a great job at protecting the mixer for how light it is. Good luck out there with your band.
Bought this mixer and used it next day for my cover band, it was easy to use and sounded good , always liked A&H products from GL series , Mix Wiz, QU, SQ
We got one of these to use and I also discovered the ability to set a button to switch the encoder mode which is very handy. Also, the SKB case for these works pretty well and has a decent amount of extra space.
I am also interested to know whether the CQ series mixers can be controlled from MIDI controller surfaces such as the Presonus Faderport 8/16....Hopefully it will in the near future, if it do not have this ability, currently....
This video is awesome. Is there a way to mult a mic input to two channels and apply different processing to each channel? I am thinking to do this to create a multiband compressor - example : put compressor after eq, cut all the bottom end from ch 1 apply compression, channel 2 remove all high end , apply compressor, then sum these back to a group channel and voila - a poor man's 2 band compressor (mostly for vocals) - does this seem doable based on your experience?
Thanks for the message. In the current firmware, AFAIK there is not way to soft patch channels like that, so you'd have to split the channel before hitting the input with a Y cable to achieve that kind of thing. Not sure if that's something they could change, but I'd suspect the not based on how the console is built. Thanks again for watching, I appreciate the kind words.
Agree with the TouchMix power supply issues. They should have used proper EC3/XT90 bullet style connectors in the 6 pin plug. Instead, they used weak pieces of curved brass sheet, thinner than a piece of paper. Only made to be plugged in once and never removed. Questions on the CQ-18T would be stage box and fader surface compatibility, for those occasional bigger jobs.
I’d love a SoundTools bag and stickers. Thanks for this video. I have been wondering if this would be worth it, and I think it will play nicely in the Sunday School chapel and be easy enough for the leaders there to manage themselves.
Nice review, thank you for the quality workmanship. The mixer looks pretty well thought out and fun, so much nicer to not be in the box, tweaking in Logic.
I have thought about getting one of these, but the one thing that has stopped me from pulling the trigger is the Fxs. I would like a bit more parameters on each one to mix a band properly (it probably is fine the way it is, but is not enough for me). If they add more parameters in the near future, i will order one without a doubt!!!
Thanks for the review! A specific question about the stereo recording function: what is getting recorded exactly? Is the main LR mix recorded “as is”, or is there a way to record tracks that you don’t send to the main mix? For example, a band in rehearsal situation, where you don’t want the drums, guitar or bass tracks to be amplified in your P.A. system (connected to your main LR output) but you would like these tracks to be in your stereo recording. Is it possible to create groups of tracks and assign the group to the stereo recording function? Thanks!
I’ve watched several of these videos on this type of mixer and this is one of the few “real” reviews. Most are clearly paid to paint the products in a flattering light.
Great video & little console. The timestamp thing would drive me crazy dealing with duplicate filenames and timestamps. I didn't even think about that. Now using a laptop to record with the MR-18 doesn't bother me as much.
Let us know how it goes. There is an affiliate link in the description here to B&H's listing, they have the 20b and 12T in stock now and you can get on the list for the 18T when they are in stock again too. Using those links really help this channel grow, so thanks if you choose to do that. All the best.
Can you please talk about display brightness? It would be really awesome if you even made a video showing the display brightness indoors with ambient light, and in the dark. And also outdoors for those gigs we all have to do sometimes. Very interested in this and can't find information anywhere
I'd like to see a walkthrough of it as a usb audio interface, something I believe it can do? And (this may be way WAY out of scope) also I'd like to know if it's plug and play as an audio device with alternate operating systems like Android, Chrome OS, and Linux.
Would love to have a brief tutorial on how to send signals to the Aux's. I just bought one to use with a 5 piece acoustic band and we use 3 wedge monitors. Need to know how to mix the monitors. Thanks and great video.
I had to send this one back to them already unfortunately, but Keith from Allen & Heath did a short video about routing to the various outputs here: ruclips.net/video/jcqdyh359FA/видео.htmlsi=MhOR6u1qs19SFQCG - hopefully that will get you pointed in the right direction. Essentially, each wedge will need to be connected to one of the aux outputs, and then you can either route channels to those auxes from the individual channel's page, or you can go to the main page and with the dropdown in the upper right to the mix you want instead of Main LR and then you'll see which faders are contributing to that mix. For monitor wedges, you'll want to be set to Pre-Fade aux sends, so when you change the level of a channel in the Main mix, it does not change your monitor mixes too (that would be post-fade). Let me know if you're stuck anywhere specifically though & I'll try to help more. Have fun!
Thank you sincerely for providing such valuable content. I thoroughly enjoyed your video! Could you please share if the iPad remote control is also compatible with the CQ 12 T model? And how is it done! Your insight would be greatly appreciated.
Depending on your workflow, you could absolutely use this in the studio, though it's not a standalone DAW type multi-track recorder. The on-board multi-tracking is more geared towares capturing live performances, but as an interface it is great too. Thanks for checking out the video & for the message.
Great review! I currently own a Midas MR18 that can only be controlled by a second device and my folks would like to interact without an extra device. Thank you for showing the strange cover bag and its disadvantages! Questions: MR18 has great preamps and two groups for auto-mixing. How does A&H here?
@@agork Thanks, I like the A&H preamps on the qu and qs series very much. But if you cannot tell the difference comparing it to the mr18 then I have to believe that these CQ series sport a different preamp than the previous generation of A&H digital small mixers.. Cheers
This looks like a great unit to add to my inventory at work. Thanks for the intro video. Also, what was that small mic you had plugged into channel one for parts of the video? At least that is what it looked like to me.
Thanks for checking out the video. That mic is an older lectern mic from Audio Technica, it's the ML cartridge on an ES935 body. You used to be able to find them super cheap on eBay.
Thanks for your video. I'm wondering how loud is the fan sound and is it constant or does it change speed (and therefore sonic footprint too) during runtime?
I now have a ui 16 Soundcraft and would like to upgrade to the CQ 18 or CQ 20. What are the main differences and pros and cons? Can you guys help me with this. I do not use that many channels, but think the CQ 12 has less than the others. and like to keep it compact. I like to hear it. Regards Werner
Hi Werner, thanks for the message. I have only looked at the Ui-12 here on the channel, which has different features compared to the Ui-16. That being said, the biggest functional difference will be going from a browser based interface to an App for the CQ series. Thanksfully you can check out the App yourself for free to see how that feels, though I would recommend spending the $6 for a CQ series license for the App 'Mixing Station' as it offers some different options. As far as features go, I'm guessing you've done the side by side comparison, but I'm not sure what would be important to you. Being able to multi-track onboard, or have a full interface to use with your computer could be a huge deal compared to the Ui-16. The Auto-Mixer would be a huge deal for a lot of people too. If you've got any specific features you're looking at though, let me know. Personally, I like how A&H supports and developes their gear too compared to Soundcraft these days. The folks that work there seem more connected to actually using the products they make, but that's just the impression that I've got in my dealings over recent years.
Can you group faders? I can't imagine mixing on it feeling like a physical faders. But I'd think sending faders to VCAs or sub-masters could make it easier. ...Or can it be controlled with something external? Even the app on the I-pad?
The way to do this now is with the third-party Mixing Station App, which gives you DCA functionality. It works really well and makes a big difference for this mixer - mixingstation.app
Thanks for the message. I think there has been some discussion about midi control on the A&H forums, but you should add your request there too so it gets seen by A&H for sure: community.allen-heath.com/forums/forum/cq/cq-feature-suggestions
It hold up okay for a glossy screen. It could always be brighter, but keeping it out of direct sun would be the best way to avoid the hard glare. I'll DM you a photo on instagram so you can see.
I've been told by A&H that they are working on solutions, so hopefully we'll see them address this in some way in a future update. Thanks for watching!
I'm upgrading from a Yamha MG10xu to the A&H CQ-18t. This is part of my living room music setup, which consists of a digital piano, a microphone, a synth module. For streaming Apple Lossless music i have USB out of my iMac into a very decent DAC then XLR out into the mixer. I'm I better off using the CQ-18t's built-in DAC or should I continue using my DAC? Thank you!
Hmm, nice setup for the living room for sure. Without knowing what DAC you have and how you have it setup and configured, it's impossible to say. The best bet is to get one of these from a reputable dealer who you trust to take a return or exchange so you can set it up in your space and decide with your own ears. Thanks for the message.
I am finally going to digital for live sound, 5 piece country band , and I amp comparing this Allen and Heath Qc-18T and the QSC touchmix 16 any thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks!
Was hoping you would get your hand on one of these! I'm looking at the CQ20B currently. Are there patch points for the output mixes, i.e. pre or post processing? Have you found any good workarounds for the lack of mute groups? Thanks!
Hey, when I put this out I got a message shortly afterwards that Decksavers were working on a version for this. As far as I know, it will not fit in the A&H case with the deck saver lid on. Thanks for the message.
hi how are the effects? how many they are? what i like about my xr18 are the emulation of vintage gear like an la-2a compressor etc etc. if you want to dig into parameters does this allows to do that or is only "easy" parameters? is it stable or did you find glitches or bugs?
My church uses an A&H Qu-24 and the mixer has no onboard CMOS battery and clock. Thus, the file system cannot add real date and time to the files on the media. I assume that this CQ platform may also have this limitation.
You can hear occasionally it if you're close to the mixer in a very quiet environment, but I don't think it is any noisier than an average computer fan.
It would work over a wired ethernet connection (with the appropriate adapter for the iPad) but I'm not sure if you can use it for control over a wired USB. That would be a great question for the CQ forum where their product manager might have an answer.
Hmmm, I don't think it would support that off the top of my head, but I'll look into it and see what the A&H folks say. Maybe they'll see this and be able to answer directly... either way, thanks for the question, that's a good one!
Would I be able to enable side chain compression on this mixer? Specifically, I want to side chain my mic input into a music channel to have granular control over music ducking..
In the current firmware, you cannot do that, but some folks have been using the Auto-mix function as a workaround since you can weight the mic heavier than the music and accomplish basic ducking that way. Thanks for the great question.
For sure, unfortunately they don't even have dedicated LPF on the QU or SQ lines of mixers, you've still got to use the top band of the parametric to make that happen. Unlikely we'll see that come to their entry level mixers first. Thanks for the message!
I have not done a side by side test with any of their other boards, but the pre-amps are quite good compared to similarly priced mixers and interfaces I have on hand.
Allen & Heath is a well-known and popular company. Their equipment is perpetually good, quality equipment. But I made it 7 minutes into your video and I was so aggravated already just watching you that I know that this particular product is not for me. There's no way I want to spend that much time at a gig just getting the mixer to come on and allow me to get at what I need. I use a QSC Touchmix 16 for our live gigs. I Solved the power supply problem that many people reported, which I never experienced myself. The way I did that was to mount the mixer In a case with the power supply connected and restrained to where it could not move at all. So it never gets messed with. The mixer does have a few things I don't like. But by-and-large, as far as digital mixers go, I like it a lot.
You’re so aggravated watching me that you're not going to buy this mixer? What?? Were you actually considering buying it in the first place? What a bizzare message. 😂
@@DcSoundOp If I wasn't interested, I wouldn't have clicked. It wasn't YOU that I was aggravated with. It was the design of the mixer, plus the whole trend of impulse response technology and modeling gear. I want to play and sing songs. I often need to make adjustments on the fly in different venues due to room acoustics and resonant frequencies. Those should be quick and easy tasks, hardly noticed by the audience. I refuse to make band members and an enthused crowd wait while I fiddle with a laptop to accomplish something that should be fast and at my fingertips. And before you say it, yes, I know to setup and dial in such gear in the practice hall ahead of time. But, in my experience, even though I achieve the sound I want by doing that, it NEVER transfers to other venues. I ALWAYS need to make adjustments. And with IR, modeling, and gear designed like this mixer, I have to carry and connect a laptop, wear reading glasses, bend forward with my face in the tiny screen, then toggle through pages getting deep into the weeds. NO THANKS! Nothing squelches the enthusiasm of a great show quicker than that.
No, these are not really setup to be used as a stand alone DAW. You can certainly multi-track, but punching-in and editing wouldn't be possible with the current firmware afaik.
For in-ears you'd want to use an either a mono or a stereo pair of aux sends. The 18t has six physical aux-outputs which would allow you to do six mono in-ear mixes, or three stereo mixes. You can play around with the App for free and see how the mixes work etc. Thanks for the question.
Right price, cool feature set, but I can’t see where I would ever use this over other existing mixers. I wouldn’t use this for my band, I wouldn’t run front of house in any venue. There’s much better podcasting devices. The conference thing makes sense I suppose. But even then this is overkill. Maybe for multitracking a practice? The amount of menu diving is over the top as well. It seems like a headache.
How do you mean? This mixer would be pretty good for mixing IEMs, and they make a smaller version (the CQ-12T) if you don't need as many inputs. Let me know if I'm misunderstanding your question though.
Hey so I’m interested in both the CQ18T and the QU16. I play in a 3 piece band (lead/rhythm/bass/lead vocals and harmony) occasionally drums. What do you recommend me investing in, in 2024?
If you are considering the QU16, I would absolutley go that direction. You'll have quite a bit more flexability with it & you'll have room to grow if your needs change in the future or the band gets bigger or books bigger gigs that need more outputs. If you're more concerned with keeping your setup small and you're not thinking about expanding in the future, the CQ will do a fine job too. The drawback I've seen musicians talking about so far is the lack of advanced controls on the effects processors in the CQ. So, if you're an effects heavy act, it might not be the best choice.
@@DcSoundOp Awesome! truly appreciate your insight, I’ve had little to no luck getting a reply and mainly see 'infomercials' on the CQ model. I’ve heard good reviews on A&H effects. I mainly use Reverb and Hall for vocals, and Reverb/Delay for Acoustic guitars. (Sierreño style Music) Would I be able to plug a Subwoofer on the CQ? I don’t see an I/O for that. So even if the QU is a bit dated you still recommend it? That would be my only concern seeing as it released a while back. Thanks for your time!
I would still recommend the QU, they are a solid mixer at the price. I tend to prefer well-known reliable gear over the latest new thing though & I have no idea if they are planning to update the QU lineup anytime soon. As far as connecting up a subwoofer, there are not many mixers with a specific output for that. Most powered subwoofers and modern amplifiers have the crossover built-in, so you would take the normal main outputs to connect to the sub or amp, and do the crossover there. You could also do an aux-fed sub, but that is a bit more advanced and takes up an aux, though it can be useful for certain situations.
The day that A&H announced this unit I bought one. Used it quite a few times since then for conferences and multitrack recording, and have loved every minute of it. Perfect blend of compactness and power for small gigs.
How useful is it for stereo line level devices? Can you link inputs to make a single stereo pair? I like the mixer but i don’t use mics! :)
@@charlescowper Yes, absolutely you can link stereo pairs. Every odd/even pair can be turned into a stereo input. Also, inputs 9-16 have combo jacks so you can use 1/4” directly, and there is a separate dedicated pair of 1/4” jacks for an additional stereo input.
Can you record a stereo Mix or only split L and R? A bit like the zoom F8, all iso in Mono, but the mix in Stereo wav?
Have been very curious about this mixer. Glad to see you cover it and give us a walk through. It definitely looks plenty capable of several types of smaller gigs!
Just got mine yesterday! Excited to start using this for both my bands! Cheers! Thanks for a great review!
Enjoy & let me know how it goes!
Hey jeffrey . Question how’s this mixer working for you till this day .
Timely video. Just saw this mixer in the shop two days ago. Mighty fine device. Your video covered many things I couldn't check out in the short time I had with it.
I picked up a CQ 20 and have loved it so far. Fast and easy if you want it, more complex if you need it, and multi track recording on sd card. Some limitations in the routing, but overall excellent.
Thanks for the review-I really appreciate that you didn’t just walk through the features, because as you said those go out of date so quickly. The file name/date thing is a long-standing complaint with the SQs as well: there’s no onboard clock on the unit, so it has no sense of time or date when it boots up. I keep hoping they’ll add something we can configure manually, though!
Just picked one of these up. Super excited to start using it. Running a DLive for large stuff and I’ll be using this for small things.
That's great to hear, I think you'll enjoy it for the smaller stuff for sure. Let me know what you think after you've used it a bit, it would be good to hear your thoughts coming from the dLive.
a good candidate for a top cover would be from Decksavers. They started out covering DVS controllers. Maybe with enough demand they can probably make one for the CQ.
Just 3D print one.
Looks pretty sweet, it'd be a good rental piece with a laminated quick start guide.
Thanks for the rotary toggle tip, set that up straight away! I agree with the case, for it's size there should be a tonne of storage space underneath for additional cables, DIs etc
Thankfully we were in the market to replace an x12 for location Audio Visual use when this was announced. It's been great so far! Thanks for the video.
I have this mixer. Love it! I bought a pelican-style case at Harbor Freight for $40. Cut out some of the foam and it was a perfect fit!
That's a great tip, thanks for the recommendation. Do you know the name or model number of the one you got? They just opened a new Harbor Freight here in town & I've been looking for a good reason to go check it out.
I don't remember the model number but it's one of the midsize ones. You can take measurements of the mixer and when you get to Harbor freight get measurements of the cases they have and get the one that will fit. @@DcSoundOp
I ❤ this mixer, so far only 2 months in, it’s miles better than my previous mixers at similar price points, it’s extremely well built, has loads of well functioning features, and the support , if you need it ( which I did as an old guy ) was first class, we all love top class support, thank you Allen and Heath and DC sound Op for your help in our sonic world.❤
Thanks for the message Michael & for sharing your experience.
Just a question, in case I want to replace my current mixer, instead of using the lcd screen on the mixer, is it possible to use an iPad app to make specific adjustments from inside the concert hall in a live setting ? That would be essential in our case.
@@PierreDybman Hi Pierre, yes absolutely, I use my iPad for remote mixing and it connects to the built in Wi-Fi receiver without any problems, unlike other mixers which I won’t mention, hope this helps.
The CQ looks like a great fit for some of the smaller rooms at our facility. Would especially love if they come out with a version with built-in Dante and S-Link connectivity.
Thanks for the message Drew, they are great for smaller rooms and break-out sessions for sure. I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for a Dante version though. All the best!
Looks like a great deck. My TM16 certainly has not kept up!
Thank you for the review. I am getting ready to purchase a mixer for the musical group I am in.
That weird date in 1969 is called the unix epoch, if you're curious. Timestamps are commonly stored as seconds since Jan 1st 1970 at midnight UTC, so these are set to "0" (or not set at all).
Thanks for the great info, this is why I love RUclips comments! For anyone who wants to know more, there is unixtime.org where you can find the current Epoch Unix Timestamp, as well as a handy translator.
Great vid! I'm big fan of Allen & Heath's consoles.
Same here!
Thank you for helping run through
No problem
Thanks SO much for giving us a heads up on the smart rotary knobs/EQ assignment! I play in a band, and run the sound with the CQ18-T on a stand next to my microphone. Tweaking the EQ has been a pain, but now I can do it much more quickly.
I also haven't tried the Feedback Wizard (or whatever they call it on this mixer). I would use it for monitors. I hate having to guess at which monitor out is the trouble mix!
So far, I prefer this over the TM16 I was using a few months prior to buying this.
Oh.........and I DID buy the case a few weeks ago. Oops.
Hey, thanks for the message. Hopefully you get on better with the case than I did. It does a great job at protecting the mixer for how light it is. Good luck out there with your band.
Bought this mixer and used it next day for my cover band, it was easy to use and sounded good , always liked A&H products from GL series , Mix Wiz, QU, SQ
That's great news, glad it's working well for you! Thanks for the message.
Nicely done with this format for mixer walk through.
Thanks Mike, I appreciate the message!
Just bought a CQ20B for live recording sessions. I love this thing! Recording at 96K is a big plus too.
Nice! I think I'd go with the 20b too if I was buying one with my own money. It's a crazy value for what you get. Good luck!
We got one of these to use and I also discovered the ability to set a button to switch the encoder mode which is very handy. Also, the SKB case for these works pretty well and has a decent amount of extra space.
Dear Sir...What SKB casing model that u are using with this mixer?
SKB 1813-7-CQ1
It will work for the CQ-18T or CQ-12T.
I have the same one. Use it for my mobile gigs. Very handy and lots of features for mobile gigs use.❤
Not a lot of videos on this new series of Allen & Heath mixers. I’ve been staying up to date on most of them, and this was very informative. Thanks!
Picked up one of these as a little brother to my SC6
Guessing that you can control the channels etc. from MIDI control surfaces?
I am also interested to know whether the CQ series mixers can be controlled from MIDI controller surfaces such as the Presonus Faderport 8/16....Hopefully it will in the near future, if it do not have this ability, currently....
always good to see these. Super helpful to help reccomend stuff for clients
Glad it was helpful!
Thank God there's an alternative to TouchMix. Would love to see look at the Yamaha DM3!
Thanks for the deep dive. I've been curious about these mixers. Always looking to replace my UI24R for a mobile throw and go rig
What was that plugged into the first channel [Timestamp 8:58]?
The Quickfire feature looks pretty cool! Glad it has the automix feature on that thing too.
Yes, the Automix is a huge deal. Thanks for the message Riley, I appreciate you as always!
Awesome mixer that would work well for my applications!
This video is awesome. Is there a way to mult a mic input to two channels and apply different processing to each channel? I am thinking to do this to create a multiband compressor - example : put compressor after eq, cut all the bottom end from ch 1 apply compression, channel 2 remove all high end , apply compressor, then sum these back to a group channel and voila - a poor man's 2 band compressor (mostly for vocals) - does this seem doable based on your experience?
Thanks for the message. In the current firmware, AFAIK there is not way to soft patch channels like that, so you'd have to split the channel before hitting the input with a Y cable to achieve that kind of thing. Not sure if that's something they could change, but I'd suspect the not based on how the console is built. Thanks again for watching, I appreciate the kind words.
@@DcSoundOp I appreciate the reply. Keep up the good work :)
Agree with the TouchMix power supply issues. They should have used proper EC3/XT90 bullet style connectors in the 6 pin plug. Instead, they used weak pieces of curved brass sheet, thinner than a piece of paper. Only made to be plugged in once and never removed.
Questions on the CQ-18T would be stage box and fader surface compatibility, for those occasional bigger jobs.
I’d love a SoundTools bag and stickers.
Thanks for this video. I have been wondering if this would be worth it, and I think it will play nicely in the Sunday School chapel and be easy enough for the leaders there to manage themselves.
Nice review, thank you for the quality workmanship. The mixer looks pretty well thought out and fun, so much nicer to not be in the box, tweaking in Logic.
Thanks for watching!
Very cool, interested to get my hands on it. Great video as always! Hope your doing well.
Hey, thanks!
I have thought about getting one of these, but the one thing that has stopped me from pulling the trigger is the Fxs. I would like a bit more parameters on each one to mix a band properly (it probably is fine the way it is, but is not enough for me). If they add more parameters in the near future, i will order one without a doubt!!!
appreciate these videos! please keep it going
Thanks, will do!
Thanks for the review! A specific question about the stereo recording function: what is getting recorded exactly? Is the main LR mix recorded “as is”, or is there a way to record tracks that you don’t send to the main mix? For example, a band in rehearsal situation, where you don’t want the drums, guitar or bass tracks to be amplified in your P.A. system (connected to your main LR output) but you would like these tracks to be in your stereo recording.
Is it possible to create groups of tracks and assign the group to the stereo recording function? Thanks!
Cool device - thanks for the review.
No problem 👍
I’ve watched several of these videos on this type of mixer and this is one of the few “real” reviews. Most are clearly paid to paint the products in a flattering light.
On backorder at Sweetwater and I am going to use it as a main interface as well
Ordered mine from Musician’s Friend and got it months ago. It’s great so far!
Had mine for a month - simple and works everytime I turn it on, unlike my Presonus 24R...
Great video & little console. The timestamp thing would drive me crazy dealing with duplicate filenames and timestamps. I didn't even think about that. Now using a laptop to record with the MR-18 doesn't bother me as much.
Thanks, very useful, just awaiting delivery of mine.
Thanks! I hope you like it when it arrives. Let me know how it goes for you.
Very very very interesting little unit!
I think so too!
Cool, I’m looking to purchase
Let us know how it goes. There is an affiliate link in the description here to B&H's listing, they have the 20b and 12T in stock now and you can get on the list for the 18T when they are in stock again too. Using those links really help this channel grow, so thanks if you choose to do that. All the best.
Can you please talk about display brightness? It would be really awesome if you even made a video showing the display brightness indoors with ambient light, and in the dark. And also outdoors for those gigs we all have to do sometimes. Very interested in this and can't find information anywhere
I'd like to see a walkthrough of it as a usb audio interface, something I believe it can do? And (this may be way WAY out of scope) also I'd like to know if it's plug and play as an audio device with alternate operating systems like Android, Chrome OS, and Linux.
Mute all functions? I saw the pfl mention and ability to soft key that. I still can't figure out how to mute multiple channels easily from any screen.
Would love to have a brief tutorial on how to send signals to the Aux's. I just bought one to use with a 5 piece acoustic band and we use 3 wedge monitors. Need to know how to mix the monitors. Thanks and great video.
I had to send this one back to them already unfortunately, but Keith from Allen & Heath did a short video about routing to the various outputs here: ruclips.net/video/jcqdyh359FA/видео.htmlsi=MhOR6u1qs19SFQCG - hopefully that will get you pointed in the right direction. Essentially, each wedge will need to be connected to one of the aux outputs, and then you can either route channels to those auxes from the individual channel's page, or you can go to the main page and with the dropdown in the upper right to the mix you want instead of Main LR and then you'll see which faders are contributing to that mix. For monitor wedges, you'll want to be set to Pre-Fade aux sends, so when you change the level of a channel in the Main mix, it does not change your monitor mixes too (that would be post-fade). Let me know if you're stuck anywhere specifically though & I'll try to help more. Have fun!
@@DcSoundOp That's exactly what I needed!! Thank you!!
This mixer is awesome.
Cool video! I'm hoping to get my hands on one of these. Would do 90% of the gigs I do anyway...
I'll be interested to hear what you think of it when you get a chance to try it. Thanks for checking out the video Lucas!
Thank you sincerely for providing such valuable content. I thoroughly enjoyed your video! Could you please share if the iPad remote control is also compatible with the CQ 12 T model? And how is it done! Your insight would be greatly appreciated.
Yes the A&H iPad app & mixing station apps both work with all three models of the CQ mixers. Thanks for watching.
Great video! Great mixer!
Thanks Ernie, I appreciate the feedback.
Another great video!!
Thanks, I’ve been loving your educational short videos lately. Hope you’re doing great!
l wonder how useful this would be in the studio. Would be very cool to have everything in one place.
Depending on your workflow, you could absolutely use this in the studio, though it's not a standalone DAW type multi-track recorder. The on-board multi-tracking is more geared towares capturing live performances, but as an interface it is great too. Thanks for checking out the video & for the message.
Great review! I currently own a Midas MR18 that can only be controlled by a second device and my folks would like to interact without an extra device. Thank you for showing the strange cover bag and its disadvantages!
Questions:
MR18 has great preamps and two groups for auto-mixing. How does A&H here?
How does this mixer compare to the touchmix 8, does it have better vocal effects
I have the same problem with the Auto Gain. It simply doesn't work with vocal level signals!
how does it compare to a midas mr18 in your opinion? cheers
I have an MR18 and it is great. The preamps in the Allen Heath unit might or might not be a hair better. FX wise should theoretically be better.
@@agork Thanks, I like the A&H preamps on the qu and qs series very much. But if you cannot tell the difference comparing it to the mr18 then I have to believe that these CQ series sport a different preamp than the previous generation of A&H digital small mixers.. Cheers
This looks like a great unit to add to my inventory at work. Thanks for the intro video. Also, what was that small mic you had plugged into channel one for parts of the video? At least that is what it looked like to me.
Thanks for checking out the video. That mic is an older lectern mic from Audio Technica, it's the ML cartridge on an ES935 body. You used to be able to find them super cheap on eBay.
I like the idea of this little console; just needs some software refinement to be fully confidence-inspiring
For sure! I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with the next few firmware updates. Thanks for the message!
Thanks for your video. I'm wondering how loud is the fan sound and is it constant or does it change speed (and therefore sonic footprint too) during runtime?
Nice review. Thanks.
Thanks for watching, I appreciate the message!
I now have a ui 16 Soundcraft and would like to upgrade to the CQ 18 or CQ 20. What are the main differences and pros and cons? Can you guys help me with this.
I do not use that many channels, but think the CQ 12 has less than the others. and like to keep it compact.
I like to hear it.
Regards Werner
Hi Werner, thanks for the message. I have only looked at the Ui-12 here on the channel, which has different features compared to the Ui-16. That being said, the biggest functional difference will be going from a browser based interface to an App for the CQ series. Thanksfully you can check out the App yourself for free to see how that feels, though I would recommend spending the $6 for a CQ series license for the App 'Mixing Station' as it offers some different options.
As far as features go, I'm guessing you've done the side by side comparison, but I'm not sure what would be important to you. Being able to multi-track onboard, or have a full interface to use with your computer could be a huge deal compared to the Ui-16. The Auto-Mixer would be a huge deal for a lot of people too. If you've got any specific features you're looking at though, let me know.
Personally, I like how A&H supports and developes their gear too compared to Soundcraft these days. The folks that work there seem more connected to actually using the products they make, but that's just the impression that I've got in my dealings over recent years.
Many nice features including automix. Seems that many of the screen fonts used are needlessly too small.
Can you group faders? I can't imagine mixing on it feeling like a physical faders. But I'd think sending faders to VCAs or sub-masters could make it easier. ...Or can it be controlled with something external? Even the app on the I-pad?
The way to do this now is with the third-party Mixing Station App, which gives you DCA functionality. It works really well and makes a big difference for this mixer - mixingstation.app
1.Dose it has something like DCA groups?
2. Does the efx section only have beginner frendly effects ?
What kind of range are you getting for the app? Or do recommend an external modem
This competes with the Midas MR18, but is a very interesting product nevertheless. Just wish it had some way to connect a control board if we wished.
Thanks for the message. I think there has been some discussion about midi control on the A&H forums, but you should add your request there too so it gets seen by A&H for sure: community.allen-heath.com/forums/forum/cq/cq-feature-suggestions
this mixer have sound card and can I use on Mac ? and replace the old rme
Yes, this model is a 24x22 USB-B interface and works well with a Mac in my experience.
@@DcSoundOp thanks
Screen seems quite dark.. how would it hold up in sunlight?
It hold up okay for a glossy screen. It could always be brighter, but keeping it out of direct sun would be the best way to avoid the hard glare. I'll DM you a photo on instagram so you can see.
No hardware inserts for external gear?
No, even their next series up the QU mixers don't have hardware insert points. They are getting less and less common on gear these days.
Yikes, the SD recording filesystem sounds disastrous. Fixing that should be a top priority.
I've been told by A&H that they are working on solutions, so hopefully we'll see them address this in some way in a future update. Thanks for watching!
@@DcSoundOp thanks for posting, I appreciate the hands-on perspective!
Mute Groups would be very handy for live work ?
I'm upgrading from a Yamha MG10xu to the A&H CQ-18t. This is part of my living room music setup, which consists of a digital piano, a microphone, a synth module. For streaming Apple Lossless music i have USB out of my iMac into a very decent DAC then XLR out into the mixer. I'm I better off using the CQ-18t's built-in DAC or should I continue using my DAC? Thank you!
Hmm, nice setup for the living room for sure. Without knowing what DAC you have and how you have it setup and configured, it's impossible to say. The best bet is to get one of these from a reputable dealer who you trust to take a return or exchange so you can set it up in your space and decide with your own ears. Thanks for the message.
I am finally going to digital for live sound, 5 piece country band , and I amp comparing this Allen and Heath Qc-18T and the QSC touchmix 16 any thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks!
Was hoping you would get your hand on one of these! I'm looking at the CQ20B currently. Are there patch points for the output mixes, i.e. pre or post processing? Have you found any good workarounds for the lack of mute groups? Thanks!
Buy decksaver to protect knobs
Is it fit in the case with decksaver?
Hey, when I put this out I got a message shortly afterwards that Decksavers were working on a version for this. As far as I know, it will not fit in the A&H case with the deck saver lid on. Thanks for the message.
@@DcSoundOp ok thnx bro
hi how are the effects? how many they are? what i like about my xr18 are the emulation of vintage gear like an la-2a compressor etc etc. if you want to dig into parameters does this allows to do that or is only "easy" parameters? is it stable or did you find glitches or bugs?
My church uses an A&H Qu-24 and the mixer has no onboard CMOS battery and clock. Thus, the file system cannot add real date and time to the files on the media. I assume that this CQ platform may also have this limitation.
I believe you are exactly on the mark there. Thanks for checking out the video!
Is the fan noisy?
You can hear occasionally it if you're close to the mixer in a very quiet environment, but I don't think it is any noisier than an average computer fan.
Is it possible to use the iPad app over a direct USB connection or does it only work over Wi-Fi?
It would work over a wired ethernet connection (with the appropriate adapter for the iPad) but I'm not sure if you can use it for control over a wired USB. That would be a great question for the CQ forum where their product manager might have an answer.
@DcSoundOp Can you plug a USB/MIDI Fader controller into the USB port in order to get faders under my sausage fingers?
Hmmm, I don't think it would support that off the top of my head, but I'll look into it and see what the A&H folks say. Maybe they'll see this and be able to answer directly... either way, thanks for the question, that's a good one!
IMO, the best portable mixer that could cover a large band.
Would I be able to enable side chain compression on this mixer? Specifically, I want to side chain my mic input into a music channel to have granular control over music ducking..
In the current firmware, you cannot do that, but some folks have been using the Auto-mix function as a workaround since you can weight the mic heavier than the music and accomplish basic ducking that way. Thanks for the great question.
How are the converters and pre amps of this as compared to apollo or any equivalent audio interface?
I would love to see a low pass filter
For sure, unfortunately they don't even have dedicated LPF on the QU or SQ lines of mixers, you've still got to use the top band of the parametric to make that happen. Unlikely we'll see that come to their entry level mixers first. Thanks for the message!
Im about to return this! I cant figure out how to get sound out of it 😩
Hey, thanks for the message. Where are you getting stuck? Let me know & I'll see if I can help.
Hi there, im just wondering, is that good preamp like sq? Thank you
I have not done a side by side test with any of their other boards, but the pre-amps are quite good compared to similarly priced mixers and interfaces I have on hand.
Allen & Heath is a well-known and popular company. Their equipment is perpetually good, quality equipment. But I made it 7 minutes into your video and I was so aggravated already just watching you that I know that this particular product is not for me. There's no way I want to spend that much time at a gig just getting the mixer to come on and allow me to get at what I need. I use a QSC Touchmix 16 for our live gigs. I Solved the power supply problem that many people reported, which I never experienced myself. The way I did that was to mount the mixer In a case with the power supply connected and restrained to where it could not move at all. So it never gets messed with. The mixer does have a few things I don't like. But by-and-large, as far as digital mixers go, I like it a lot.
You’re so aggravated watching me that you're not going to buy this mixer? What?? Were you actually considering buying it in the first place? What a bizzare message. 😂
@@DcSoundOp If I wasn't interested, I wouldn't have clicked. It wasn't YOU that I was aggravated with. It was the design of the mixer, plus the whole trend of impulse response technology and modeling gear.
I want to play and sing songs. I often need to make adjustments on the fly in different venues due to room acoustics and resonant frequencies. Those should be quick and easy tasks, hardly noticed by the audience. I refuse to make band members and an enthused crowd wait while I fiddle with a laptop to accomplish something that should be fast and at my fingertips.
And before you say it, yes, I know to setup and dial in such gear in the practice hall ahead of time. But, in my experience, even though I achieve the sound I want by doing that, it NEVER transfers to other venues. I ALWAYS need to make adjustments. And with IR, modeling, and gear designed like this mixer, I have to carry and connect a laptop, wear reading glasses, bend forward with my face in the tiny screen, then toggle through pages getting deep into the weeds.
NO THANKS!
Nothing squelches the enthusiasm of a great show quicker than that.
I gotcha, it sounded like you just REALLY didn't like listening to me. Thanks for checking out the video all the same & for the messages!
@@DcSoundOp Sure! Thanks for what you do. Sorry that I came across that way.
@@tlb2732 glad you take the long route to get your point across
Could this mixer be used as a computerless DAW?
No, these are not really setup to be used as a stand alone DAW. You can certainly multi-track, but punching-in and editing wouldn't be possible with the current firmware afaik.
how was your experience using it as a audio interface?
Great, no complaints at all, but I'm sure some folks will have use cases that I did not consider.
how about outputs for IE's.... and controlling what goes to the ears. effects or dry mix? I don't own the unit so IDK... Thx
For in-ears you'd want to use an either a mono or a stereo pair of aux sends. The 18t has six physical aux-outputs which would allow you to do six mono in-ear mixes, or three stereo mixes. You can play around with the App for free and see how the mixes work etc. Thanks for the question.
Right price, cool feature set, but I can’t see where I would ever use this over other existing mixers. I wouldn’t use this for my band, I wouldn’t run front of house in any venue. There’s much better podcasting devices. The conference thing makes sense I suppose. But even then this is overkill. Maybe for multitracking a practice? The amount of menu diving is over the top as well. It seems like a headache.
Nice! Are there any small mixers like this we could use as an entry level IEM system?
How do you mean? This mixer would be pretty good for mixing IEMs, and they make a smaller version (the CQ-12T) if you don't need as many inputs. Let me know if I'm misunderstanding your question though.
Hey so I’m interested in both the CQ18T and the QU16. I play in a 3 piece band (lead/rhythm/bass/lead vocals and harmony) occasionally drums. What do you recommend me investing in, in 2024?
If you are considering the QU16, I would absolutley go that direction. You'll have quite a bit more flexability with it & you'll have room to grow if your needs change in the future or the band gets bigger or books bigger gigs that need more outputs. If you're more concerned with keeping your setup small and you're not thinking about expanding in the future, the CQ will do a fine job too. The drawback I've seen musicians talking about so far is the lack of advanced controls on the effects processors in the CQ. So, if you're an effects heavy act, it might not be the best choice.
@@DcSoundOp Awesome! truly appreciate your insight, I’ve had little to no luck getting a reply and mainly see 'infomercials' on the CQ model. I’ve heard good reviews on A&H effects. I mainly use Reverb and Hall for vocals, and Reverb/Delay for Acoustic guitars. (Sierreño style Music)
Would I be able to plug a Subwoofer on the CQ? I don’t see an I/O for that.
So even if the QU is a bit dated you still recommend it? That would be my only concern seeing as it released a while back.
Thanks for your time!
I would still recommend the QU, they are a solid mixer at the price. I tend to prefer well-known reliable gear over the latest new thing though & I have no idea if they are planning to update the QU lineup anytime soon. As far as connecting up a subwoofer, there are not many mixers with a specific output for that. Most powered subwoofers and modern amplifiers have the crossover built-in, so you would take the normal main outputs to connect to the sub or amp, and do the crossover there. You could also do an aux-fed sub, but that is a bit more advanced and takes up an aux, though it can be useful for certain situations.