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Allen & Heath CQ-18T 16-channel Digital Mixer

16-channel Digital Mixer with 16 Mic Preamps, Touchscreen, Effects, 24-in/22-out SD Recording/Playback, 24-in/22-out USB Audio Interface, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth
6 Write review Item ID: CQ18T
$1,199.99

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CQ-18T 16-channel Digital Mixer with Rackmount Kit

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CQ-18T 16-channel Digital Mixer with Padded Carry Bag

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Allen & Heath CQ-18T 16-channel Digital Mixer
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A Full-fledged Digital Mixer for Your Desktop

The Allen & Heath CQ-18T is a compact — and feature-packed — 16-channel digital mixer that fits in your backpack. This portable 96kHz-capable mixer boasts uncompromising audio quality, ensuring top-notch sound in any application. And its smart controls and processing tools make it a breeze to use. The CQ-18T's Preamp Gain Assistant and Feedback Assistant make setup a snap, and its instrument-based Quick input delivers great mixes in no time flat. Want manual control? No problem. Each track includes a Complete input that allows for in-depth tweaking. You get built-in Smart-FX units, arming you with a full complement of reverbs, delays, modulations, and more. Navigating the CQ-18T is a cinch, thanks to its straightforward tactile encoders, custom keys, and responsive touchscreen. The CQ-18T is also great for recording, courtesy of SD recording and playback and a built-in USB audio interface. Baked-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity round out the Allen & Heath CQ-18T's robust feature set.

Related Videos: CQ-18T 16-channel Digital Mixer

Smart controls and processing tools

Here at Sweetwater, we've found the CQ-18T to be an easy digital mixer to navigate. Its Preamp Gain Assistant takes all the guesswork out of setting your levels. Its Feedback Assistant makes locating and neutralizing acoustic feedback frequencies a piece of cake. You also get instrument-based Quick inputs that help you get a great sound — fast. The CQ-18T includes four Smart-FX engines, which enable you to select from easy-to-use reverb, delay, and modulation units for instrument-centric, signal-conscious effects.

Intuitive hands-on control

Taking command of the Allen & Heath CQ-18T is easier than a walk in the park. Its tactile encoders enable you to adjust a wide range of parameters with easy-to-use knobs. Its custom keys allow you to tailor the CQ-18T to your preferred workflow. Moreover, its responsive touchscreen gives you the perfect combination of physical control and at-a-glance visual feedback.

Rock-solid recording options

The CQ-18T makes multitrack recording extremely simple. For starters, you get 24-in/22-out recording and playback via an onboard SD card reader. Beyond that, its built-in 24-in/22-out USB audio interface allows you to create top-shelf digital multitrack recordings using your DAW of choice.

Allen & Heath CQ-18T 16-channel Digital Mixer Features:

  • A compact 16-channel digital mixer that fits in your backpack
  • Exhibits outstanding sound quality at 96kHz
  • 16 excellent-sounding microphone preamps and stereo Bluetooth input
  • Built-in 2.4GHz/5GHz Wi-Fi with auto channel
  • Preamp Gain Assistant takes all the guesswork out of setting levels
  • Feedback Assistant makes locating and neutralizing acoustic feedback frequencies a piece of cake
  • Instrument-based Quick inputs help you get a great sound quickly
  • Complete inputs allow for in-depth tweaking
  • Smart-FX engines include reverb, delay, modulation, and more
  • Tactile encoders adjust a wide range of parameters with easy-to-use knobs
  • Custom keys tailor the mixer to your preferred workflow
  • Responsive touchscreen combines physical control and at-a-glance visual feedback
  • 24-in/22-out recording and playback via an onboard SD card reader
  • Built-in 24-in/22-out USB audio interface enables top-shelf digital multitrack recordings using a computer and DAW

Additional Media

Live Mixer Buying Guide

Warranty Info

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Tech Specs

  • Type: Digital Mixer/Recorder/USB Interface
  • Channels: 16
  • Inputs - Mic Preamps: 8 x XLR-1/4" Combo, 8 x XLR
  • Phantom Power: 16 Channels
  • Inputs - Line: 2 x 1/4" TRS (L, R)
  • Outputs - Main: 2 x XLR (main)
  • Outputs - Direct: 6 x 1/4" TRS (monitors)
  • Data I/O: 1 x RJ45
  • Headphones: 2 x 1/4" TRS
  • USB: 1 x Type B, 1 x Type A
  • Computer Connectivity: USB (24 x 22), Ethernet, 2.4G/5G AC Wi-Fi
  • Bluetooth: Stereo Input
  • Remote: 1 x 1/4" (footswitch)
  • Faders: 3 x Custom Rotary
  • Effects: Reverbs, Delays, Modulators
  • Signal Processing: 96kHz FPGA
  • Features: Feedback Assistant
  • Screen: 7" touchscreen
  • Storage: SD card slot
  • Software: CQ MixPad App, CQ4You App
  • Rackmountable: Yes (kit sold separately)
  • Power Source: 12V DC Power Supply
  • Manufacturer Part Number: AH-CQ18T

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Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5

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Best small-format digital board yet

The best thing about this board is that, right out of the box, it's super easy to configure and get to mixing. Doing my first setup with this took about as much time as pairing my iPad to other boards with built-in WiFi, and the integrated screen made it so easy to get it dialed in. Everything works the way you think it should.
Bonus points for firmware - just download the app from A&H and the board can pull firmware from your iPad without needing to do USB stick transfers or find an open network port in your IT closet.
by AR Banks from Sterling, VA on
Music background: Audio engineer, touring guitarist/bassist, teacher

This is the one to get

Zero issues, great sound and especially good tone on the software controlled preamps, love running it from my iPad, small footprint.
The WIFi connection to iPad also works 100% for me even up to 75 feet - which I did not expect. That was a bonus.
by Gordon McDonald from New Smyrna Beach, FL on

What Can I Say

I am a mobile DJ that has the opportunity to play audio engineer for singing groups and bands periodically. I must say I am not a pro, but owned a QSC Touchmix 16 since it arrived on the seen 10 years ago. It only made since because I own the whole gamut of the K2 Series including two of the KSC-212C Subs. The good thing about the Touchmix was the ease of presets available for QSC Speakers. Let's get to the good part. The Allen & Heath has made my QSC SSpeakers perform like they should. The mixer is much easier to use, better responding touch screen and the sound is awesome! Even using the Quick Start feature allows for an instant preset based upon the connectivity you have setup and still have great sound. There is a multitude of features available to beef up any sound system and this unit will not fail to deliver. Mobile DJ's you can ditch all other sound enhancers and feedback eliminators with this unit. I must say it has been worth it to sell my 10 year old Touchmix 16 and used the $ toward the purchase of the Allen & Heath. Don't let the low price fool you, this unit is a PERFORMER!
by Winston Cook from Rancho Cordova, CA on

A&H CQ18T Superb mixer

I have owned this mixer for 4 months now and used on 15-20 live gigs. If you are looking for a small format but full featured digital mixer, this is the best I have owned (and I have owned AH SQ and QU mixer, Behringer X32 and Midas M32 R and MR 18 digital mixers as well as many analog mixers.) So this is written by a fairly experienced user of small format digital mixers. The pros of this mixer: > Really superb sound, > easy to set up and use live but still full control of all processing functions such as gate/comp/eq/lowcut/sends etc, and while the IPAD app is great, >it can quite easily be controlled off the touchscreen on the mixer with no IPAD; > 24-48 multitrack recording is a breeze and the files can just be drag-dropped off the SD card into your DAW (I use Logic and it is seamless, whereas the Midas DN32 card and the equivalent Behringer X-LIVE cards required an awkward transformation process to get them into a template in the DAW - a pain.) > It is super compact in size, but you can still have 16 XLR inputs and multiple outs for aux/monitor mixes etc. > 4 FX busses are very usable. And after hauling it around, and using it live in everything from indoor shows to outdoors in 38 degree weather, > it has been 100.00% reliable...not one single hiccup. And as with all digital mixers, everything including input gain levels can be saved to scenes and shows, so when you repeat a music show, you just do a quick scene recall and it turns the future soundcheck into 5 minute affairs (if that). The negatives, and these are small: > While the main out jacks are XLR, the aux out jacks are 1/4" TRS... but it's a small compromise for portability and a handful of fairly inexpensive TRS to XLR adapters can eliminate the need for dedicated cables for aux/monitors. And similarly, > there is an external power adapter, not an IEC connector - - again a compromise I can live with to keep a compact form factor (even though I bought another backup external power supply just in case...). > I also found the "auto gain" feature to be not usable at all, as you end up fighting it all night as it tries to be "helpful" as it adjusts input gains after a couple of loud sounds from a source...then you can hardly hear that instrument afterwards, etc....so I just shut them off and set the gain during soundcheck and back it off a touch at soundcheck - because levels always come up as the gigs go on.... And as with any digital mixer, > there are menu layers to do what you need to do, which makes mixing slightly more of a brain twist vs using analog mixers where each knob does only 1 thing to one channel etc. But after using the interface on MANY other digital mixers, I tip my hat to A&H for getting it right on the CQ series. The interface is much better than on the QU or SQ mixers IMO and as good/better than any I've used on other brand small format digital mixers. I rarely mix shows any more where I need more than 16 inputs, but this system is NOT expandable beyond 16 inputs - other than using another small mixer as a sub-mixer, such as doing a drum sub-mix on another small mixer then folding those outputs into an input or two on the CQ - which is my plan if the need ever comes up for > 16 inputs. To sum it up, I just sold every other digital mixer I own on Reverb and have only been using / taking the CQ to all gigs now, big and small. Super super happy with this mixer. Highly recommend.
by John from Vermont on

Wonderful Mixer

I have had this mixer for a month at my church. I absolutely love it. I'm still learning how to use it and set it up. The pre sets are awesome. It has so many features and I love that I can use a tablet to control it wireless. I'm using a Samsung tablet. I will update once everything is setupand place a video. TJ and Sweetwater have been awesome over the years.
by Bryan Roth from BURLINGTON, NJ on
Music background: Guitarist, sound and video tech
See also: Mixers Digital, Allen & Heath, Allen & Heath Digital Mixers
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