No stranger to designing innovative mixing consoles, Allen & Heath turns up in a big way with the ultracompact CQ-18T mixer. A wise choice for beginner and seasoned pro engineers alike, the A&H CQ-18T features intuitive hands-on control on a beautiful 7" touchscreen, extensive I/O, sample rates of up to 96kHz, and all the functionality you’d come to expect from a conventional live mixer. Plus, handy bells and whistles, like USB, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, multiple storage and recording options, and more, make it easier than ever to dial in and make the most of your audio. No need to break your back loading a bulky mixer in and out—the CQ-18T is small enough to fit in your backpack.

Touch and Go

Mixing confidently is easy with the CQ-18T, thanks to its streamlined interface. Surrounding the 7" touchscreen are Configuration, Processing, Fader, FX and Home buttons, which let you switch between screens as well as three soft multi-function rotaries and keys, respectively. A large touchscreen rotary encoder adjusts your on-screen values. Take advantage of the onboard touchscreen or use your tablet as a remote control via 2.4 or 5GHz Wi-Fi (use 2.4GHz for longer distances and 5GHz for close-range control), so you can walk around the stage or venue while setting up and massaging your mix. The CQ-18T’s desktop form factor is perfect for those looking to minimize their footprint while simplifying in-depth adjustments.

Sound Smart

No matter your level of audio engineering expertise, the CQ-18T has you covered with its suite of smart controls and smart processing tools. Preamp Gain Assistant gets your mic and line levels set up quickly, and Feedback Assistant ensures you avoid that dreaded squeal during the show. Instrument-based Quick inputs get your mix to a good spot quicker than ever, while more experienced engineers can switch each channel to a Complete input as needed for more customized adjustments. The CQ-18T also boasts four built-in Smart-FX engines. Browse from easy-to-use reverbs, delays and modulators that are signal conscious and designed for the instrument you’re mixing.

Get In and Rock Out

The CQ-18T plays host to 16 mic/line (eight XLR + eight XLR/1/4" combo) inputs, plus a stereo 1/4" TRS line in. But there’s more. Via the pair of USB-A and USB-B sockets, you’ve got access to a 24x22 audio interface, as well as audio and data storage—making multitrack and mixdown recording a breeze. An SD card slot also provides 24x24 recording and playback. And speaking of playback, you can easily cue up a reference track via the CQ-18T’s stereo Bluetooth input. Opposite the input side of the back panel, the CQ-18T offers six mix TRS outputs, a pair of XLR main outs and two separate headphone outputs. An Ethernet jack connects to your external control interface or router, and a built-in Wi-Fi antenna folds down for easy, safe transport.

Mix (Multi-)Purposefully

The ultimate mixing chameleon, the CQ-18T can be used as an audio interface and as a means to perform virtual soundchecks, mix front of house and/or monitors, record live shows and rehearsals, and much more. Whether you’re a full-fledged live sound engineer in search of a streamlined and recording-friendly mixer, a musician looking for an easy mixing solution with room to grow on the technical side, or even a studio engineer looking to mix outside the box, the Allen & Heath CQ-18T delivers the goods.