Pineville, NC, United States
About this listing
Allen & Heath CQ-18T: The Compact Digital Mixer for Live, Studio, and Streaming Buyers Who Need More Than a Stomp-Box Interface
The Allen & Heath CQ-18T is an ultra-compact 16-channel digital mixer that pulls Allen & Heath's flagship dLive and Avantis live-sound processing technology into a desktop-portable chassis weighing 6.6 pounds. The CQ-18T runs a 96 kHz audio path through 16 mic/line XLR/TRS combo inputs plus 2 balanced 1/4-inch TRS stereo inputs, 2 XLR main outputs, 6 1/4-inch TRS mix outputs, and 2 assignable headphone outputs. The control surface centers on a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen, three custom rotaries, configurable soft keys, and dual footswitch inputs — every parameter directly accessible without burying into menus. Add dual-band built-in Wi-Fi, built-in Bluetooth, 24x22 channel USB-C audio interface duty, HD SD card multitrack recording, and Allen & Heath's full suite of assistive mixing tools, and the CQ-18T becomes the desktop console gigging bands, houses of worship, schools, and home studios reach for when a basic USB interface will not cover the job.
16 Mic/Line Inputs, 2 Stereo Returns, 2 XLR Mains, and 6 Mix Outputs — Total Channel Count, Total Routing Flexibility
The CQ-18T provides 16 mic/line XLR/TRS combo inputs with full microphone preamps and per-channel phantom power — 16 actual mic preamps in a desktop footprint. Add two balanced 1/4-inch TRS stereo line inputs (for synths, drum machines, or playback feeds) and the total channel count reaches 18. Output side: 2 XLR main outputs feed the house PA, 6 1/4-inch TRS mix outputs feed monitor wedges, IEM feeds, broadcast sends, or recording feeds, and 2 assignable headphone outputs let the engineer monitor the room while a musician cues independently. Every mix output is fully assignable in the mixer's bus structure — group several mixes for in-ear monitors, dedicate one for a sub, send one to a recorder. The CQ-18T is a true small-format console, not a glorified interface.
7-Inch Touchscreen + Three Custom Rotaries: The Hands-On Interface Volunteer Engineers Learn in One Rehearsal
The 7-inch capacitive touchscreen is the heart of the surface. One large rotary control sits beside the screen for precise adjustment of whatever parameter the engineer just touched. Three custom rotaries handle the most-used assignable functions — typically gain, monitor send, and FX send. Configurable soft keys access scenes, mute groups, and DCAs without leaving the current screen. Dual footswitch inputs handle tap tempo, mute-on, or scene recall — the engineer's hands stay on the mix while the foot handles the cue. The interface design draws on years of dLive and Avantis development — engineers familiar with those consoles slide into the CQ-18T immediately, and volunteer engineers learn it in one rehearsal because the assistive tools cover what they have not learned yet.
Gain Assistant, Feedback Assistant, Automatic Mic Mixer, and FX Assist — Built-In Tools That Help Non-Engineers Run Pro Mixes
The CQ-18T's suite of assistive mixing tools is the differentiator that gets this console into volunteer-run venues. Gain Assistant analyzes each input signal during soundcheck and sets per-channel gain automatically to maximize headroom and minimize clipping — a volunteer with no gain-staging training gets a clean signal path in seconds. Feedback Assistant identifies feedback frequencies in real time and applies notch filters to ringing wedges, without the engineer needing to ring out monitors by ear. Automatic Mic Mixer (AMM) prioritizes the active speaker and gates inactive mics — built-in for panel discussions, podcasts, multi-person presentations, and house of worship multi-mic services. FX Assist routes effects sends automatically based on the channel type. Combined, these tools turn a complex live-sound workflow into a one-touch one.
Built-In Dual-Band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and CQ-MixPad Remote Control From Any Device
The CQ-18T includes a built-in dual-band Wi-Fi radio (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz) that creates a direct hotspot or joins an existing Wi-Fi network. The free CQ-MixPad app runs on iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows — engineers walk the room and ring out wedges from where the band actually stands, with the same control surface they have on the mixer. Built-in Bluetooth handles stereo playback from a phone or tablet — walk-in music, podcast playback, ad spots — without burning an analog input. The combination of integrated networking and free cross-platform remote control means no separate wireless router, no Mac-or-Windows-only software, no dongles.
24x22 USB-C Audio Interface, HD SD Card Recording, and Streaming-Ready Outputs
Connect the CQ-18T over USB-C to a Mac, Windows machine, iPad, or Android device and the mixer becomes a 24-input, 22-output audio interface — multitrack recording, virtual soundcheck, podcast routing, and live-stream production all run through a single USB-C cable with no driver install on Mac and iOS, ASIO on Windows. The HD SD card slot adds full-show multi-track recording directly from the mixer with no computer connected — capture an entire service or set to a memory card for archive and post-production. Two assignable headphone outputs and six mix outputs make the CQ-18T equally home as a streaming production console for solo creators and a band-on-stage console for working musicians.
Who the CQ-18T Is For
This is the digital mixer for the gigging band carrying their own PA between venues, for the house of worship A/V team running services in fellowship halls and gymnasiums, for the school auditorium running theater productions and assemblies, for the streamer needing more than a basic USB interface for a podcast or video setup, and for the rehearsal studio offering a real console for the bands renting their rooms. The upgrader from analog or from a basic USB interface gets recall, scene memory, multi-track recording, integrated remote control, and built-in assistive tools for less than the price of most laptop-tethered digital boards. The first-time digital buyer gets a touchscreen workflow with assistive tools and a sub-7-pound chassis. The comparison shopper gets 96 kHz audio, four FX engines, AMM, dual-band Wi-Fi, USB-C class-compliant interface duty, and SD card recording — features that anchor real production work for the next decade. Order the CQ-18T today and put a complete portable production console on the desk.
Price$1,199.99
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