Allen & Heath CQ18T

This product is simply fantastic!

The build quality of this mixer is exceptional. The materials used are of high quality and its solid structure makes it suitable for both studio and live use.

The audio performance of this mixer is amazing. The sound quality is crystal clear and full of details, whether you are mixing music or working on an audio production.

One of the features that impressed me the most is the versatility of this mixer. With a wide range of functions and connectivity options, this mixer allows you to efficiently manage different audio sources.

Furthermore, this mixer offers advanced features that make your mixing experience even more enjoyable. The flexible and powerful EQ controls allow you to shape the sound as you desire, while the built-in effects add a creative touch to your productions.

Finally, I have to mention the ergonomic design of this mixer. The controls are intelligently positioned and easy to use, allowing you to focus on mixing without having to search for commands.

In conclusion, this mixer is a great choice for anyone passionate about audio mixing. Its build quality, amazing audio performance, versatility, and advanced features make it an excellent choice for industry professionals and music enthusiasts."

I bought this mixer as an upgrade to a ZEDi10-FX. I liked the Allen & Heath sound but I lacked the extra features of a digital mixer. However, I was astonished to hear the difference in sound. The CQ18T sounds amazing for a mixer of this size and price. The form factor makes it ideal for desktop and to be easily carried around. I would have preferred physical faders but the touchscreen works perfectly and the soft rotaries can be programmed to control send levels, so all in all it's very easy to use. Also, the feedback assistant works like magic eliminating all problematic frequencies in a few minutes and allowing very high sound levels even in proximity to loud monitors. The features, size and sound quality make it a perfect choice in this price range.

I think Allen & Heath have been very clever here. They've delivered a quality mixer in a very small footprint with touchscreen control and all of the compromises are in the right place. I'm not a fan of wall wart power supplies period, but an internal PSU would have made this mixer much bigger so I get it. The same with the aux outs being TRS, I would have liked XLR but again this would have increased the size of the mixer, I just purchased 6x TRS to XLR male connectors and it's zero hassle.

Now the good stuff; I came from a Midas MR-18, external router, Roland sampler and laptop to the Cq18t. There was nothing really wrong with the MIdas but the need for all of the add-ons was making the rig bulky and space was becoming a premium.

First thing I noticed with the Cq18t was the sound, the mixer is incredibly clear with great preamps and decent headroom, I never had this with the Midas and setting levels with dynamic singers could be a headache. The 2.4/5G internal router works flawlessly for monitors mixes and mixing out front and the internal USB playback works perfectly triggered from an external footswitch.

I love that the Cq18t gives complete tactile control of the mixer from a touchscreen and limited controls. I can make quick changes on the fly without having to resort to a tablet or laptop. The flipside to this is the layout relies on pages so there is some more menu diving involved but it's a small price to pay and you soon get used to it.

Excellent mixer, highly recommended!

This mixer has instantly changed the way our band sounds, for the better of course! The super quiet preamps, quality build, compactness, built-in router, touch display and rich IO options in such a light and beautiful design is perfect for a band doing mid-sized venues. We have used it even on some big stages and the best part, apart from the super clean sound, is the ease with which you can do a soundcheck and control your monitoring mid-gig. Also, the multitrack recording options are what sets it apart too, in my opinion this mixer is well worth the price and we can probably expect A&H to drop some firmware tweaks to even further improve the possibilities as this is still a rather new product.