Allen &Heath CQ-18T £899
Can one device solve all your studio and performance routing needs? The CQ-18T is giving it a go, says Chris Corfield
CONTACT WHO: Allen & Heath WEB: allen-heath.com KEY FEATURES 18-inputs, 8-outputs, 7” touchscreen, USB audio, 96kHz processing, WiFi, Bluetooth, Direct recording to SD card, Feedback assistant, App control
It’s brought the bells and whistles. Essentially, the CQ-18T is an 18-in/8-out hardware mixer/audio interface, with plenty to get the home studio owner and live performer excited. Featuring eight XLR inputs, and another eight XLR/jack combi inputs (plus a stereo jack pair), the CQ-18T has all the connectivity a reasonably well-stocked studio or rehearsal space could need. At the centre of the fairly hefty unit sits a 7” multi-touch display, which gives you instant control over everything from faders to track routing. Thankfully, in my testing, the display didn’t suffer from any noticeable lag or glitching, which kept my own personal nerd rage to a minimum. There’s also a master rotary control knob, which switches functionality automatically depending which screen is displayed, and then three customisable rotaries for instant control over whatever settings you’ve mapped to it.
For live performance, the six jack outputs meant supplying on-stage monitor wedges was simple, with controllable EQ and effects on each. Where the CQ-18T really shone, though, was through its remote control functionality. Essentially, using the built-in wireless router, each performer can quickly alter levels using their smartphones, ensuring everyone is happy and minimising angst directed towards the venue’s sound engineer. Venues, take note.
It’s rare we come across a truly useful, multi-application device like this
This functionality will soon be expanded to laptops via a forthcoming app too. In practice, it worked like a dream, without any technical hitches in the time we spent testing. Always nice when that happens. I also quite liked the built-in ‘wizards’, which helped ‘aut
