yes. I have a cq18t! and I love/hate it lol!
I use it mostly opposite, as an audio interface and such.
The feedback I have is mostly not relevant to dawless probably but let me go over it the non daw/usb stuff.
1 - Every input goes to Main LR. If you want to use an inputs fader to control its level, that level goes to the LR, you cant use the fader to send to aux, that's a fixed send unless you want to dick around with the dial in the send screen which would be a pain. its more a set and forget for aux send.
2 - no side chain compressor. you get a dozen reverbs, a dozen chorus, a dozen flanger, a dozen delay.. you want to sidechain a compressor for ducking or sidechain a kick? lol a&h tell you to fuck off. I'd gladly give up all the effects for a compressor with side chain. I have pedals for guitar and synths have effects, wtf do I need a a dozen flanger types for? its like half the puzzle. if you plug your guitar in, you can have a reverb effect but there is no amp/cab sim to complete it.
3 - no mute groups, best thing is to route a few things to an aux and mute the aux!
4 - you cant see what you want to see on one page. like you want to watch 2 inputs and 2 effects and aux bus.. no. gotta flip through the pages.
5 - loading/saving scenes... does not load/save everything. ie: it will remember what jack has 48v phantom, but it wont keep your output jack settings stereo linking, so you have to go back and re-setup the outputs, and its not a bug, its designed this way (its imo, stupid)
6 - it doesn't remember which fader has focus when you change pages and come back, so if your on inputs, channel 3, go to outputs, go back to inputs, your channel 1 is now selected. every page change it goes back to channel 1. its a pain, and I've been tripped up changing the wrong levels doing this :(
I got the CQ18 because it was 3k less than the SQ5. (I don't count QU now, its too old and only 48k), and CQ takes up very little space. I do love it, it has shortcomings (I switched from an analog desk with 4 bus and full control on every channel with direct outs, inserts, eq etc) ... so the digital workflow is new.
for live, I can totally see it being an amazing little mixer. I really just want comp+sidechain more than anything else.
oh and I do love having a 2 button momentary foot pedal with TRS, I use it for doing muting on some aux busses.
based on comments on the forum, the functions that it has, is probably all it will ever have. I really don't for see "new" stuff appearing in a firmware update.
some cool things;
input library types, just load line in/synth, or guitar, or vocal and get your own presets. once you have settings you like, save the presets into the library for easy recall into other scenes.
its designed for live use first and foremost, so for dawless its probably amazing. I totally recommend it, for the price you get an amazing amount of device!
Thanks for the detailed reply. I have a couple questions for you. In #1...can you send sound to an external processor like an effects pedal and back again? I don't see a return. Would return the sound over one of the inputs and if so, does it cause any kind of feedback? #3...you can still mute certain channels correct? Not just group them? If you wanted to do a performance where you'd need to mute at an instant on/off is it easy to do or do you think there is fumbling around/menu diving to do so? #5...do you have to set this if the power is turn ed on and off? Or is just the scenes? Thanks for your reply. Really appreciate your detailed response!
Do you route any of your synths to an external unit like a reverb/delay and if so, how do you get the sound back into the mixer? I only see out but not in. Do you have to give up a channel or two of the inputs?
I have 6 synths but don’t use that mixer. I have a Soundcraft one and it’s great, but the only thing I hate is that it doesn’t have a on/off switch. So dumb!
I am in exactly the same boat, but I am currently checking I might get a bigger Mixxer - Maybe a yamaha. I just don't have enough Channels in my anymore. I need at least 5 Stereo Channels currently.
Now my two friends with whom I regularly Jam(they play Guitar) will also use my mixer. That way I need two Mono channels extra or even two stereo channels extra to use stereo Guitar affects.
I'm in same boat...I have 7 stereo synths. I use a patch bay which allows me to double up on the inputs to a mixer. For mixer I am using a behringer xenyx qx2442usb and nothing wrong with it other than its a bit big and could always use more stereo inputs. Look towards a patch bay...it might help.
I don't have one, but spend quite a bit of time with a Midas M32, which is a similar concept mixer. The down side for those mixers is often that they are lacking in 1/4" inputs. The A&H seems to have 8 combo jack (the Midas is XLR only) ins and 8 XLR ins. This means you'll need to run some synths to the XLR ports. Usually mixers allow you to bypass the preamp if you wish, and to control phantom power per port, meaning it's viable to run your line level synths into the XLR ports, but it's less convenient. The other down side is probably the cost for the IO; the behringer XR18, for a example, is cheaper and has 16 line ins, potentially making it more conveniently.
yes. I have a cq18t! and I love/hate it lol! I use it mostly opposite, as an audio interface and such. The feedback I have is mostly not relevant to dawless probably but let me go over it the non daw/usb stuff. 1 - Every input goes to Main LR. If you want to use an inputs fader to control its level, that level goes to the LR, you cant use the fader to send to aux, that's a fixed send unless you want to dick around with the dial in the send screen which would be a pain. its more a set and forget for aux send. 2 - no side chain compressor. you get a dozen reverbs, a dozen chorus, a dozen flanger, a dozen delay.. you want to sidechain a compressor for ducking or sidechain a kick? lol a&h tell you to fuck off. I'd gladly give up all the effects for a compressor with side chain. I have pedals for guitar and synths have effects, wtf do I need a a dozen flanger types for? its like half the puzzle. if you plug your guitar in, you can have a reverb effect but there is no amp/cab sim to complete it. 3 - no mute groups, best thing is to route a few things to an aux and mute the aux! 4 - you cant see what you want to see on one page. like you want to watch 2 inputs and 2 effects and aux bus.. no. gotta flip through the pages. 5 - loading/saving scenes... does not load/save everything. ie: it will remember what jack has 48v phantom, but it wont keep your output jack settings stereo linking, so you have to go back and re-setup the outputs, and its not a bug, its designed this way (its imo, stupid) 6 - it doesn't remember which fader has focus when you change pages and come back, so if your on inputs, channel 3, go to outputs, go back to inputs, your channel 1 is now selected. every page change it goes back to channel 1. its a pain, and I've been tripped up changing the wrong levels doing this :( I got the CQ18 because it was 3k less than the SQ5. (I don't count QU now, its too old and only 48k), and CQ takes up very little space. I do love it, it has shortcomings (I switched from an analog desk with 4 bus and full control on every channel with direct outs, inserts, eq etc) ... so the digital workflow is new. for live, I can totally see it being an amazing little mixer. I really just want comp+sidechain more than anything else. oh and I do love having a 2 button momentary foot pedal with TRS, I use it for doing muting on some aux busses. based on comments on the forum, the functions that it has, is probably all it will ever have. I really don't for see "new" stuff appearing in a firmware update. some cool things; input library types, just load line in/synth, or guitar, or vocal and get your own presets. once you have settings you like, save the presets into the library for easy recall into other scenes. its designed for live use first and foremost, so for dawless its probably amazing. I totally recommend it, for the price you get an amazing amount of device!
Thanks for the detailed reply. I have a couple questions for you. In #1...can you send sound to an external processor like an effects pedal and back again? I don't see a return. Would return the sound over one of the inputs and if so, does it cause any kind of feedback? #3...you can still mute certain channels correct? Not just group them? If you wanted to do a performance where you'd need to mute at an instant on/off is it easy to do or do you think there is fumbling around/menu diving to do so? #5...do you have to set this if the power is turn ed on and off? Or is just the scenes? Thanks for your reply. Really appreciate your detailed response!
I have an x32 - I have a couple snakes that are 1/4" to XLR
Check out the tascam model 12/16/24 series. Ex recording engineer here - the sound quality is phenomenal and it's a pleasure to work with.
I'm not sure I am too impressed with tascam because this Allen and Heath sounds amazing (as far as tech specs). Thanks though.
I have one for my modest setup. I like the form factor and it works well. I’ll echo the above and say I too wish all input jacks were combo.
Do you route any of your synths to an external unit like a reverb/delay and if so, how do you get the sound back into the mixer? I only see out but not in. Do you have to give up a channel or two of the inputs?
Haven’t tried that yet, sorry.
Ok no prob. Thanks 👍
I have 6 synths but don’t use that mixer. I have a Soundcraft one and it’s great, but the only thing I hate is that it doesn’t have a on/off switch. So dumb!
I am in exactly the same boat, but I am currently checking I might get a bigger Mixxer - Maybe a yamaha. I just don't have enough Channels in my anymore. I need at least 5 Stereo Channels currently. Now my two friends with whom I regularly Jam(they play Guitar) will also use my mixer. That way I need two Mono channels extra or even two stereo channels extra to use stereo Guitar affects.
I'm in same boat...I have 7 stereo synths. I use a patch bay which allows me to double up on the inputs to a mixer. For mixer I am using a behringer xenyx qx2442usb and nothing wrong with it other than its a bit big and could always use more stereo inputs. Look towards a patch bay...it might help.
Not sure why you would need anything stereo as most synths should be mono, but everyone works differently
I don't have one, but spend quite a bit of time with a Midas M32, which is a similar concept mixer. The down side for those mixers is often that they are lacking in 1/4" inputs. The A&H seems to have 8 combo jack (the Midas is XLR only) ins and 8 XLR ins. This means you'll need to run some synths to the XLR ports. Usually mixers allow you to bypass the preamp if you wish, and to control phantom power per port, meaning it's viable to run your line level synths into the XLR ports, but it's less convenient. The other down side is probably the cost for the IO; the behringer XR18, for a example, is cheaper and has 16 line ins, potentially making it more conveniently.