Allen & Heath CQ-20B
Allen & Heath·Model CQ-20B·allen-heath-cq20b
Photos
Manufacturer product photography — the drawn faceplate above stays true to panel layout; these show the hardware itself.
About the Allen & Heath CQ-20B
The Allen & Heath CQ-20B squeezes 96kHz mixing, sixteen preampsThe gain stage that lifts a mic’s tiny signal up to line level — the first thing a signal hits, and a big part of how a console sounds., onboard SD multitrack, and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth control into a compact box that racks in 2UThe standard slice of rack height: 1U = 1.75″. A 3U box takes three slices; half-rack gear pairs two units side by side in one. with its kit. GainHow much the preamp amplifies the incoming signal. Too low and you’re hunting through hiss; too high and peaks clip. assistant and auto-mixing make it the current favorite for self-mixed IEMIn-Ear Monitor — earpieces that replace floor wedges, feeding each player their own mix. The reason this whole rack exists. bands who want A&H sound without an engineer. The modern answer to the XR18 generation.
The CQ-20B is Allen & Heath's answer to the self-sufficient touring band: a 2UThe standard slice of rack height: 1U = 1.75″. A 3U box takes three slices; half-rack gear pairs two units side by side in one. rackmount digital mixer with sixteen combo preampsThe gain stage that lifts a mic’s tiny signal up to line level — the first thing a signal hits, and a big part of how a console sounds., six analog outputs, and onboard Wi-Fi and Bluetooth control — no engineer required at front of houseFront Of House — the main mix the audience hears, and the console position out in the room where it gets mixed.. It slots into an IEMIn-Ear Monitor — earpieces that replace floor wedges, feeding each player their own mix. The reason this whole rack exists. rack or a compact playback rig and covers the role of stage-box, mixer, and monitor send all in one box. The 96 kHz sample rateHow many times per second audio is measured when digitized — 48 kHz is the live standard; 96 kHz measures twice as often. is a real differentiator at this price point and this size, and the SD multitrack recording means you can capture every show without a dedicated interface or laptop.
In practice, sixteen preampsThe gain stage that lifts a mic’s tiny signal up to line level — the first thing a signal hits, and a big part of how a console sounds. handle a typical four- to six-piece band with inputs left over for talkbackThe engineer’s mic into the performers’ ears or monitors — talk to the band without leaving the console., a click feed, or a playback source. The six XLRThe standard 3-pin locking connector for mics and balanced line signals — pin 1 is the shield, pins 2 and 3 carry the balanced pair. outputs — main L/R plus outputs 3–6 — give you a stereo house feed and up to four discrete monitor or IEMIn-Ear Monitor — earpieces that replace floor wedges, feeding each player their own mix. The reason this whole rack exists. mixes, which is enough for most self-mixed setups without an additional distribution amp if you're running personal mixers or in-ear packs close to the rack. At 40 W nominal draw and 4.5 kg, it won't stress a small power conditionerFilters venue AC, clamps surges, and gives the rack one tidy inlet. Not a voltage regulator and not a battery — just cleaner power. or a two-person carry. The USB-B port opens 24×22 I/O to a DAWDigital Audio Workstation — the recording and playback software (Logic, Ableton Live, Pro Tools) at the center of a computer rig., so a laptop backup track integration is straightforward.
Pick the CQ-20B if you're building a compact IEMIn-Ear Monitor — earpieces that replace floor wedges, feeding each player their own mix. The reason this whole rack exists. rig for a band that self-mixes via the A&H CQ app, or if you need a clean, low-footprint FOHFront Of House — the main mix the audience hears, and the console position out in the room where it gets mixed.-and-monitors solution for smaller venues where running a separate stage boxThe I/O endpoint on stage: mics plug in there and one digital line (AES50, Dante) carries everything to the console. The snake, digitized. and console isn't practical. Skip it if your show demands more than four independent monitor mixes, if you need onboard hardware compression on every channel at mix time without relying on DSPDigital Signal Processing — the number-crunching that does EQ, compression, and effects inside a box. More DSP means more processing at once. routing, or if your crew expects a traditional console surface. Bands stepping up from an XR18 will feel immediately at home; the workflow is cleaner and the preampsThe gain stage that lifts a mic’s tiny signal up to line level — the first thing a signal hits, and a big part of how a console sounds. are a meaningful step forward.
In the rack
- Route outputs 3–6 as your IEMIn-Ear Monitor — earpieces that replace floor wedges, feeding each player their own mix. The reason this whole rack exists. mixes and reserve the main L/R for the house feed — this keeps your gainHow much the preamp amplifies the incoming signal. Too low and you’re hunting through hiss; too high and peaks clip. structure clean and lets you lock the main output level without affecting monitor sends.
- Format your SD card in the unit before the first show, not at home, so the CQ-20B's file system expectations are met and multitrack record arms without surprises at soundcheck.
- If Wi-Fi is congested at the venue, connect the RJ45 port to a dedicated gigabit switch and run the CQ app over wired Ethernet to a tablet on a long cable — you get the same remote control without fighting the RFRadio Frequency — the wireless part of wireless. RF planning is why big rigs scan, coordinate, and combine antennas instead of hoping. environment.
- At only 300 mm deep, the CQ-20B will likely sit shallower than the rest of your rack's gear; use a rack shelf or rear support rail to avoid stress on the rack earsThe flanges that bolt gear to the rack rails. Desktop boxes without them need a shelf, tray, or drawer to live in the case. during transport.
20-ch 96kHz compact rack mixer — 16 preampsThe gain stage that lifts a mic’s tiny signal up to line level — the first thing a signal hits, and a big part of how a console sounds., SD multitrack, Wi-Fi/BT.
I/O Ports (7)
| Port | Connector | Direction | Signal | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mic/Line 1-16 | COMBO XLR TRS | input | analog audio | 16 |
| Main Out L/R | XLR MALE | output | analog audio | 2 |
| Outputs 3-6 | XLR MALE | output | analog audio | 4 |
| Phones | TRS QUARTER | output | analog audio | — |
| USB-B (24x22) | USB B | bidirectional | data | — |
| Network | RJ45 | bidirectional | data | — |
- Power (IEC C14)
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Rack space, watts, weight and every connector, side by side.
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