Allen & Heath CQ-20B Digital Mixer

What it is

The CQ-20B is the rack-mount sibling of the CQ-18T touchscreen mixer. It's 1RU, has more inputs (16 mic/line + 4 stereo channels for 38 total), 12 outputs, and skips the screen — control is entirely via the CQ4You app over Wi-Fi/Ethernet or a connected USB device. Same 96 kHz processing, same DEEP processing models, same multi-track USB recording.

Who it's for

Installs, monitor positions, broadcast booth feeds, and any application where you don't need a control surface (or you have a separate iPad permanently mounted as one). Also a great B-position to a CQ-18T if you need more channels in a single show.

Spec highlights

• 1RU, 16 mic/line + 4 stereo line inputs (38 channels total)
• 8 XLR + 4 TRS outputs + main stereo + monitor
• Built-in Wi-Fi and gigabit Ethernet
• 16-channel USB multi-track recording to thumb drive
• DEEP compressors and FX engines (same as dLive)
• 6 stereo FX returns
• USB-C audio interface (16-in/16-out class compliant)

Real-world notes

Without a screen, you're 100% reliant on the app. Make sure you have a dedicated tablet, an in-rack iPad mount, or a laptop running the desktop control software. The Wi-Fi works fine for basic gigs but plug in a small access point for anything mission-critical.

The 38-channel input count is misleading — you have 20 input strips (16 mono mic/line + 4 stereo). Plenty for most events but not a 32-channel console replacement.

USB-C as a class-compliant audio interface means it just shows up in DAWs. Useful for virtual sound checks and IFB feeds.

Bottom line

If you want CQ-series processing without paying for the touchscreen, this is the unit. Best for installs, monitor positions, or as part of a multi-box distributed setup.