96 kHz digital mixer with Bluetooth, 7" touchscreen, 10 Mic/Line inputs, 2 FX engines, 6 Aux outputs, SD/USB recording and a 16×16 USB audio interface.

Allen & Heath CQ-12T is a compact 96 kHz digital mixer for bands, small venues, rehearsal spaces, recording and AV applications. It can be used as the main mixer for a small event or as a sub mixer within a larger sound system. Ethernet connectivity provides remote network control, while Bluetooth, SD and USB offer flexible options for audio playback and recording.

At the centre of CQ-12T is a 7" capacitive touchscreen with a physical rotary control and 3 configurable SoftKeys. Its 96 kHz processing engine provides comprehensive channel processing including EQ, Gate and Compressor. Quick Channels provide instrument and application-specific processing for fast setup, while Complete Channels give detailed access to processing parameters.

Gain Assistant automatically sets Mic preamp gain and monitors levels to help prevent clipping. Feedback Assistant detects problem frequencies and suppresses feedback, while 2 FX engines provide Reverb, Delay and other effects.

The built-in 10-channel Automatic Mic Mixer (AMM) automatically manages microphone levels for conferences, panel discussions and other speech applications.

Connectivity includes 10 Mic/Line inputs - 5 XLR and 5 XLR/TRS Combo - a stereo Line input, Main LR XLR outputs, 6 Aux outputs and a stereo headphone output.

The 16×16 USB-B audio interface provides multichannel computer connectivity, while SD recording and playback supports up to 16 channels at either 48 or 96 kHz without a computer.

Key Features

• 10 Mic/Line preamps: 5 × XLR and 5 × XLR/TRS Combo inputs
• Stereo Line input: 2 × balanced 1/4" TRS
• Main LR outputs: 2 × balanced XLR
• 6 Aux outputs: 6 × balanced 1/4" TRS, linkable as up to 3 stereo mixes
• Stereo headphone output: For signal monitoring
• 96 kHz audio processing: High-quality processing with <0.7 ms signal latency
• 16×16 USB-B audio interface: For multichannel recording, playback and DAW integration
• SD multitrack recording/playback: Up to 16 channels @ 48 or 96 kHz
• USB-A stereo record/playback: Direct stereo recording and audio playback without a computer
• Bluetooth stereo playback: Dedicated stereo input channel for Bluetooth audio sources
• Quick and Complete Channels: Choose between fast simplified control and full channel processing
• Gain Assistant: Automatically sets preamp gain and helps prevent input clipping
• Feedback Assistant: Automatically detects and suppresses feedback frequencies
• 2 FX engines: Reverb, Delay, Chorus, Flanger, Phaser and other built-in effects
• 10-channel Automatic Mic Mixer (AMM): Automatic microphone level management for speech and conference applications
• 4 DCAs and 4 Mute Groups: Convenient control of multiple channel groups
• 7" capacitive touchscreen: Direct control and configuration of mixer functions
• 3 SoftKeys: Configurable keys for frequently used functions
• RJ45 Ethernet: Network connection for remote mixer control
• Single/Dual Footswitch connection: Assignable function control using an optional footswitch
• CQ-MixPad: Full remote mixer control from Windows, macOS, iOS and Android
• CQ4You: Personal monitor mix control from iOS and Android devices
• 19" rack mounting: Available with an optional rack-mount kit, sold separately
• Soft carry case: Optional CQ12T-CASE available separately

Channels and Processing

• Mono input channels: 10, stereo linkable
• Stereo input channels: 3 — ST, USB and Bluetooth
• Main Mix: Stereo LR
• Aux Mixes: 6 mono, linkable as up to 3 stereo
• DCAs: 4
• Mute Groups: 4
• Sample rate: 96 kHz
• Input channel processing: Polarity, HPF, Gate, 4-band PEQ, Compressor and Pan
• HPF range: 20 Hz–2 kHz
• PEQ: 4-band fully parametric EQ with RTA
• Compressor: RMS/Peak with Hard/Soft Knee
• Output Mix processing: GEQ/PEQ, Compressor, Limiter and Delay
• GEQ: 20-band, 1/2 octave, 31 Hz–16 kHz with RTA
• Feedback Assistant: Automatic feedback suppression with 16 filters
• Output Delay: Up to 682 ms
• FX engines: 2
• FX types: Easy Verb, Echo Verb, Space Verb, Echo, Tap Delay, Stereo Delay, Beat Delay, Double Tracker, Chorus, Flanger and Phaser
• Automatic Mic Mixer (AMM): 10 mono channels, D-Classic Gain Sharing

Inputs

• Mic/Line inputs: 5 × balanced XLR + 5 × balanced XLR/TRS Combo
• Mic/Line preamps: Fully recallable, digitally controlled
• Phantom power: +48 V
• Mic/Line sensitivity: –60 to 0 dBu
• Analogue gain: 0–60 dB in 1 dB steps
• Maximum Mic/Line input level: +17 dBu (XLR) / +30 dBu (TRS)
• Stereo Line input: 2 × balanced 1/4" TRS, Left/Mono normalled
• Stereo Line nominal level: +4 dBu
• Stereo Line Trim: ±24 dB
• Stereo Line maximum input level: +21 dBu

Outputs

• Main LR: 2 × balanced XLR
• Aux 1–6: 6 × balanced 1/4" TRS
• Headphone output: 1 × stereo
• Nominal output level: +4 dBu
• Maximum output level: +22 dBu
• Output impedance: <75 Ω

Recording and Playback

• USB-B audio interface: 16 Send / 16 Return channels
• USB-B format: USB 2.0, 24-bit / 48 or 96 kHz
• USB-B compatibility: Core Audio, ASIO/WDM for Windows
• SD multitrack recording: 16 channels @ 48 or 96 kHz
• SD multitrack playback: 16 channels @ 48 or 96 kHz
• SD card: SDHC, 32 GB, UHS-I Class 10 for maximum channel count
• SD audio format: 24-bit / 48 or 96 kHz
• USB-A stereo recording: 24-bit / 48 or 96 kHz WAV
• USB-A stereo playback: 16/24-bit, 44.1 / 48 / 96 kHz WAV
• Bluetooth: Stereo audio playback via a dedicated input channel

Connectivity and Control

• Touchscreen: 7" capacitive touchscreen with 5 Screen Keys and associated rotary control
• SoftKeys: 3 configurable keys
• Footswitch: Configurable single/dual footswitch connection
• Ethernet: RJ45 network connection
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.1 for high-quality stereo audio playback
• CQ-MixPad: Full remote mixer control from Windows, macOS, iOS and Android
• CQ4You: Personal monitor mix control from iOS and Android devices

Audio Performance

• Sample rate: 96 kHz
• Dynamic range: 110 dB
• Frequency response: 20 Hz–20 kHz (+0 / –0.5 dB)
• Headroom: +18 dB
• THD+N: 0.003% (Mic → Main LR)
• Latency: <0.7 ms from local Mic input to Main LR with all processing in or out
• dBFS alignment: +18 dBu = 0 dBFS (+22 dBu at XLR output)

Dimensions, Weight and Power

• Dimensions (W × H × D): 291 × 89 × 242 mm
• Weight: 2.4 kg
• Power: 12 V DC / 5 A
• Power supply: External 100–240 V AC, 50/60 Hz PSU, supplied
• Maximum power consumption: 35 W
• Operating temperature: 0–40 °C
• 19" rack mounting: Available with the optional CQ12T-RK19 rack-mount kit, sold separately
• Soft carry case: Optional CQ12T-CASE available separately