For small churches and startup congregations with limited budgets, the Allen & Heath CQ-18T offers remarkable capability in an ultra-compact form factor. Built around a capacitive touchscreen interface with minimal physical controls, the CQ-18T brings digital mixing capabilities to churches that previously relied on traditional analog consoles or small-format hybrid mixers. This guide walks you through setting up your CQ-18T for reliable Sunday service operation.
Understanding the CQ-18T’s Unique Design Philosophy
The CQ-18T represents a fundamentally different approach to mixing than the SQ-series consoles. Rather than balancing physical faders with a touchscreen, the CQ-18T embraces the touchscreen as its primary control interface. All mixing happens through tapping, dragging, and swiping on the seven-inch display. This design choice reduces physical footprint dramatically while maintaining all the digital mixing capabilities churches need.
This approach works beautifully for simple worship setups. If your worship team typically includes four or five microphones, one or two instruments, and perhaps a backing track, the CQ-18T handles everything intuitively. The touchscreen displays faders, metering, and processing controls all in one place, accessible with simple taps.
Unboxing and Initial Connection
Open your CQ-18T and verify all components are included: the main unit, power cable, USB cable, and documentation. The mixer comes pre-loaded with firmware, but check Allen & Heath’s website for any available updates before your first service. Installing a firmware update is straightforward through the Settings menu.
Connect the power cable to a standard wall outlet. Place the mixer in a location with some cable management space—the back panel includes audio input connectors, USB, and Ethernet ports that you’ll use to connect your audio sources and network.
Connecting Your Audio Inputs
The CQ-18T provides both XLR and quarter-inch audio inputs. Begin by connecting your wireless microphone receivers to dedicated input channels. Use one input for your lead microphone, another for any backup vocalist, and perhaps a third for ambient room audio.
If you have musical instruments—keyboard, acoustic guitar, or playback—connect these to additional inputs. The CQ-18T provides 16 mono mic/line inputs plus a stereo line input, giving you flexibility in how you organize your sources. Label your cables with painter’s tape indicating their destination, which helps volunteers and makes troubleshooting easier.
Set your input gain just as you would on any digital console. Speak or play into each microphone or instrument, watching the input meter on the touchscreen, and adjust the input gain until peaks reach approximately -12 dB. This provides adequate headroom and prevents clipping even if your source suddenly gets louder.
Configuring Your Main Output
Your CQ-18T provides a stereo main output that feeds your sanctuary speakers or powered amplifier. On the touchscreen, navigate to the Output section and ensure your main stereo output is configured correctly. This is where your mixed audio emerges.
Route your input channels to your main mix by tapping each channel and selecting the MIX destination. Watch the main mix meter as you do this—you want steady levels without excessive peaks. Start with conservative fader positions and gradually increase them until you reach comfortable listening levels in your sanctuary.
A simple bench-mark: average speech should sit around -18 dB on the main output meter, with occasional peaks at -12 dB. Musical content can sit slightly hotter, around -15 dB average. Get this baseline right during setup, and your Sunday morning mix will require fewer dramatic fader movements.
Scene Setup for Sunday Services
The CQ-18T includes Scene memory capability just like larger Allen & Heath consoles. Save your current mixing state as your “Sunday Baseline” scene. Navigate to Show Settings and create a new scene named something clear and descriptive.
For many small churches, a single scene suffices for the entire service. Everyone stays unmuted the whole time, and your sound operator adjusts faders subtly throughout the service. If your service structure includes separate segments—announcements where you mute music, sermon where you reduce band levels, then worship songs at the end—create separate scenes for each.
Saving these scenes takes literally seconds but provides enormous value. If a volunteer accidentally changes something, you instantly recall your baseline and continue. If your primary operator is unavailable, a less experienced backup can reliably recall scenes without improvising.
Wi-Fi App Control Setup
The CQ-18T can be controlled remotely using the Allen & Heath online Control app through Wi-Fi connectivity. While your primary operating position will be at the mixer itself using the touchscreen, having remote control capability offers flexibility.
To enable WiFi control, access the Network section in the Settings menu. The CQ-18T can create its own Wi-Fi network for control devices. Set a network name (SSID) and password for this network. This creates a dedicated wireless link between your CQ-18T and any tablet or smartphone you want to use for control.
Download the Allen & Heath Control app onto your iPhone or iPad. When you open the app, it automatically discovers your CQ-18T on the local network. Tap your mixer name, authenticate with your password, and the app connects to the console. You now have remote mixing capability from anywhere in your sanctuary.
Using Mobile Device Control
With app control configured, you can position an iPad at your mixing location or have a backup operator standing at different sanctuary position with the app open on their phone. The app provides access to all mixing functions: channel faders, mute buttons, effects, and processing.
This remote control capability is particularly valuable during services when your primary operator might be assisting with other technical duties. A secondary person with a tablet can manage dynamic mixes without requiring your mixing operator to be at the physical console constantly.
Creating a Volunteer Training Plan
The CQ-18T’s touchscreen interface is intuitive enough that volunteers can learn basic operation fairly quickly. Create a simple training document explaining which taps do what: how to mute a channel, how to adjust a fader, how to recall a scene, and how to turn the volume up and down.
Have new operators practice these basic tasks during rehearsals before trusting them with actual services. Most volunteers become comfortable with these basics in one or two rehearsals. Building this training discipline prevents mistakes during actual worship.
Troubleshooting Audio Issues
If you experience no audio output, verify that your main output is assigned as the mix destination for your channels. Tap each channel and check that it shows the MIX button engaged. If audio is very quiet, check that your output fader isn’t turned all the way down.
If individual channels aren’t appearing or responding, verify that the channels are enabled in the input configuration. The CQ-18T allows you to enable or disable specific input channels, and disabled channels won’t appear in the mixing interface.
Backup Files and Show Management
The CQ-18T stores your shows internally, but backing up your configuration periodically is smart practice. Connect a USB drive to the CQ-18T’s USB port and export your show files to the USB drive. This backup protects against data loss and allows you to restore your configuration if you ever need to factory reset the mixer.
Do a backup monthly or whenever you make significant changes. Keep your USB backup in a secure location, and you’ll never lose your carefully crafted mixing setup.
Your Allen & Heath CQ-18T is now ready for reliable Sunday service operation. Its compact size, intuitive touchscreen interface, and professional audio quality make it an excellent choice for small churches embracing digital mixing for the first time.