Allen & Heath Mixers: CQ Digital vs ZED Analog

The Allen & Heath CQ-18T Digital Mixer is the sweet spot of the CQ range for streamers who also play live. It has 16 mic or line inputs, eight of them combi jacks, plus a stereo line input. Built-in 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi with auto channel selection lets you mix from a tablet, phone or laptop, and a stereo Bluetooth input handles background music or a phone call.

For content creators the headline is the 24×22 USB interface, which lets you send individual channels to a computer for multitrack recording or a streaming app, and bring playback back into the mixer. The same 24×22 channel count is available on SD card record and playback. Control comes from a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen with a rotary, three custom SoftKeys and three custom SoftRotaries, and there are four FX engines. The processing runs on a 96kHz platform.

At 10.3 pounds and roughly 13.6 by 9.6 inches, it fits on a desk beside a gaming PC. An optional rackmount kit is sold separately.

• 16 mic/line inputs, 8 combi, plus stereo line
• 24×22 USB and SD record/playback
• Wi-Fi and stereo Bluetooth
• 7-inch touchscreen and 4 FX engines

The Allen & Heath CQ-12T Digital Mixer shrinks the CQ formula for smaller setups. It offers 10 mic or line inputs, five of them combi, plus a stereo line input and stereo Bluetooth. The USB interface and SD record/playback both run at 16×16, still enough to split two hosts, game audio, chat and music into separate tracks.

It keeps the 7-inch capacitive touchscreen with rotary control and three custom SoftKeys, and weighs 8.9 pounds. The description says it can be controlled wirelessly from a mobile device, but unlike the CQ-18T, the feature list does not mention built-in Wi-Fi, and it does not specify the number of FX engines. If wireless control matters, confirm how it connects before buying. For a solo streamer or a two-person podcast, it is the most compact CQ with a screen.

• 10 mic/line inputs, 5 combi
• 16×16 USB and SD record/playback
• Stereo Bluetooth input
• 7-inch touchscreen with 3 SoftKeys

The Allen & Heath CQ-20B Digital Mixer drops the screen entirely. It is a stage box format mixer controlled wirelessly from a tablet, phone or laptop, so it can sit on stage near the performers while you mix from the room. It offers 16 mic or line inputs, eight combi, plus two stereo line inputs, built-in Wi-Fi, stereo Bluetooth and a 24×24 USB interface with 24×24 SD recording.

It weighs 4.4 kg and can be rack mounted with an optional kit. The listing does not specify its FX engine count. It suits bands and event streamers who always have a tablet at hand, but players who want physical controls in front of them will prefer the CQ-18T or a ZED.

• Stage box format with wireless app control
• 16 mic/line inputs plus two stereo line inputs
• 24×24 USB and SD record/playback
• Rack mountable with optional kit

The Allen & Heath ZED-10FX 10-Channel Analog is the hands-on choice. The listing describes separate internal channel boards, Neutrik connectors and pots fixed to the chassis, with low-noise preamps offering 60dB of gain and 48V phantom power. Two mono channels add HiZ inputs, so a guitar can plug straight in without a DI box.

A built-in multi-FX unit offers 16 tweakable effect types, including reverbs, delays and modulation with tap tempo. The stereo USB output is routable, so you can stream the main mix, an aux or FX send, or a dedicated record bus that you select per channel. It is class compliant, needing no drivers. The feature list describes 4 mic, 4 line/instrument and 2 stereo inputs, while the item highlight describes the layout differently, so check the rear panel photos. It weighs 7.3 pounds, and a rack ear kit is optional.

• 60dB preamps with 48V phantom power
• 16 FX types with tap tempo
• Routable class-compliant stereo USB
• Two HiZ inputs for guitar

The Allen & Heath Qu-5 38-In 24-Out is the professional console of this group. It runs on a 96kHz XCVI FPGA core and mixes up to 38 inputs into 12 configurable mixes and 4 matrix outputs. Local I/O includes 16 XLR/TRS combi inputs, 12 XLR outputs, AES3 digital output and a 128×128 SLink expansion port.

Recording is extensive: a USB-C 32×32 interface, USB-A stereo record and playback, and SD capture of up to 32 channels. It has six multi-FX engines, a 7-inch touchscreen, 17 motorized faders, 8 SoftKeys and remote apps for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. At 27.4 pounds it is the heaviest here. It is aimed at venues, churches, corporate AV and serious bands.

• 38 inputs, 12 mixes, 4 matrix outputs
• USB-C 32×32 and 32-channel SD recording
• 17 motorized faders and 7-inch touchscreen
• 6 FX engines

The Allen & Heath ZED60-14FX is the bigger analog option, built for small bands. It has 8 mic and 8 line/instrument channels, 2 stereo inputs, USB audio and stereo playback. Two mono channels have high impedance inputs voiced to recreate a classic tube preamp, a strong point for guitarists.

It shares the ZED-10FX’s build quality, 60dB preamps with phantom power, 16 FX types with tap tempo and routable class-compliant stereo USB. It weighs 13.6 pounds. The listing title includes the code AH-ZED60-10FX, which conflicts with the product name, so confirm the model on arrival.