# Correct file format specs Qu-5 playback USB A
**URL:** https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/correct-file-format-specs-qu-5-playback-usb-a/29565
**Category:** Qu General Discussions
**Created:** [4 September 2025 09:21 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/correct-file-format-specs-qu-5-playback-usb-a/29565 "2025-09-04T09:21:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@wavestyle](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/wavestyle)
#### Post date: [7 September 2025 21:10 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/correct-file-format-specs-qu-5-playback-usb-a/29565/41 "2025-09-07T21:10:08Z")
I downloaded “05 In The Garden.wav”. I’ll check it tomorrow on my QU5. Thanks and good night (at least here in Italy).
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### Author:  [@wavestyle](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/wavestyle)
#### Post date: [7 September 2025 21:12 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/correct-file-format-specs-qu-5-playback-usb-a/29565/42 "2025-09-07T21:12:52Z")
Could spaces in the file names cause problems maybe? Must check… ciao.
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### Author:  [@SQuser](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/SQuser)
#### Post date: [7 September 2025 21:14 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/correct-file-format-specs-qu-5-playback-usb-a/29565/43 "2025-09-07T21:14:33Z")
> [@DeltaWhiskeyBravo14](#):
>
> Think this is ticket worthy?
Probably not, because if others can play your files, it’s most likely not an A&H problem. (
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### Author:  [@SQuser](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/SQuser)
#### Post date: [7 September 2025 21:17 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/correct-file-format-specs-qu-5-playback-usb-a/29565/44 "2025-09-07T21:17:38Z")
> [@wavestyle](#):
>
> Could spaces in the file names cause problems maybe?
No.
> [@Correct file format specs Qu-5 playback USB A](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/correct-file-format-specs-qu-5-playback-usb-a/29565/24):
>
> I just checked some of your files on my QU-5. No problems. Did you try another USB stick?
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### Author:  [@DeltaWhiskeyBravo14](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/DeltaWhiskeyBravo14)
#### Post date: [7 September 2025 21:24 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/correct-file-format-specs-qu-5-playback-usb-a/29565/45 "2025-09-07T21:24:34Z")
Copy. It makes sense.
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### Author:  [@DeltaWhiskeyBravo14](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/DeltaWhiskeyBravo14)
#### Post date: [7 September 2025 21:25 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/correct-file-format-specs-qu-5-playback-usb-a/29565/46 "2025-09-07T21:25:30Z")
Yes I’ve used 2, one older and one several years newer. Same result on both.
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### Author:  [@wavestyle](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/wavestyle)
#### Post date: [8 September 2025 07:31 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/correct-file-format-specs-qu-5-playback-usb-a/29565/47 "2025-09-08T07:31:53Z")
This could be interesting (from “Qu567\_ReleaseNotes\_V1\_1\_0.pdf”):
“Known Issues ID-990 - When updating from V0.9.0 (pre-production) or V1.0.0 firmware, USB storage not already formatted to FAT32 is not recognised and cannot be formatted using the Qu.”
In fact, I had to use Linux to properly format the USB stick before I could use it with the QU5 mixer…
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### Author:  [@SQuser](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/SQuser)
#### Post date: [8 September 2025 10:08 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/correct-file-format-specs-qu-5-playback-usb-a/29565/48 "2025-09-08T10:08:11Z")
Interesting, but he wrote already in his first post:
> [@DeltaWhiskeyBravo14](#):
>
> - Had Qu-5 format the blank USB A which added its file AH\_QU including subdirectories for LIBRARY, SCENES, SHOWS, USBMTK, USBPLAY,USBREC
> - Transferred into the play subdirectory
🥴
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### Author:  [@SQuser](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/SQuser)
#### Post date: [8 September 2025 11:47 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/correct-file-format-specs-qu-5-playback-usb-a/29565/49 "2025-09-08T11:47:56Z")
@DeltaWhiskeyBravo14
It would be interesting to know whether the latest firmware 1.1.0 is installed on your console (see image) and your player problem is perhaps only caused by the use of an outdated previous version.
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### Author:  [@DeltaWhiskeyBravo14](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/DeltaWhiskeyBravo14)
#### Post date: [8 September 2025 12:02 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/correct-file-format-specs-qu-5-playback-usb-a/29565/50 "2025-09-08T12:02:59Z")
I’d have to verify which firmware I’ve got. I don’t remember what’s on my mixer.
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### Author:  [@SQuser](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/SQuser)
#### Post date: [8 September 2025 12:11 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/correct-file-format-specs-qu-5-playback-usb-a/29565/51 "2025-09-08T12:11:39Z")
Yea - you can simply read it after the next time you turn it on.
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### Author:  [@wavestyle](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/wavestyle)
#### Post date: [8 September 2025 12:34 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/correct-file-format-specs-qu-5-playback-usb-a/29565/52 "2025-09-08T12:34:49Z")
If you haven’t upgraded the firmware, you’re most likely running version 1.0.0.
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### Author:  [@wavestyle](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/wavestyle)
#### Post date: [8 September 2025 12:51 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/correct-file-format-specs-qu-5-playback-usb-a/29565/53 "2025-09-08T12:51:12Z")
I had a situation where the mixer could format an old USB stick, but it couldn’t read the files. It looks like the problem is probably an incompatible USB stick… The USB stick that works for me (which I preformatted with Linux) is new, has 64 GB of storage, and is USB 3.1. I’ll post the exact model later (and I’ll also do tests with the audio file).
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### Author:  [@DeltaWhiskeyBravo14](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/DeltaWhiskeyBravo14)
#### Post date: [8 September 2025 13:04 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/correct-file-format-specs-qu-5-playback-usb-a/29565/54 "2025-09-08T13:04:19Z")
I have 3 different SanDisk. Each has different capacity. Oldest is 32 GB which might be a 2.0, it’s the first I tried as a USB player with the Qu-5. As is, didn’t populate files. Second tried is my 128 GB, possibly a 3.0. Followed the same computer format to FAT32, followed by mixer format. Same result. Have not tried third USB.
I can clarify what specs they actually are but I don’t have 2 with me, just the 128. Mixer and other USBs at the church.
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### Author:  [@wavestyle](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/wavestyle)
#### Post date: [8 September 2025 16:36 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/correct-file-format-specs-qu-5-playback-usb-a/29565/55 "2025-09-08T16:36:28Z")
I tested your file and on my QU5 has no problems…
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### Author:  [@DeltaWhiskeyBravo14](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/DeltaWhiskeyBravo14)
#### Post date: [8 September 2025 16:47 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/correct-file-format-specs-qu-5-playback-usb-a/29565/56 "2025-09-08T16:47:26Z")
Thanks for testing.
This leaves out my USBs aren’t compatible, aren’t being formatted right, possibly something else not yet identified.
I’ve been formatting these USBs with my MacBook Pro from 2018, running current Sequoia OS. I think I might have used the church Mac Mini M2 for formatting to FAT32 before too.
Would a Windows format to FAT32 be better, more correct format process? I’ve got an old gaming Windows laptop available to do this.
Confirmed my 128 GB SanDisk USB is a 3.0 with blue connection insert. I think this is the newest, and my personal USB. The other 2 are not quite identical SanDisk, one is a 32 GB and the other a 64 GB that I’ve not tried yet for the Qu-5.
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### Author:  [@ShadowSound](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/ShadowSound)
#### Post date: [8 September 2025 17:02 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/correct-file-format-specs-qu-5-playback-usb-a/29565/57 "2025-09-08T17:02:58Z")
I don’t know if there is any sort of correlation, but MacOS does seem to have issues with regards certain aspects of Allen & Heath procedures. Main one being in relation to firmware updates of consoles. Might be that the formatting the drive on Mac also creates certain file structure issues that the A&H consoles don’t like? Wouldn’t put it past Apple to change the file structure of the format style just enough to make it their own rather than universal.
> [@SQ5 Firmware Update](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/sq5-firmware-update/13823/31):
>
> Hi Brad, This is now listed as a known issue on the resources page where you download firmware, with a link to this article - [https://support.allen-heath.com/hc/en-gb/articles/27372432963729-Issues-when-copying-firmware-files-to-a-USB-drive-using-macOS](https://support.allen-heath.com/hc/en-gb/articles/27372432963729-Issues-when-copying-firmware-files-to-a-USB-drive-using-macOS) Which includes more info and the workarounds. In short, the recent macOS does not truncate and number filenames in a standard way, but it’s possible to rename the file manually before copying to the drive. Thanks, Keith.
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### Author:  [@wavestyle](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/wavestyle)
#### Post date: [8 September 2025 17:06 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/correct-file-format-specs-qu-5-playback-usb-a/29565/58 "2025-09-08T17:06:07Z")
This is my USB stick…
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### Author:  [@DeltaWhiskeyBravo14](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/DeltaWhiskeyBravo14)
#### Post date: [8 September 2025 17:13 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/correct-file-format-specs-qu-5-playback-usb-a/29565/59 "2025-09-08T17:13:29Z")
OK thanks, that’s helpful.
I’ll do over the USB format with my Windows laptop. Then get the Qu-5 reformat action. Then load files into the play subfolder.
I just read something where the Mac format isn’t as widely compatible as a Windows.
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### Author:  [@ShadowSound](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/ShadowSound)
#### Post date: [8 September 2025 17:16 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/correct-file-format-specs-qu-5-playback-usb-a/29565/60 "2025-09-08T17:16:17Z")
For sure worth trying out.
I know there has always been issues with Apple not being able to write to Windows formatted drives, or the other way around. I can never recall exactly what it is, but I know I encounter it a couple of times a year when trying to transfer files in work to other users.
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