# CQ18, compression and reverb alignment

**URL:** <https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/cq18-compression-and-reverb-alignment/33160>\
**Category:** CQ General Discussions\
**Created:** [17 October 2026 01:52 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/cq18-compression-and-reverb-alignment/33160 "2026-10-17T01:52:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Brad\_Hern](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.allen-heath.com/brad_hern/32/9386_2.png) [@Brad\_Hern](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/Brad_Hern)\
**Post date:** [17 October 2026 01:52 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/cq18-compression-and-reverb-alignment/33160/1 "2026-10-17T01:52:29Z")

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Hey there-so I have a ventris reverb pedal that I have in-line with my acoustic (acoustic—tuner—chorus—-ventris—cq18). There was something I didn’t love about the sound I was getting and discovered that The compressed signal should come before the ventris.

How can this be done if I’m planning to use the internal cq compressor which automatically places it AFTER the reverb pedal?

(one other thing is I that I plan to use the ventris for acoustic only)

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**Author:** ![hanga97](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed8c4c/32.png) [@hanga97](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/hanga97)\
**Post date:** [17 October 2026 08:29 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/cq18-compression-and-reverb-alignment/33160/2 "2026-10-17T08:29:55Z")

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You can use an additional input and an aux to do that:

acoustic—tuner—chorus—cq18t Input 1—cq18t Out 1—ventris—cq18 Input 2—cq18t Main LR).

With this setup the compressors of Input Channel 1 and Output Channel 1 are before the ventris in the signal chain.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SQuser](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.allen-heath.com/squser/32/1200_2.png) [@SQuser](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/SQuser)\
**Post date:** [17 October 2026 08:30 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/cq18-compression-and-reverb-alignment/33160/3 "2026-10-17T08:30:27Z")

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> [@Brad\_Hern](#):
>
> How can this be done if I’m planning to use the internal cq compressor

To do this, you would need to change your signal path - for example:  
acoustic—tuner—chorus—CQ18 input #x—comp—aux-out #y (Post-Comp + Pre-Fader)—Ventris—CQ18 input #z (your guitar channel)

> [@Brad\_Hern](#):
>
> one other thing is I that I plan to use the ventris for acoustic only

If you mean that you want to bypass the compressor in these cases, you could toggle it In/Out using a Soft Key.