Is another CQ feature update planned for the CQ series?

CQ CQ Feature Suggestions
1

Hi Allen & Heath team,

I have been using the CQ 12T for a while now and overall I really like the concept of the mixer. It is compact, fast to use, and very useful for hybrid studio and live setups.

That said, there are several feature requests appearing here regularly, and it is difficult to know whether the CQ series is still expected to receive meaningful feature updates or only maintenance updates from now on.

Some features that would make a big difference for my use are:

• Master channel saturator or clipper
• Improved master limiter
• Sidechain or ducker
• De esser
• Pre and post fader meter options
• 44.1 kHz support
• More advanced metering and routing options

I know mute groups and DCAs were added in a previous update, which was great, and it shows that user feedback can make a difference. But at the moment there are many open requests and not much clear information about the future roadmap.

Is there any information you can share about whether another feature update is planned for the CQ series?

Even a general indication would be helpful, because many of us are trying to understand whether it is worth continuing to invest time in feature requests, or whether the platform is now mostly in maintenance mode.

Thanks.

2

Yes the CQ will get another feature update at some point in the future.

The timing as to when updates will be released, and what will be included in those updates is information that historically A&H hasn’t shared publicly on any of their product lines. Therefore if you are wanting a response from A&H on this matter, you are going to be disappointed.

3

As is with many/most. I understand the reasonings. Not having people getting impatient and complaining it is taking too long or the attempts end up too complicated, shortcomings or simply finding it not even possible. With the latter, they would probably never live that down.

But, of course I understand (from being on this side of the fence) it would be nice to know if we need to move on because we cant work with the limitations any longer. Simply because- or if our needs have changed. Also for future sales some may want to know if it is worth the risk in knowing if a particular update is being seriously considered to be implemented. Should they buy into it or not. Probably not smart buying into something on future promises though.

I just bought a lot of equipment in the last few months along with a grand for the CQ 18T. Love it but there are some extremely glaring issues that seem should have been a no brainer. So, will any of them be corrected or did I buy another closet queen? Do I need to move on and spend more money elsewhere and take my losses…again.

My issues were not something you would need to search before buying. As they seem like a given and expected no brainers. There is so much I really like about this thing but some seemingly “simple” things are holding my enjoyment and it’s full usefulness back. Cant please everyone but I truly don’t think my basic expectations go beyond reasonable for a mixer and its basic uses.

So yeah, it would be nice to know what they may or may not be working on. Even with a stern “No Guarantees” clause.

1 Like
4

What are your issues?

5

The one feature I really want is a recall safe function. It seems to be widely requested and I can’t imagine it is would be that difficult to implement…

6

Exactly this.

I completely understand why companies avoid giving exact dates or promising specific features. Things change, some ideas are harder to implement than expected, and people can get impatient when timelines slip.

But from the user side, it is still useful to know whether the platform is actively being developed in a meaningful way, or whether we should treat it as mostly finished apart from maintenance fixes.

I really like the CQ 12T. The size, workflow, sound, and concept are great. But there are some basic things that would make a huge difference in daily use, especially for people using it in hybrid studio and live setups.

For me, the main ones are better master processing, a proper limiter, sidechain or ducking, de esser, clearer pre and post fader metering, recall safe options, and 44.1 kHz support.

I do not expect Allen & Heath to promise dates or reveal the full roadmap. But even some general communication about whether these types of improvements are being seriously considered would help a lot.

1 Like
7

Yes, recall safe would be a big one.

That is exactly the kind of feature that feels small on paper but makes a huge difference in real use, especially when using the mixer in different setups or changing scenes during live or studio work.

8

Just some thoughts: A&H offers a wide range of consoles for every budget and use case, and our CQ is geared toward musicians who likely don’t give a thought to sidechains or complex effects. Sure, this console costs much more than a Behringer XR18, yet it still lacks many features that make that old console, with its aging architecture, remains very functional even in 2026. I hope A&H doesn’t just see us as the segment of musicians who only want to ‘plug and play’ using nothing but QuickChannels

1 Like
9

I’d like to know this also. I’ve enjoyed using this mixer and don’t plan to can it anytime soon. But I do eyeball other mixers when I fine no-brainer issues (adding correct time to recordings when connected to MixPad… routing, so I can send Master out to delay speakers, etc.).
I’ve had cheaper Mackie mixers and Behringer that do these things right, so I’m always wondering if A&H is going to fix them or I’m just out of luck.

1 Like
10

Just as a small update, I also contacted Allen & Heath support directly about this thread.

They confirmed that the forum is being read by staff and that the discussion was passed to the CQ product manager. They also said there is no imminent CQ firmware release planned, but that they do have a long internal list of things they would like to add when resources allow.

They cannot share roadmap details, dates, or confirm specific features, which is understandable. But from what I understood, the CQ is not abandoned, even if we should not expect anything immediately.

For me, the most important missing area is still master output processing. A simple saturator, soft clipper, and stronger limiter would make a huge difference for electronic music, live recording, and hybrid studio use.

11

I hope the CQ hasn’t been abandoned… I just bought a CQ20B!!!

2 Likes
12

…and I just got a CQ-18T. Abandoning a device like this 2yrs after release would be a very bad idea on their part! I only used it once, so far, and while my experience was very positive, there are several usability improvements that came to mind, and many of the things that have been suggested around here make a lot of sense. Some of them might require more DSP “juice” than the unit has, others would have little DSP impact an would seem reasonable.

13

Just bumping this thread after about 6 weeks.

Since my last update, I’m still using the CQ regularly and still think the core concept is excellent - sound quality, size, and workflow are strong.

But the same missing areas still stand out in real use:

• stronger master processing (saturator / soft clipper)
• improved limiter
• sidechain / ducking
• recall safe
• 44.1kHz support

These would push the CQ from “very good” to “hard to beat” for hybrid live/studio users.

It still feels like the platform has a lot more potential, so it would be great to know if active feature development is still moving forward.

14

It seem that the track focus is removing itself, when passing from processing to fader, the knob should always be focus and ready to be used. An other thing, fast action button, 1-2-3, have really limited amount of assignement possible. Midi channel is default to one, should be able to change it, and of course cant record from bluetooth, need wifi for the cqmixpad app, this is problematic but not the end of the world ;). More FX would be dope as well. I just start using it since a week, thanks A&H

15

Why is 44.1KHz so important? It was only developed as a standard for CD audio - it never was developed to be used in a studio setting.

16

Just checking in on this thread again as some more time has passed.

I’m still using the CQ regularly and I still really like it. The size, sound quality and workflow are a great fit for what I do. But unfortunately there still hasn’t been another feature update or much indication of what might be coming next.

I completely understand that some requests may require more DSP or may simply not be possible with the existing hardware. But I would imagine that not everything being requested here has the same requirements.

For me the priorities are still:

• sidechain / ducking
• better master processing, especially a saturator or soft clipper
• a better master limiter
• recall safe
• 44.1 kHz support

Sidechain in particular is becoming increasingly important for the way I use the mixer. I’m actually starting to look at other mixer options specifically because I need it. The same goes for master processing. I would much rather have a simple saturator or soft clipper inside the CQ than have to add another piece of hardware to an otherwise very compact live setup.

The current limiter is also one area I really hope could be improved. I don’t find it particularly useful for controlling the final output when working with electronic music.

Regarding the question above about 44.1 kHz, the reason it matters to me is pretty simple.

I’ve worked at 44.1 for years. Most of my projects, recordings and sample libraries are at 44.1, and it is still a completely normal sample rate for music production and delivery.

I have nothing against 48 kHz, but for music production there isn’t some significant improvement in sound quality that makes changing my whole workflow from 44.1 to 48 worthwhile. In practical listening terms they are extremely close.

So when everything else I do is already at 44.1, using the CQ means either changing my Ableton projects to 48 or dealing with sample rate conversion that I otherwise wouldn’t need.

That’s really my point. Not that 44.1 is better than 48, but that I don’t understand why the CQ forces one sample rate in the first place. Why not give us the choice? Even just 44.1 and 48 kHz would cover most situations.

I contacted A&H support previously and they were very helpful. They confirmed that this forum is read by staff and that this discussion had been passed to the CQ product manager. At the time they also said there was a long internal list of things they would like to add when resources allow.

Quite a bit of time has passed since then, so I’m genuinely curious whether there is still active feature development happening for the CQ series.

And if other CQ users have particular features they consider important, it may be worth continuing to post them here and also sending feedback directly to A&H support. It might help give them a clearer picture of which requests actually matter to a larger number of users.

I still think the CQ is a great platform. That’s why I keep coming back to this thread. It feels very close to being an exceptional little mixer, and I’d really like to see A&H keep developing it.