Your mixer CQ 18T is very important to me for smaller gigs. It’s portable and has almost all the features one could wish for in such situations.
However, there’s one thing I’m really missing: channel inserts for extern effects. Which I can understand, of course, given its size. But perhaps this could be implemented with software programming:
IN SUMMERY:
Every input 1-18 can be routed to output 1-6 with OR without a mainout.
Open Routing
Since your mixer has 6 outputs, they could be used as follows:
-
Channel 1 IN > routed to Output 1 (separated from the main output!!!)
-
Output 1 > signal goes to EXTERNAL effects
- Effect > goes back to one of the regular inputs (e.g., Channel 18)
- Channel 18 goes to the main output as normal
This would give me the option of using all 6 outputs separately as monitor or extern effects sends! to use the main output.
The CQ 18T has enough inputs to use some as a dedicated external effects chain and THEN route them to the main output.
The important thing here is that you can route each input to one of the six outputs without it also being routed to the main output.
This gives you open routing, and the mixer offers many more possibilities, saving you the headache of dealing with line and microphone inputs simultaneously going to an external effects chain and then to the main output. 
It’s possible ?
Best reagards from Hamburg / Germany