Hi everyone,
I’m new to the QU series but have experience with other digital and analog mixers.
I’ve been a happy Allen & Heath analog user, so I decided to trust the brand and try the QU-16 for my studio setup. However, I’m quite disappointed with the apparent limitations of USB streaming. I hope I’m missing something—can you help?
The manual states: Qu-16:
° 16 Mic/Line channels
° 3 stereo channels
° 24 sources to the mix
° 12 mixes (4 mono, 3 stereo, LR)
° 4 FX (2 send buses) ° 24 out, 22 in USB streaming
But are these 24 outputs and 22 inputs simultaneous? Or am I misunderstanding something (more likely, I hope…)?
For example:
If I use 10 line inputs 1–10 and stream them to the computer via USB to inputs 1-10 (which, as I understand, are fixed to inputs 1–10 and cannot be reassigned, right?), does that mean I lose USB outputs 1–10, cause they are already “occupied” by the console’s inputs?
What if I use all 16 input channels? I’m left with only three stereo USB outputs from the computer (ST1, ST2, ST3).
And what if I also use the three stereo inputs, out of the advertised 24 outputs, how many USB outputs would actually remain? Basically none (or maybe just 2 out of 24 due to the offset related to… to QuDrive?).
So my question is: What kind of audio interface is this? Why does Allen & Heath advertise “24 out, 22 in USB streaming” when it seems like it’s actually 24 outputs OR 22 inputs? In every other “nn input / nn output” audio interface I’ve used, using an input doesn’t automatically cancel out an output unless clearly specified.
**I’d love for someone to tell me I’m an idiot and explain how to actually get the advertised USB flexibility—without needing to connect additional A&H consoles via dSnake (because this mixer doesn’t support ADAT or any expansion other than dSnake, and you’d be forced to buy another Allen & Heath hardware unit to extend my I/O).
Looking forward to your insights (and hopefully not just disappointment)!
Hi Do.Cena, I have used a Qu-16 for my studio a number of years and found it an excellent interface for both Cubase and ProTools plus Ableton Live and have used USB streaming to my DAW.
I also use my Qu-16 for live mixing with and without recording to a computer.
For this I have found it similar to other digital mixers.
Straight out of the box a new Qu-16 will not route to USB; you will have to configure it to USB stream the input ports (input ports 1 to 16); this configuration change is known as ‘routing’ in the digital mixer world and on a Qu-16 and I suggest you look for the articles on the A&H website which will step you through what you need to do, they are very good. You will also have to configure a stereo channel to receive the stereo output from your computer; in my case I have reconfigure the routing of “ST1” so it receives LR channels on ports 17 and 18 (My computer is configured to send output on USB out ports 17 and 18); as a result I have lost ST1 and can no longer plug in a CD or other source device and here it because it has been ‘re-routed’. The learning on this is that at your computer, you will see potential for 24 inputs from the mixer and 22 outputs via USB to your mixer.
To directly answer your question the answer is “it depends on how you configure your routing”. If you enable USB streaming from your DAW on QU-16 input 1 to 16 (ie the maximum number of mics/instruments you can use with the mixer), you can mix those inputs through your mixer whilst streaming. In theory you can do the same with ports 17-22. Routing considerations include tradeoffs depending on what you want to do; this seems to be part of your key issue.
The work you need to do is to look up the articles on the A&H website. These will give you insight to how the Qu-16 can be configured. The real question that remains unstated is what is your goal here? Are you trying to use the Qu-16 to record a gig? Are you using the Qu-16 as a studio interface and expecting it be a control surface for your DAW (meaning use the mixer sliders and knobs to control your DAW channels)?
If the last question is what you are doing, you may want to consider what the mixer is good at managing versus what the DAW is managing and the latency implications might be. In my studio the mixer as my interface manages fold-back to musicians via a headphone amp. The mixer provides 8 mixes via the main LR (2 channels) and 10 other outputs grouped into 4 mono mixes and 3 stereo mixes. I use the stereo mixes and output 3 mixes to my headphone amp to provide “direct monitoring” mixes(controlled by the mixer) with minimised latency; if you did this from your DAW you will need to use more USB output channels from your computer/DAW. If this is your application, use your mixer to provide direct monitoring mixes as fold back to avoid latency/synch/delay issues.
The other thing to mention is your DAW. The less popular DAWs may not be covered by A&H doco so you will be on your own there and may have to consider switching to a DAW that is supported to avoid any difficulties.