QU-16 USB Streaming: 24 Out / 22 In… Really? Need Clarification!

Qu Qu DAW Integration
1

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)!

2

24 inputs and 22 outputs from the computer side simultaneously.

3

Thank you, Steffenromeiss,
your response is comforting… but not at all useful or clear.

Would you be so kind as to explain what I am doing wrong in the example above?

Basically, I want to transfer my 16 inputs from the mixer to the DAW via USB, assigning them to tracks 1 to 16, and at the same time, I want to stream about 10 different audio tracks from the DAW to the mixer.

Can you give me some guidance?
You would be really kind, and your help would be truly appreciated.

4

That is not possible with the mixer, but it has nothing to do with the USB interface.

5

The USB interface can (or maybe could) do it, but the mixer can’t… It’s kind of like saying my car could fly, but it’s the body without wings that’s keeping it on the ground.

So, trying to keep it serious and not say anything dumb, if I got it right, regardless of whether it’s because of the mixer or the USB interface (which doesn’t really make much of a difference in the end), this product can’t stream a channel via USB from a computer without losing one analog input. Am I right?

6

That’s what I’m saying all the time.