Today I’m just trying to connect an electric guitar to the CQ-20B with quick channel set to guitar lead. Then I’ve tried to use gain assistant to set the gain and it just tells me it can’t detect a signal. If I manually set the gain to max 60db then I get a signal but that can’t be what I’m s’posed to do can it? I’ve connected the same guitar with the same cable to an S1 Bose and it works just fine. I’ve tried an acoustic guitar with a pickup and gain assistant works. Can anybody tell me what I’m doing wrong when I’m trying to set an input for a guitar?? Is there something else I need to set for an electric guitar? Thanks for any help and advice.
I’m thinking that the signal out of your guitar/pedalboard is down towards mic level. on the CQ series, the XLR/Line combo jack is hardwired… there is no “pad”. The jack is for line level, and XLR is for mic level. try a jack-XLR adapter and go in on the XLR…
Cheers,
Trev
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Thanks a lot, Trev. What you’ve told me makes a lot of sense. Thanks a lot for explaining too. That’s very helpful to me. I’ll get an jack-XLR cable ASAP and try that. I got this CQ-20B and CQ MixPad for everything it has to help (very) non-technical people like me. I’ve got a lot to learn! Thanks again.
If you are having to turn the preamp gain all the way up to 60, then your source signal is too weak. This is why the auto gain setting doesn’t work because the source signal is too weak for it to even detect a signal.
If you are plugging the guitar directly into the CQ without using a direct box or amp, then this is the problem. The guitar outputs an unbalanced audio signal. The CQ expects to see a mic level balanced signal. You will likely need to use a direct box in order to change the signal from unbalanced to balanced. If the guitar’s output is really weak, an active direct box might be needed to increase the source’s voltage high enough to be usable.
For a passive electric Guitar you Must use an Input in Hi-Z Mode.
Its 15 and 16 on the CQ20b.
Check this Forum. You Are Not the First in this trouble.
Anyway: An electric should not be conected to a Mixer directly.
Thanks everybody for your help. I think maybe I’m way too non-technical and I need to learn a lot more just about the basics of doing anything with a mixer. I’ll get my coat 
FWIW, in my band our singer uses an electric guitar without an amp for two songs. Clean tone with just some reverb. I’ve plugged the guitar directly into one of the 1/4" inputs on one of the combi-jacks and have not had any problems getting a good signal. The Gain Assist worked fine and set the level at something like 30db or somewhere around there. A bit of help from the EQ cutting the lows and it works just fine. I have a CQ18T so no hi-z inputs. I use the EchoVerb on it and overall it sounds great. A lot of classic guitar tracks were recorded in the studio by plugging the guitar straight into the console.
Yes I did so either. But my Framus Panthera has very hot Pickups, some Vintage Stat Night Need Hi-Z.
But there might also be a different Problem.
If you Plug in the Stereo Input, there is no Autogain.
Olaf