# Tools for recovering CQ recordings and removing silent files **URL:** \ **Category:** CQ Troubleshooting\ **Created:** [24 November 2025 09:00 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/tools-for-recovering-cq-recordings-and-removing-silent-files/30470 "2025-11-24T09:00:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Keith](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.allen-heath.com/keith/32/2852_2.png) [@Keith](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/Keith)\ **Post date:** [24 November 2025 09:00 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/tools-for-recovering-cq-recordings-and-removing-silent-files/30470/1 "2025-11-24T09:00:08Z")
Hi all, When recording direct to drive/card and the media is removed, power is lost or the recording is not correctly finalised for any other reason, files will not have the correct headers and can appear corrupt. We have an article here ( [https://support.allen-heath.com/hc/articles/22346839625745-CQ-Recovery-of-corrupted-SD-USB-A-recordings](https://support.allen-heath.com/hc/articles/22346839625745-CQ-Recovery-of-corrupted-SD-USB-A-recordings) ) which explains how to attempt recovery, but the wonderful @robinhow has created a tool which tries to find affected files to fix them for you, and has very kindly offered to share it with the community here. As a bonus, he’s also created a handy python utility which will look through recorded files and remove anything with a level lower than specified – useful if you armed tracks that weren’t actually in use and now have silent files taking up drive space! Please note that neither of these tools are officially supported or tested by A&H, so use at your own risk: [http://bit.ly/3JLpiSE](http://bit.ly/3JLpiSE) Thanks for sharing Robin 😊 ---
**Author:** ![SQuser](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.allen-heath.com/squser/32/1200_2.png) [@SQuser](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/SQuser)\ **Post date:** [24 November 2025 13:52 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/tools-for-recovering-cq-recordings-and-removing-silent-files/30470/2 "2025-11-24T13:52:27Z")
Great news that could be really helpful for everyone affected. It’s so cool that someone from outside the company has developed such a workaround app, making it much easier to solve these problems afterward. Many thanks to @robinhow! But of course, it would be much better if these problems didn’t occur in the first place. The suggestion, which even @MarkF supports, would naturally still be a better solution than having to repair corrupted files afterward. And A&H hasn’t denied the possibility, and if it’s technically feasible, it shouldn’t be a feature request, but rather a given that it should be implemented in the affected consoles CQ, QU and SQ. > [@Auto-save of recorded tracks to SD](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/auto-save-of-recorded-tracks-to-sd/27451): > > I want to foolproof the CQ-12T’s recording feature so that if I inadvertently switch the board off without explicitly stopping and saving the recording to the SD card, most of the recording is preserved. Context: There have been multiple occasions where I am both performer and board operator and under pressure to tear down quickly between acts I have just switched off the board. In these cases I have lost the recording every time. I have learned my lesson and I explicitly stop and save with a … Btw.: @robinhow Couldn’t you also lend A&H a hand with your expertise by developing a modern audio player that could be integrated into the aforementioned series? 😉 Thanks again! 👍 ---
**Author:** ![robinhow](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.allen-heath.com/robinhow/32/4499_2.png) [@robinhow](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/robinhow)\ **Post date:** [24 November 2025 20:00 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/tools-for-recovering-cq-recordings-and-removing-silent-files/30470/3 "2025-11-24T20:00:19Z")
Direct links below in case DropBox doesn’t allow you to go into subfolders… **Orphaned Recordings Restorer** - [https://bit.ly/4rhVBcH](https://bit.ly/4rhVBcH) **Stem Sifter** - [https://bit.ly/4odEeXu](https://bit.ly/4odEeXu) ---
**Author:** ![SQuser](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.allen-heath.com/squser/32/1200_2.png) [@SQuser](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/SQuser)\ **Post date:** [24 November 2025 20:48 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/tools-for-recovering-cq-recordings-and-removing-silent-files/30470/4 "2025-11-24T20:48:50Z")
> [@robinhow](#): > > Can someone confirm that they can download the two utilities? They’re shared on my Dropbox and want to make sure the link works OK. Yes, I can confirm that both folders could be downloaded as a ZIP file from the original link without logging into Dropbox. Thanks again for your effort and for sharing! I only had to go through this procedure once because some janitor thought he needed to turn off the power after everyone had left the hall. Anyone who experiences this more often will be more grateful. Can we assume it will run on Windows? ---
**Author:** ![robinhow](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.allen-heath.com/robinhow/32/4499_2.png) [@robinhow](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/robinhow)\ **Post date:** [24 November 2025 21:02 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/tools-for-recovering-cq-recordings-and-removing-silent-files/30470/5 "2025-11-24T21:02:43Z")
Yes, tested working on windows. Not tested on mac. Thanks for confirming. ---
**Author:** ![docdocdocdoc](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/forums.allen-heath.com/docdocdocdoc/32/4524_2.png) [@docdocdocdoc](https://forums.allen-heath.com/u/docdocdocdoc)\ **Post date:** [24 November 2025 22:18 UTC](https://forums.allen-heath.com/t/tools-for-recovering-cq-recordings-and-removing-silent-files/30470/6 "2025-11-24T22:18:59Z")
Here’s some hacks I did for the SQ recorder, they also work for the files from the CQ: [GitHub - DrNI/ah-sq-hacks: Some hacky wacky scripts for things having to do with the Allen&Heath SQ series of digital mixing consoles](https://github.com/DrNI/ah-sq-hacks) Includes a script that will remove almost-silent files. However, no hack to recover recordings lost due to power loss. And the renaming of files to track names was rendered obsolete by later firmwares. Also: Only tested on Linux.