Am I silly swopping an X32 Compact for an Allen & Heath CQ18T?
A bit more info.
I'm a 68 year old carrying an X32 Compact, SD16 Stage Box and K&M stand and it does get heavy. Even after all this time I still worry if the X32 is going to work properly because I had a lot of problems originally setting it up, accidentally press something and everything can be thrown out but it has been stable. Of course I have to put an external Modem on it so I can setup with my laptop/tablet and individual in-ears.
A week ago somebody told me about the CQ18t and so far I like what I see. I've watched at least 50 videos and read lots. I could put this where my SD16 Stage box goes and then control with a laptop. I still want a touchscreen just in case so don't suggest the CQ20.
This CQ18t looks so easy to setup and use compared to the Boeing 737 that is the X32, so far I can't see a downside only upside. I don't need the 100s of preset effects etc that comes with the Compact just good basic effects.
The mixer will be used for a band with 11 inputs and we will record every gig on SD. Any advice appreciated.
Posted Mar 4, 2026, 12:04 PM UTC