Allen & Heath CQ-20B 20-Channel Rackmount Digital Mixer with Wi-Fi & Bluetooth

Allen & Heath CQ-20B: Ultracompact 20-Channel Rackmount Mixing

The Allen & Heath CQ-20B is a 20-channel rackmount digital mixer built around a 96 kHz FPGA processing engine, with built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a 24-in/22-out USB-C audio interface in a headless, screenless chassis. It carries 16 XLR/TRS combo mic/line inputs plus 2 stereo line inputs, making it the highest channel-count member of the CQ family. Because it has no front-panel surface, every control lives in the CQ4You app running on a phone, tablet, or laptop. For engineers who need real routing, effects, and recording without transporting a full console, the CQ-20B turns a single rack into a complete mixing system. Small enough to vanish into a rack bag, it still carries the processing pedigree of far larger Allen & Heath desks.

Allen & Heath CQ-20B: 96 kHz FPGA Engine and Recallable Preamps

At the core is a Field Programmable Gate Array audio engine running at a 96 kHz sample rate, the same class of processing Allen & Heath deploys across its professional consoles. FPGA mixing keeps latency low and consistent, which is critical when performers monitor on in-ear systems. The 16 combo inputs use fully recallable preamps with 48V phantom power, so every gain setting stores and restores with the scene. Four stereo effects engines add reverbs, delays, and modulation without patching outboard gear. Together these give the CQ-20B the sonic backbone of a large-format desk in a chassis you can carry in one hand.

Allen & Heath CQ-20B: Wireless Control Through the CQ4You App

Built-in Wi-Fi lets the CQ-20B host the CQ4You app directly, with versions for iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows. Because the mixer generates its own network, an engineer can walk the room, tune monitors from the stage, or mix front-of-house from the audience on a tablet. Multiple devices can connect at once, so a band can adjust personal monitor mixes while the engineer keeps control of the main mix. Bluetooth streaming brings in walk-in music or backing tracks straight from a phone. Replacing a physical surface with a wireless app is what allows the mixer to stay this compact without giving up hands-on control.

Allen & Heath CQ-20B: Multitrack USB and SD Card Recording

The CQ-20B doubles as a 24-in/22-out USB-C audio interface, sending every channel to a DAW for tracking, virtual soundcheck, or post-production. For computer-free capture, it records and plays back the same 24-in/22-out multitrack sessions directly to an SD card. That means a full concert can be archived to a card and remixed later, or a rehearsal can be tracked and reviewed without a laptop in the signal chain. Stereo recording of the main mix is available for quick board tapes. This built-in recording turns a live rig into a mobile studio without any added hardware.

Allen & Heath CQ-20B: Automatic Setup Assistants

To speed soundcheck, the CQ-20B includes a set of assistants built into the CQ platform. Automatic Gain listens to each input and sets a sensible starting level, so a volunteer or a solo operator can get a channel ready in seconds. Automatic Feedback detects and notches ringing frequencies before they take over a room. The Mix Assistant helps balance sources into a coherent starting mix that an engineer can then refine. For houses of worship and venues staffed by rotating volunteers, these tools shorten the gap between plugging in and being ready to run.

Allen & Heath CQ-20B: Built for Portable and Installed Sound

The CQ-20B suits houses of worship, small-to-mid live venues, mobile PA rigs, AV installations, and streaming or recording setups. Its rackmountable stagebox-style chassis mounts in 4U with the CQ20B-RK19 kit or travels safely in the CQ20B-CASE padded bag. With a 24-in/22-out USB-C interface it slots neatly into streaming and podcast workflows, while wireless app control makes it ideal for stages where the operator moves around. For anyone who wants professional Allen & Heath mixing in the smallest possible footprint, the CQ-20B is the flagship of the compact CQ line.