Allen & Heath CQ-18T 16-Channel Digital Mixer Studio Protection Bundle with Decksaver DS-PC-CQ18T Smoked Polycarbonate Dust Cover

Allen & Heath CQ-18T Studio Protection Bundle: The Digital Console With Patented Dust Cover for the Desk-Bound Setup

This bundle pairs the Allen & Heath CQ-18T ultra-compact 16-channel digital mixer with the Decksaver DS-PC-CQ18T patented smoked polycarbonate dust cover for the desk-bound setup that lives on the desk between sessions and needs protection from dust, spills, and minor impacts without going into a case. The CQ-18T is a 6.6 lb desktop console running Allen & Heath's flagship live-sound processing — 16 mic preamps, 2 stereo TRS returns, 2 XLR main outputs, 6 1/4-inch TRS mix outputs, two assignable headphone outputs, a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen, four FX engines, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a 24x22 USB-C audio interface, and HD SD card multi-track recording. The Decksaver cover is the industry-standard protection accessory — patented smoked-clear polycarbonate cut to the exact CQ-18T footprint, sliding on and off in one motion, sealing the touchscreen and controls against dust and spills.

The CQ-18T: 18 Channels of Allen & Heath Live-Sound Processing for the Desk-Based Creator and the Streaming Studio

The CQ-18T was engineered for the buyer who needs more than a basic USB interface but does not want to dedicate a rack to a console. 16 mic/line XLR/TRS combo inputs with full Allen & Heath microphone preamps and per-channel phantom power, plus 2 balanced 1/4-inch TRS stereo returns for synths or playback feeds. Output side: 2 XLR main outputs feed the studio monitors or the streaming output, 6 1/4-inch TRS mix outputs feed cue mixes or recording feeds, and 2 assignable headphone outputs let the engineer and a guest monitor independently. The 96 kHz / 24-bit audio path, four dedicated FX engines, and Allen & Heath's assistive mixing tools — Gain Assistant, Feedback Assistant, Automatic Mic Mixer (AMM), and FX Assist — turn the console into a complete production rig for podcasts, streaming, broadcast, and live music recording.

The Decksaver DS-PC-CQ18T: Patented Smoked Polycarbonate Cover Cut Specifically for the CQ-18T

The included Decksaver DS-PC-CQ18T is the industry-standard dust cover for the CQ-18T. It is cut specifically to the mixer's footprint with no aftermarket adaptation — slides on and off the CQ-18T in one motion with no force. The smoked-clear polycarbonate material is Decksaver's signature: rigid enough to absorb a drink spill or a dropped microphone without crushing into the controls below, transparent enough to see through to the touchscreen and channel indicators without removal. The cover seals the touchscreen, faders, rotaries, soft keys, SD card slot, and rear connectors against dust accumulation between sessions and protects against minor impacts at the desk, in the studio, or in transit.

Touchscreen Protection Especially — the CQ-18T's Most Vulnerable Surface

The CQ-18T's 7-inch capacitive touchscreen is the mixer's primary interface and its most vulnerable surface. A scratch from a dropped mic, a coffee spill from the desk, or a transit impact on the touchscreen renders the mixer's primary interface unusable until repaired. The Decksaver cover sits over the touchscreen with a generous air gap and rigid polycarbonate shielding — the screen is sealed from dust accumulation between sessions and protected from impact when the mixer is wired into a rack or sitting on the desk. The cover also shields the rotaries, soft keys, SD card slot, and rear connectors, so the mixer comes out of every session in the same condition it went in.

See-Through Material — Check Levels, Routing, and Status Without Removal

Other mixer covers are opaque fabric — they protect the controls but force you to remove the cover every time you want to check a level, verify routing, or read a channel indicator. The Decksaver DS-PC-CQ18T's smoked-clear polycarbonate solves that. The cover stays on the mixer between sessions, but the touchscreen and channel indicators remain visible underneath for at-a-glance status checks. Slide off only when active mixing starts; slide back on the moment the session ends. Settings preserve, dust stays out, and the routine of cover-on-cover-off becomes a single hand motion.

Low-Profile Design — Fits Inside Standard CQ-18T Carry Cases With the Cover On

The DS-PC-CQ18T's low-profile design means the cover does not need to come off before the mixer goes into its carry case. Slide the cover on, drop the assembled mixer into the AH-CQ18T-CASE soft case or any standard CQ-18T flight case, zip it closed. The cover protects the controls during transit on top of protecting them between sessions on the desk. At the venue or studio, slide off, mix, slide back on for the trip home.

Who This Bundle Is For

This is the bundle for the buyer who keeps the CQ-18T at a fixed desk position between sessions — streamers and podcasters with the mixer permanently wired in the studio, home recording engineers who leave routing dialed in between projects, house of worship A/V volunteers protecting the mixer between weekly services, and broadcast booths needing dust protection in the off-air hours. The first-time digital buyer gets a touchscreen workflow with assistive tools and the industry-standard protection cover in one purchase. The upgrader from an unprotected analog board gets recall, scene memory, multi-track recording, integrated Wi-Fi remote, AND the patented cover that prevents the new touchscreen from becoming the next service call. Order today.