You are asking for an extra mix to be added, A&H have never added extra mixes or inputs to any of their mixers. Also you mentioned the SQ, that also is just the same as the CQ in that the AB outputs can only be assigned to one of the existing mixes. Admittedly the extra flexibility of the SQ routing makes it look like AB is an additional output , but it is not.

Maybe we’re just misunderstanding you.
You’ve been using a Behringer X AIR XR12 up until now – right?
From what I see, it has 2 aux outputs.
Now you have one more band member and your CQ20B has 6 aux outputs, but you’d like 9.
That doesn’t seem plausible.
Or do you mean something completely different?

If it’s just the fact that you have to use an XLR output instead of a 1/4″ TSR jack output, the signal that would be output in either case is the same “balanced audio” output. You can simply use an adapter (buy or make your own) to change/convert the 3 pin XLR balanced connector to a 3 pin balanced TSR connector. Just google “XLR to TSR connector” for a bunch of suitable connectors.

Well now I am even more confused…..

Adding a synth and the question of DI box or not has nothing to do with the console’s outputs. The synth would be a new source coming into the CQ-20. The CQ 20 has two sets of 1/4″ balanced stereo inputs as well as 8 combi inputs (which allow either an XLR or TSR connector to be inserted). Additionally the CQ-20 does allow for two “HiZ” inputs on inputs 15-16 which can usually be used in lue of a direct box for instruments that normally need a direct box. What option will work best to connect the synth’s directly to the console without using a DI box really depends on what type of signal the synths are outputting however.

The CQ20 has eight XLR outputs. Six are dedicated to the six aux busses that the console has, and the other two are dedicated to the Main L/R mix. Additionally the CQ20 also has two sets of “Alt Outs” which are 1/4″ balanced outputs. You should be able to select which output (aux 1-6, Main L/R, or the “Listen” buss) is sent to these aux outputs. Using the Aux Outs don’t provide any additional busses, but if you need an 1/4″ output instead of an XLR output, you can use these instead of having to use a cable adapter like I suggested in my previous post.

Long story short however, if you really need 9 unique mixes/busses output from the console, I don’t think the CQ series is what you want. Still, this is more than double the number of unique outputs that the Behringer X-Air12 offered, so I am still confused why adding one additional musician has caused you to run out of mixes with the CQ. You had three mixes (2 aux and Main LR) with the X-Air12 and added one musician, so it seems you should be able to get by with 4 mixes (3 auxes and Main LR). You have 7 unique mixes available on the CQ20 (6 auxes and Main LR), which is why everyone is confused why it isn’t sufficient.

Now I get that sometimes it can be hard to “ask the right question” when you don’t know enough about the system to ask the right question. Because of this, often times people ask a specific question because they don’t understand the functionality of the system and are ultimately trying to get the system to do something in a way that they system wasn’t designed to do, but that the ultimate goal can be accomplished another way. If we understand “why” a person is asking the question, often times we can give then a solution that works for their situation even if the technical answer to their original question is, “no the system doesn’t work like that.” Being able to say, “no the system doesn’t work like that, but you really need to accomplish this by doing X, which does work” is a much better result. This is why we want to understand the question clearly and why we will ask for clarifying information when we don’t understand the question or the reasoning behind the question.