CQ-20B Questions

[Brian72]

I am new to recording and am looking to purchase a CQ-20B for both recording and monitor playback for my band. I have a few questions that I am a bit confused about.

1. Can you multi track record a band (14 mic channels being used) into a Windows PC DAW (I am using Studio One) and also output the sound (guitars, keyboards, vocals) at the same time to a PA system for real time playback? Can you do both at the same time?

2. If so, do I have to use the USB-B connector on the CQ for multi-track? My laptop only has a USB Type A connector so can I use a USB cable that goes from a USB Type A connector to a USB Type B connector into the CQ? Will that work? Also the CQ manual states that the USB type B port is 2.0 compliant which is not as fast as the USB 3.0. Will the USB 2.0 on the CQ be enough bandwidth to record up to 16 tracks and output audio without having signal loss?

[cornelius78]

1.) Yes.

2.) Yes, you will need to use a USB-B > USB-A cable to interface with your laptop. USB2.0 will be fine. 96khz at 24-bit depth for 16 channels = ~4.5MB\sec. USB2.0 can theoretically do up to 60MB\sec, so there’s a lot of headroom there. The console’s USB interface can do 24×24, which is only 14MB/sec; still a lot of headroom, and you’ll halve that if you only record at 48Khz instead of 96kHz.

[Brian72]

Thank you. Also, can I use the same laptop for the CQ mixer software and also the DAW. in other words, can I have them run at the same time on the same computer (not using a tablet)?

[cornelius78]

Yes. However the USB-B port on the console is only for audio (and midi) not control messages (unless you want to operate the whole console using only midi.) To use the mixpad control app the laptop will also need to be on the same network as the console (either via ethernet or wifi.)

[Brian72]

Ok great. thank you for your timely responses.

[Brian72]

Yesterday was the first time my band used the CQ-20B. We used a single laptop for both the CQ mixer app and Presonus Studio One (our DAW). We downloaded and installed the correct driver for the DAW. We dialed in the use of the CQ mixer and recording in Studio One, both worked well. However, we coudn’t figure out how to output the recorded music from Studio One back to the CQ and to the PA speakers (headphones worked while plugged into the laptop for hearing the music). How do you get the recorded music to play back? (we have the PA speakers plugged into the Main L/R jacks on the CQ)

[cornelius78]

Check your DAW’s output device, (and channel per track if a virtual sound check is what you’re after,) ensure the relevant channels on the CQ have their input switched from analogue (preamp) to digital (USB.) Also make sure you’re not routing returns from the DAW to the console back to the DAW, otherwise you’ll end up with a feedback loop.

[Brian72]

Thank you for the response. We are able to record our band practices now into our DAW. The next problem we are trying to solve is during recording. We are laying down our drum tracks and recording into our DAW (studio one) successfully but are unable to configure our headphones properly so that the drummer can listen to audio & metronome tracks (in studio one already) in order to lay his drums down. we have no sound from the headphones. any advice on how to do this?

[BobbyDazzler59]

Tho I dont use my CQ20 for studio/DAW recording as I have other hardware and interfaces, I know that to hear back any return/recorded signals, you need to activate at least one or 2 channels for stereo, by setting the input source for say channel 1 and 2 to SD/USB, then I guess routing the DAW channel selection playback to those channels etc, but as I say, I hab]ve not actually tried this other than playback from the onboard SD card live recordings. NOTE, i dont think you can play back the aux channel recordings in the CQ itself.

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