Ok. So make it a hardware pad if the software can’t control that well. I’m not aware of a topic limitation to software only on this forum. I’d love to see a programmable scribble strip, too.
I know full well that hardware feature suggestions would not affect current units. I don’t know how they have implemented the input gain control.
A pad is there to attenuate the signal before it hits any active circuitry which can saturate and clip the signal. Do you currently have gain structuring problems (due to hot signals) where the preamp gain knob bottoms out? If not, then I don’t see the problem.
My guess is it is not a part of the QU architecture but because it is on the AR2412 as part of GLD that they put that in when you are taking inputs via DSnake. Would guess that being the case it cannot be implemented in software only. Maybe. But I figure if it could be it would have been. That said. I think it was a bad oversight.
mervaka is right. A pad is only useful when the signal is too hot.
The max input level on the Qu-16 XLR sockets is +19dBu, which should be enough for both mic and line level signals.
If extra attenuation is needed then the TRS sockets offer +29dBu max input level, effectively an integrated pad.