The Allen & Heath QU16 is a compact, professional digital mixing console designed to deliver powerful live sound mixing capabilities in a highly portable and intuitive format. It serves as a central hub for small to medium-sized live performances, corporate events, houses of worship, and mobile production setups. The console provides 16 programmable mic/line inputs on its surface, each equipped with studio-grade preamplifiers, comprehensive channel processing, and flexible routing. A defining feature is its vibrant, high-resolution touchscreen interface, which provides clear metering, deep access to channel parameters, and visual feedback for effects and dynamics, allowing engineers to navigate the digital environment with the speed and familiarity of an analog desk.

At its core, the QU16 incorporates a robust digital processing engine that offers a full suite of professional audio tools. Each input channel features a 4-band parametric EQ, high-pass filter, compressor, and noise gate, while the main mix and subgroups are supported by premium multi-effects processors including reverb and delay. The console offers 12 mix outputs, comprising a stereo main, 4 subgroups, and 6 auxiliary sends, providing ample flexibility for monitors, zone feeds, and effects. The QU-Pad app enables wireless mixing from an iPad, granting engineers the freedom to walk the venue and make critical adjustments from the audience's perspective. For recording and virtual soundcheck, the console includes a built-in USB audio interface for multitrack capture and playback directly to and from a computer.

Built for the rigors of the road, the QU16 combines a rugged steel chassis with a compact, lightweight design. Its workflow is streamlined with dedicated knobs for essential channel functions like gain, EQ, and aux sends, complementing the touchscreen for deeper editing. The console supports scene memories for instant recall of entire show files, making it ideal for multi-act events or weekly services. By merging comprehensive channel processing, intuitive control, and reliable hardware, the Allen & Heath QU16 provides a complete, professional mixing solution that empowers engineers to achieve exceptional sound quality with efficiency and confidence in a wide array of live sound applications.