Allen & Heath Qu-16 setup with REAPER

The Allen & Heath Qu-16 is a compact 16 channel digital mixer, audio interface, and control surface. It has a very impressive list of features and functions. You can find out more about the Qu-16 here

This tutorial was sent in from Ian Tomlinson and explains how to get the Qu up and running as a control surface for REAPER.

Setting up the QU-16 with REAPER

1. Do not open REAPER until the mixer and your computer are communicating
2. Plug in the mixer via USB 2.0 out on the back
3. Go to Allen & Heath’s website and download the DAW Control driver (http://www.allen-heath.com/key-series/qu-series/#tab5)
4. Once installed:
   – Set the mixer to Qu Series
   – Set MIDI channel to 2 (default)
   – Set Protocol to Mackie Control
   – Select MIDI Ports
   – Select the Qu-16 for both Input Port and Output Port
   – There are two squares on the bottom right of the DAW Control GUI. When you move a fader of the Qu-16 you should see the left one respond.
5. On your Qu-16 menu: Settings > Control > Custom Layer then set all channels to MIDI (set channel one, then hit the Fn button to quickly change the rest)
6. On your Qu-16 menu: Control > MIDI and make sure MIDI Channel is set to Ch 1 (MIDI DAW Control Channel 2)
7. Activate your custom layer fader
8. Open REAPER
9. Open Preferences and scroll down to Control Surfaces
   – Click Add and Select Mackie Control Universal * [see note below]
   – Set MIDI input and output to DAW Control MIDI 1
   – Add another instance of Mackie Control Universal * [see note below]
   – Set MIDI input and output to DAW Control MIDI 2
   – Set Surface Offset to 8
10. Create 16 tracks and check to make sure it works

You should be able to use the mixer to control REAPER, and vice versa.
Mute will mute, Select will select, PAFL will solo (though it seems glitchy – still trying to figure that out. Could be an issue with Yosemite).

In regards to using the mixer as an interface, it’s an easy and plugging it in and selecting it as the audio input source in REAPER. You can use it as an interface and a MIDI controller simultaneously.

* Choose “Mackie Control Extender” if you don’t want fader #1 on the Qu to control REAPER’s master fader or set the surface offset to 1 and 9 for the two devices.