Reply To: qu shootout

[dcongdon]

OP – I have seen the youtube video you referenced in your post (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaK-yaGB0BA for everyone else). At first, I was impressed with hearing the different consoles and the engineer’s evaluation. I wanted to see the QU added to the line up as well since it is in the same market price-point. But like others have said, the shootout is more subjective than the video leads you to believe. The mix from each console is dependent on the consistency of the engineer’s settings and familiarity with the unit’s features. After factoring in youtube audio compression, I take any comparison in audio quality with a grain of salt.

Note: If anyone is planning to make a shootout, have your engineer mix in a separate room from the band. We aren’t in the room and do not have a similar PA attached to our computer. Mix straight out of the console to a stereo recording. This would give the viewers a better representation of the “sound” of each console.

I wish they would have given the engineer a week with each console before evaluating their strengths. The video seems to think we’ll buy a digital mixer on impulse, so first impressions matter most. This approach seems backwards. It is more important that the console matches your workflow and you need more information to determine that.

I also don’t see any incentive for dealers to produce a shootout. Their primary goal is to sell the customer the best product for the customer’s application. Producing a shootout potentially sets one brand above the rest–creating a sense of bias and damaging relationships with the manufacturers. The youtube video does an okay job of talking about each console’s strengths, but it is a fine line. If you want a video to tell you which console to buy, it’s unlikely you’ll find one.

When we decided to move from analog to digital, we spent a lot of time in Pro Audio showrooms with our headphones. We also rented a few desks when we felt more time was necessary. Hopefully, you can find similar resources in your area to decide if the QU is right for you.

Best of luck!