Channel finding signal path to aux when not selected

[Jeeves]

Hi all – I am a brand new green behind-the-ears Avantis Solo user, so sorry if this sounds dumb. I have been setting up the desk for a simple show with 16 inputs, four monitors on Aux 1 to 4, and FOH sound. I am using a Dante 168 stage box and 64×64 card. However, I have a couple of channels that I cannot stop from sending a signal directly to the Aux channels. It is as if they are bypassing everything, even the channel mute button, which does nothing to stop the signal path. I can patch the errant channels to the aux channels I want, but this just adds additional volume to the signal that is already present. I have looked at the Dante network controller and there are no weird configurations. Any suggestions greatly received as the current set-up isn’t usable for a show.

[Brian]

A&H sets their mutes up to mute the entire channel including aux sends. If you are muting a channel and it still comes through the aux channels, then it usually points to a double patch/routing issue.

First, make sure you are patching the Dante routes “1 to 1” – meaning the 16 DT168 inputs are patched to the Avantis Dante card inputs 1-16 (and only those 16 channels), etc. Don’t try to get fancy and break this 1 to 1 routing. It will bite you in the future at some point.

Second, since you are only using 16 inputs, you might only be checking channels 1-16 for routing issues. You really need to check all 64 channel to make sure nothing is accidentally patched incorrectly. I tend to “unassign” the preamp input source for any “unused” channels to ensure nothing gets double patched by mistake. If you don’t do this and you’ve assigned all 64 Dante channels to the 64 input sources, it is very easy to have a situation where a DT168 input is double patched in the Dante Controller (DX168 input “8” is assigned to Dante Avantis card input 8 and input 40 by accident) which is then being sent to Avantis channel 40 because it’s been set to the Dante card input 40 even when you don’t expect to use Dante card 40. If you only assign channel preamp sources for the channels you actually need to use, and unassign the source for all unused channels, you lower this risk.

Hopefully that makes sense…..

[KeithJ A&H]

Further to Brian’s points – check that you don’t have input sockets routed to the Mix External Inputs of the offending Auxes.
(these are used to send input sockets directly into mixes without any processing, so won’t respond to mutes)

Cheers,
Keith.

[Jeeves]

Brian – thanks for the pointers.
Keith – thanks so much. This is exactly what I had done. I am unsure how or why, but I accidentally routed the first four input channels of the stage box to the Mix Ext In channels driving the monitors. All seems to work fine now – thanks

[Author]

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