Clipping on Mix for In Ear

[Rockaddict]

My problem with TRIm and Gain is solved: I set TRIM to 0 dB in each channel and adjusted the rest via the gain. No channel has a level higher than +3 dB. However, I have noticed that clipping occurs in the mixes that drive the musicians’ InEars, especially by particularly loud beats of the kick and snare. The master fader for each InEar Mix is at about -20 dB. What could be the reason for this? I did not have this problem with the QU 24. There I had the same setup for the InEar Mixes. The Compressor Settings are almost the same as at Qu24.

[KeithJ A&H]

Hi @Rockaddict,

If you are heavily compressing or limiting these channels, your level might be hot pre-comp but being controlled by the compressor and not hitting your main mix.
By default, input channels are routed to Auxes from the post-EQ (pre-comp) tap-off, meaning your compressor may not be saving the in-ear mixes in the same way.

You can check and change where each Aux sources it’s signal by selecting the master Aux channel, then going to the ‘Routing > Aux Snd’ screen. It sounds as though you would like the ‘Channel Source’ to be set to ‘Post Delay’ which is right at the end of the input channel signal path (as shown here – https://support.allen-heath.com/Knowledgebase/Article/View/sq-signal-path).

If this is not the reason, then I would suggest using the metering throughout the processing screens to trace the signal back and find where the peaking originates.

Hope this helps!
Keith.

[volounteer]

@Rockaddict

Digital is not the same as analog.
Louder is not better. Especially in the digital realm.

Lower the digital level from +3 to -6.
Let them turn their amplifier knob to the right if they want it louder.

[Mike C]

PFAL the monitor mixers and see what that sounds like and what the metering shows.

What does the metering on the IEM transmitter show?

[Mfk0815]

Let them turn their amplifier knob to the right if they want it louder.

In 99.9% of any possible cases this advice is the worst you can give. 😉

[volounteer]

@Mfk0815

in 100% of the cases that is the totally correct advice

nobody can hear digital
there must be a DAC at the end feeding what they hear

put bad digital into that DAC and it will never sound good
you must lower the digital and let them adjust the analog sound to taste them selves by turning their knob to the right
and that sound level will vary depending on the circuitry and devices following the DAC that you cannot control with the mixer
[note that I would personally turn that knob to the left as I do believe that louder is better]

[volounteer]

correction

meant to say that i believe that louder is NOT better
and would turn the knob to the left to make it less loud in my ears

[Rockaddict]

Many thanks to Keith, i will check to set Aux send ‘Channel Source’ to ‘Post Delay’.

Do you know, if this ist the default setting for QU Series?
Kind regards from Germany

[SteffenR]

no
default setting would be “post EQ” I think… you could find it in the manual somewhere at the end

most live sound engineers like to have the EQ in the monitor but not the compressor

[SteffenR]

checked it…

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[Rockaddict]

Hi Community,

thanks to Keith: I changed the routing of input channels to InEar Mixes from post-EQ (pre-comp) to Post Delay – 4 of 6 Musicians say “it´s better and it feels more like the old InEarMix at Qu 24”. I Checked my old setting on Qu 24: Post delay (thanks to SteffenR).

Only our female Vox und the Gitar player want to try it again with post EQ on SQ – we will test it at the next rehersal session.

Female Vox said she feels to have “post EQ” more control about her dynamic range – that sounds understandable.

In my opinion as a sound engineer it is extremely important to design the InEarMixes so that the musicians feel comfortable. That makes the band better. My own taste is not so important for the InEarMixes. So all musicians should get it the way it is best for them.
But with the PA sound I don’t let my band colleagues influence me, that’s my business.

Kind Regards from Germany

[SteffenR]

just another small tip…

you can add a tiny little bit of compression (not more than 3dB of gain reduction) on the mix masters just enough to add more glue
and to cut some low end from the vocal mixes could help a bit as well
but it depends…

the most important thing with IEM is communication…

[Rockaddict]

Hi Community

a few months ago I posted an issue concerning Clipping on In Ear Mixes Now there is new, interesting information about it.
At the same time that we switched from the Q24 to the SQ6, our drummer had switched from an acoustic drum kit to an electric drum (Roland TD 30KV). The TD 30 has 8 individual outputs for kick, snare, hihat, ride, 2x toms and 2 x crash. In addition, a headphone output and a stereo out (L / R(mono). The click for the InEars came with the Akkusik set always from an external metronome and was sent to a separate channel in the console. The TD 30 has an internal metronome. We route the metronome on the TD 30 via the stereo out (R mono) also to its own channel which is only routed in the SQ6 to the monitor mixes. I had reported clipping on the InEars with hard snare and kick hits.
Now the problem has been identified and solved. Not only the click came over the stereo out, but also the ambience parts of the drum kit were routed to the stereo out in the TD 30!! So the clipping on the In Ear mixes was not caused by too much level on the pad inputs, but by the additional and unwanted ambience part on the “click channel”. I found the error because I created the InEar mix for the drummer first, then copied the processing in SQ6 to the other InEar mixes. Then each In EarMix should sound same . But this was not the case, because in contrast to the drummer’s InEarMix, the Ambience signal was also present on all the other InEarMixes. The drummer’s InEarMix gets the click signal directly from the TD 30 without being routed through the SQ6 first. So we changed the routing in the TD 30 and took the ambience part from the stereo out (R mono) down. TaDaaa: Problem solved. Strange, isn’t it?

[SteffenR]

I don’t get the whole explanation… but it sounds like the average problems happening sometimes to all of us

Good to hear you solved your problem… and we all learned something, again 🙂

[Rockaddict]

hi Steffen, i think it´s a very special situation with E-Drums, Routing of Click an so on. What i´ve learned is: as a sound guy it´s neccessary to understand both, your Console and the instruments of the band. what clearly means: shit in – shit out.

[Author]

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