Connect QU16 to 40 Inputs

[cooperrosenthal]

I think I can connect my QU16 to up to 40 inputs. Do you think it will work?
I would like to use my QU16 with two AB168s and an AR84.
My problem is not that I have more inputs than channel strips, its that I dont have inputs in every room of my studio.

On the I/O patch screen in Setup,
you will notice how any channel strip can be assigned to any input up to 40.

See picture (channels 15 and 16 in photo) for proof that any channel strip is assignable to any input up to 40.

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[MarkPAman]

Don’t think anything’s changed since you asked last week. You can still only connect 2 boxes. You’ll need to run an analogue multi from one of your rooms to another, or to the desk.

[cooperrosenthal]

Hi Mark, can you please explain in more detail?

[MarkPAman]

Well you are correct that by combining the 2412 unit and the 168 you can get 40 inputs and freely select any 16 (more if you count the stereo inputs). However, according to the manual, you can’t connect 3 different units.
Also the 84 unit has no DSnake link so you can only use one.

So for three rooms, one of them will have to use old fashioned copper wire to go to the desk.

[cooperrosenthal]

In theory, i can plug everything together with cat5 cable in this order.

QU16 to
dSnake port of AB168 in live room to
dSnake port of AB168 in dead room from
cat 5 expander port of AB168 in live room then to
AR84 via cat5 Expander port on AB168 in dead room

[mervaka]

Correct, but that doesnt mean anything beyond physical connectivity. Qu will only see two devices, the second device cannot be a 2412. It will ignore successive devices.

[cooperrosenthal]

If there are inputs physically connected to the QU16 and the console is ignoring them,
then I think there must be a way for the QU16 to hear them,
most likely by either changing the digital programming on the console,
or by designing and constructing a simple external cat5 dSnake/Expander box,
to trick the QU16 into thinking it is plugged into a set up it can hear.

Please feel free to comment on this thread, especially those with programming and electrical engineering expertise.

Thank you so much.

[Andreas]

a) The Qu is not an OpenSource platform where someone outside A&H could change implementation of things.
b) The Qu recognizes one (1) main unit and one (1) additional unit connected to its extender port.
c) A DIY box to merge dSnake audio streams from two main units to let two AB168 look like one AR2412 isn’t simple at all.
d) If you’re able to connect mains and a dSnake cable to your Qu, it should be possible to use a short analog snake and a patchbay to eliminate your local AR84.
e) or run a copper snake between your rooms. If you can pull a dSnake cable, running an analog multicore should work as well (and reduce cost significantly).

[WaihekeSoundie]

The impression I’m getting reading this thread is that the QU-16 is not implemented this way right now. Yes, you are probabily correct that some firmware release on the desk in some hypothetical future might support this, if it gets prioritised, but as stands, I would not buy that extra hardware if I were you.

[Anonymous]

Qu supports 2 dSnake boxes – it doesn’t support 3.

So if you want this then you just take a slightly larger matchbox and a short run of copper. OR take the 84 and just move it between rooms, either rematching, or use an ethernet switch on the run, so that both cables are ‘live’.
Note that even with both cables live only one can be used at a time. dSnake is point to point, dSnake expander is also point to point, and does not support further expander ports.

[Anonymous]

I dont have inputs in every room of my studio.

There is the issue.

[cooperrosenthal]

Hello [XAP]Bob,

Can you describe how to use an ethernet switch on the run, so that both cables are ‘live’.

Right not I have a live cat5 cable to the AB168 in the “dead” room and then another to the AR84 in the control room.

Would this ethernet switch allow me to wire the three boxes together and then choose which two I want to use?

Thank you Thank you!

[MarkPAman]

No point in using a switch for this. So wire from the desk to the AB168. Then from that to each of the other two locations. You can then plug one of these into the expander depending in which of the other rooms you need to connect. As said, you could have one AR84 or another AB168 and move it between the rooms, or have two and leave them in place.

[Anonymous]

No – the switch would allow you to move one box between two locations without extra rematching in a third location.

Desk -> AB168
AB168 Expander -> Switch
Switch -> Room A
Switch -> Room B

You can then plug the AR84 into *either* Room A *or* Room B. You cannot plug into both at the same time.
We have this setup at church for a REAC system, it just means we can plug in in different places around the room/building without having to go and repatch in the tech room upstairs.

It’s still easier to get a pair of 16s and an 8*4 multicore from one room to the second.

[Andreas]

The setup of the OP is slightly more complicated, if I rememeber correctly.
He has one AR84 next to the desk to not use the physical channel inputs directly (and have the freedom to assign local inputs to any channel as required). Since the AR84 may only connect to an extender port of an AB168 (or AR2412).
So we have
Desk -> Switch1
Switch1 -> Room A (FromDesk)
Switch1 -> Room B (FromDesk)
any (FromDesk) -> AB168 in either Room
AB168 -> Room A/B (To84)
Room A (To84) -> Switch2
Room B (To84) -> Switch2
Switch2 -> AR84

…assuming the Expansion port would operate on Layer2 ethernet as the dSnake port does.

Since this is a fixed install I’d still suggest to just link both roomns using a copper snake.

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