Controlling stereo channel with standard fader

[Gazdunn]

Hi,

We are using a qu-16 desk at our church. Because we are using more prerecorded content at present we are frequently switching back and forth from a mono microphone at the front and the stereo channel and therefore are switching between the banks of channels. Is there a way to control the stereo input channel with a fader on the main bank (green). We have a unused channel on 16. It would make it much easier to switch between them.

Thanks
Gareth

[BRS]

Sadly not – you’d need the SQ series to map inputs to different fader banks. It’s why the QU is great for people moving from analogue but less flexible (and less complicated) than the next range up.

You can either sacrifice two mono channels and split your stereo feed across them – link them so that one fader moves both – or sum the stereo source to mono then push that mono signal down the one available channel.

[BRS]

Another thought is mute groups – could you use one of those to mute out the ‘hidden’ stereo channel when you’re not using it and assign that to a soft key?

[KeithJ A&H]

@Gazdunn,

You can make use of the custom layer for this purpose.
The custom layer is configured in ‘Setup > Control > Custom Layer’ and accessed by pressing both layer keys at the same time.
To achieve what you want here, you would simply assign mono inputs 1-15 to faders 1-15 and then whichever stereo channel you are using to 16.

Cheers,
Keith.

[BRS]

Good call Keith – I’d forgotten about that. My QU24 is sitting in its flight case waiting for an eager buyer so I haven’t used it in some time.

[Gazdunn]

Thank you for all your speedy comments. This is brilliant. I might try the custom layer because I assume it wouldn’t mess with the existing layers and if it works as we suppose I could train my volunteers to use it. Thanks

[MarkPAman]

It may, or may not be useful to you, that it’s possible to “force” Basic Users to use the custom layer only. It can contain DCA & output level faders as well as any inputs.

[volounteer]

@KeithJ A&H

How do you get stereo on just one channel?
Does that custom layer let you control some other stereo pair of channels with the one fader?

@Gazdunn

We run stereo from PC through a pair of channel strips and we run CD stereo from another pair.
Ipad playback we usually use one mono channel.
You could also use ST3 input if you need another pair of ins.

We control everything from the lower basic layer which on our board is yellow.
Easier for us then switching layers during the service.

Mono mikes and stereo channels all go to the LR outputs (and a lot of other places like streaming and also recording)

If you can do all that you need to do on just the custom layer then that would be the way to go.

[KeithJ A&H]

@volounteer

There are 3 stereo channels on the Qu and the mono channels can also be linked (though this will still use two faders).
Be sure to watch out for the difference between audio processing channels (inputs and outputs which can be mono or stereo) and channel strips (one set of Mute/Sel/PAFL and Fader on the surface).
As Mark says – the custom layer can be set to include any of the channels that are available in the other two layers and is also where you would set up MIDI channel strips for use with DAW Control.

Setup of the custom layer is discussed in more detail here – https://www.allen-heath.com/media/Qu-Mixer-Reference-Guide-AP9372_10.pdf#page=66&zoom=auto,-274,799

Cheers,
Keith.

[volounteer]

@KeithJ A&H

Thanks for that explanation.

We do not use custom layer and I thought that stereo pairs always needed two faders although they were linked so you only had to move one. That is why using 16 for stereo control confused me.

And our stereo pairs are really run as two separate monos because (I think) the ‘stereo’ on CDs being played back are often really two separate mono tracks for music and voice that can be adjusted to fit the performer as backup to him singing. And if not, it makes no difference if we run them at the same levels on playback. The split stereo channels are often adjusted to keep the music and voice levels appropriate for the performer and so are often not the same levels.

I suspect that those channels while an official odd/even pair that could be linked as true stereo are not actually linked as the faders are still independent.

[Mike C]

If you link two channels together and also link the channel processing functions you only need to include one of the linked channels in the custom layer, any changes made to one channel in a fully linked channel pair will be reflected to the other channel.

I also understand the need for independent channel control with split track CD’s.

Back to the original question…..the custom layer will do exactly what you need.
Also remember that the custom layer set up is stored as part of a scene so you could build custom layers on a scene by scene needed basis. Or you can block the custom
layer from being changed with a scene recall.

[volounteer]

@MikeC

Thanks

Did not know we could adjust custom layer by scene!
That might make it more viable for us to consider.

[Mike C]

There’s also a little known QU PAD app feature that you can go into the app settings
and set it so custom layer 1 on the app will follow what the mixer has set up on the
custom layer.

The app can not set up the mixer surface custom layer, only load the custom layer
from the mixer.

I don’t use that feature very often but when I have with a shows that have a lot of scene changes with a different custom layer in each scene it comes in real handy.

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