Direct Outs and Qu-Drive recording levels

[baytonemus]

I’m sure that many of you who use a Qu-XX console every day think that this has been beaten to death. I’ve searched for and read many threads about this topic, but I guess I must not quite understand the routing regimen.

I have Mix 9-10 feeding the USB stereo recording.

I/O Patch/USB Audio is set to Direct Outs.

Routing/Ch. X is set to Post-Preamp, Follow Fader and Follow Mute – both ‘on.’ Direct Out Trim…

…seems not to affect level on the recording???

I’m not trying to do anything complex. Just recording speech from one or more microphones. Channels are trimmed up as high as I think is safe. Channel sends to Mix 9-10 are maxed. Mix 9-10 master is maxed. Record level is adequate, but just barely.

What the hell am I missing?

(I’m actually writing this from hell, so that’s not profanity.)

Thanks.

[Mike C]

Your talking about two different routing set ups.

If you want mix 9-10 to send to the QU Drive for recording that is set in the IO patch USB, go to the QU Drive section and select mix 9-10 in both of the boxes.
I’m going to say you want mix 9-10 set for post fade, post processing.

The direct out trim, post pre amp, follow fader is for the direct multitrack output recording.

[baytonemus]

<quote>The direct out trim, post pre amp, follow fader is for the direct multitrack output recording.</quote>

That’s helpful. Thank you.

I already have 9-10 set up as you describe. So there is no way to boost the level additionally to the USB drive for stereo recording?

[KeithJ A&H]

Hi @baytonemus ,

The following article explains the difference between what you will see on the Qu metering and the levels going to the digital outputs.
https://support.allen-heath.com/Knowledgebase/Article/View/-18dbfs-and-metering-in-qu-and-your-daw

As written there, the easiest way to boost the levels for an output mix being routed to Qu-Drive or USB-B (or AES) is to make use of the compressor make-up gain.
You will be reducing headroom though, so just be really aware of levels because digital peaking can’t be undone.

Depending on your model, one way to avoid issues would be to make use of a matrix fed by your recording mix, where you could set up it’s compressor as a ‘final’ limiter (say if you were already using the mix compressor for levelling and/or boosting).

Cheers,
Keith.

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