DLive & SQ Configuration Question

[RichParticipant]

I am fairly new to sound but the most knowledgeable at my church (which isn’t saying much). The rest have some mixing knowledge but know nothing about configuration.

Current Setup:
DLive S5000
DM64 Mixrack
ME1 in-ears
Dante card
We have used the S5000 for in-house with separate strips for our ME1s and a separate set of strips routed to a matrix for our live stream/recording. We used DLive director to control the stream remotely until we ran into some issues that cause the console to freeze occasionally (another story that no longer matters). We now either use MixPad for the stream or have two standing at the console to mix in-house and the stream. On occasion, we only have one person who does both. We use the Dante network to pass the matrix to our video system along with virtual sound check recording to/from a PC.

Addition:
We now have an SQ5 hooked to the DM64 through our long-awaited gigaAce card that we plan to use as the primary mixer for the stream.

How we want this to work:
We would love for the S5000 and SQ5 to share strips (controllable from either) for the times when we only have one person on sound.
If this is not possible, we could leave the matrix setup on the S5000 and use tie lines to add a second matrix from the SQ5. We would then change the routing to the stream depending on which console we are working that week.
The third option would be having the stream matrix only on the SQ5 and using SQ MixPad for mixing when we only have one person on sound (one of our older guys is already grumbling about the possibility of having to use an iPad).

Questions:
Is there any way to control common strips from both the S5000 and SQ5? If so, details on how to set that up would be great.
If that is not possible, how would you recommend I set this up for ease of use for novice sound guys? Some details on how to execute would be great.

Thanks in advance for any and all advice along with your patience with a newb. 🙂

[KeithJ A&HModerator]

@Rich

With this setup, you have two separate systems – the dLive and the SQ. You can share audio between these, but not control.
So no, there is no way to have the same processing/channel controlled from both consoles.

You can however, use tie lines and mix external inputs to create a setup where you’re either using the mix from the SQ or a mix on the dLive.
I’d recommend tie lines from the dLive input sockets to the gigaACE card to the SQ which will keep your direct outs free for ME use.
As I think you’re saying, you can then have the return from the SQ as a mix external input on the streaming mix/matrix from the dLive.

Then you have the option of using the main mix, a dedicated aux mix, or the mix from the SQ which are all going to the stream matrix output.
You could even double patch the input sockets at the dLive end to spare input channels if you want completely independent processing.

Just be sure to only use one of the options at any one time to avoid phase issues!

Others here may have some similar setups and better ideas.

Cheers,
Keith.

[RichParticipant]

Thank you so much! I sort of figured we wouldn’t be able to share control.

I like the idea of mapping the output from the SQ directly into the existing matrix so that doesn’t need to be changed and that all makes perfect sense.

Regarding switching from the single SQ input to the strips on the S5000: I am thinking I would want to set all of the S5000 channels up in a mute group and use Softkeys to mute either the S5000 channels or the SQ input. The advantage would be that it would be visible at all times at a glance. Is that a good way to go for switching back and forth? Is there a better way?

[ChrisParticipant]

Keith describes the setup the best. It is what we are currently doing and we have a very similar setup equipment wise to what you are doing. When you set up your matrix for your live stream output. Select that matrix, on the Ext In, you can select the audio input coming from your SQ. When your SQ is being mixed, it will already be there on the martix and its more or less hands off. When audio is not coming from the SQ, just press the mix button on the matrix and turn the mains up on that matrix or whatever sub mix you want. As Keith said though, just make sure you turn those mixes down when someone is back on the SQ.

[BrianParticipant]

If I was going to have a streaming engineer sometimes, but not others, here is how I would set it up.

On the DLive I’d set it up where all of the desired input channels out to the SQ via tielines. I’d probably use direct outs, but whatever choice works best for your situation. This will give the streaming engineer complete control over the mix and allow them to add gates, EQ, compressors, FX, etc as needed right from the SQ console. The main L/R output would go into the streaming device/system.

I’d also set the DLive up to use an aux mix and put all the desired channels into that mix POST FADER. Once the FOH engineer gets the main mix set how they want during rehearsal, they then need to switch to monitor the “stream aux”. They need to “mix” that aux and change the overall levels of the individual channels until the mix sounds like what they want (acoustic instruments and speaking mics probably louder for example). Then change the “mix” back to the main FOH mix. Now whenever the FOH engineer changes something in the main mix (perhaps pushes up an electric guitar a couple DB during a solo, etc) that change will also be made to the streaming mix. I’d send that aux mix to the SQ console and then have it directly routed out to the streaming device/system like normal.

I would have the DLive sending out both types of “mixes” all the time regardless if there is a streaming engineer or not. In other words, the DLive is always sending out a direct out of all the channels as well as a Post Fader aux mix of the FOH mix.

On the SQ, I would have set up two scenes. One that turns off or lowers the fader of the post fader aux mix from the DLive which is used anytime there is a streaming engineer. Then a second scene that turns down all the individual channels faders and turns up the post fader aux mix from the DLive to be used whenever there isn’t a streaming engineer.

I think setting it up this way will allow the vast majority of the system to be set up in a way that works for both scenarios. Take for example the output of the SQ console going into the streaming system – that is going to be the same whether there is a stream engineer or not. The DLive always sends out the same outputs as well. The only change that needs to happen depending on if you have a streaming engineer or not is on the SQ. IMHO, you don’t want to have to reconfigure your entire system for each situation or it’s going to lead to mistakes.

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