FOH/Monitor/Streaming setup

[X]

Hi Guys
Could anyone help me in deciding what makes sense for a house of worship auditorium space.

I use the SQ7 as my FOH console with the AR2412.
1:I need to have a IEM monitor setup.
2:Need to send for broadcast mix live.
3:Use waves(computer) for my live mix FOH.

Options
I have one Behringer X32 console.
Should I buy the SQ5 for monitor mix or add an Slink or and analogue splitter(ART x 4 units), have 32 stage inputs.
Will I also need the WAVES CARD
Do I need to add any Audio Interface.

Can someone suggest the right way to go about it .

Thankx

[Showtime]

Replace the sq7 at foh for avantis with a waves and dante card.

In the sq 7 and x32 a dante card and you can splitt al the signals over dante.

Not the cheapist but the most cleanist solution.

Richard

[Brian]

We need more information before we can make any recommendations. How many IEMs sends do you need? How many inputs do you currently need? How many groups, auxes, matrixes, etc do you currently use or expect to use with the new system?

If you have matching I/O cards in the A&H and Behringer consoles (ie both have Waves cards, or both have Dante cards, etc), then you can continue to use the X32 for monitors or the broadcast mixer. Obviously you can also add more A&H products and stop using the X32 completely, but most churches have a limited budget so I imagine this potential solution would be attractive.

[X]

Thank you Showtime/Brian appreciate your advice.
I need 12 IEMs,2 stage Monitors will need a total of 28 inputs.
I Use 6 auxes ,3 matrixes,
2 groups as of now.
Was planning on a seperate setup for live streaming, from another room. What would you suggest.
The Behringer is the older mixer which we replaced with the Sq. Was hoping to use it so we don’t need to spend unnecessarily.

[Brian]

Given your needs, it seems another SQ console would work well. One SQ would be dedicated for IEM monitoring which would use all 12 available auxes. The other SQ would need to run everything else, including the two wedge monitor feeds, but there is plenty of capacity for your needs and you would still have a couple of spare aux/groups available if needed. Again, I would suggest matching I/O cards (both consoles having Waves cards for example) in order to be able to route audio between the two consoles. This way you can use the built in I/O in both consoles and each console can also connect to stage boxes if needed via the built in SLink port. The only other option would be to use the Waves card in the FOH console (per your initial requirements) and connect the FOH console to a SLink card in the second console via the FOH console’s built in SLink port. However this leaves you with only the built in SLink port on the second console to connect any needed stage boxes. While the SLink I/O card is less expensive than a Waves I/O card, I think the extra expense is worth it due to the added flexibility it allows.

Alternatively, you could sell the existing SQ consoles and get an Avantis with the expectation that it would work as both your FOH and monitor solutions. But with 42 busses, I’m not sure it will actually meet all of your buss needs. It just depends on how many of them need to be stereo vs mono. Two SQ consoles have more stereo busses in total than a single Avantis does, so I think getting a second SQ console is the better option. A Dlive Mixrack with it’s 64 busses could handle this dual role without any problems, but unless you were OK with getting just the Mixrack and running a “Surfaceless” solution, it is simply going to be too expensive. (Our church actually does this – runs a DLive without a Surface – and we are very happy with the results).

A third option is to use the X32 console somewhere. But with only 16 total busses, it won’t be enough to cover all of your IEM assuming you want to run stereo (and I suggest that you do) so it doesn’t make sense to try to use it as your monitor console. It might work as your FOH console (again depending on how many auxes/groups need to be stereo vs mono), but I think your needs are going to exceed the X32’s buss capacity. Given all of this, I’m not sure the X32 would be useful in your situation as a FOH or monitor console. That being said, it could make a great broadcast console if you added a Waves card (or whatever I/O card you end up using in the other consoles).

Of course all of this assumes you don’t want to use hardware monitor solutions (like the A&H ME system or the Behringer P16). Honestly I would try to avoid it if you can because it is an expensive option (given how many monitors you need to run) without a lot of flexibility. Getting another console is likely more cost effective and gives you a lot more flexibility.

[Brian]

PS – the one “downside” I see in my plan is the 8 device network limitation that the SQ systems have (you won’t have this limitation with an Avantis or DLive). If you expect all 12 people to be able to mix their own IEM, then you’ll need to break the IEM out between the two SQ consoles. This will be extremely cumbersome however and definitely NOT a good situation IMHO. If you have a dedicated IEM console, only 8 musicians will be able to connect and mix their own monitors. The other 4 IEM mixes will need to be “mixed” on the console itself. This is the one situation where hardware monitor mixers (like the ME or P16) can shine.

[Author]

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