Inserting FX / Dynamics

[Anonymous]

Hi,
I’m new to the forum and wanted to give a little background on what little I know about live sound. I’ve run FOH at a church for several years and I’ve run a few different brands of digital consoles and one analog. I purchased a digital console in 2019 ( A&H SQ6 ). It was the first console I ever set up. Since the purchase I’ve had the opportunity to run live sound for a really great local band and run outdoor events at our church. I purchased the plugins from A&H and I really like the fact that I can get creative with them. I like what waves has to offer and I would like to go that route in the future. I was curious if there’s a way to insert analog outboard gear into the channel strip? If so how is this done? I know there’s a digital insert built in for the internal fx.

Thanks in advance!

[volounteer]

@JKelley82

Do you mean insert like in the old analog mixers where you exit the channel strip to some fx device and then return to the same spot to continue on through the channel strip? Or did you have some other meaning for ‘insert’ in mind?

I really wish they would say send and receive not send and return like a true insert does when they are not talking about insert send and return.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, yes I meant like it would work on an analog desk.

[volounteer]

@Jkelley82

Did not find a note for SQ but for Qu you can do this
https://support.allen-heath.com/Knowledgebase/Article/View/1167/0/qu–outboard-gear

Looking at the block diagram
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1337724/Allen-And-Heath-Sq-5.html?page=67#manual
it seems to imply that you can do it like an old analog board. Note the word rack fx above the word insert.
But this diagram only mentions send return:
https://support.allen-heath.com/Knowledgebase/Article/View/sq-signal-path

The tech datasheet
https://cdn.algam.net/pub/collections/documents_AE/ALLEN/ALLEN&HEATH-AS-SQ-6.pdf
says patchable insert points but does not mention external device

Now one could say that analog outboard fx are obsolete now that we have even better digital ones available.
Even more compelling considering the cost advantages of digital.

Maybe an AH tekkie will come along after the holiday and fill in with what it really can do.

ho ho ho and merry xmas one and all

[Mfk0815]

Each channel and each bus master have one insert point. You can use either internal effects from the FX rack or external effects. For internal effects you have to select the desired fx rack slot and use the FX in as send destination and FX out as return source. For external effects you have to assign an output socket (local, Slink, USB or IO port) for the send destination and an input socket (local, Slink, USB or IO port) as return source. So you can use physical in or out sockets to connect hardware effects or USB and IO port sockets to use effects on a computer (like Waves or any other VST effect with LiveProfessor for instance).

[SteffenR]

first of all… the inserts are not available on MixPad in Offline mode (at the moment)

on the desk you can patch every socket to the inserts
this includes all local sockets (XLR, jack) all Slink sockets (DX, GX, AR & AB) and all I/O port sockets

select the channel (input or mix) and navigate to the insert tab
there you can patch what you need

the procedure is explained on page 31 of the Reference Guide

https://www.allen-heath.com/media/SQ_ReferenceGuide_V1_5_0.pdf

[Mike C]

What and what kind of analog processing do you want to insert directly into a channel?

[Anonymous]

I was honestly wanting to do something like a 500 series analog compressor. I don’t currently own anything just yet but I’d like to put together a 500 series rack with SSL, NEVE, Midas, mic pres, eq, comp. I’d like to be able to insert anything in the chain.

[Mike C]

I was honestly wanting to do something like a 500 series analog compressor. I don’t currently own anything just yet but I’d like to put together a 500 series rack with SSL, NEVE, Midas, mic pres, eq, comp. I’d like to be able to insert anything in the chain.

Have you looked at or tried any of the optional DEEP processing add on’s?
Those may do what your looking for at less cost then loading up a 500 series rack
with modules.

That said I have some nice Drawmer and BSS analog equipment that I do miss turning the
knobs on!!!

[Anonymous]

I have purchased all the plugins that Allen & Heath offer and I haven’t used them all yet. I love the 16t, Opto, and Mighty compressors. they work great and have really tamed the vocals I’ve been running. I’ve done a lot with the drums as well! I was just wondering if analog gear was an option to play around with in the future. I’ll more than likely just spend the money on the waves sound grid. I may end up putting me together a complete analog rig for small shows to have some fun with.

[Hugh]

Two thoughts come to mind when reading the OP’s posts;
1)Vintage analog processing gear is selling for pennies on the original price point–Obsolescence is a financial disaster.
2) Most folks that enjoy yesterdays cutting edge technology are moving consoles the size of a parking space into their fantasy space and another “parking space” to stack up the out board gear housed in steel boxed racks. These pursuits are hobby driven and never have portability for small gig purposes as a goal. Much like my neighbor that works on his XKE Jag all week waiting for a perfect Sunday to drive it out in public.
3) Professional audio is, for the most part, totally digital today for obvious reasons and this is the primary reason there is no viable secondary market for even the best of yesterdays analog gear.
Hugh

[Mike C]

I cashed out a couple pieces of outboard equipment that still
had a decent re-sell value, Drawmer tube compressor and am early 80’s
Lexicon PCM60.

The rest of my outboard processing while really good is just worth pennies on
the dollar these days so in the racks it sets!

Using the XKE analogy that I know well in having a couple vintage cars, keep in
mind when you start looking at original vintage analog audio equipment from around
the mid 80’s and older that it may or will depending on how “vintage” require
some work to get it back up to how it operated and sounded when new.

[raycarroll03]

I have learned how to add reverb to a singer but how to stop the reverb when they are speaking?

[SteffenR]

switching it off?
Mute the return, Mute the send, bring the fader down

[Søren Steinmetz]

Just mute the fx send.

I tend to place it on a soft key for quick access.

[Author]

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