Inserting FX / Dynamics

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This topic contains 18 replies, has 9 voices, and was last updated by Profile photo of Mike C Mike C 3 years, 3 months ago.

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 19 total)
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  • #97639
    Profile photo of JKelley82
    JKelley82
    Participant

    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!

    #97640
    Profile photo of volounteer
    volounteer
    Participant

    @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.

    #97641
    Profile photo of JKelley82
    JKelley82
    Participant

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

    #97642
    Profile photo of volounteer
    volounteer
    Participant

    @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

    #97649
    Profile photo of Mfk0815
    Mfk0815
    Participant

    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).

    #97651
    Profile photo of SteffenR
    SteffenR
    Participant

    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

    #97654
    Profile photo of Mike C
    Mike C
    Participant

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

    #97657
    Profile photo of JKelley82
    JKelley82
    Participant

    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.

    #97659
    Profile photo of Mike C
    Mike C
    Participant

    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!!!

    #97660
    Profile photo of JKelley82
    JKelley82
    Participant

    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.

    #97672
    Profile photo of Hugh
    Hugh
    Participant

    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

    #97675
    Profile photo of Mike C
    Mike C
    Participant

    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.

    #97681
    Profile photo of raycarroll03
    raycarroll03
    Participant

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

    #97683
    Profile photo of SteffenR
    SteffenR
    Participant

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

    #97684
    Profile photo of Søren Steinmetz
    Søren Steinmetz
    Participant

    Just mute the fx send.

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

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