Integrate a simple USB Audio player for common file formats

[Dilettant]

At least that’s a feature that should considered for future Hardware Versions.

Maybe it would be a consideration then to integrate a smoll SOC maybe with an Android in it for such Jobs so the expensive and more proprietary FPGA Hardware can concentrate on the audio centric work and the SOC can act as a Media Player, DLNA or Streaming Server, WLAN Access Point (so the desk could feed Tablets without need of a separate AP / DHCP Server) and such things. It could even be possible to stream directly from/to youtube or digital radio. And as a side benefit it could ease the management of scene data and such things.

The St3 is a fine Idea, already recognized it. In my own Mixer Case, there is also a cheap Bluetooth receiver on ST1 so I can at least stream some audio from Smartphones or Tablets now. However, would be nice not to need additional Boxes for such things.

BTW in my special Case I could also easily live with much less Inputs on the SQ6 itself since most of the Signal sources are connected over the stageboxes.
If there had been a little cheaper SQ6 with 8-12 preamps and maybe 2 or 3 I/O Module Slots instead, that definitely would have been my choice.

[volounteer]

@dilettant

or you could add it now yourself. it is called a smart phone or ipad. Plug it into ST3 and problem solved.

[Dilettant]

or you could add it now yourself. it is called a smart phone or ipad.

Well, most USB Sticks have a Type A Connector. Which Beast of a Smartphone model has that socket?

Ok, the Microsoft Surface 100″ Tablet in our conference Room has. But maybe that is just a little
unhandy since it weights about 200kg…

SCNR

[volounteer]

the st3 in is a mini trrs so we use an adapter cable from the phone/ipad to the mixer input
we normally only play from the cd player or the phone/ipad (but the cd player is wired into a channel strip pair)

well…
we do play from the pc if we have to, which has a usb input; but that is usually for graphics/video but it can do sound too

AFAIK we only ever need to play a wav file (except for the video or ppts)

[SteffenR]

If there had been a little cheaper SQ6 with 8-12 preamps and maybe 2 or 3 I/O Module Slots instead, that definitely would have been my choice.

I guess the module slots wouldn’t make it cheaper…
The SQ is designed with the essence of a small footprint all inclusive mixer in mind. There is no one size fits all… that’s why there are different models available.

[Dilettant]

Well, that may be a little unfair, but:

A&H Marketing claims (surely with a bit of right to do so) to put genuine, great, valuable and expensive preamps into the Mixer. Only the best of the best, aren’t they?

Assuming that is correct Information, reducing the number of Preamps by 2/3 should reduce the cost of the Mixer significantly.

An empty Module slot on the other side is mainly a rectangle-shaped hole in the Backplane with some kind of cover, some connector behind that and some screw holes to fix the module.

How can that be as expensive as 16 high valuable exclusive-made hand-selected Ant-Leather-covered Preamps?

SCNR

[SteffenR]

some connector

connect to what?
That’s the problem…
it needs the resources inside as well and this will cost significantly more than incorporate an already existing preamp design

[Dilettant]

connect to what?

Eeven to the same things that the Preamps or their A/D Converters are connected to, too: digital inputs of the FPGA or some Bus that delivers the signals there. It would make sense to have the AD-Converters on the Modules since digital input Modules wouldn’t need them.

Or as a simple List:
remove: 16 Preamps
remove: 16 A/D Converters
remove: 16 XLR Jacks
remove: 16 XLR Jack holes in the case including screw mounts

add: holes for the module and its mounting screws
add: one multipin connector per slot to anyway
available lines/voltage supplies inside the Mixer
add: some kind of dust cover for the empty slot

The modules of course would bring back the removed parts somehow – at least, if they are XLR. Many Users wouldn’t need them because they have Stageboxes for most inputs anyway.

8 Preamps at the FoH are enough for some playback devices or wireless receivers in many setups. And there are already a lot of additional input options.

If you need more receivers, you could buy an additional Input Module or connect them to a Stagebox. There could even be Input Modules already containing wireless multichannel Receivers instead of XLR Jacks – would be an interesting Option for touring musicians especially looking for a compact but sophisticated Mixer – one siderack less in the luggage.

[SteffenR]

Maybe you should design your own architecture and build your own desk, if you know everything better than…

How many modular designs you know that are inexpensive?

[Brian]

I’ll throw my personal opinion in the mix……

A&H most certainly has a specific goal/client in mind for each console they release. IMHO, the QU and SQ series are designed to be an easy “drop-in” replacement for analog gear. That’s obviously not the only use case and they work extremely well with digital stage boxes, but having physical inputs/outputs on the console is very important for the typical customer buying them. While modular design might sound like a great way to meet several different user goals, it also introduces a level of complexity to the end user that isn’t present with non-modular systems. Plus, it most certainly adds a level of complexity with regard to design and service. For example, a modular design introduces more potential points of failure than hardwired/soldered connections.

The Avantis and Dlive consoles are IMHO designed more towards the situations where higher I/O counts are needed and the use of digital stage boxes is the norm. It makes sense than that these consoles have lower physical I/O and why you can even get the DM0 DLive brain without any physical I/O.

A&H will never be able to satisfy every customer and every need. But I think they have done a good job offering a wide variety of products at different price points.

[SteffenR]

Well said Brian…

[Andre S]

The SQ is an almost perfect small format mixer, imho. Reliabilty (Check), Sound (Check), Connetivity (Check) and Workflow (Check): it´s all there.
The things I miss are none essential. And if I dare to say so: most feature requests fall into that category “nice to have”.
As long as I can get good results for me and my clients, I´m fine with the mixer as it is right now. But that doesn´t mean, that she (yes, my mixer is a she) can´t be improved. I have a long wishlist myself.

If the things you are looking for are not supported by the SQ, then it might be maybe the wrong platform for you.

Cheers,
André

[Mfk0815]

If the things you are looking for are not supported by the SQ, then it might be maybe the wrong platform for you.

Hmm, if that was said about the original version of the SQ and A&H never added new features to this platform we all would miss that great improvements desperately.
There are still a lot of things which would be not only a „nice to have“ but a real enrichment for that platform. Think about real scene and show management, expander, additional effects, either deep plugins or for the FX section, several usability enhancement and many more.
And „not the right platform“ might also be translated „move over to some competitor“ which is, in my opinion, not the best solution for A&H.

[volounteer]

If the things you are looking for are not supported by the SQ, then it might be maybe the wrong platform for you.
Hmm, if that was said about the original version of the SQ and A&H never added new features to this platform we all would miss that great improvements desperately.

One should never buy anything that does not do what is needed now and hope that some day in the future it will be enhanced to do that.

The SQ fit a market niche. The enhancements later made the niche larger. But if you are not in the niche then do not buy it.
If nobody else offers what you want then you will have to decide whether to compromise or do without any of the products.

As to suggestions you should expect them in the next generation, *IF* they seem to help better reach the target market. Unless competitors offer them, or there is a perceived benefit to sales then they are unlikely to happen unless they are cheap and easy and marketing sees that they could be hyped for an edge in selling.

[Dilettant]

Yes and No.

In General, you should not buy something that does not have the main features you basically need. That’s correct. Don’t buy a DJ Mixer if you need a Broadcast Console.

But for the first, if a feature is presented as a selling point in Marketing, it also must be reliably usable by the customer. There is absolutely no excuse at all for a Vendor to not deliver what he offers. He may make mistakes, but then he has to demonstrate he fixes them as soon as possible. Trying to “discuss away” the Problem won’t make content customers – and one uncontent customer makes 7 times more lost customers than a content one can ever help to convince at all.

For the second, the product that fits all your needs won’t exist in most cases. Despite you let someone build a custom device especially for you, each buy is a compromise and so there will be always features missing you would like or need. Maybe not with high priority, but nevertheless they will miss.

So it is absolutely legitimate to

1) insist that a vendor completely delivers what he offers. Especially if he says his product is for “professional use”, there is absolutely no tolerance on that. If vendors ads say “this Mixer will make you fly”, it will have to do so or you have any right on the planet to complain and give that vendor “bad press”. They take your money, they have to deliver what they offer. That is the deal, nothing else.

2) ask for features and extensions where the vendor gives room for that – for example in a Forum called “feature suggestions”. So the vendor can make its product better – by firmware upgrades, by offering hardware addons or by changing such things in a followup product. And absolutely most things suggested here are not obviously impossible or senseless. Of course, they will have to be priorized and maybe discussed.

Oh, and if you look in old Threads not only in this Forum, even SQ Series needed such feedback and updates very badly at the beginning. There were several things absolutely not good. Some people say, the SQ with firmware below 1.5 were not acceptable at all in many points.

I would not go so far but if i read some of the “Fixes” i have to ask what quality control of that company was doing before the product was released at all. A typical “Banana product” that ripes at the Customer is not really a recommendation for professional audio users.

However, the firmware has already improved straightly and several things have gotten massively better since that days. Features i personally and some other people suggested here in last weeks are in the vast majority “nice to have” usability enhancements, no Show stoppers. Nevertheless, they would raise value of the desks.

It is a good thing that even a Product Manager reads in this forum and gives some comments about what may be possible and what is definitely not or why some decisions where made like they are. As long as he takes the input and gets the engineers working on critical points, there is nothing wrong with that.

However, there are some remaining Problems. One is the SQ Drive device support which should definitely get on the schedule again soon – if A&H wants to be recognized as a professional vendor, there is no doubt it must become able to reliably predict which USB storage devices will/won’t work for at least 90% of currently available products in the mass markets or at least to make official suggestions for a dozen definitely working (even with 32 Tracks) and actually orderable devices from 16GB up to 2TB capacity. Lamento about poorly implemented devices is no solution.

Maybe they can change the Hardware in next generation to improve that part further, but nevertheless they have to get it working at least basically reliable in current generation.

[Author]

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