Mean Time Between Failure / Hardware redundancy

[WaihekeSoundieParticipant]

Hi everyone,
I do fairly small gigs 200- 250 people (paying people) using my SQ5 which I bought about 6 months ago.
Prior to that I used a Qu16 for maybe 6 years and prior to that MixWiz 14:4:2.
I have never had any issues with any of my A&H gear.

But I don’t really have a backup plan if gear fails mid gig as I can’t transfer an SQ5 scene to my QU16.
Has anyone got a utility that can convert from one to the other format? I do realise that SQ5 has more features but would be great if basic settings could be transferred..
I’m guessing that is not a high priority.

How reliable is an SQ5? Does everyone else run gigs with hot standby back up desks?
It’s not a big business for me– 12 to 18 gigs a year and hardly any money in it really so investing in another SQ is a tough call..

Just wondering what others think of this issue

[HughParticipant]

The importance of maintaining redundant console resources is a very interesting question. The SQ5 offers three components: (Analog Ins & Outs with their attendant converters) ( FPGA processing) & ( tactile Surface controls). The large format D-Live systems offer component packages that separate these functions and this would certainly appeal to me as a small footprint provider in much the same boat as the OP. I have a DX168 and a DX32 stage box loaded with prime I/Os and while I am very satisfied with the SQ5 desk I would prefer a smaller footprint Tactile controller with FPGA & 96K processing. This type of surface controller would provide the type of redundancy that could accommodate any failure of my gear at any level.
IMO the OP represents the large majority of readers of this and many other SR threads. unfortunately there is not a cheap way to duplicate FPGA processing and 96K sample speed. Buying another SQ5 as a back up is probably the least expensive remedy for his redundancy concerns. For the record I do not believe A&H has a reliability problem with the SQ line or any of its other offerings. As a Brand their sonic quality and dependability is as good as it gets!
Hugh

[WaihekeSoundieParticipant]

Thanks Hugh,
Yeh- I’m totally happy with all my A&H purchases over the years– not saying there is any issue at all.. not at all.. I don’t have redundancy concerns exactly – just wondered how people look at this with the SQ range.. I suspect that another SQ5 would be the go but I prob won’t as its prob not justifiable for me..

[Mike CParticipant]

While I do not have an identical mixer to back up the mixer I’m using at a given time for
an event I always have back up mixer of some kind at every event.

I also always carry a spare system DSP and a spare power amp.

In my case a DSP or mixer failure would shut the system down and would take a few minutes
to patch the back up into the system but that’s better than no back up plan at all.

A couple years ago I did have a power amp quit that was running the highs on one side.
I patched the spare amp in while the show was going on, I’m sure some people did not even notice!

[Mfk0815Participant]

Has anyone got a utility that can convert from one to the other format?

It would be fine to have such a tool for A&H consoles. Yamaha created one Console file converter for an exchange of the files between their digital console families.
But because the file formats of the A&H consoles is somehow a hidden treasure it is also not possible for 3rd party companies to create such a tool.

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