One Scene to Rule Them All

[YIT]

Greetings fellow A&H SQ users.

I’m initially posting this as a general scene/show building question, with just a touch of troubleshooting advice and/or recommendations for better practices. Hope it doesn’t sounds more complicated than it actually is. Essentially, I’m trying to configure 2) SQ mixers to work in tandem, cover any show contingency or scenario, with each mixer running almost identical scenes, in order for either to serve as emergency replacements for one another in the event of a mixer failure while at a gig. Following are my potential show scenarios, and how I’m attempted to accomplish my ideal setup. Further details to follow, if necessary. Sorry, pretty long-winded already.

BACKGROUND & TYPICAL SHOW SCENARIOS:
I’m mix FOH for a 5 piece band playing in the US Midwest. There are no instruments producing sound on stage, save an occasional harmonica, cowbell, and the Drum Wedge itself. All players sing as well. Shows vary from us totally providing our own PA production for clubs and small outside venues, to integrating our equipment with larger production companies providing FOH PA at fairs, festivals, etc.

– Almost always, I’m able to use my SQ5 on stage to handle 4 stereo IEMs and one mono drum sub/top wedge mixes.

– Usually, I am also able to use my SQ6 at FOH and just give the production company a L/R, and possibly a matrix of L/R to cover center fills or subs (same matrix mix with a filter engaged to pass only 80-100 Hz down, from the SQ6). This is the easiest, and fastest, and best path to quick changeovers between acts where soundchecks and timetables are usually just figments of someone’s imagination.

– Occasionally, I’m in a very small venue without any FOH mix position larger enough to accommodate a mixer, and I am forced to mix from a tablet from only the SQ5 on stage.

CURRENT SETUP: I’m using a SQ6 at FOH, and a SQ5 on stage for monitor mixing. Each have their own AR2412 stage box fed from 3) 8 channel analog splitters. The analog splitters are being used instead of an internal digital split (previous set up) because some shows must be mixed on the production company’s console which frequently isn’t A&H, Dante ready, or even digital. In that situation, I simply unplug the outputs feeding my FOH stage-box, and give them to the outside production company for their console. Each of my SQ mixers are running the same SQ 1.5.10r4132 firmware respectfully.

Essentially, I’ve built the same scene, and desire to use that same scenes simultaneously on both SQ mixers. With only the SQ5 custom surface layer strip assignments different to compensate for it’s lower fader count. This approach is favorable to me in order for both working together with separate duties, and either mixer to be available as backups for one another to perform both FOH and/or Monitor mixing.

– Each scene features 5) GROUPS (VOX, BASS, GTRS, KEYS, DRUMS),

– And 7) AUXES (1-Mono Drum Wedge, 3/4 Stereo Bass IEM, 5/6 Stereo Gtr 1 IEM, 7/8 Stereo Gtr 2 IEM, 9/10 Stereo Keys IEM, 11/12 FOH MAINS), and are patched to the same corresponding SQ AR2412 stage box output sockets. Normally the SQ6 AR2412 outputs carry L/R FOH, Matrix for Fills/Subs, and SQ5 feeds the Drum Wedge and all IEMs. The Matrix is configured as a Mono output on each SQ and patched to it’s corresponding AR2412 channel 2 stage-box output socket.

– The basic scene inputs are configured as 1-24 Channels (all the VOX and INSTR inputs) routed to Subgroups, DCAs, then L/R MAINS, or directly to L/R MAINS; while 25-48 are duplicates of those same inputs fed by the same Slink or local sockets, but only routed to all the 5 AUXES that feed the IEMs and Drum Wedge monitor.

In other words, Kick Drum in Channel 1 and 25 are fed by Slink Input 1, Snare Drum Channel 2 and 26 are fed by Slink Input 2, etc. This allows me to mix FOH from 1-24 and players to mix their own monitors from 25-48 when only one mixer, or both mixers are being used. So basically the same scene is loaded on the SQ5 on stage, and SQ6 at FOH. Each mixer has it’s own router and separate connection. I, and the players access those mixes by connecting to whichever mixer(s) is in play for that particular show.

In the 2 mixer setup, the players connect to the SQ5 router, and mix themselves from channels 25-48 (NO ACCESS to channels 1-24) which only feed IEMs and Drum Wedge output from the SQ5 AR2412 stage box. I can mix FOH from either the SQ5 or SQ6 console (or Mixpad tablet app) from channels 1-24, and again players are able to mix their monitors by accessing only channels 25-48 from whichever SQ is in operation for that show’s set up. I solely, am responsible for all aspects of channel gain staging on both consoles, but can remotely execute that task with gain or trim controls with a Mixpad app connected to the stage SQ5.

Obviously, without stage amps or acoustic drums, IEM and wedge monitor mixes are critical to smooth performances. Those mixes are tweaked frequently and preserved by saving scenes after changes, but need to be accurately and reliably recalled from whichever mixer is being used for the next show. I hope to just save the latest scene from whichever mixer was last handling monitor mixes, copy it to a thumb drive, then load it onto the other mixer reflecting the latest changes, with safes engaged to prevent overwriting any other channel/patching parameters. Not worried about dialing in FOH on the fly. It changes from one venue and system to another, monitor mixes really never change between venues.

ISSUES: So far, this setup is working well with only the following issues. I’m sure both are related, and likely operator error on my part, and not mixer related, as the scenes act the same way on both the SQ5 and SQ6.

– When mixing FOH from SQ6 with both mixers in use, I’ve lost my easy talkback connection to players during performances through the SQ5 ever since abandoning the digital split previously connecting the SQ mixers through a second Slink card installed on the SQ5.

– When I try to utilize the open channel 2 Mono output to feed the occasionally needed Matrix for Fills/Subs, the other Aux mixes behave strangely. Specifically, I lose the ability to mute an individual channel (25-48) in any IEM/Wedge mix, and have it mute it in all IEM/Wedge mixes. The master AUX mix mute still functions properly. Additionally, if you lower an individual fader to nil, you can still hear the input in that mix, albeit a much lower volume. If I don’t patch the Fill/Sub Matrix to that channel 2 Mono AUX output, the mute and fader functions all work as expected.

– I usually don’t need to provide a Matrix for Fills/Subs, so I thought I might share that open Mono output 2 with either the Matrix or talkback function patching one or the other to that socket as needed. I would use the IP direct output on the talkback mic channel (local socket, not talkback input) on the FOH SQ6, patch it out of that same AR2412 stage box Mono channel 2 output socket into an open channel on the SQ5 stage-box and feed it to the player’s monitor mixes. It works, but can only be muted, when not in use, on the SQ5 on stage. The mute on the talkback channel on the SQ6 at FOH does NOT mute the IP direct being sent to the SQ5. Suspect that is normal? But as before, it also presents the same muting issue described previously when using that channel 2 Mono output to feed the signal to the SQ5. Unpatching it, again returns the AUXES to normal operation.

It does seem to mostly be a problem with AUX 1 Mono Drum Wedge mix on either mixers, when trying to use the adjacent Mono channel 2 output for either purpose, which leads me to believe it is my mistake in the scene build, or my ignorance in the SQ platform functions. There shouldn’t be any global mixer safe settings, or user permission issues at work, as none are currently engaged.

Any thoughts to point me in the right direction for attempting to resolve any of those issues? Either in scene build settings, or better practices. It’s great having the players mix their own monitors, but otherwise I’m a one man operation. just looking for a more consistent, most fail-safe way to complete any show, any scenario, and keep the audience, the talent, and myself smiling.

Cheers, Wyatt

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