SQ-5 ducker routing issue

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  • #109805
    Profile photo of StratKatStratKat
    Participant

    I’ve been trying to solve a problem using the SQ-5’s ducker, and I’m kind of stumped.

    I have the ducker configured, adjusted and working great on an input channel. The problem is routing — I need to feed the “ducked” audio to an Aux mix and NOT have it in the main stereo mix. So naturally I set the Aux send to “pre.”

    But the ducking effect is not reaching the Aux mix. The “sent” signal is apparently tapped earlier in the input channel’s signal chain before the signal has gone through the ducker. Or at least that’s the conclusion that I’ve reached. At any rate the input channel’s audio is reaching the Aux mix without any ducking effect.

    Am I correct about the signal chain? And is there a way to reconfigure the send so it is both post-ducker and pre-fader? Or is there another trick to route the ducked signal through a backdoor into another input channel (which can then feed that same Aux mix pre-fader)? I suppose this is do-able with a direct out, an XLR cable and sacrificing an input, but I would hope there’s an internal path to do the same thing.

    Thanks for whatever advice anyone can offer on this.

    #109814
    Profile photo of KeithJ A&HKeithJ A&H
    Moderator

    @StratKat

    On all of our digital consoles, the pre/post fader option is not a routing/tap off/channel source point – Because the fader/level controls are digital, the channel source point for an aux can be at many points in the signal path and the pre/post option just affects whether or not the send level from that point to that aux respects the channel fader (the send level to the mainLR mix) or not.

    By default, the channel source for an aux is ‘Post PEQ’.
    This is so that channel compression is not included in the send to monitors, which is fairly common as it means that performers can judge their dynamics and it can also help with feedback.
    The ducker is a special mode of the compressor.
    So without changing the channel source for the Aux, you won’t hear the ducker.

    You can instead select ‘Post Delay’ for the Auxes channel source and this should solve your issue.

    Info on changing the channel source – https://www.allen-heath.com/media/SQ_ReferenceGuide_V1_5_0.pdf#page=40&zoom=auto,-361,574
    Block diagram showing the different source options – https://www.allen-heath.com/media/SQ_ReferenceGuide_V1_5_0.pdf#page=109&zoom=auto,-361,77
    Basic signal path diagram – https://support.allen-heath.com/hc/en-gb/articles/4402940459537-SQ-Basic-Signal-Path-Diagrams-Input-Group-LR-Aux-Matrix

    Hope this helps!
    Keith.

    #109832
    Profile photo of StratKatStratKat
    Participant

    Wow — thanks, Keith! Awesome information. I’ll try your solution.

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