SQ-6 problem with different output levels on A out and B out

[Oskar Larsson]

Hi,

First, I’m a new user of the SQ-6 (used in a church) – and I do not regularly use it much, and have only basic knowledge of how to use it.
To the problem/question.
We have connected a camera to the A and B out of the board and made the necessary output routing (MainLR L and MainLR R) – to get a copy of MainLR to the camera.
Everything was then working as expected and we had good signals on both channels to the camera.
Now, probably after some changes made by someone that have used the board in the meantime, I do not get same/equal output levels on the A and B out anymore. The left (A out) channel are about 10dB louder than the right.
I have checked the routing and it’s correct, and I have checked the balance of MainLR and it’s fine. The mixed channels are in the middle. The output to the speakers (also routed with MainLR) are fine and in balance.
Can the balance/levels be set separately on the A and B out in the settings somewhere? Or what else could be wrong?
I have checked the settings in the camera, and it’s correct. Also switched L and R connections to see if the problem was with the camera or cabling. But they are fine.

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[Mfk0815]

Check whether both jacks are fully plugged into the socket. Maybe one is not correct plugged in.

[Oskar Larsson]

Hi,

They are fully plugged in, both in camera and board. Cabling, plugs and camera are checked and are working as expected. But the signals from the outputs differs in strength.

[Mfk0815]

Because there is no additional processing step, and therefore no chance to adjust a level, between Main Bus out and the output sockets and if the signals on output 11 and 12 are in balance there must be something wrong with the cables on outputs A and B. Maybe one is balanced TRS and the other is unbalanced TS or some of the cables are broken. Or maybe the input level of the camera is out of balance, some switch is on the wrong position, stuff like this. If you have double checked all, do it a third time…;-)

[Mike C]

What kind of input connections are on the camera?

[volounteer]

@Oskar Larsson

Not sure what might have been done on the SQ to cause levels to be different.
Tell us how/where you took R & L from the LR to send to the camera and how you sent it.

Most churches find it better to create a separate mix for the livestream as duplicating what you have live in house is not the best for what people will hear from utoob or where ever it is you send your video.

Connecting to the camera is often a problem.
Many churches find it easier to send the mix to an interface then into the PC with OBS to be merged with the video from the camera.
OBS allows for final EQ level gain compression and limiting as needed to meet standards by the CDNs you use.

[Mike C]

Just for process of elimination go to the signal generator (set up menu under the audio tab) and send test tone to the main LR out mix.

Doing that see what the levels show on the camera.

You may want to turn off the main PA speakers for that test!

[tourtelot]

Probably sounds like a silly question and no disrespect intended but did you swap the plugs in the back of the SQ from A to B and B to A? Did the problem follow the SQ or the cables?

D.

[Oskar Larsson]

Thanks for all the tips.

The camera have a 3.5mm TRS (stereo) “Aux in” jack. I have tested to swap the plugs from A->B and B->A in the board. Then the R signal gets stronger and the L is weaker (in the camera recording). So the problem is apparently something in the board, and not cables or camera.

We use the MainLR mix for this as we do not have any audience for the moment… because of Corona restrictions… and we do not have the main speakers turned on during recording.

I’ll try the test tone on the output jacks, to see if the signal strength differs on the jacks. Where do I find that function in the system?

[volounteer]

@Oskar Larsson

Three main possibilities
hardware software user/process

You seem to have checked the obvious hardware causes – cable, camera.

Depending how you route to AB there are a number of places that could change the balance between them.
If people can change things then you need to save YOUR settings in a scene that you can recall unchanged by others.

Are you sure you recalled the correct scene?
I have seen people get the scene above the one they wanted to select by mistake.
Be sure to save your working scene when you fix the problem

I suspect a combination of user/process changing software settings.
Someone may have changed pan/trim or a fader somewhere causing your problems in this scene being used.
.

[Søren Steinmetz]

A thing you could try is, route the L or the R to both A and B
If you still have a different level it could be a faulty output socket.

[volounteer]

@Søren Steinmetz

That could be be.
He swapped the cables around so the socket should not be the issue.
Sockets are usually noisy or dead not exactly 10dB down.

However doing what you say might show that the imbalance was caused by a given channel path
thus narrowing the hunt for the cause down some.

[SteffenR]

@williamadams

all contributions are already further then you,
so please be patient and don’t participate with nonsense

[Mike C]

I’ll try the test tone on the output jacks, to see if the signal strength differs on the jacks. Where do I find that function in the system?

Go to the set up menu, then the audio tab, then in audio it’s under the signal generator tab.

Is the screen shot of the routing menu the current routing that you are have the issues with?

Do the meters on the board show equal levels on both L & R outputs?

[Oskar Larsson]

The meters for MainLR are showing correct/equal balance. And the output on 11 & 12 are good/balanced too.
The screenshot is showing current routing, yes.
I’ll try to re-route and swap L&R routing for A&B to B&A instead – to see if the problem follows the output jacks or the channels.
I’ll try this as soon as I can.

[Author]

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