SQ5 Limitations that need to be addressed

[HughParticipant]

For those of us that have DX expansion stage boxes and are deploying either a Dante, or in my case, a Waves card: it is impossible to connect an “SQ for you” personal monitoring system. The musicians that I usually work with do very well with a carefully applied HPF for my KV2 EX10 wedges monitoring their performance, just as I do. However this week one of the best Bluegrass bands in the business contacted me pursuant to wanting a live video of a performance in late may. We had agreed on the entire protocol and budget until their request for IEM personal monitoring and that, unfortunately, is currently impossible with my SQ5 set-up. I am not willing to remove the Waves card and trust even my Glyph studio external HD for a USB capture in order to buy and put into place an S-Link option card in the I/O port. I have two GH5 Cameras with Atomos video recorders along with six high end tube mics that capture with my “prime pres” the most detailed transparent audio for video available anywhere around here. The Waves capture and two mix of the multi-track recording is generally dropped into the edited video. The quality of this work is why my phone rings I am not now, or will I be in the future, in the market for any desk bigger than the SQ5. I would probably be a buyer for a small footprint processing controller that was designed to manage high end expansion stage boxes and a 42 bus XCIV flexible core design.

The Avantis offers two I/O ports that would work however it weighs two and a half times the SQ5 (57 to 23 lbs) has two and a half times bigger footprint. I have requested in the past a processing controller that did not have performance I/O XLRs and a 42 bus flexible XCIV core.
But in any event how hard would it be to put into place a dedicated S-Link port for the “SQ for you” more me IEM folks?
Hugh

[MartijnParticipant]

Hi Hugh,

Get yourself a GX4816 and you can use the ME-1 System ( I assume this is what you say with “SQ for You”) See page 8 https://www.allen-heath.com/media/SLinkConnections_V1_5_0.pdf

The Avantis is in another price range that’s why it probably has more features ;-).
If you are looking for something Small get a (C)DM32/48/64 and you have a rack mount DSP with 1 or 3 option slots and a dedicated ME port.

PS SQ4U is an App that can control an aux mix on your SQ (https://www.allen-heath.com/sq-series/sq4you/) this does not need any hardware other than a Acces Point and an iPad/Ipod/Iphone.
If you use this app you do not have any limitations as described.

[ioTonParticipant]

Hi Hugh,

As Martijn already wrote, SQ4U is a remote app and has nothing to to with the used IEM or wedge or any hardware (only the SQ 😉 ).

Which IEM hardware do you want to use?

You have to decide if the musicians do there own monitor-mix via the SQ4U App (then everyone needs his own aux-mix-send 1-12 at the desk)
OR
If they do the mix on the ME-System, then you don’t need any aux-mix-send on the SQ, because the ME-unit is a mixer on its own!!!

If you wan’t to use the ME Personal Mixing System, you can install a Dante Card to the ME-U 10port Hub and connect it to the SQ via Dante.
So there won’t be any problem!

There are many ways to get your “most detailed transparent audio” of the world out of your small footprint console. 😉

greetings
dd

[HughParticipant]

I was aware of the above stated options however setting up 6 additional aux mixes (in this particular case) is a long way from the one additional dedicated S-Link port I requested. If IoTon had carefully read my post he would know I already have a Waves card in my I/O port that I am not willing to remove. Adding an additional 48 inputs with a GX48, that I need like another hole in the head, also makes absolutely no sense for me. I have an SQ mix pad operational for remote venue walk arounds however with two stereo feeds for my video recorders and the LR and wedge mixes I already have about as much as I need to deal with at an A/V gig. I am well aware of the option to scrub the wedge mixes and then setup aux mixes for the ME-1 systems. At this point in my 5 decade work life I am more than willing to provide a client an S-Link port (if I had an extra one to offer) to craft any kind of “more me” mixes they might want. However I am not going to get any deeper in that process than providing a single access S-Link port, if I had one! There are very good reasons why the more me crowd generally have personnel to manage their monitoring details. I have no interest in pursuing these ends beyond providing the dedicated subject S-Link port.
There is also a philosophical reason I choose to offer only world class wedge monitoring for the acoustic performers I work with. The single most important quality all of the world class, grammy winning musician/singers I have worked with through the years, is their extraordinary listening skills. A carefully crafted wedge mix allows the talent in front of the mics to shape their own dynamics and blend.
Hugh

The entire issue for me is the fact that most of the more flexible, better mix options are much bigger footprint desks than a lot of us need. The small custom processing controller that I have been describing Would be well received by a large number of professionals that are ready and willing to pay for the improved enhancements. At some point A&H will probably realize their Prime pres need this type of unlimited processing controller to maintain the level of world class sonic quality they have introduced.

[MartijnParticipant]

Hi Hugh,

Just trying to understand what you are trying to do here.
(As I think there are a few things that are mixed up by their definition).

You have an SQ5 And use the Slink port to connect to DX32?
You use the Waves Card in the SQ5 to record to your DAW?
Your customer is requesting a feed of all your inputs on sLink?

Assumption: The customer has an A&H mixer for their own IEM mixes?

If that’s the case you can have the customer adding a Waves card to their A&H mixer so they can get a digital feed from your Waves system?

If you want to progress with the ME system you can use a ME-U hub with a Waves card and leave the IEM process with the musician.

I understand you would like to have a maximum of Flexibility and I/O on a small format mixer.
Adding an extra Slink port to the SQ range would mean a complete redesign of the product.

I think you can do what you are trying to achieve (If I understand your writing correctly).

This reply is not te tell you off just to see if you can get where you want to be with not too much efforts 😉

[HughParticipant]

A complete redesign is precisely what I am requesting! Given the fact I have both a DX168 & Prime loaded DX32 the last thing I need is a desk with performance I/O XLRs. While I can manage most all of my A/V remote jobs with the existing entry level SQ5 there is no question that A&H needs to develop a small footprint processing controller with the flexible XCIV core chip that is available in their Avantis. A “Prime processing Controller” that is specifically designed to accommodate the operational needs of their outstanding expansion stage boxes. It should offer the full D-Live option list for enhancement soft ware as we need it, and are willing to pay for it. This type of flexible 42 bus device would not have a problem providing two S-Link ports and all of the I/O ports available with the top of the line A&H desks.

I am 81 years old and probably will not be active in the business when A&H will get around to offering this type of small complementary “Prime” desk for their world class “Prime” I/Os and processing: but IMO they eventually will offer something of this nature down the road. Studer was very smart identifying the demand for a small footprint, high quality digital desk. Now that A&H offers world class sonic quality with their front end I/Os stage boxes and processing it is just a matter of time till they will offer a similar “small Studer sized” desk at a much more attractive price point.
The unvarnished truth is for every application that will need a desk with 24 or more faders, tens if not hundreds more potential customers work very well with 16 or less faders controlling six layers. It is a serious mistake to assume the highest level of sonic quality is inherent only with large format applications.
Hugh

[ShowtimeParticipant]

Dlive DM0 an option? Enought slot’s no i/o 19”

[HughParticipant]

The dlive DMO is a Processing stage box terminal designed to accept up to 128 expansion stage box inputs and 64 mix out puts with a $6,799. price point. It’s smallest surface tactile controller is the CTI 1500 that has 12 faders and a single touch screen with a price point of $14,000. The 20 thousand dollar package is apx 3 times bigger than the unit I need and twice the price of an Avantis that is 50% more in operational capability than I require.

This is exactly the whole point I am trying to drive home: The best features are dedicated to large format gear and only Studer has offered a small, comprehensive high quality digital desk. The most important rear connection hub needs for my proposed processing controller certainly will not exceed the 42 flexible bus design that I have requested.
a) giga ace link
b) two DX links for DX expansion boxes
c) I/O port for Waves or Dante card
d) Dedicated ME-1 48khz port
e) two network ports
f) BNC I/O Word clock

The ability to package existing functional A&H elements into a scaled down 12 fader 6 layer DX processing controller is a very doable idea that absolutely should come to the market with a price point substantially less than the Avantis 10K.
Hugh
Hugh

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