SQ6 Grouping for ME-500

[David SParticipant]

Hi, I’m looking for some help… By default, the ME-500 only receives the first 16 channels plugged into the SQ6.
I would like to be able to group all drum mics so they all come to Channel 1 on the ME unit. I just don’t know how to accomplish this.
Can anyone provide some step by step instructions to set this up?
Thanks in advance!

[RSParticipant]

ME-500 manual chapter 6.4?

[KeithJ A&HModerator]

Hi David,

As @RS says, definitely check the ME-500 guide for info on receiving channels – https://www.allen-heath.com/media/ME-500-User-Guide-AP11137_1-1.pdf#page=12&zoom=auto,-274,552
Also see the I/O Patching section of the SQ reference guide for info on sending channels – https://www.allen-heath.com/media/SQ_ReferenceGuide_V1_5_0.pdf#page=18&zoom=auto,-361,577

For what you want to do here, you can assign the drum input channels to either a Group or Aux mix and then patch the output of this mix to the ME output sockets.
I’d suggest using a pre-fade Aux, as you can then tailor the mix for those monitoring without affecting the LR or any other mix, so:

1. Choose a spare Aux and name it ‘Drums’
2. Go to ‘Setup > Mixer Config > Mix Stereo’ and make your ‘Drums’ Stereo (because you’re not going to use up any extra channels and it might be preferred, so why not? 🙂 )
3. Select this Aux with the blue mix keys so the faders are showing send levels to it
4. Hold the ‘Reset’ key and press the mix key to clear all send levels
5. Go to the ‘Routing’ screen
6. Select the master fader (currently the ‘Drums’ Aux mix channel)
7. Touch the ‘Aux Snd’ at the top of the channel
8. Choose where in the input channel the signal will be sent from (for example, those monitoring may not want to hear the compression you’re applying on the input channels for the main mix, so choose ‘Post PEQ’)
9. Touch ‘All Off’ to unassign all channels from the Aux
10. Touch ‘All Pre’ to ensure all sends are pre-fade (ignoring the main LR mix send levels)
11. Hold the ‘Assign’ key and press the Sel keys on all the drum input channels so they illuminate (so you are only assigning the drum channels to the ‘Drums’ Aux, and there is no chance of accidentally pushing up a fader and sending something like bass to it when mixing later 😉 )
12. Create your stereo mix using the faders and panning (you can PAFL the master channel to check)
13. Go to the ‘I/O > Outputs > Mix Out’ screen and select ‘ME’ at the top
14. Patch your ‘Drums’ mix to an odd/even pair of ME channels e.g. 1&2

Done 🙂

Cheers,
Keith.

[David SParticipant]

Thanks @RS

Also, thank you @KeithJ A&H! I will give this a shot!

[DaveParticipant]

@KeithJ A&H,

Since all of our Aux are in use, would you be so kind as to give the step-by step for accomplishing this same task using a Group? (PLEASE!!! and THANK YOU!!!!!)

Dave

[MarkPAmanParticipant]

If you have a spare group then turn it into an Aux! Trying to do it from a group will not give you the control you need.

SQ have 12 (stereo) busses which can be Auxs or Groups. This is changed in the setup section of the desk. So if you currently have 8 Aux & 4 Groups, change this to 9 & 3, and you can use Aux 9 for your ME send.

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