SQ6 patching issues?

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This topic contains 9 replies, has 4 voices, and was last updated by Profile photo of debzdoodle debzdoodle 1 year, 7 months ago.

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  • #108746
    Profile photo of debzdoodle
    debzdoodle
    Participant

    I don’t really know where to start – I’ve spent so much time trying to solve this and gone round in circles, trying everything I can think of.
    I had been using my SQ6 for recording as I purchased it pre covid and then lost the work I had intended it for. So it stayed in my studio for some recording jobs but recently I wanted to start using it for band rehearsal. So I am not very familiar with it and thought using it this way would help me learn it more.
    I set up musicians stations with each instrument input/s and headphone output but when I tested everything I quickly hit a snag. I have 6 musicians all with stereo headphone mixes. For some reason, one vocal mic (channel 5) was acting strangely. First of all I noticed it was very much right side dominant only in mix 5 ( weird for a mono input) so I did the usual troubleshooting checking all settings, panning, cables patches etc. but no change. I tried with D snake and without. All other sources were fine in all mixes mono and stereo alike. Today I re-ran everything from scratch, but it is doing that same one side dominant thing on channel 6 today and only heard in mix 3. I also noticed today if I mute channel 6 vocal mic, it is muted in all mixes as it should be but mix 3 where it becomes fully one sided and loses FX – which is essentially what is giving the impression one side is dominant and sounds like a dry mix on right side only is bleeding through that one mix. When metering I see right side dominant in mix 3 when I talk into mic 6. I am chasing my tail here and need some help. I also noticed one other thing whilst messing around, layer d does not illuminate or display any channels and I know it did before.

    #108747
    Profile photo of debzdoodle
    debzdoodle
    Participant

    Uniable to edit post so adding here:

    I found that when channel is muted, the FX dont actually disappear but they are greatly reduced. I can still hear the mic on that right side though.

    #108754
    Profile photo of ioTon
    ioTon
    Participant

    Hi,

    Have a look at the IO/Patching window:
    “Inputs/MixExtIn”: Is here some signal patched?

    Is the option “Follow Mute” ON for mix 3?

    Do you use groups? Maybe you’ve send some groups to some mixes?

    Do you know how to assign strips to the layers?

    Do you know about DCA spill?
    Do you know about faderflip via the mixbuttons on the right side?

    It’s a bit difficult, maybe you’ll share your showfile…

    Greetings
    dd

    #108757
    Profile photo of debzdoodle
    debzdoodle
    Participant

    Hello and thank you for the help.

    I have checked the I/O screen over and over but cannot recognize anything patched incorrectly
    All mutes are set the same for all channels
    No groups in use at this point
    Strips all assigned to layers appropriately as far a I can tell
    One DCA soft rotary assigned – DCA 1
    Unsure what you mean about faderflip via mix buttons

    I would be happy to share my file – unsure how though.

    BTW -I came from a QU 16 and QU Pac where everything is pretty much patched 1:1.
    Having to choose I/Os and patching everything is what I am not used to doing.

    #108761
    Profile photo of debzdoodle
    debzdoodle
    Participant

    I fear I am in need of repair. After a reboot, and using a generic basic set up I still have erroneous bleed which only happens when stereo auxes are used. Mono is fine.Very disappointed as I have never used the mixer at a show……

    #108764
    Profile photo of Mike C
    Mike C
    Participant

    Maybe mute everything as in every FX sends returns, matrix mixes, input channels, mains, ect. except the mix out and the input channel in question.

    Also a channel, mix, ect, could still be passing audio even though
    it is not assigned to any fader layer, basically hidden from sight.

    Go to the meter display menu and look at all the inputs, FX sends returns and mixes
    to look for any signal levels where there should not be any.

    #108770
    Profile photo of KeithJ A&H
    KeithJ A&H
    Moderator

    @debzdoodle

    The Mix External Inputs mentioned by @ioTon are a good place to start, as these allow you to patch input sockets directly to mix outputs without any processing.
    This means you could have input sources going straight to a mix without having any fader / assign / mute control over them.
    But it does sound like you’ve checked for this.

    Something else that’s worth double checking is where your mixes are patched.
    Unlike Qu, the SQ has completely free patching, meaning any output socket can be anything at all.
    This combined with the fact that you say about using stereo mixes when, by default the first 4 mixes are mono auxes patched to 1-4, made me wonder if and how you’ve re-patched them after switching them to stereo?
    If they haven’t been re-patched (e.g. AuxL>1, Aux1R>2, Aux2L>3, Aux2R>4…. etc…) then could it be that the signal you’re expecting at the output sockets are from other mixes?

    Using the Signal Generator to test is a good first test here, before even looking at the input channel to mix routing.

    Thanks,
    Keith.

    #108772
    Profile photo of debzdoodle
    debzdoodle
    Participant

    Hi Keith – thank you for your help.
    Yesterday I did a factory reset. Then I did a quick and simple test using metering to see exactly what was going on.
    I patched channels 1-6 to local 1-6 and connected mics. Then made mixes 1-5 stereo and patched them to local 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8 and 9/10. I added no FX or any processing and tested speaking into each mic.
    With every single channel muted on the board where NOTHING should have been showing in the metering, I got these results:
    Speaking through CH1 – Mix 1 through 5 = NO metering as expected.
    CH2 – Mix 1 right side showed signal, mixes 2 though 5 = No Metering
    CH3 – Mix 1 through 5 = No Metering
    CH4 – Mix 1 = No Metering, Mix 2 right side showed signal, Mix 3 through 5 = No Metering
    Ch5 – Mix 1 & 2 = No Metering, Mix 3 showed signal through Left side, Mixes 4 & 5 = No Metering
    Ch6 – Mix 1 & 2 = No Metering, Mix 3 showed signal through Right side, Mixes 4 & 5 = No metering
    When I assign mixes 1 through 5 to MONO, the problem goes away when I test each mic.

    I am hoping that I have the QU so much in my head that I am missing something.

    #108773
    Profile photo of KeithJ A&H
    KeithJ A&H
    Moderator

    @debzdoodle

    I’ve never seen a software or hardware issue cause routing issues like this, so it is super weird!

    You mention patching the mix outputs to local 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8 and 9/10.
    It may just be a coincidence but with the forward slash, this matches the ‘Mix External In’ source labelling in the processing screen.
    So to confirm (and sorry but we need to rule out everything!) when patching the mix outputs to sockets, did you do this from the ‘I/O > Outputs > Mix Out’ screen, with ‘Local’ selected at the top?
    e.g.
    Aux1 L = Local Output Socket #1
    Aux1 R = Local Output Socket #2
    Aux2 L = Local Output Socket #3
    Aux2 R = Local Output Socket #4
    etc…

    The only patching available for mixes via the processing screen is for Mix External In and the quickest way to see if anything has been patched is through the ‘I/O > Inputs > MixExtIn’ screen, where you can scroll up and down as well as check different input socket tabs (Local, SLink, USB, I/O Port) to ensure in this case that there are no sockets being directly routed to mixes without first going through an input channel.

    I haven’t fully drawn out your findings with the metering, but if you didn’t patch from the I/O screen, then the sockets would not have been changed from their original states, but the mixes have switched to stereo, so you’d have:
    Aux1 L = Local Output Socket #1 = has local input socket 1 patched to MixExtIn
    Aux2 L = Local Output Socket #2 = has local input socket 3 patched to MixExtIn
    Aux3 L = Local Output Socket #3 = has local input socket 5 patched to MixExtIn
    Aux4 L = Local Output Socket #4 = has local input socket 7 patched to MixExtIn

    Not sure if this matches what you found as I’m not sure where your metering is – on screen or by connecting something to a socket?
    This would explain why the issue would disappear when switching mixes back to mono though, as doing so would unassign your (stereo) MixExtIn patch.

    Thanks,
    Keith.

    #108774
    Profile photo of debzdoodle
    debzdoodle
    Participant

    Keith – you got it!….
    So to be honest I wasn’t sure what the MixExtin thing was all about so never touched it. I went in there just now and on that tab saw stereo mixes assigned – as you say from original state. I turned them off and everything works as it should – I am so happy THANK YOU.
    So I suppose now I have to work out what the heck MixExtin is and become more familiar with this board – LOL.

    I still don’t have layer D functioning so I hope there is a simple solution to that too BUT my main focus was on this mix thing and now I can move forward.
    Thank you everyone for all your suggestions – I REALLY appreciate the help.

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