SQ7, AR24x12 & AR84 Linking

[Chris]

Hello all,

I’ve done a little searching on the forums and haven’t quite seen the scenario I’m thinking of trying to do.

Long story short, the college theatre that I’ve recently started working in was renovated (poorly for audio) in 2010. The company that did it put the XLR jacks for the main PA in the catwalks, which requires the amplifier for the mains to be in the catwalks. They also did not install any input ports in the catwalks, while the program likes to use 6 OH mics for some shows. This requires me to run XLR all the way down the catwalks and dropped down to the mixer.

They also have a remote band pit in a room about 75′ away from the rear end of the stage. There is a small wall plate with 6 inputs and 2 outputs, which limits my miking capability with a full band.

I’ve recently gotten them to purchase an SQ7 and a AR24x12 with the idea of having the 24×12 in the remote room and running an ethernet line between the two. I know that this works and the run isn’t too far.

But I had an idea pop in my head to try to clean up the amount of XLR hanging from the cats into the audio position. If I can place a AR84 in the catwalks (in a rack with the amplifier for the mains), I could run the OH mics to that, and also give myself some outputs in the catwalks to run lines for powered speakers for directional sound cues.

So my question is, can I link the SQ7, AR24x12 and AR84 via a network switch and use them separately? While also being able to not always require the AR24x12 to be connected? (It will go away when the show isn’t using a pit, because the room is also used as a classroom when no pit is set up in it.)

Or is that something that the DX Hub would do?

I do hope my description makes sense.

[SteffenR]

can I link the SQ7, AR24x12 and AR84 via a network switch and use them separately

No. You need to connect the AR84 to the Expander socket on the AR2412.
You can keep the AR2412 switched on for using the AR84, you don’t need to use it for I/O.

A direct connection to the AR84 or an AB168, giving you more I/O would be possible too.
And the AB168 can connect to the expander port as well.

Or is that something that the DX Hub would do?

The DX hub connects with DX boxes only, not with AR or AB.

[Chris]

So even if I have the SQ7 into the switch, then connect the switch to the Expander slot on the AR84, and the SLink on the AR2412, the SQ7 won’t see them separately?

[SteffenR]

It just don’t work like this.
What else should I say?
Wasn’t the initial no not clear enough?

[Chris]

No need to be rude. I was simply double checking.

[Søren Steinmetz]

The S-Link connection is a Point to Point connection, not a network connection.

So the only possibility is SQ to AR2412, then AR2412 exp port to AR0804 (or AB168)

You are not the first confused as they use same connector type, but they are not “simply” ethernet.

[SQuser]

In addition to what has already been written:
You can install an SLink card in your SQ-7 and connect your AR84 to it.
It would also be significantly cheaper than a DX hub.

[Chris]

Thanks Soren and SQUser. I’ll look into the SLink card. Even if I can’t use a switch, two Cat5 lines running into the cats is better than 6 XLR.

[SQuser]

If it’s just a problem of routing the CAT to the AR84 when not using the AR2412, you could of course also use a simple CAT connector instead of the AR2412.

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