Summing multiple mics and recording with the QU-16

[Light GrenadeParticipant]

Hi folks,

I’m considering getting a QU-16 and using it for recording. I used one just before the pandemic at a live gig and was pleasantly surprised at how it sounded. I’ve been researching and reading the manual online and trying to work out the best way to sum guitar cab mics before hitting the DAW. My usual chain is:

Mics > radial phazer > line mixer > outboard EQ > DAW

From what I can tell, the QU-16 can’t submix internally, and the workaround would be to route my mics to hard a patch from say Mix 9-10 into another channel like ST 1-2. However, this would take the signal through another round of DAC/ADC which i’d rather avoid if possible. I prefer submixing before the DAW to make decisions and lower track count, I was using a Radial 2:1 for this but I have misplaced it!

I’m thinking a potential solution here would be:

For monitoring playback
Route the master, or multiple channels from my DAW into channels on the QU-16 and then send these to a stereo mix out (mix 9-10).

For summing
Use the Master L/R for summing 2/3 guitar mics together and record this main output into the DAW via the USB output, avoiding the 2nd round of analogue conversion.

Can anyone chime in and let me know if this solution would be possible with the QU-16? Or if I’m overlooking anything.

Thanks

[SteffenRParticipant]

From what I can tell, the QU-16 can’t submix internally,

The Qu is a mixer, it can sum signals together
if you buy a QU24 you get groups as an addition…

[Mike CParticipant]

You can send the mixes to a DAW using the USB, IO set up under the USB tab you can select the source to each USB output track.
Maybe that would work for you.

To get sub group capability short of buying a QU24 for less money you could get a QU Pac
or even a QU SB and there very compact!

With the QU Pac you can control everything on the front panel but using an Ipad is easier, the QU SB always requires an Ipad.

[volounteerParticipant]

@light Grenade

If you only want stems then you can send those submixes to the DAW via the mix outputs.
The question is how many do you have to have. Not sure about the 16 but I recall it having 7 mix outs, 4mono +3Stereo, so you could fake up to ten stems if you panned them hard L/R before going to the mix out.

[Light GrenadeParticipant]

Thanks for the input folks.

@Volounteer would I be right in saying that I’d need to take a mix output and pipe it into another interface or back into the QU to get it in to the DAW? I couldn’t do this within the QU and send it over USB could I?

Cheers

[MarkPAmanParticipant]

If you look at page 75 of the User Guide, you’ll find a list of what can be sent to a computer over USB.

As the groups & matrix are not available on the QU-16, the ones you’ll have to choose from are:
Mono channel (Insert or Direct Out)
Stereo channel (Insert or Direct Out)
FX returns 1-4 pre-fader
Mix 1-10 post-fader
Main LR mix – pre-fader
Main LR mix – post-fader
Stereo PAFL monitor

So, any of the mixes and LR can be made up of any mixture of inputs (and FX) giving you 4 mono & 4 stereo mixes within the desk which can de sent directly over USB, as well as any single input or FX return. Up to a total of 32 at once (with anything stereo counting as 2)

[volounteerParticipant]

@lightgrenade

I should have noted you should be able to aim the mixout to the usbout on the Qu and then to the PC
whether your pc can use the usb and all the channels on the usb, depends on the device DAW and drivers you use.

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