[guyburnsParticipant]

This USB problem, seems a bit ridiculous to me. I’ve never had a USB stick, no matter size or make, that wasn’t readable by my PCs, Macs, the local print shop, my TV, my Blu-ray player… And AH can’t design a USB system that works reliably across all sticks? Woeful!

[guyburnsParticipant]

Thanks for the feedback. I did a System Hard Reset several times on purpose, testing the complete process of turning on, changing settings, saving the Show to USB, turning off, and then making sure when subsequently turned on, that when I recalled a particular Show from USB, that the settings were what I thought they would be. That sort of thing.

How to bugger it up
I was purposely trying to find out what could go wrong. What would prevent an inexperienced user from being able to use the system as a simple volume control for a stereo signal? How could I bugger it up — and what did I have to do if I did bugger it up?

The very first thing I did when I approached the mixer (it was already on, in Admin mode), was to save its settings to a Show on USB.

The very first time I turned it OFF, things went wrong. I couldn’t get back in. It asked for a password. That’s when I System Hard Reset for the first time, and set the password.

Maybe there is no password required after a System Hard Reset, but if that is the case, it wasn’t clear to me how to avoid the password.

The very last thing I did at the mixer, was to recall the original Show settings from USB. Then I shutdown and left a large note on the front panel with the new password.

Ques 6
That brings me to another question which I’ve already posted on the Apple forums, but maybe someone here knows the answer.

I have a 2GB USB stick (bought it in 2007 for $59, reduced from $129), that is formatted in FAT32 and is recognised by my 2004 iBook running OSX 10.4.11 (the laptop that was with me at the theatre).
When I plug it into my 2013 iMac, the stick is not recognised. Several times, I have tried the iBook and the iMac with the same result.

Any suggestions as to why a 2004 iBook can read the stick but my iMac can’t?

Background
The stick was formatted on an Allen & Heath Qu-24 audio mixer, and then used to store mixer settings. The manual says the stick can be used for archiving the settings on a computer…

If you want to archive the folder to your computer, we recommend you copy the folder to a new named directory on your computer.

…but says not to use the stick for any other purpose:

Once formatted on the Qu mixer, use the USB device with the mixer only. Do not use it for other storage and applications.

[guyburnsParticipant]

I performed a Hard Reset several times as part of my testing. I may have misunderstood the start screen because it appeared to ask for a password each time, so I typed one. Maybe I should have just pressed login without typing a password.

But I think I tried that.

Maybe someone with ready access to a Qu25 can try booting without a password.

[guyburnsParticipant]

I think my questions have just about been answered (except for one), so thanks to everyone.

Ques
Mike, you said the mixer can be set to “no password”. How? I can’t find info in the PDF, or on the net, how to turn off the password.

Re Ques 2 about deleting Shows, I think I’ll make a backup USB stick, delete a Show and see what happens. The manual suggests the USB stick has to be formatted only by the mixer. It’s FAT32 formatted and my computer can read it, so I can see what’s special about the formatting or the Show folders themselves. What’s inside the folders is very special, of course.

Just a few comments though to clarify my situation. I’m dealing with an unloved Qu24. The problem is not “too many hands”; I see it as not enough hands. No wants much to do with it except me and the film society.

• The theatre is heavily booked throughout the year.
• The last production bypassed the Qu24 completely and just borrowed the speaker cables.
• The previous production to that also had their own equipment, only using the Qu24 for CD and one mic, much as I intend to do.
• There is no on-site tech. There are no key people who operate the system. Productions come and go, their equipment comes and goes, their own key people come and go.

Thanks again for the comments. One last thing: if anyone knows how to turn off the password, please respond.

[guyburnsParticipant]

Thanks for the feedback.

Upset Someone
I’m sure I didn’t upset anyone, as the equipment I described was from outside, still there after the previous show had finished it’s run. They weren’t using the QU24, which is why they had commandeered the speaker cables.

The Film Society who had the theatre booked when I was there, know less about the Qu24 than this newbie does, and couldn’t get sound. That’s when I discovered that the previous users hadn’t bothered to put things back in their original configuration. We’re the ones who should have been peeved!

Ref Manual
I checked out the link Mark provided, but I had already downloaded and spent several hours reading the reference manual, and making extensive notes. Although… I did skip over the Width part on page 32. Thanks to your suggestion, I’ve just checked out the specs. Width can be set down to 1/9 octave, so I’ll see if I can remove the resonance next time.

Ask Them
The on-site people know very little. I asked. This is a tiny town (5000 people) 300 km from the capital city. We’re got a wonderful 250-seat, tiered theatre but not much technical know how on-site. The techs, well, they are on contract from outside the theatre. The previous tech lived locally and was a knowledgeable one-man show. The new tech is actually a company who are 20 kilometres away. I can imagine what it would cost if I asked them to come in and get the microphone to work.

Pit XLR
I have fairly clear recollections, and notes made at the time, that the mic was plugged into an XLR socket in the pit, the left one. I had to open a door 2 feet x 2 feet under the front of the stage, crawl part-way in, and locate where the cable went. I didn’t concern myself with M or F. There were two sockets. I didn’t look into it any further, other than noting which channel it came in on — channel 16. The tech said the other was channel 15. There are, at present, half a dozen XLR cables behind the mixer, not plugged it. I’m pretty certain that two of them go to the pit. I suspect they put the wrong plug on the pit end.

This mike problem is now more a learning experience and challenge, rather than an actual necessity. We actually did a mock presenter-check without a mike. No difficulty hearing her.

[guyburnsParticipant]

Thanks for all the feedback. I had access to the mixer yesterday, and because of the answers here and my prior reading of the PDF and making extensive notes, I mostly had positive results. I have a few more specific questions, but I’ll start a new thread about those.

Thanks again.

[guyburnsParticipant]

Thanks for the feedback. I’m trying to understand certain concepts and the way the mixer operates before I use it again, so there’s no need for detailed hook up instructions, if you know what I mean. It’s the concepts I’m trying to get a handle on.

I should have explained I’m not a newbie when it comes to mixing or recording, just new to this device. I started playing around at home with double tracking on a stereo reel-to-reel when I was a lad in the late sixties, then in the 80s and 90s I had several 4-track Tascam cassette decks for home recording. Now I’m right into Adobe Audition for generating soundtracks for my Blu-rays. But I’m a complete newbie when it comes to an expensive professional mixer.

Re the mic connection: no wireless connection, all direct. I tested the Shure mic at home, by connecting via XLR to my Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, and feeding into Audition via USB. I also checked my backup mic the same way.

A final set of questions.

Ques 6
The situation is this: an announcer on stage with a mic introduces the show, then I start the Blu-ray whose audio is just the way I want it. The Qu-24 has all sorts of EQs, effects and processors on offer, but I’m pretty sure that none of them should be applied. That’s the right approach, isn’t it?

Ques 7
I may reset the mix settings when I am next at the mixer. On page 83 of the manual, under Reset Mix Settings, it states: “default reverbs and delay are patched ready for you to hear the effects as soon as you raise a channel send.”

The defaults are listed as EMT250, Hall480, Delay, ADT. All EQ is switched in and set flat.

Assuming that I want no processing of any kind on my audio (I’ll be guided by responses in this thread), is that what is going to happen if I reset the mix settings? It’s the phrase “raise a channel send” that concerns me. If I don’t do anything other than reset, will my audio remain unprocessed?

[guyburnsParticipant]

Thanks for the comments. I’m not sure how the sound booth is run. It could be as Mike surmised, that anyone can do as they want. There is an off-site theatre technician, and maybe he has put some controls in place. I shall find out.

I have already looked at several videos, including the one mentioned, and am working my way through the manual for a second time. I’m the rare person who actually reads manuals in detail, and then asks questions. Q2 and Q3 remain unanswered, but I’ll move on to my next questions.

Ques 4
I was able to get the Blu-ray audio to work, coming in on Channels 1 and 2 via 6.5mm plugs, by switching off Mute. But no matter into which channel I plugged my Shure SM12A (tested at home beforehand), there was no sound. What is the most likely explanation for that? That the mixer was set to Basic mode with only channels 1 & 2 available?

Ques 5
Will a channel accept both Mic and line inputs at the same time? Or does one cut out the other? It is not clear from the signal flow diagram or the manual, how the inputs operate if both sources are connected.

[guyburnsParticipant]

Thanks for the suggestion. The photos on the website, about 1800 x 1300, are better than the PDF images, but the small print is still difficult to read. If anyone knows of a front panel photo of 3000 x 2000 or higher, please let me know.

Background
I don’t have an iPad or access to the mixer unless I book the theatre, so I want to learn as much as I can in theory and make extensive notes so that when I next have access, I am confident I can get the thing to function as I want.

I have a very simple use for this mixer. Two line inputs from a Blu-ray player via 6.5mm jacks, and one mic input (Shure SM12A) via XLR. I want it to operate as a simple mixer, with no effects or processing of any kind. Questions about that will come later.

Now for questions 2-3.

Ques 2 — PAFL
The first mention of PAFL in the manual (P22) says: “Press to listen to a channel using headphones and check its level on the main meters.”
Even I can understand that. However, no mention of what PAFL stands for anywhere in the manual.

Ques 2: Is PAFL: Pre and After Fade Listen?

Further down p22 the PAFL options are explained:

Output AFL – This option sets the mix strip PAFL keys to monitor AFL (afterfade
listen). With this option turned off these keys monitor PFL (pre-fade
listen). The default is AFL so that you can check mixes after the master fader.

Input AFL – This option sets the input strip PAFL keys to monitor AFL (afterfade
listen). With this option turned off these keys monitor PFL (pre-fade
listen). PFL is the usual setting for inputs so that you can check and set their
gain before you bring up the faders.

On my photo of the mixer, there is only one strip of PAFL keys, yet the above implies there are two: “mix strip PAFL keys” and “input strip PAFL keys” Apart from that, the explanation is utterly confusing. There are two options, yet the explanations are identical. The only difference is in the default settings.

Ques 3
What is the difference between the Output AFL option and the Input AFL option, and what do they do?

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