Allen & Heath SQ-6 - reviews?

[NickVon]

You can Direct Out to the USB-B interface for sure. Off-hand I don't recall if you can direct out channels 1-12 say direct out to the Omni-Outs 1-12 (though I imagine you must be able to. (as that is pretty standard for digital patching. This as an analogue or straight to computer Direct Out solution.

Through Dante you are limited for outputs only by the Dante protocol which I think is 64? Even though the console is a 48 channel, does anyone have knowledge as to whether you can direct out all 48 channels via Dante, but then also Direct out Mixes, matrixs and such up to Dante max?

 

[TimMc]

Dante channel count is limited by network performance, but 128x128 can be done on 100mHz network. I don't know about the SQ (I have this love/hate thing with the USA importer) but usually *every* input or output can come from or be sent to the Dante stream.

 

[gafftaper]

@macsound and @NickVon how are you liking your SQ's a year later? I have a GLD 80 and I am thinking about upgrading to an SQ7.

 

[steine]

I love my SQ5 for smaller productions.
Only "issues" I have are:
- lack of de-esser on each channel (very needed in amateur musicals)
- lack of mono Matrix (so far only 3 stereo, but the birds whisper of mono possibility in next firmware)
- no offline editor for PC/Mac (biggest dissapointment as I often need to pre program a show while running another, due to very short turnover/get in times)

Apart from that I absolutely love it.

 

[NickVon]

I enjoy mine thought I've probably used less then a others around here. As for me it's my Freelance gig console when the venue i maybe going to is up to snuff. I mostly do Musical Theater (kids to young adult-adult.) and cabaret style concert/gala events

Unlike @steine I've not felt that lack of De-essers is a huge problem. I primarily work on a LS9-32 which has them on each channel, and in 10 years I can count on both hands the number of times I felt the need to use one. Everyone mileage may vary though.

Matrix limitations are not something that been a problem for me as I generally just need a matrix to send to the Videographer and one for a set of delays.

Lack of Offline Editor is a minor annoyance but far from a deal breaker for my "level" of busy when i'm running a show on the SQ.

Overall I love working on it. I've not ridden it real hard because of the nature of my freelance work, so take my use case with a grain of salt, but it's been rock solid, work as expected for the 10 times I've taken it out. That said a GLD80 is still technically a more powerful versatile console higher tier console by comparison, just with less of the new snazziness.

I'm sure you've done your home work on the can's and can'ts of the SQ and if it fits your needs I don't think you'll be disappointed. (especially when compared to it's price point competitors from presonus/soundcraft/berhinger.)

 

[macsound]

Although I've had the SQ6 mostly setup for about 4 months, I have yet to actually mix on it.

Through the setup process, my annoyances are as I overanalyze my setup:
Lack of diversity of effects in the FX library
No PC/Mac based editor software
Low output count on console or other rackmount boxes. This is the weirdest thing to me. Maybe just used to Yamaha always having atleast 16 outs.
Colored backlight on the scribble strips is great. I've always labeled my boards with colored Sharpie so this is great. Wish I had more choices because their blue and magenta are far too saturated and makes text hard to read.
Wish there were scribble strips on the layer buttons or designated space to place tape
Really wish there was a home screen

 

[Jay Ashworth]

1) Deessers are necessary for musicals?

1a) What kind of mics are you using?

1b) Where are you putting them?

2) The LS9 has them on each channel? Which firmware are *you* running?

 

[steine]

1: they can be when having a lot of kids using mics for the first time. (not always, and not all actors)

1a: DPA 4066, Sennheiser MKE2 and 3, and a few others

1b: chin usually as we get too low gain when putting them by the ear (too short distance to speakers vs the room reflections)

2: v. 1.35 (you change gate to comp, and comp to de-esser on the channels you need them)

On a different note:
SQ firmware v. 1.4 has just arrived, with the possibility to get up to 8 de-essers on the console, as well as offline editor for PC (Mac still being tested) and you can now change matrix between stereo and mono as needed.

Looking forward to the shows here around june 6-9th, band and 20 wireless channels (18 microports) in a tent.

 

[macsound]

Very exciting about SQ offline editor!

Not sure how a deesser is utilized for lavs in theatre. For me, deessers are most useful for singers exploding into a vocal mic that's halfway down their throat. The further you get the microphone from the mouth, the less necessary a deesser is, to me.

When you say the lav goes on their chin, do you mean like an earset location or are you literally taping a microphone to actor's chins? Maybe mic placement is "requiring" your deesser use.

 

[steine]

True, further away will mean less de-essers needed, problem is in the venue we have the speakers around 5 feet above the actors heads, and a few bad reflections still needed to get adjusted. (hard gaps in the walls reflecting 2-3KHz straight back towards the stage)

Found a picture showing somewhat how we have the mics taped, would love to have them further away from the mouths but I lose too much gain when doing it, sadly..

(foto (c)2019 Mie Neel - Production "Atlantis")

 

[Jay Ashworth]

Understandable; yeah, your speaker position is the major problem.

But still, as mac notes, the sort of problem a deesser cleans up is one you shouldn't have unless the mic is pointed *at* the speaker/singer's mouth; tape-on mics are almost always pointed *past* it. It's hard to tell from your photo, but I think that's how yours are too -- it's damn near impossible to put a headworn in *front* of the mouth.

 

[steine]

True

The "problem" is I have some actors, at most productions, who somehow manage to trigger the need for the de-esser.

We are, at least, in the process of getting something done with the speaker setup (helped a lot with a small change in the angles of the system) as well as some treatment in the worst reflection areas.

Anyway, back to topic, I look forward to see how the 1.4 firmware runs here next week, so far it looks quite nice.

 

[MartyRichman]

Question about the 48 Channels. Are those mono or can these also be stereo. Especially when I use digital Ins.
for example: when adding a Dante or waves SG Card and using 14 Stereo Tracks from Ableton for playback/loops. How does those 14 Stereo tracks count ? Do they count as 28mono?
And is it like 48 minus those 28 mono. So I only have 20 Channels left?

 

[NickVon]

Question about the 48 Channels. Are those mono or can these also be stereo. Especially when I use digital Ins.
for example: when adding a Dante or waves SG Card and using 14 Stereo Tracks from Ableton for playback/loops. How does those 14 Stereo tracks count ? Do they count as 28mono?
And is it like 48 minus those 28 mono. So I only have 20 Channels left?

48 Channels. you can set all your imputs for example to be stereo inputs, you are then limited to (24 sources). It can see as many channels as your Dante network supports ,but you can only patch into at any give time what ever 48 channels you want. A "Stereo" signal is always 2 channels. A&H like most manufactures follow the same definitions of channel capacity.

You reasoning is correct.