Mixers/Consoles Review Allen & Heath SQ6 (SQ5, SQ7)

[NickVon]

Tried today to do a multitrack record from the SQ to garageband over usb. Every 3 minutes or so, I'd get an error that the disk wasn't fast enough.
Couple times tried doing 4 tracks, another couple time tried 8 tracks. Tried writing to the internal SSD of a MBP and also an external SSD over USB. Read/Writes between 300-500MBps and with my math, 8 tracks at 48k 24bit is like 9.2Mbps. So i should have plenty of overhead.
Has anyone tried this with Garageband or should I try Audacity or Logic or Protools?

Something to be aware of. That maybe isn't documented as well as it should be. Especially if you are using a MacBook (laptop) is to make sure your session file matches the native internals of the SQ. which is 96khz 24bit i believe. the Processing cycles and hard drive (even SSD) requirements for live conversion can be troublesome. I also don't know if Garage Band can go that high of audio quality. I use logic and have had good results when my sessions matches the consoles output so there is no live transcoding happening.

Reaper is also a great free/inexpensive multitrack recorder that has a very low system overhead.

I can't speak to Waves/ or Dante recording as i don't have those cards for my board.

 

[DrewE]

Something to be aware of. That maybe isn't documented as well as it should be. Especially if you are using a MacBook (laptop) is to make sure your session file matches the native internals of the SQ. which is 96khz 24bit i believe. the Processing cycles and hard drive (even SSD) requirements for live conversion can be troublesome. I also don't know if Garage Band can go that high of audio quality. I use logic and have had good results when my sessions matches the consoles output so there is no live transcoding happening.

Reaper is also a great free/inexpensive multitrack recorder that has a very low system overhead.

I can't speak to Waves/ or Dante recording as i don't have those cards for my board.

If memory serves, GarageBand is limited to use a 44.1 kHz sample rate only, with nothing else possible. 24 bit samples are no problem, but any other sample rate must be transcoded somewhere. This would more be a processing bottleneck than a disk I/O bottleneck, assuming it's doing it on the fly. Investigating CPU and disk I/O loads with the performance monitor utility might give a little insight into what's actually going on.

 

[macsound]

Something to be aware of. That maybe isn't documented as well as it should be. Especially if you are using a MacBook (laptop) is to make sure your session file matches the native internals of the SQ. which is 96khz 24bit i believe. the Processing cycles and hard drive (even SSD) requirements for live conversion can be troublesome. I also don't know if Garage Band can go that high of audio quality. I use logic and have had good results when my sessions matches the consoles output so there is no live transcoding happening.

Reaper is also a great free/inexpensive multitrack recorder that has a very low system overhead.

I can't speak to Waves/ or Dante recording as i don't have those cards for my board.

Didn't even think about sample rate. Good point!

 

[EdSavoie]

I've had audacity work nicely for recording multitrack on SQ and QU. This was on a 10 year old laptop with a SATA SSD. Granted, an HDD could also keep up easily so long as it isn't the system drive.

 

[macsound]

I'm at the point where using the built in recorder is useless.
Has anyone else noticed the file creation date is always 1/1/2017? It never increases. This makes sifting through files incredibly annoying.

 

[howlingwolf487]

The Midi Control is a work in progress from A&H. I’m looking forward to what is anticipated direct midi control through soft keys assignments. (ie. Being able to send a very specific midi control that Qlab recognize, and interprets as Play/ Pause, arrow Up, Down, etc. There was some workaround by using “midi faders on a layer, and using the select, mute and cue buttons” but it’s harder to label what was assigned, and puts Qlab transport controls very close to buttons and faders which are being touched frequently in my circumstance.

I know I’m digging up this review, but I wanted to share an update on the process I found via the SQ Series F@cebook page.

My church is buying an SQ6 and I’m really enjoying learning how others are implementing its built-in features as well as customizable buttons & rotaries for both onboard AND external control.

 

[NickVon]

I know I’m digging up this review, but I wanted to share an update on the process I found via the SQ Series F@cebook page.

My church is buying an SQ6 and I’m really enjoying learning how others are implementing its built-in features as well as customizable buttons & rotaries for both onboard AND external control.

YUP!!! A&H has fully implemented Midi control on these consoles. and i have a similiar setup to your photos. I have a Play, Stop, previous cue, next cue, pause, resume buttons for Qlab control on my SQ6

 

[spenserh]

I know I’m digging up this review, but I wanted to share an update on the process I found via the SQ Series F@cebook page.

My church is buying an SQ6 and I’m really enjoying learning how others are implementing its built-in features as well as customizable buttons & rotaries for both onboard AND external control.

I did the opposite once.

Set up QLab to fire cues on an M32R since Music Group decided to leave the scene functionality but omit the GO button on the console.

 

[FMEng]

I haven't tried, but I bet one of the configurable buttons can be made to be a GO button.

 

[NickVon]

I haven't tried, but I bet one of the configurable buttons can be made to be a GO button.

If we are talking a go button for the M32/X32 Usuallly the command is something line inc/recall. for dec/recall. or next scene/recall, previous scene/recall. It's kinda of two functions in one. but go up to the next scene then recall it. I know the Yamaha consoles you have a choice in the setting up of the user defined keys can just advance through the scene stack backwards and forwards, or treat it as a go back button that executes the recall rather then just stepping through the stack.

If we are talking a Go command to be sent from the SQ6 to Qlab that is absolutely possible. I've not ever tried the other direction.

 

[Dionysus]

I haven't tried, but I bet one of the configurable buttons can be made to be a GO button.

Yes you can make any softkey a "go" or a "go and advance", along with "next" and "previous".

 

[macsound]

Just following up, doing a multitrack recording with Waves worked delightfully well.

Another question, is there a way to route the TB input to a direct out while still using a softkey to control on/off?
I would like to use the dedicated TB button because it has a hold to talk feature, but it looks like I have to route to an Mix, which I understand in theory since the direct outs are literally direct, but figured they would've made some exception for the TB.

 

[Dionysus]

Just following up, doing a multitrack recording with Waves worked delightfully well.

Another question, is there a way to route the TB input to a direct out while still using a softkey to control on/off?
I would like to use the dedicated TB button because it has a hold to talk feature, but it looks like I have to route to an Mix, which I understand in theory since the direct outs are literally direct, but figured they would've made some exception for the TB.

Haven't looked into this on my SQ-6, I always use a channel for talkback, don't think I've EVER used the actual "talkback" on a console once. I could look into it when I am next beside my console. At my other venue right now with my GLD-80 (the dLive has arrived but it's going on tour before I set it up in my venue :'( )