Inexperienced Users - X32 or A&H Qu... or...?

[sonics]

One function the Behringers have that I find very useful is Automix, invaluable for panel discussions and I've even used it on backup vocals to limit stage bleed. Not sure if other manufacturers have it?

The Qu series has 16 channels of what A&H call AMM (Automatic Mic Mixing).

[Mike Stranks]

The Statement of Requirement (which I shall write) will set out what needs to be accommodated in terms of 'events' and will emphasise that for much of the time the system will need to be powered-up by those with no tech hinterland. It will not set out that an XYZ mixer should be supplied. We shall see what is offered by prospective suppliers...

Your answers have helped me to come to a view on the pros and cons on two of the desks that may well be offered... it'll be interesting to see if anything else is 'pitched'...

If you're going out to suppliers, just remember that they may propose some wholly inappropriate options. Wouldn't be surprised if they suggested SQ. I suspect SQ might be a great fit for this, but it also a reasonable leap up in budget. Its custom layers have the potential to make it quite appealing for your use case.

Been there before several times...

Typically scenario: Church goes to a company and gets a quote which is eye-wateringly expensive... someone in the church, or linked to it, knows of my background, so suggests I have a look at the quote. I then sit in on the review/discussion meeting with the prospective supplier, whose genial bonhomie quickly evaporates when they realise that there's someone here who knows about this stuff and is asking some challenging questions about equipment and costs quoted.

At least this time, I'm in on the ground floor and can couch the Statement of Requirement in precise terms. I'm now waiting for dates from the church when I can meet with key people to help them determine what functionality is needed...

[MarkOne]

Mike,

We have the SQ5 in our church install, and I think that in every way it's better than the QU range. But the deal breaker on the QU was the lack of scribble strips. Our shortlist was finally X32, SQ and Yamaha Touchflow

Feel free to PM me if you want more info.

[Mike Stranks]

Mike,

We have the SQ5 in our church install, and I think that in every way it's better than the QU range. But the deal breaker on the QU was the lack of scribble strips. Our shortlist was finally X32, SQ and Yamaha Touchflow

Feel free to PM me if you want more info.

Thanks Mark; I'll bear that in mind...

[AlecSp]

We have the SQ5 in our church install, and I think that in every way it's better than the QU range. But the deal breaker on the QU was the lack of scribble strips. Our shortlist was finally X32, SQ and Yamaha Touchflow

I believe that the sub £10k market today comes down to a choice between X/M 32 and SQ - both of which will come well in budget, even including remote stageboxes. The choice between the two lines then comes down to price

X32 simply can't be beaten on price, and is very usable, while being incredibly familiar. You can't beat the family of associated products that go with it.

SQ is better sound quality, though that's unlikely to be noticeable in a church setting. But custom layers/channel count/patching/IO/touch screen are massive wins - with only a couple of infuriating design flaws. Handy to have a choice of surface sizes, too - SQ5 is dead compact, but SQ7's 32 faders mean that I typically have everything I ever need on a single layer.

The rest of Yamaha's current line-up is great, but TF is the runt of the litter.

PreSonus may be heavily sold in US HoW, but it remains a dead-end loner.

[shufflebeat]

...the deal breaker on the QU was the lack of scribble strips.

Can you expand on this? I've found the limited character-count on the Qu-Pac to be a good incentive to abbrvt my labels to something easily identifiable and, as a result don't really think of it as a limitation. I do see quite a lot of discussion on the topic so do realise I may be in a minority of one.

[AlecSp]

...the deal breaker on the QU was the lack of scribble strips.

Can you expand on this? I've found the limited character-count on the Qu-Pac to be a good incentive to abbrvt my labels to something easily identifiable and, as a result don't really think of it as a limitation.

He was referring to the lack of scribble strips on QU, rather than their size limit.

On the size limit, of course you can make it work - as I have to every time I mix on SQ. Doesn't stop me wishing I didn't have to have quite such contrived names, compared with double the character count on X32. Nothing to stop you using 6 characters on that platform, but if you fancy more usable names, then no problem.

SQ scribble strips, whilst at least there, are rubbish. Hard to read and limited characters. I really disappointing cheaping out and daft design on a largely otherwise cracking mixer.

What's most shocking is that even DLive, with its spacious, lush and otherwise informative scribble strips shares this same bizarre character limit. It's like A&H assume some masochistic trait in all their users.

We're not all millennials who lv abbrvs TL:DR LOL

[shufflebeat]

We're not all millennials who lv abbrvs TL:DR LOL

Y, it’s psbl 2go 2fr w/ abbrvs, I sps.

I’m obviously 100% on iPad due to the limited fader capacity on the Qu-Pac but I find it so instinctive that I’d have to think twice about those old Victorian knobby things now.

[Dave Rowles]

White tape and a sharpie when I started. Names were 3 letters or less until I got up to bigger desks and could sometimes get 5 letters in. 6 is luxury.

[AlecSp]

White tape and a sharpie when I started. Names were 3 letters or less until I got up to bigger desks and could sometimes get 5 letters in. 6 is luxury.

Think about our attitudes to cars. I remember the days when central locking, electric windows, and air-con all felt like unneccesary luxuries in a car. I don't any more.

I, too, used to do the same with tape. I don't miss those days.

[Dave Rowles]

Think about our attitudes to cars. I remember the days when central locking, electric windows, and air-con all felt like unneccesary luxuries in a car. I don't any more.

It's different in this situation where it's going to be multiple users, so therefore having as accurate label as possible is a must. However, I still label my scribble strips short hand if I'm the only one using the desk even when I have the characters available. Quicker and easier, plus typing everything in is usually a bit of a faff, even on really modern desks.

[Sam Spoons]

Using the onboard matrix 'keyboard' navigated by a couple of rotary encoders on the X32 (and most of the other digital mixers I've used) is a complete pain for more than the odd change. Much easier to label everything in advance using X32 Edit and Querty keyboard on the computer. Failing that an iPad keyboard is a better option when at the gig.

[AlecSp]

Using the onboard matrix 'keyboard' navigated by a couple of rotary encoders on the X32 (and most of the other digital mixers I've used) is a complete pain for more than the odd change. Much easier to label everything in advance using X32 Edit and Querty keyboard on the computer. Failing that an iPad keyboard is a better option when at the gig.

Agreed - don't think I've ever struggled through that with X32 - always tablet/PC.

Even with SQ, it's an easier process on an external device.

Call me old fashioned, but what's wrong with wanting to call a trumpet a Trumpet - not a Trump / Trmpt / Tpt, etc.