ALLEN & HEATH SQ-5 Reference Manual
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ALLEN & HEATH SQ-5 Reference Manual

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Reference Guide
Firmware V1.5.0
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Reference Guide
V1.5.0

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Summary of Contents for ALLEN & HEATH SQ-5

  • Page 1 Reference Guide Firmware V1.5.0  Reference Guide V1.5.0...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    1. Important Information ..............6 2. Introduction..................7 3. Updating Firmware ................8 4. Operational Overview ..............9 4.1 Physical Control of the SQ ............9 4.2 Channel Types ................10 4.3 On-screen Parameters, Menus and Pop-ups ......10 4.4 On-screen Title bar ..............11 4.5 Home Screen ................12 4.6 Diagnostics ..................12 4.7 Basic Workflow Concepts ............13...
  • Page 3 6.7 Tie Lines ..................21 6.8 Socket Control ................22 7. Processing ..................23 7.1 Preamp (Input Channels) ............24 7.2 Preamp (Mix Channels) ...............27 7.3 HPF (Input Channels) ..............28 7.4 Gate (Input Channels) ..............29 7.5 Insert ...................31 7.6 GEQ (Mix Channels) ..............32 7.7 PEQ .....................34 7.8 Compressor .................35 8.
  • Page 4 10.3 Using FX Buses and Returns ............52 10.4 Sending to FX from Other Sources ..........53 10.5 FX Levels and PEQ ..............54 10.6 FX Screen Follow Sel ..............54 10.7 RackExtra FX Types ..............55 11. Saving and Recalling Shows/Scenes/Libraries ......57 11.1 Scene Manager .................58 11.2 Global Filters ................60 11.3 Safes ..................63 11.4 Libraries ..................63...
  • Page 5 12.16 Network Setup .................88 12.17 User Permissions ..............89 13. SQ-Drive and USB-B ..............92 13.1 SQ-Drive Stereo Recording and Playback ........93 13.2 SQ-Drive Multitrack Recording and Playback ......95 13.3 Connecting to a Computer ............97 14. MIDI and DAW Control ..............98 14.1 MIDI Channel and MMC ............98 14.2 MIDI Fader Strips ..............99 14.3 DAW Control ................99 14.4 MIDI from Soft Controls .............99...

  • Page 6: Important Information

    1. Important Information Safety Before powering on the SQ, read the safety instructions sheet (AP9240/CL1-1) supplied with the unit. For your own safety and that of the operator, technical crew and performers, follow all instructions and heed all warnings included in these documents and printed directly on the equipment. Ventilation Do not obstruct the sides of the SQ, or any of the air vents when in use.

  • Page 7: Introduction

    Having the same processing core means all models have the same mixing capabilities, and so this guide is generalised. Where necessary, it will be noted which model is being discussed. The differences are as follows: Model Faders Preamps XLR Outputs SoftKeys SoftRotaries SQ-5 16+master 16+talkback SQ-6 24+master 24+talkback SQ-7 32+master 32+talkback ...

  • Page 8: Updating Firmware

    3. Updating Firmware 1) Insert a new or FAT formatted USB drive into the SQ-Drive port on the front of the SQ. 2) Press the ‘Utility’ screen key and select ‘USB Utility’. 3) In the ‘Status/Format’ tab, both windows should say ‘Ready’. If they do not, you will need to ensure that the USB mode has been set to ‘SQ-Drive’.

  • Page 9: Operational Overview

    4. Operational Overview 4.1 Physical Control of the SQ Keys – All keys are labelled, and most illuminate to show when they are active. All perform specific functions, aside from the ‘SoftKeys’ which are user assignable. Faders – There are 6 layers of assignable fader strips. For all inputs and FX returns the fader controls the send level of this channel to the selected mix.

  • Page 10: Channel Types

    4.2 Channel Types Input channels – 48 input channels with processing. These can be sourced from local, remote or digital connections, and mixed to any output. Main LR – This is the main mix. All post-fader modes and options follow this mix. Mix channels –12 stereo mix channels with processing that can be used as either auxiliaries or groups.

  • Page 11: On-Screen Title Bar

    Keyboard – An on-screen keyboard is displayed when entering names or numbers. Touch and hold ‘^’ (shift) to enable caps lock. Touch ‘Apply’ or ‘OK’ to set the name or number. Touch the ‘X’ at the top right of the keyboard to close it. The standard keyboard has a separate numerical keyboard, and when entering hex, a hex-only keyboard is shown.

  • Page 12: Home Screen

    4.5 Home Screen screen title selected mix SLink port connection current/next scene option card installed firmware version SQ-Drive connected current user This is the first screen shown when powering on the SQ. It is also shown when no channels are selected, and ‘Processing’ or ‘Routing’ screen keys are active. ...

  • Page 13: Basic Workflow Concepts

    4.7 Basic Workflow Concepts • Press ‘LR’, ‘Mix’ or ‘FX’ key to present send levels for the selected Mix on the Fader Strips. Use the layer keys to move through the 6 layers of faders and adjust individual levels. The Master strip controls the master send level of the selected Mix/FX. •...

  • Page 14: Screens Reference

    4.8 Screens Reference Screen Key Option 1/Left Tabs Option 2/Top Tabs Name, Preamp (input)/Ext In (mix), HPF (input), Gate (input), FX unit (FX Processing Bank/Processing View Snd/Rtn), Insert, GEQ (mix), PEQ, Compressor Name, Direct Out/Group/Aux Snd/FX Bank/Assign and Routing Snd, DCA/Mute Assign, Mix Sends, Level View FX Sends (input)/Matrix Sends (mix) Input Meters...
  • Page 15 Diagnostics Calibration General MIDI Add-ons Shows Scenes Data Libraries Utility Sync Status/Format USB Utility Firmware Update Stereo SQ-Drive Multitrack Overview Auto Mic Mixer Input Assign Setup Inputs/Input channel Input sources Inputs/Mix Ext In Outputs/IP Direct Out Outputs/Mix Out Output destinations Outputs/Rack FX Outputs/Monitor Out Tie Lines/All Input Sources...

  • Page 16: Connections

    5. Connections Local inputs Local outputs SLink Footswitch I/O Port Network 5.1 Local Inputs Mono mic/line (XLR female) – These are numbered and accept balanced mic or line level signal. Gain, Pad and 48v Phantom Power are controlled digitally. Talkback (XLR female) – Identical to mono mic/line inputs. Intended for communication from the desk position, but can also be used as an additional input.

  • Page 17: Slink

    5.3 SLink Digital multichannel (Neutrik etherCON) – For expanding the SQ using Allen & Heath Remote Audio Units. Mode switchable between dSnake/ME, DX and gigaACE/GX protocols. Protocol Sample Rate Max Inputs Max Outputs dSnake/ME 48kHz 20 (+40 ME) 96kHz gigaACE/GX 96kHz ...

  • Page 18: I/O Patching

    6. I/O Patching There are two ways to patch input sockets to input processing channels, either in the Preamp section of the channel processing screen, or in the I/O screen. For patching multiple input channels, it is easiest to use the I/O patching screen, which is also used for all output patching.
  • Page 19 Patching a Source to a Destination – • Touch the ‘Patch’ button on the screen at the top left of the patching matrix to enable patching. • Touch a patching block on the matrix to make or delete a patch. •...

  • Page 20: Local Sockets

    Input Channel Patch Libraries – Pressing the ‘Library’ key on the surface when the ‘Input Channel’ tab under ‘Inputs’ is active will display the IP Channel Patch Libraries. These can be used to store and recall input channel patching for different setups and provide a quick method of switching the entire input patch for virtual soundcheck.

  • Page 21: Usb-B And Sq-Drive Channels

    6.5 USB-B and SQ-Drive Channels USB inputs and outputs can either be used by the USB-B connection or SQ-Drive. To view or change USB mode, press the ‘Setup’ key, then touch the ‘Audio’ tab followed by the ‘USB’ tab. See the SQ-Drive and USB-B section for more information on streaming and recording audio.

  • Page 22: Socket Control

    Tie lines allow you to pass audio directly from any available input source to one or multiple outputs and have many applications including: • Sending unprocessed (post socket analogue preamp) audio whilst simultaneously sending processed audio from the direct out (such as when multitrack recording and using a ME personal monitoring system at the same time).

  • Page 23: Processing

    7. Processing Press any ‘Sel’ key to select a channel. The physical controls and keys around the touchscreen will illuminate to show they are active and can be used to adjust parameters for the selected channel. Press the ‘Processing’ screen key to display the processing ‘bank view’. channel name preamp High Pass Filter...

  • Page 24: Preamp (Input Channels)

    7.1 Preamp (Input Channels) source select preamp control channel delay stereo image Source Select – • Touch the source type to select from a list of sources. Unassigned = Channel has no source. Local Socket = A socket on the rear of the SQ. SLink Socket = A device connected to the SLink port (AR, AB, DX, GX units or another console).
  • Page 25 • Touch and hold the ‘48V’ button to switch phantom power on or off (channel will be automatically muted for a period after switching). • Touch the ‘Pad’ button to switch the -20dB pad in or out. • Select ‘Gain’ or ‘Trim’ parameters to adjust using the touchscreen rotary. Gain = 0dB to +60dB Trim = -24dB to +24dB ...
  • Page 26 DEEP Preamp – Preamps in the SQ itself and those in Remote Audio Units are accurate and transparent, with fast transients and low THD. However, there are some situations where alternative characteristics may be desirable. Using a DEEP preamp model allows you to add these characteristics, with complete control, and none of the associated limitations or reliability concerns of esoteric equipment.

  • Page 27: Preamp (Mix Channels)

    7.2 Preamp (Mix Channels) source select preamp control mix channel delay Mix External In – A ‘Mix Ext In’ can be used with any mix channel. This routes audio directly from a source to the mix without processing, or any routing and level control. It is commonly used to add a pre-processed signal to a mix, such as a submixer or click track.

  • Page 28: Hpf (Input Channels)

    7.3 HPF (Input Channels) frequency filter slope HPF – A High Pass Filter (HPF) is available on every input channel and features an adjustable slope and frequency. • Switch in or out using the on-screen button or using the dedicated HPF ‘In’ key. •...

  • Page 29: Gate (Input Channels)

    7.4 Gate (Input Channels) side chain source and filter gate parameters and graph histogram Switch the Gate in or out using either the on-screen ‘In’ button or the physical Gate ‘In’ key (to the left of the dedicated Gate threshold rotary). Side Chain –...
  • Page 30 • Adjust parameters by touching to select and then using the touchscreen rotary. Gate threshold also has a dedicated rotary. Attack = 50µs to 300ms Hold = 10ms to 5secs Release= 10ms to 1sec Threshold = -72dB to +18dB Depth = 0dB to 60dB Histogram –...

  • Page 31: Insert

    7.5 Insert The insert points on SQ can be used to route audio to and from any available I/O sockets, allowing analogue or digital processing to be inserted into the channel. send type/sockets return type/socket operating level Inserts can also be used with the internal FX engines. See the FX engines section for more details.

  • Page 32: Geq (Mix Channels)

    Pressing the GEQ ‘Fader Flip’ key shows the graphic EQ for the selected mix on faders, with a frequency band on each fader strip. Pressing the ‘Fader Flip’ key a second time on the SQ-5 or SQ-6 displays the next set of frequency bands, and a third press will exit the mode.
  • Page 33 RTA – The RTA displays the levels of the RTA source for each frequency band of the GEQ. For full information on the GEQ RTA see the section of this guide. DEEP GEQ – Along with the ‘Constant-Q’ GEQ, other DEEP GEQ’s with unique characteristics can be added to the SQ.

  • Page 34: Peq

    7.7 PEQ PEQ display band HPF display bandwidth RTA settings frequency mode select gain The PEQ can be switched in or out using the physical ‘In’ key on the surface or with the on-screen ‘In’ button. • The 4-bands of the parametric EQ are labelled to match the physical EQ section on the surface.

  • Page 35: Compressor

    7.8 Compressor side chain control compressor mode parallel path controls histogram compressor parameters and graph Switch the Compressor in or out using either the on-screen ‘In’ button or the physical Compressor ‘In’ key (to the left of the dedicated Compressor threshold rotary). Side Chain –...
  • Page 36 Parameters – • Adjust parameters by touching to select and then using the touchscreen rotary. Attack = 30µs to 300ms Release= 50ms to 2secs Ratio = 1:1 (no compression) to Infinity (limiting) Threshold = -46dB to +18dB Gain (make-up gain) = 0dB to +18dB Graph –...
  • Page 37 DEEP Compressors – These are modelled on classic hardware units and have unique tonal and behavioural characteristics. Once DEEP compressor models have been added to an SQ, they can be used in place of the RMS/Peak compressor on any input or mix channel. ...

  • Page 38: Routing

    8. Routing Press any ‘Sel’ key to select a channel, then press the ‘Routing’ screen key to display the routing ‘bank view’. This shows an overview of 8 channels at once, with the selected channel highlighted. channel name direct out/mix source settings DCA/mute group assign drag left/right send levels and group assignments...

  • Page 39: Direct Out

    8.1 Direct Out global direct out source individual direct output level global follow options Touch the ‘Dir Out’ button on any input channel. This screen shows the direct output level for the selected channel, as well as the global direct out settings which affect all channels. The currently selected channel is displayed on the left.

  • Page 40: Mix Send And Balance Settings

    8.2 Mix Send and Balance Settings Mix channels have different buttons in place of the ‘Dir Out’ button found on the input channels, touch this to see the following options. Main – (‘Main Snd’) • Touch the ‘Output Bal’ value and adjust using the touchscreen rotary to adjust the output balance.

  • Page 41: Dca/Mute Groups

    8.3 DCA/Mute Groups Touch the DCA/Mute Assign block to show assignments for the selected channel. Digitally Controlled Amplifiers (DCA’s) control the send levels and mutes of multiple channels with a single fader and mute key. Mute groups are used to mute multiple channels using a single SoftKey. assign selected channel to DCA view all channels assigned to this DCA assign selected channel to mute group...

  • Page 42: Send Levels And Mix Assignments

    8.4 Send Levels and Mix Assignments mix sends pre/post button drag left/right assign to mix pan (stereo mixes) send level This screen displays all sends and mix assignments for the selected channel. • Touch and drag left or right to view all mixes and sends. •...

  • Page 43: Matrices

    8.6 Matrices The SQ features 3 matrix buses which can be mono or stereo. These can be fed by any combination of SQ mixes and routed to any available output socket. Combining mixes can be useful for several applications including: •...

  • Page 44: Metering

    9. Metering 9.1 PAFL LED Meter The 12 segment LED metering on the surface of the SQ to the right of the touchscreen displays level metering for the PAFL bus, so will always show metering for what is being sent to the headphone output. By default, with no PAFL keys active, this displays the main LR mix level.

  • Page 45: Chromatic Channel Metering

    9.4 Chromatic Channel Metering The Chromatic Channel Metering displays the information of a high-resolution meter in the space of a single LED. It can depict a much greater range of levels than a traditional meter and behaviour is customisable in the ‘Channel Meters’ tab. default brightness/intensity ‘threshold’...

  • Page 46: Rta's

    9.5 RTA’s There are two Real Time Analysers in the SQ. One is shown in the Meters screen (the ‘Meters RTA’) and the other can be displayed in PEQ or GEQ processing screens and/or shown using Chromatic Channel Metering when in GEQ ‘Fader Flip’ mode (the ‘Channel RTA’).
  • Page 47 RTA – PEQ Screen – The 61 band PEQ RTA uses automatic gain control (pre-trim) to display useful relative levels of frequencies on the PEQ graph. By default, it is sourced from the selected channel and is shown on all input and mix channels. RTA meters return to PEQ settings RTA settings...
  • Page 48 • If the RTA Source is using the ‘Fixed Channel’ option and is different to the currently selected channel, the RTA Source channel is displayed at the top right. • If the RTA for a different channel is displayed because it has been selected by another device (e.g.
  • Page 49 RTA – GEQ Screen – The 28 band GEQ RTA uses automatic gain control (pre-trim) to display useful relative levels of frequencies for each band of the Graphic EQ. By default, it is sourced from the selected mix channel. prominent frequency RTA settings on/off •...

  • Page 50: Other Metering

    RTA – GEQ ‘Fader Flip’ – GEQ ‘Fader Flip’ mode, if the PEQ/GEQ RTA is displaying the currently When in selected mix (i.e. the mix being controlled by the faders) then the Chromatic Channel Meters will display the level of each frequency band above the fader that controls it. The most prominent frequency is also displayed using the Pk LED’s.

  • Page 51: Fx Engines

    10. FX Engines There are 8 RackFX engines in the SQ which can be used for any available FX type, meaning any combination of 8 types can be used at any one time. Each unit has its own dedicated stereo return with PEQ for routing using Mix -> Return, or a unit can be inserted directly into any input or mix processing channel.

  • Page 52: Adjusting Parameters

    10.2 Adjusting Parameters Each FX type has a different set of parameters, but all work in the same way. • Touch any buttons to switch between modes or states. • Touch parameter controls or values and use the touchscreen rotary to adjust. The SMR FX type is a special case –...

  • Page 53: Sending To Fx From Other Sources

    10.4 Sending to FX from Other Sources Mix->Return – As well as sending using the four FX buses, you can send to the FX engines using mixes, allowing you to send to any of the 8 FX engines using ‘sends on faders’.

  • Page 54: Fx Levels And Peq

    10.5 FX Levels and PEQ Mix->Return – When routed as ‘Mix -> Return’, the PAFL, Mute and Level settings for the currently selected FX engine slot are displayed at the bottom of the screen for both the FX send and FX return. •...

  • Page 55: Rackextra Fx Types

    10.7 RackExtra FX Types Spatial Modelling Reverb (SMR) – 4 fully configurable complex spatial models: Classic, Hall, Room and EMT. Stereo Tap Delay – Clean digital delay with link, filters, tap tempo (global or local) and BPM or ms display options. ADT Doubler –...
  • Page 56 RackFX Add-ons – MultiBD Compressor 4 – Fully featured 4 band compressor for dynamic control on input or mix channels. MultiBD Compressor 3 – Fully featured 3 band compressor for dynamic control on input or mix channels. DynEQ4 – 4 band dynamic equaliser, able to carve and shape any sound source.

  • Page 57: Saving And Recalling Shows/Scenes/Libraries

    11. Saving and Recalling Shows/Scenes/Libraries All mix settings in SQ can be stored and recalled in either ‘Scenes’ or ‘Show’ files. Scenes are intended for recall during use, whilst a Show file contains everything for an event or particular set up. Show files should also be used to backup a configuration or transfer it to another unit.

  • Page 58: Scene Manager

    11.1 Scene Manager The scene manager allows scenes to be stored, recalled or deleted and for per-scene recall filters to be applied. recall scene name edit scene name scene number store, modify and filter settings touch and drag scene filter active shortcut to ‘role’...
  • Page 59 To quickly copy, paste or delete scenes: • Hold the ‘Copy’ key and touch the scene you wish to copy. • Hold the ‘Paste’ key and touch the scene slot in which you’d like to paste it. • Hold the ‘Reset’ key and touch a scene to delete it. Scene Filters –...

  • Page 60: Global Filters

    11.2 Global Filters Global scene filters are always active, and affect which settings are changed when recalling a scene. They also override any active scene filters. filter type filter active on tab recall allowed recall blocked • Touch any filter button to switch between ‘Allow’ and ‘Block’. •...
  • Page 61 Mix Filters – Group Filter Includes Patch Mix Ext In source plus output patching of Group channels Ext In Preamp Preamp settings of Group Mix Ext In Processing All Group channel processing Name/Colour All Group channel names and colours Fader Master fader positions and output balance of Group channels Pan/Balance Master pan and balance positions for all Group channels...
  • Page 62 Other Filters – DCA/Mute Group Filter Includes DCA Name/Colour All DCA names and colours Mute Group Name All Mute Groups names DCA Fader All DCA fader values DCA Mute All DCA mutes Mute Group Mute All Mute Group mutes DCA Assign All DCA member assignments Mute Group Assign All Mute Group assignments...

  • Page 63: Safes

    11.3 Safes ‘Safes’ block any changes to a channel when recalling a scene. safe disabled safe enabled • Touch ‘Input’, ‘FX’ or ‘Mix’ tabs to view all channel safes. • Touch a ‘Safe’ button to safe the channel (the button will turn white). 11.4 Libraries Factory Libraries and User Libraries are available for many features and processing in SQ and can be accessed by using the dedicated Library key when in certain screens.
  • Page 64 Factory libraries provide presets and are also used to recall different FX units or DEEP plug-ins. They are fixed in firmware and cannot be edited or overwritten. To recall from the library: • Go to the screen you wish to recall parameters for. •...

  • Page 65: Data Transfer (Usb/Mixpad)

    11.5 Data Transfer (USB/MixPad) All data transfer options are located in the ‘Utility’ screen, in the ‘Data’ tab. These enable shows and individual scenes and libraries to be stored and recalled, and are used to back-up data or transfer it to another SQ. USB Shows –...
  • Page 66 USB Scenes – SQ scenes scenes on SQ-Drive to/from SQ actions To store an individual scene to a USB device: • Touch to select the scene you wish to store in the ‘SQ Scenes’ list on the left. • Touch the ‘To USB’ button. To transfer a scene from USB to the SQ: •...
  • Page 67 USB Libraries – SQ libraries libraries on SQ-Drive to/from SQ actions To store an individual library item to a USB device: • Touch to select the library item you wish to store in the ‘SQ Libraries’ list on the left. ...
  • Page 68 Sync – To push or pull data using the SQ-MixPad app, the SQ console must be in sync mode. This avoids accidental overwriting of data on both the SQ console and SQ-MixPad. To enter sync mode, go to the ‘Utility’ screen, then touch ‘Data’ followed by ‘Sync’. Touch the ‘Sync Mode’...

  • Page 69: Setup

    12. Setup 12.1 Strip Assign All fader strips on the SQ are freely assignable. Press the ‘Setup’ screen key, touch the ‘Surface’ tab then touch the ‘Strip Assign’ tab. channel types SQ channels surface layers drag ‘n’ drop surface fader strips •...

  • Page 70: Input/Mix Stereo Assign

    12.2 Input/Mix Stereo Assign To use channels as stereo channels throughout the mixer, they must first be switched into stereo mode. In the ‘Setup’ screen, touch the ‘Mixer Config’ tab, then touch either ‘Input Stereo’ or ‘Mix Stereo’. stereo mode mono mode apply/cancel changes mono aux...

  • Page 71: Mix Bus Configuration

    12.3 Mix Bus Configuration The 12 mixes can be switched between group and auxiliary modes under the ‘Bus Config’ tab. groups auxiliaries apply/cancel changes • Touch either the ‘Number or Groups’ value or the ‘Number of Auxes’ value, then adjust using the touchscreen rotary. •...

  • Page 72: Softkeys/Softrotaries

    12.4 SoftKeys/SoftRotaries SoftKeys and SoftRotaries allow you to customise surface controls of the SQ. Press the ‘Setup’ screen key, then touch the ‘Surface’ tab followed by the ‘Soft Controls’ tab to view and adjust SoftKey and SoftRotary assignments. control type control option 1 control option 2 SoftKey/Soft Rotary selection...
  • Page 73 Possible SoftKey assignments Control Type Control Option 1 Control Option 2 Colour Unassigned AMM Channel On/Off All input channels Green AMM In/Out AMM 1, AMM 2 Green Channel Mute All audio channels Channel PAFL All audio channels Yellow DAW Control Bank Up, Bank Down DCA Mute DCA’s 1 to 8...
  • Page 74 Possible SoftRotary assignments Control Type Control Option 1 Control Option 2 Unassigned AMM Priority Current Selection, all input Unassigned, On channels Compressor Threshold, Ratio, Gain, Current Selection, all Unassigned, In Attack, Release input and mix channels DCA Level Fader DCA’s 1 to 8 Unassigned, Mute, PAFL, Spill FX Parameter...

  • Page 75: Footswitch

    12.5 Footswitch Connect a single or dual, momentary or latching footswitch with a TS or TRS ¼” jack plug to the ‘Footswitch’ socket to allow hands-free control of the SQ. In the ‘Setup’ screen, touch the ‘Surface’ tab then the ‘Footswitch’ tab to display and adjust the footswitch settings and assignments.

  • Page 76: Surface Preferences

    12.6 Surface Preferences Press the ‘Setup’ key, then touch the ‘Surface’ tab followed by the ‘Surface Prefs’ tab to see the surface preferences.  This screen can also be accessed by pressing the ‘Brightness’ button on the ‘Home’ page. • Touch the ‘Confirm Scene Operations’...
  • Page 77 Channel Delay Controls – ‘Delay Units’ changes the units displayed on all input and mix processing channel delays. Delay Units = Millisecond (ms) Meters (m) Feet (ft) Samples (S) As the speed of sound through air depends on the temperature of the air, selecting a measure of distance will allow the ‘Temperature’...

  • Page 78: Pafl

    12.7 PAFL The Pre/After Fade Listen settings affect the behaviour of the PAFL bus which is routed to the SQ headphone output and displayed on the 12 segment LED meter as well as being routed to the SQ’s RTA. Press the ‘Setup’ screen key, then touch the ‘Audio’ tab, followed by the ‘PAFL’ tab to display and adjust settings.
  • Page 79 Ext in Source Select and Ext in Preamp/Trim – Use these settings to select an external in socket to feed directly to the PAFL bus. Preamp control will become available when a local or remote preamp has been assigned. Use the ‘Ext in to PAFL’ button to switch the external in signal on or off. ...

  • Page 80: Talkback Settings

    12.8 Talkback Settings Talkback is used to enable the engineer to communicate via the audio outputs. When the ‘Talk’ key is pressed, the talkback source is routed to all assigned mixes.  The talkback output can also be routed from the I/O screen from the ‘Monitor Out’ tab. This output respects the ‘Talk’...

  • Page 81: Signal Generator

    12.9 Signal Generator The signal generator can be used to send a signal to a mix for level configuration or used in conjunction with an and a measurement microphone to check the frequency response of a system. Press the ‘Setup’ screen key, then touch the ‘Audio’ tab followed by the ‘SigGen’ tab to view and adjust the signal generator settings.

  • Page 82: Audio Sync And Aes Sample Rate

    12.10 Audio Sync and AES Sample Rate Press the ‘Setup’ screen key, then touch the ‘Audio’ tab followed by the ‘Audio Sync Opts’ tab to see clock source and AES digital output sample rate options. Audio Clock Source – • Touch the ‘Audio Clock Source’...

  • Page 83: I/O Port

    12.11 I/O Port There are multiple option cards available for the SQ’s I/O Port. These allow the SQ to interface with 3 party audio networking protocols, as well as providing the option to add a second SLink port. Press the ‘Setup’ screen key, then touch the ‘Audio’ tab followed by the ‘I/O Port’ tab. Control Network Bridge currently installed I/O Card This screen shows which option card is currently connected.

  • Page 84: Usb Options

    12.12 USB Options Press the ‘Setup’ screen key, then touch the ‘Audio’ tab followed by the ‘USB’ tab to see the options for the USB-B and SQ-Drive. USB mode USB sample rate apply/cancel changes USB Mode – This switches between USB-B and SQ-Drive modes. USB-B should be selected for connection to a computer via the USB-B port on the rear of the SQ and SQ-Drive should be selected when recording or playing back audio to or from a USB storage device on the surface of the SQ.

  • Page 85: Mixer Role And Master Fader Mode

    12.13 Mixer Role and Master Fader Mode For quick setup from a known starting point you can select the ‘role’ of the SQ. Press the ‘Setup’ screen key, then touch the ‘Mixer Config’ tab followed by the ‘Role’ tab to view options for resetting mix settings and to change the master fader mode. roles master fader mode reset...

  • Page 86: Dca Spill

    12.14 DCA Spill The DCA Spill function allows all members of a DCA to be temporarily displayed across channel strips and layers, in place of the current channel strip layout. Members are always spilled in listed order with the DCA itself on the last channel strip. Working with channels in a spill state is then the same as when working with the standard channel strip layout.

  • Page 87: Input Ganging

    12.15 Input Ganging Ganging enables attributes to be linked across multiple input channels. This means changes to linked attributes on one member of the gang affect all other members of that gang at the same time. The SQ features 8 gangs with up to 12 members in each. To setup ganging, press the ‘Setup’...

  • Page 88: Network Setup

    12.16 Network Setup For use with any control over Ethernet, such as wireless control or use with MIDI over TCP/IP, the SQ must be connected as a device on a network. With default settings, the SQ will automatically connect to any network which uses DHCP to assign IP addresses, and will be seen by any apps running on devices connected to the same network.

  • Page 89: User Permissions

    12.17 User Permissions Along with the Admin user, SQ can have 10 other users, each with individual permissions, passwords, scene access and user scenes (which are recalled on login). These users can log in on the SQ itself as well as with any client connected to the SQ remotely, such as the SQ-MixPad and SQ4You remote apps.
  • Page 90 • Use ‘Scene Range’ to select a range of scenes that the user has access to (the default range is all 300 scenes). • If required, touch the ‘User Scene’ value to choose a scene to load when the user logs in. ...
  • Page 91 Available User Permissions – Setup Parameters USB Data Recall Name/Colour USB Data Store Input/Group Preamp USB Data Modify Input/Group EQ Sync Push Input/Group Other Processing Sync Pull Mix Preamp Scene Recall Mix EQ Scene Store Mix Other Processing Scene Modify FX Parameters Global Filter DirOut and Mix Settings...

  • Page 92: Sq-Drive And Usb-B

    13. SQ-Drive and USB-B SQ-Drive and USB-B run exclusively from one another but use the same patching and sample rate settings.  There are bandwidth intensive tasks (such as formatting an SQ-Drive or loading a show) that require the mode to be changed. Before recording or playing back audio, both the mode and the sample rate should be set.

  • Page 93: Sq-Drive Stereo Recording And Playback

    13.1 SQ-Drive Stereo Recording and Playback Press the ‘Utility’ screen key then touch the ‘SQ-Drive’ tab followed by the ‘Stereo’ tab to show the SQ-Drive Stereo record/playback screen. record/playback meters record controls and time record file error count playback file playback controls and time playback mode device load...
  • Page 94 Playback – • Touch the ‘Stereo Playback’ file name value. Then touch the ‘Playback’ or ‘Recording’ button to view files in each folder (recordings you have made with the SQ are displayed in the ‘Recordings’ folder). • Touch a track to highlight it. •...

  • Page 95: Sq-Drive Multitrack Recording And Playback

    13.2 SQ-Drive Multitrack Recording and Playback Press the ‘Utility’ screen key then touch the ‘SQ-Drive’ tab followed by the ‘Multitrack’ tab to show the SQ-Drive multitrack record/playback screen. SQ-Drive status record/playback meters track selection record/playback controls and time playback mode playback position error count device load...
  • Page 96  Not all USB devices are capable of the high bandwidth used by the SQ-Drive multitrack recording feature. For best results when multitrack recording direct to USB, use a high- speed external hard drive rather than a USB stick/’pen’ drive. Playback –...

  • Page 97: Connecting To A Computer

    13.3 Connecting to a Computer To stream audio to and from a computer, it needs to be connected to the SQ using a USB-A to USB-B cable. SQ conforms to USB 2.0 standards, so it is recommended to use a high-speed USB cable.

  • Page 98: Midi And Daw Control

    14. MIDI and DAW Control When connected to a computer either via USB or TCP/IP, the SQ sends and receives MIDI control messages. These can be broken down into two sets of bi-directional messages. Those that are used to control the SQ, and those used to control external software or equipment. ...

  • Page 99: Midi Fader Strips

    14.2 MIDI Fader Strips The SQ has 32 available MIDI fader strips that can be assigned anywhere in the fader strip layers. These transmit standard MIDI messages over USB and TCP/IP when ‘Mute’, ‘Sel’ or ‘PAFL’ keys are pressed, or when the fader strip fader is adjusted. They also respond to the same messages.

  • Page 100: Automatic Microphone Mixing (Amm)

    15. Automatic Microphone Mixing (AMM) Automatic Microphone Mixing provides automated level control of multiple microphone channels. It is designed for use in multichannel speech applications such as conferences, panel discussions, theatre or broadcast. The AMM’s in SQ use the D-Classic gain sharing algorithm to increase the level of active channels whilst simultaneously decreasing the levels of any other assigned channels.

  • Page 101: Amm Overview

    Assigning/unassigning channels – • If using 2 AMM’s, use the AMM selection buttons to choose which AMM to display. • Touch and drag left or right to show all input channels and AMM slots. • Touch and drag input channels from the top to AMM slots at the bottom to assign a channel.

  • Page 102: Amm Setup

    • Touch a block of 8 AMM channels at the top to display these in the bottom half of the screen. • Touch a slot ‘On/Off’ button to add or remove the assigned channel from the AMM. Channels have AMM automatically set to ‘On’ when they are assigned. •...

  • Page 103: Add-Ons

    16. Add-ons Optional add-ons for the SQ are available to purchase, allowing customisation of each unit through the addition of special processing and DEEP models.  To ensure the latest units and models are available, install the latest version of firmware. Press the ‘Utility’...

  • Page 104: Mix/System Reset

    17. Mix/System Reset 17.1 Reset Mix Settings The SQ has multiple ‘Reset Mix Settings’. These are used to ‘zero the desk’ for different uses. This will clear the current state of the SQ, but does not affect stored Scene or Library data, so save the current settings Press the ‘Setup’...
  • Page 105 Reset Mix Settings: Standard – Routing Setting Input Stereo 40 mono (1-40), 4 stereo (ST1, ST2, ST3, USB) Local Input patching 1-to-1 (as labelled), then unassigned to 46 Mix Bus Configuration Aux 1-4 (mono), Aux 5-8 (stereo), Group 9-12 (Stereo) LR Assign All inputs and groups assigned Aux assign and send...
  • Page 106 Reset Mix Settings: Monitor – Routing Setting Input Stereo 48 mono (1-48) Local Input patching 1-to-1 (as labelled), then unassigned to 48 Mix Bus Configuration Aux 1-6 (mono), Aux 7-12 (stereo) LR Assign All inputs unassigned Aux assign and send Inputs to all Aux, Post-Fade, Post-Delay Local Output patching (Aux) 1-to-1 for mono then sequential stereo...

  • Page 107: System Reset

    17.2 System Reset To perform a full system reset, hold the EQ ‘In’ and ‘HF’ keys when powering on the SQ. This will clear all mix settings and all saved data, including Shows/Scenes and Libraries, and will revert the SQ to its initial state. Before you carry out a system reset, back-up any data you wish to keep using a USB device or SQ-MixPad.

  • Page 108: Block Diagrams

    18. Block Diagrams INPUT CHANNEL x 48 Sidechain Sidechain Configurable Mono / Stereo Channel RTA METER INSERT A MUTE FADER ASSIGN+PAN WIDTH TRIM GATE COMP/ DELAY IP to MAIN gain Ducker IP to GRP MODE Stereo ch only Post-Preamp Post-Ins A Post-PEQ Post-Delay IP to AUX/FX...
  • Page 109 FX SEND RackFX x8 FX RETURN x8 METER Send > Return FX Strip METER FADER in-place MUTE ASSIGN+PAN Inserted FX FADER MUTE Ret to MAIN Ret to GRP From: FX Send Any MIX Ret to AUX/FX Post Input DIR OUT TALKBACK SIG GEN Assign to: INPUT CH, GRP, AUX, MAIN, MTX...

  • Page 110: Specifications

    Nominal +4dBu ST1, ST2 / 0dBu ST3 Trim +/-24dB Maximum Input Level (ST1, ST2 / ST3) +22dBu / +18dBu Input Impedance >7kΩ Outputs 1-12 (SQ-5) and 1-14 (SQ-6) Balanced, XLR Outputs A and B Balanced 1/4" TRS Jack Source Patchable Output Impedance <75Ω...
  • Page 111 <0.7mS, Local Mic Input to Main L/R Operating Temperature Range 0 deg C to 40 deg C (32 deg F to 104 deg F) Mains Power 100-240V AC, 50/60Hz Max Power Consumption SQ-5/SQ-6/SQ-7 75W / 90W / 110W  Reference Guide V1.5.0...
  • Page 112 Input Processing Source CH1-48 Fully patchable USB Global Source SQ-Drive or USB-B Streaming Polarity Normal/Invert Trim -24 to +24dB High Pass Filter 12/18/24dB per octave 20Hz – 2kHz Insert (Pre EQ/Comp) Fully Patchable Delay Up to 341ms Gate Patchable Sidechain Sidechain filter Hi-pass (20-5k), Band-pass (120-10k), Lo-pass (120-20k) Threshold / Depth...
  • Page 113 Mix Processing Insert (Pre EQ/Comp) Fully Patchable Delay Up to 682ms 28 bands 31Hz-16kHz, +/-12dB Gain, Constant 1/3 oct, DEEP options As Input PEQ Compressor As Input Compressor 8 x RackExtra FX engine, Send>Return or Inserted (4 Internal FX dedicated FX bus) SMR Reverb, Gated Reverb, Stereo Tap Delay, ADT, Blue Types Chorus, Symphonic Chorus, Flanger, noo Phaser...
  • Page 114 Send (upstream) 32 channel, 48/96kHz, 24-bit Return (downstream) 32 channel, 48/96kHz, 24-bit Size and Weight SQ-5 Width x Depth x Height Desk mounted 440 x 514.9 x 198 mm (17.3" x 20.3" x 7.8") Packed in shipping box 610 x 680 x 360 mm (24" x 26.8" x 14.2") Unpacked weight 10.5 kg (23.1 lbs)

  • Page 115: Warranty Information

    20. Warranty Information Limited One Year Manufacturer’s Warranty Allen & Heath warrants the Allen & Heath -branded hardware product and accessories contained in the original packaging ("Allen & Heath Product”) against defects in materials and workmanship when used in accordance with Allen & Heath's user manuals, technical specifications and other Allen &...

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