I need help setting up an audio routing system for live vocals. Here’s what I want to achieve:
Routing Vocals to Processing on Qu 32:
Send the vocal signal from the main stage microphones to the Allen & Heath QU-32 mixer.
Route the vocals from the mixer to a computer running Ableton Live or Waves Super Rack with Auto-Tune or Waves Real-Time processing.
Sending Processed & Unprocessed Signals:
After processing, send the processed vocals to the Front of House (FOH) for the main mix.
Simultaneously, send the unprocessed vocals back to the stage monitors or foldbacks for the performers.
Fail-Safe Backup in Case of PC Issues:
Ensure that if the computer crashes or freezes, the unprocessed vocal signal can still be used without interruption.
Any advice on the best way to set this up? I’d appreciate any insights from those with experience handling live vocal processing with backup options!
Send mic signal to mix 1 for monitors, to mix 2 that goes to the pc (via an interface of sorts I guess) and feed the return of the pc via usb to another Qu input that’s assigned to the mains. If you switch off the assign to mains button from the mic-input that’s your fail safe; you only have to turn on the assign to mains button for that channel in case of a calamity.
In a system like the Avantis or DLive that have true insert points (where you can send/receive audio from an external source), you could simply pull the aux audio from the channel’s processing chain prior to the channel’s insert point. SInce they have two insert points, you can choose whether you want this before or after channel EQ, etc.
This way the aux mixes will never hear the “processed” audio, and you can set a scene up that would turn off the inserts to/from the external FX processor as a “fail safe” in case the processor goes down.
That being said, looking at the QU Reference Guide, it seems that the “insert points” on the channel processing are very limited. Basically it looks like you can only insert a FX Rack (one of the built in units) or a ducker (again something built in). There doesn’t seem to be a way to send/receive audio from an external system through the channel insert point. This means that the industry standard way to use external FX is not going to work with the QU system.
I believe the best way to accomplish this with a QU system is to utilize the “direct outs” to send audio from an input, out through the direct out, to the external FX system. It seems you can send this audio out via the USB audio sends. You will then have to reintroduce this “processed” audio back into the system by utilizing another input channel. You will select the USB channel where the processed audio is being returned as the source for the channel.
Of course this is going to add a decent amount of latency - first from the use of the USB audio, and second from the fact that you have are sending the audio through the console twice (through two different input channels).
The benefit here is that the monitor audio will be sourced from the “first” set of inputs which means it will not have any external processing on it. You could also route this audio to the Main L/R mix, but have those channels turned off or faders down to -infinity to ensure the unprocessed audio is not heard (but be available in case the external processor goes down). You would then send the channels with the external FX as their source to the Main LR mix and ensure they are turned up. This will give you the processed audio that you are looking for.