I’ve just got the SQ6 and am struggling to work out the best way to create a “monitor mix” that I can send to a pair of headphones.
(the headphones are currently in A Out, with another pair for hopefully a different monitor mix in B Out)
I had started by creating a “mix” for each desired monitor mix (using the blue keys) BUT cannot find a way to route one of the blue mixes to the A Out or B out ports. Can these blue mixes be routed like this or should I be using a different method to prepare a group of channels and levels to send to the headphone sockets perhaps?
Is there a good way to get this all done please?
(BTW: Should I be using a DCA group to group together the channels I want in the mix OR is the DCA for another purpose?)
Firstly A and B out are NOT stereo headphone sockets, they are balanced line out sockets, so you will hear virtually nothing through a pair of headphones. You will need to connect a head phone amplifier to each before you can hear anything .
As for patching, go to the I/O patching page, on the far left select “output” on the top select “local” if you look down the side of the matrix you will see all you Aux and along the top all your physical sockets, including A and B
In addition: Since you point out that this is a beginner’s question, the following counter questions:
Could it be that you just want to create a normal in-ear monitoring system for several musicians with your headphone mixes?
Or is it actually the case that there are 2 operators at your SQ who need different headphone mixes in mono?
Perhaps you could reveal a little more about the intended use of your console (live sound, studio, stream, etc.).
DCAs basically only control your channel faders remotely and you cannot use these groups to create different monitor mixes that you then send to desired outputs, as you do with your aux mixes.
Many thanks for the feedback.
Yes, perhaps I can provide some more context for clarity:
I’m a drum tutor and basically the 2 “monitor mixes” for when students sit at either of my two main kits (so they can work to “play along” tracks etc.) the mixes I provide are slightly different as one kit is electronic and one is an acoustic kick.
A & B out quality
I did wonder if I’d need to perhaps a stereo out to ensure the the headphones have a stereo mix, but I wasn’t sure the best way to do that either! and the volume I am getting to headphones this way is more than powerful enough, BUT if there is a good way to create a better quality stereo mix to the headphones I’m all ears (no pun intended!)
“Blue Mix” and Aux
So, I’ve created a mix for each pair of headphones using the Blue Mix" buttons, and (after more good ol’ trial and error) took out the DCA step and then used the Aux1 for blue mix 1, and Aux2 for blue mix 2, then using the i/0 screen patched these to the A out & B out.
So far that seems to give me what I need, but what I don’t quite understand still is the way that the “blue mix” links to the Aux mix:
Was I just lucky OR is there some internal routing that ensures they just link together?
Thanks again for helping to get me up up & running. I have upgraded from a Zoom L20, which has done sterling work, but obviously these are very different consoles!
A spatial stereo mix for learning the drums would certainly be beneficial.
To do this, you could configure each aux mix in Setup - Mixer Config - Mix Stereo as stereo.
You would then have to assign outputs to each of the 4 channels.
It is possible, but you will have a very unpleasant listening experience because you will hear the signal out of phase.
Compare it to the correct phase when listening your aux mix on the correct headphone output.
You would actually need additional headphone amplifiers to do this, which you connect to the 4 outputs of your two stereo auxes.
If the levels of the outputs of the console are actually sufficient for you, you could probably also have 2 special adapter cables made from 2x XLR line out to 1x stereo TRS.
It is very unusual, but it could still work.
If you set all channels of your Blue Aux mixes to “Pre Fade”, you have complete control over both mixes - independent of the console’s normal main mix.