From what I understand, DCAs can only be used to adjust the assigned faders for the LR mix. Im hoping to set up something similar to do the same for our stream mix, which is being output from an aux / aux-matrix. I thought I might be able to do it with a group but they seem to be LR only too unless I am missing something?
Is this possible or is it just one of the many advantages of having a separate broadcast console?!
Hi Westpower,
Sure you can do it with an group.
Just unassign the group form LR (in the routing tab) and then assign this group to the Aux you’re using for stream!
Works very well!
Cheers,
dd
Just returning to this after focusing on our video stream for a while!
Routing out of the group is fine, but there still isn’t something quite right on routing into the group. The aux is a pre-fader stream out, so I want the group I am feeding into it to also be independent. But even with the group unassigned from the LR, the channel volume into the group is controlled by the respective channel faders in the LR mix.
The LR is for the room mix and so I want to have the channels in that mix controlled by a DCA, but then also have an independent mix (the group) of those same channels into a group that can be fed into the streaming aux. Or is this just not how groups work?
I guess other options are to double patch the inputs, or maybe it is possible to use another aux as the “group”, assign that aux to an input and feed that into the stream aux that way?
Thanks!
That is not how groups work.
it sounds to me you either need to use an Aux mix for the streaming, but it will still share all channelprocessing (EQ, gate, comp etc) with the main mix of that channel, only the levels will be different.
If you want a completely seperate mix for the stream, you could to use double patching (patch eg input 1 to channel 1 and 25, and so on), that will give you the possibility for individual processing of all except the main gain. This requires you have enough unused processing channels available though.
Thanks Søren, for clarity by independent I just meant volume wise - I am happy for channel processing to be shared, I just want the send into the group to be pre-LR-fader. Is that possible with a group or only an aux?
Just make an aux for the streaming, no need to run it into a group afterwards unless you want to have an additional set of “master eq” etc. on the streaming set.
If you have not changed the initial setup regarding aux/groups, you could use say aux 8 (5-8 are stereo as default) and patch it to two unused output sockets for the streaming.
Or patch it to USB out 1-2 if you stream using the USB-B.
I think we might be talking at crossed purposes, we are already using an aux for the streaming.
What I am trying to achieve is a single fader that I can pull down to reduce the volume of multiple channels in an aux.
For the LR bus, this can easily be done using DCAs. Can you suggest any way of doing this on a (pre-fader) aux bus?
Ahhh now I think I get it.
You need to have a way of lowering some of the channels for the stream but not all of them…
That is unfortunately not something you can do with a DCA, as it will lower all (post) outputs on the channel.
Not sure what will be the “best” way to do this.
Perhaps @keithjah have a suggestion.
Just fired up my own SQ and took a closer look.
You can route an Aux and a Group to a Matrix, and a Group to an Aux but sadly you can’t route one or more Auxes to a Group.
Hi Westpower,
as Søren allready said, you can use a Matrix for the stream.
And to this Matrix you can route different Aux mixes.
Then you can control with one Aux-Mix a set of channels and when this aux is pre-fade you can also set their channel level indepented to you main LR.
Maybe this is a way for your setup.
RE: “DCAs for aux mixes”, A&H call these MCAs - they’re available on DLive, but not the lower consoles as yet.
I’d definitely like to see them added as a feature in future!
One hack, to get independent control of streaming and FOH - is to run BOTH of these as post-fade outputs (your LR mix is all channels at unity, like a monitor console setup).
That way you do all your processing, set both the auxes to unity, and tweak from there. You adjust FOH on your “FOH” aux, stream on your “stream” aux, and any level changes that need to be applied to both mixes can be done on the LR layer.
This also allows you to have somebody else control the stream (on an iPad or similar) while you focus on the room.
Unfortunately you still don’t get independent groups/VCAs, but really they’re just a convenience rather than being essential to the independence of your mixes.
For stream/video/recording mixes, I’ll usually use an aux with a combination of pre-fade and post-fade sends. Pre-fade sends from channels that I’m not using in the house mix (e.g. a room mic to capture audience reaction), and post-fade sends from channels that I’m actively mixing for the house. This also lets me adjust the relative level of the channels I’m using in the house mix (e.g. choir mics are often run louder in a stream mix than in the house mix, due to a combination of the direct sound from the choir and the usual gain-before-feedback limitations in the house). Taking this approach lets me focus on the house mix, while still resulting in a stream mix that’s more than just a copy of the house mix.
A full separate mix (separate console, or double-patched channels) is better, but clients aren’t usually willing to pay the extra for the additional gear and operator.
Didn’t know about these MCA’s - what a great thing!!!
+1 for SQ 
A dirty (but not quick) workaround can be via the bome box: https://www.bome.com/news/allen-heath-mixer-support
And take the roundabout way via “MIDI”
There you can create rules, eg. If one mix send is changed, change also the mix send of a particular set of channels.
Or use a Midi Fader of the desk to control this set of mix-sends.
But I think this work make only sense if your desk is installed, an channels do not change - because you’ve then also to reprogram this midi-rules…
greetings,
dd
If this is for turning band channels up and down at the start and end of songs you can do it with a group, and adjust the level of that into the aux. If you want the mix within that group to be independent for the stream and LR you would need to use a duplicate set of channels which you’d unassign from the LR. DCAs will also work when assigned to these channels, so you could have a subgroup for the band, and have drums, instruments, vocals etc DCAs. These would be in addition to any DCAs being used for the channels feeding the LR mix.
If you want the mix to be different, but still to change along with the LR mix, you could use a post-fade aux to set whatever offsets you want from where those channels are in the LR. You can also do this with a pre-fade aux if you don’t want the effect of any LR fader moves. This saves you from having to duplicate a load of input channels, but there is no way to use DCAs with this method. If there’s only one group of levels you want to adjust together I’m not sure it necessarily needs a DCA, as you can do this with the master of the sub mix. If you want to build a mix on another aux and combine it with something else you can do that with a matrix.
Chris