Hey there-
Trying to understand how DCAs work to see if it will accomplish what I’m after on a QU-16. I understand that there are no groups on this mixer, but can I use a DCA to accomplish something similar that gets the job done? Here’s what we are after: We have seven instruments and 6 vocal mics. When we do an instrumental live, I would like to have one fader that controls the levels of the instruments. We necessarily lower the instruments with songs that include vocals. But we want to push the instrument levels when there is no singing. Can this be easily set up on the QU-16 using a DCA? And if so, what are the unintended consequences of doing it this way?
I do this by going to the DCA Setup and assigning the inputs I want to a DCA. Then in the custom page make a fader that DCA. Of it burns a fader or two but that’s part of it. Hyoi can master mute with that also.
That’s helpful. We mix from stage so it can’t get to complicated during a concert. Is it possible to route that DCA for the instruments to channel 16, have fader 16 active for that purpose while still being able to adjust individual channel faders for the instruments and vocals… all without have to do anything but use the faders during a concert setting.
Go to the custom layer and make 16 DCA1
Get into routing then the function button to DCA/Mute groups. Select the DCA group 1 and select channels 1-14 or 15. If you want a separate DCA for vocals repeat same for DCA 2. Understand that in the customer layer you will only have 14 faders showing plus the DCAs.
DCAs are not routed - so they don’t get any eq/fx/delay/sends of their own (that’s fine for your stated needs).
They are a remote control for the other faders, the two gains are summed (so -inf on either DCA or channel is -inf, 0 on both is 0. If you have a mix of instruments at -10->5 dB with the DCA at 0 then you can adjust them all (I.e to drop them under vocals) by dropping the DCA 5dB… that will be as if you had the instruments at between -15 and 0. Magic
The ‘dangers’ are:
muting or dropping the DCA and forgetting about it!
The DCA can’t take a channel fader to more than 10dB, so a channel fader over unity won’t go quite as high if you stomp the DCA to +10. That’s a pretty minor issue though…
Depending on the stage, band and type of event I will actually put all of my stage wedge monitor mixes on a DCA. In between songs when someone in the band is talking to the audience pulling the monitor levels down a little helps clean up the over all sound, It also is a big help when someone else gets up on the stage to speak who is already scared to talk into a microphone they don’t get blasted by their own voice and back away from the mic…not that there probably talking that close to it in the first place!
You do want to remember to turn it back up when the next song starts!!
