A key element in all this is that is not my Qu-7 and none of the people using it have experience with a digital mixer AND the head guy has no interest in understanding it, or learning to take advantage of the many options and tools this mixer offers over the huge analog A&H they previous had. They want it as default as possible - and insist on seeing it and running it as a modern analog mixer. I’m involved because it’s the church my wife attends and she begged me to help address the mess they created for themselves.
I learned I was the third person that had been there to deal with this - the other two were hired to get things dialed in and train . . . pretty sad relative to the many EQ, compression, and routing issues they had created for themselves - as well as cheap speakers to replace far better non-powered ones.
This experience has confirmed, for me, I have no interest in ever investing in the Qu series myself - far too many limitations - Avantis or dLive for me, if it’s my money. Would choose an M32 over Qu series any day.
Well guys - I confirmed what I suspected - I didn’t have time to really get into things, but I think I know why the feedback issues and I do think it is related to FX and a loop being setup.
What I did. Vocal mic patch to local 6. Set up a chorus on FX Rack 3. Chose FX Mix 3 ran the fader up for only that mic, and set the level to 0 for the FX Mix 3 on the master for it. Then I went to LR and raised the FX 3 Return - no chorus. I raised the fader for Fx 3 Send (within the LR mix) and got chorus AND noisy color - the precursor for feedback - and, if I pushed the FX higher, I could get feedback.
This leads me to think that the heart of the feedback issues I’ve wrangled - which were like nothing I’ve dealt with on any system, any mic - and I’ve tamed headsets and lavs to be used cleanly in front of the PA.
The challenge is that someone else had set all this stuff up. In the early stages I ignored the FX as I was new to the board, the manual is pretty thin on the topic and the A&H tutorials weren’t out yet. I’ve also since invested in another set of tutorials - much better than those from A&H - unfortunately - neither covers anything more than choosing the FX mix and adding desired inputs. They don’t cover making sure FX returns are engaged in the desired mixes, nor what and where the FX Sends need to be.
I only had a tiny window of time to check this tonight. My sense is that whoever set things up set up loops that I need to undo AND figure out how to get the FX active without creating a loop.
It shouldn’t be that hard, but trying to figure out someone else’s mess is often tougher than doing it right the first time. I didn’t have the knowledge of this boards FX routing when I first wrangled with this. But, when all the standard ideas weren’t yielding the result to the standard I am used to - with plenty of clarity and a reasonable amount of headroom, I stepped back and remembered creating a feedback loop in my early days on an X32 - by activating returns in two places. I think something similar is going on here. Just going to take some time to sort it out.
I already wrote to you at the beginning of this thread:
But these are really just logical basics, not groundbreaking new insights.
And this has nothing to do with A&H or QU; it happens with any mixing console that allows routing an FX back into itself.
In another thread, you also already wrote about strange feedback problems three months ago, and I think they might still be the same ones.
I think you and this church would be well advised to consult someone who is familiar with current A&H products and can set up basic configurations for their events, which can then be used as needed.
Please, sorry for what might be harsh words, but I think, you haven’t even grasped the basics of the QU, yet you still consider it too much limiting and beneath you.
Instead, you prefer to dream of the even much more complex Avantis or even dLive - or just a X32 …
Thanks for investing so much time with the intent to help. I feel we are wasting each other’s time at this point, so not taking this any further - here.
And, to be clear, no FX returns were in any of the FX mixes.
You have a good day.
To be clear, my lack of interest in investing in a QU series mixer goes back to first gen and didn’t change with this fractional improvement in the series. It is a great fit for some users, especially when you are replacing an analog board and people have little comprehension of wise use of many of the options that previously have been the domain of much higher end boards or outboard gear. That’s not me - hasn’t been for a couple of decades.
For what it’s worth, if using an FX rack 1-4 as Send/Return, wouldn’t that require both a send and return level? You have to send signal into the FX and then return that effect to a mix. In my use, I balance the send and return levels.