Which level is controlling the FX1 return? What exactly is going on when the FX1 group button is pressed?
This is a brand new QU-32. TIA
What do you mean by “FXret masters”?
There isn’t one.
Instead, each mix has for each FX a separate FX Return, which behaves practically like an input channel in this mix.
That’s correct: If you select a different mix instead of the LR, the master fader always becomes the send master.
When you select any mix, the FX returns always control the level of the respective FX within that mix.
First in the selected FX1 mix, and then back in the LR mix.
A word of caution:
You most likely don’t want to chain FX together.
Therefore, absolutely avoid opening any FX returns in FX mixes!
Otherwise, you’ll quickly encounter very strange situations, even inexplicable feedback, if you mix an FX return into the same FX.
Thank you. I am actually working backwards from just that and discovered I didn’’t understand how the FX worked. After reading your post, I went back to the manual and understood it better.
So to test if I understand it, The FX sends are a mix. When the FX 1 Mix button is ON, CH 1-32 and stereo inputs can be mixed and sent to the FX1 processor. If the FX2-4 returns are not minus infinity, do they also get sent to the FX1 processor?
Yes, how I wrote, the FX returns are practically like inputs channels.
If you select the FX1 mix, you could, in addition to all the other input channels, also mix in the FX2-4 returns, which you’ll almost certainly never need and which would also become very confusing for you.
And you could even mix in the FX1 return into FX1 mix at this point, which would practically create a loop leading to feedback!
So make sure that no FX returns are open in any FX mix.
FX returns should generally only be mixed to the Main LR and, at most, to monitor mixes for a bit pleasing effect.
Singers, for example, should primarily hear their own dry voice to be able to control it perfectly, and not distracting FXs.
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Think of the FX sends more or less just like setting up a monitor, you select the mix or FX, the faders for the input channels all to go sends on fader mode, adjusting the fader for a giving input channel will send that channel to a monitor mix or to the FX mix depending on what was selected.
Set up a mute group or DCA for the FX return channels so you can mute the FX in between songs when people are talking. Also when applying FX to an input lets just say generally less is more!!
Or - better in my view - for the FX sends, so that you never cut off abruptly a fading FX signal.
That is an interesting strategy. I like it. Do you put FX returns in a mix for subs?
With “normal” effects, this is generally never necessary.
Of course, it’s required if you’re using effects that need or create sub-bass, such as hypabass.
Normally I put the FX returns on a DCA but don’t mute it but rather pull it / fade it down.
For special FX…FX like putting some repeat delay just on a certain vocal phrase or even just a word then I certainly will use the delay FX send to bring in the delay, pull it back down so you can still hear the delay repeats decay.
Yea FX sent to aux subs would be very rare!
As for FX in general like I said earlier less is more, there’s more to putting together a good mix at first, put a touch of verb on the vocals and call it good for a start. As your mixing be comes second nature you can start adding more icing to the cake.
Are you using audio subgroups for anything at this point?
Yes. I use two DCAs. One for vocals and one for instrumentation. Operationally, I set them early in the event and leave them. Similarly, I try to leave the Fx sends and returns alone an adjust the individual input channels in the Fx mix. I’m open to better strategies but some operators are students and they do better staying on one layer. So my strategies are affected by that.
You can set up a custom layer that includes the DCA…..unless your using all 32 input channels, the custom layer is the space between the lower input later and the top return send stereo input layer.
Hitting both of the layer select buttons together puts the mixer in the custom layer, the set up menu is where you assign channels to the custom layer.
You may want to put the FX return in the vocal DCA, that way as you turn the vocals up or down the FX mix ratio to the vocals stays the same.
In some form or fashion you do need to have the FX off while people are speaking on the vocal mics.
I had time to try out all this good advice today and was able to progress my understanding with one exception:
I could not hear any effect from an FX return fader when its mix is selected. As far as I could tell, it had no effect but curiously, its value is changed to whatever it was the last time the FX mix was selected.
What does the FX Return fader setting do when the corresponding FX mix is selected? TIA
The FX return fader brings up that FX into main mix…..provided it is routed to the main mix.
Selecting the FX buttons brings up the sends on fader for the FX, the is the input to the FX unit, the FX return is the output of the FX unit, just like back in the analog days of patching effects processors to a mixer.
All that said you can re patch the effect units by going to the rear panel view and selecting other mix sources for the input and routing the output to other mixer channels. So far I have never needed to do that.
So with the back panel set to MIX→Return, what does changing FX1 Ret to -minus infinity do when FX1 mix is selected?
If the FX return channel is all the way down you will not hear that FX in the main mix regardless of how high the FX send level is.
Think of the FX return just like any input channel on the mixer.
Your observation is surely correct, as I assume that A&H uses a little “trick” to avoid the chaos of feedback within an FX and simply deactivates each FX’s own return by default.
You can verify this by selecting an FX mix on the far right and then holding down the ASSIGN button on the far left.
All four SEL buttons for the FX returns should now be illuminated, but I suspect that the one corresponding to the respective FX is always deactivated, as shown in the image, for example, in the FX1 mix.
However, you can activate this button, and then this FX return should also work (for your test).
Finally, it would be kind if you could confirm or deny my suspicion that A&H also on this console has deactivated the corresponding FX Return in each FX Mix to avoid feedback chaos.
In each of the four FX mixes, only the other three FX returns should be active at any given time, not the individual own one.
You were so observant during your learning process that you noticed this, but unfortunately, I can’t verify it myself because I don’t have a QU.
I confirmed this just now on a QU16. With FX2 mix and the top layer selected, the FX2 Ret has no effect but FX1 does have an effect (pardon the pun).
