My church uses an SQ-5 for church services. In the middle of practice last week, mutiple input channels suddenly began peaking and we were getting nothing but loud static from those channels. I disconnected the outputs and all the physical inputs; cut all the effects channels; shut down the console and and restarted it several times with no success. The next day, I restarted the console and the problem seemed to have resolved itself, but an hour into service, the the problem happened again out of the blue. After about two minutes, it resolved on its own. I think this is a software glitch in the console, but since the problem is intermittent, I don’t know how to narrow down the issue. Any suggestions would be appreciated!!
Why would you say it’s a software glitch? I doubt you changed software right before the problem started or install another version that made the problem go away. Software doesn’t break and then “fix” itself and then break again later. The fact that it is intermittent when you aren’t changing how you interact with the console points to it being a hardware problem, not a software problem.
What we do need before we can begin to start diagnosing what the problem might be is a lot more specific information about what you are experiencing. What inputs are you struggling with? Is there a pattern to the problem inputs (ie channels 9-16) or are they completely random (ie channel 1, 6, 21, 37, etc)? Are they analog inputs on the console itself or a stagebox that is connected to the console? If it’s a stage box, have you tried swapping out the network cable connecting the box to the console?
What Brian says is correct. Are you using a cable from the panel to the stage? An analog snake, an Ethernet cable, Madi, etc? Is it something as silly as that cable getting pinched in a door, or run over by the piano; something physical happening between the panel and the stage?
I too have experienced this 3x’s intermittently, I would disconnect all inputs, look at the desk, and channels are still peaking, red lights everywhere.
Using an Sq-5 → slink Cat5 → GLD (Purple) AR2412.
It FREAKS YOU OUT. Haven’t found the solutions, can’t replicate. Hard shutdown brings it back to normal. Currently it’s not happened on Sunday. PRAY THAT IT DOESN’T!
I don’t see a resolution to this yet? We have an SQ7 that is about 3 years old. A couple of weeks ago we had this start happening-5 channels started peaking randomly with a loud static sound. Last night it happened again and I was able to do some troubleshooting during the service. Here is what I am seeing:
Physical inputs affected are 25-30 (31&32 are unused)
Moving the mic/snake input plugged in to jack 27 to jack 17 results in noise still on 27, but no noise/mic works normally when plugged in to 17
Leads me to suspect a hardware problem affecting channels 25-32-but I haven’t found documentation on the internal wiring on the SQ7-is there a pre-amp card that I can replace?
I have recently had this happen twice on an SQ5 channels 9-16. The channels were routed from local IO inputs 9 - 16 but with nothing plugged into the XLRs and no phantom enabled. No indication as to what caused this to start happening or what caused it to stop.
I’m going to work out a way to leave this in monitoring mode so that I can get some stats as to how often it might start or stop. At present, I feel a little bit nervous about connecting the console to a PA system.
There is nothing connected to the SLINK this time, and there is DANTE routing on channels 1-8 for recording.
I’m going to configure the mixer with channels routed from local/slink/dante/unassigned in groups of 4 and then routed to LR and plug it into a monitor at a low level and leave it on while I’m working at home. I will hear the noise if/when it starts and then I can confirm a) how long it runs for and b) whether the block of 8 channels are for only one type of input or for all 8.
We have an SQ-6 which has a peak issue ONLY at boot-up. It is on a sequencer, so as soon as we see that it is peaking, we are able to shut it down before the issue goes any further. Generally, a reboot fixes the issue.
We have eliminated the digital snake or any remote input as the possible culprit- it still has the issue occasionally with the snake disconnected and it is only the local inputs which peak. Also, it is only inputs which are locally routed which seem to have the issue- regardless of configuration (phantom power, gain level, etc). Fortunately it has never had an issue mid-show, only at boot-up.
Anyone able to find any sort of solution short of sending in for service?
that issue is always some secounds on boot-up the SQ6 on the main-out, if you don’t use a stagebox. Cause the stagebox have a mute-funktion during the boot-up-process, the SQ6 (alone) not. With the stagebox is no problem.
Therefore its written in the manuel, that the SQ6 should be the last one, what have to be switched on. I talked already with Allen & Heath on the “Sound & Light”-Fair (in Frankfurt/M) and they did know that.
Maybe Allen & Heath can find a solution with the next firmware in furture.
I experienced this the other day, and it freaked me out as well! So loud through the headphones .. I am so glad it wasn’t connected to my PA.
Is using a stagebox a work-around for this issue?
Is it shop servicable?
It would be a major issue it it happens in a show with a full PA! Everyone would be seriously, seriously pissed off and it could damage PA right?
Any response from A&H?
The more people post their experiences with this problem, the more it seems to point to the preamp circuitry in the console. I believe these boards are designed with 8 preamps on them. Obviously a console will have more than one preamp circuitry board installed in it. When this happens, it seems to affect one (or more) preamp boards - which affects channels in groups of 8. A power cycle seems to fix it temporarily.
If you use a A&H digital stagebox, you can obviously stop using the analog inputs/preamps that are the problem. Using a stagebox isn’t fixing the problem, but it does provide a way to stop using the bad components. So yes, using a stage box is a “work around.”
Obviously anyone with this problem should consult with their local supplier and/or A&H directly. I am completely speculating here based on just a few posts made by various individuals, but it seems the long term fix is to have the affected preamp board replaced. If the console is under warranty, I would expect this to be a covered repair. If it is not under warranty, the end user is going to have some cost for the fix, but it will still be far more reasonable than replacing the console, or even buying A&H digital stage boxes as a work around.
Can you describe more precisely the sound it made at the moment the fault occurred? Was it a constant 50/60Hz tone?
If it was indeed an electrical noise/tone, I would suspect something gives up on the preamp power supply side when the desk heats up and when strong ground loops or ground hum are present on the input. Analog power rails falls to zero leaving inputs floating like antenna, there is no more common mode rejection and you just send the power line tone straight to the converters.
Never had the issue either in local or with stage boxes but I recon the stage boxes preamps seem to be a bit sturdier.
I will be able to confirm the power supply topology soon. I have to replace some output opamps on my SQ6 (yes, 48V phantom in a patchbay, out 1 and 2 are bjorked, oups).
If I remember correctly, the ADCs chips are 8 channels Cirrus Logic, but the preamps are not on separate boards. It’s a big board for all the inputs. Could be something with the converter then. Not sure at the moment, like you said, everything is speculation at this time.
Would love to have a more precise description of the noise as this will tell if it was a numeric fault/noise (I2S/TDM bus failure) or electrical/analog.
That makes sense given the fact that the preamps in the SQ models are all on one horizontal plane and not broken up into groups 8 like they are on the DLive or many of the various digital stage boxes.
That’s unfortunate because replacing the entire board is not only more expensive (for the actual part), but probably a bigger/harder job as well.
Since, if I understood you correctly, the problems occurred with all local inputs despite muting (!), you should, also with a workaround using a stagebox, still need to change or remove the routing of all (!) local inputs.
Therefore, if you were to connect your SQ-6 with a DX168 stagebox, for example, you should also unroute the remaining 8+1 local inputs.
For me it was not a 50/60Hz tone- that would be a loud hum right? It was not that.
Neither was it the squeal of a full range feedback loop.
It was an electrical cracking sound.. a bit like the bang that you get if you accidentally plug a mic into a open channel with p48 engaged…. only sustained. Something like that .. as best I can recall it.. electrical and fizzy.. like I said in my post, my partner literally said she thought I had been electrocuted.. just from the noise from my Dt880 phones all the way to the room next door.. not a nice experience
Good point. Ok
What about St1, St2 and St3? I often use these for iPad music at desk start and end show and between performances.
I do realise these are not xlr mic inputs but do they need to be avoided?