First, I’m a new user of the SQ-6 (used in a church) - and I do not regularly use it much, and have only basic knowledge of how to use it.
To the problem/question.
We have connected a camera to the A and B out of the board and made the necessary output routing (MainLR L and MainLR R) - to get a copy of MainLR to the camera.
Everything was then working as expected and we had good signals on both channels to the camera.
Now, probably after some changes made by someone that have used the board in the meantime, I do not get same/equal output levels on the A and B out anymore. The left (A out) channel are about 10dB louder than the right.
I have checked the routing and it’s correct, and I have checked the balance of MainLR and it’s fine. The mixed channels are in the middle. The output to the speakers (also routed with MainLR) are fine and in balance.
Can the balance/levels be set separately on the A and B out in the settings somewhere? Or what else could be wrong?
I have checked the settings in the camera, and it’s correct. Also switched L and R connections to see if the problem was with the camera or cabling. But they are fine.
They are fully plugged in, both in camera and board. Cabling, plugs and camera are checked and are working as expected. But the signals from the outputs differs in strength.
Because there is no additional processing step, and therefore no chance to adjust a level, between Main Bus out and the output sockets and if the signals on output 11 and 12 are in balance there must be something wrong with the cables on outputs A and B. Maybe one is balanced TRS and the other is unbalanced TS or some of the cables are broken. Or maybe the input level of the camera is out of balance, some switch is on the wrong position, stuff like this. If you have double checked all, do it a third time…
Not sure what might have been done on the SQ to cause levels to be different.
Tell us how/where you took R & L from the LR to send to the camera and how you sent it.
Most churches find it better to create a separate mix for the livestream as duplicating what you have live in house is not the best for what people will hear from utoob or where ever it is you send your video.
Connecting to the camera is often a problem.
Many churches find it easier to send the mix to an interface then into the PC with OBS to be merged with the video from the camera.
OBS allows for final EQ level gain compression and limiting as needed to meet standards by the CDNs you use.
Probably sounds like a silly question and no disrespect intended but did you swap the plugs in the back of the SQ from A to B and B to A? Did the problem follow the SQ or the cables?
The camera have a 3.5mm TRS (stereo) “Aux in” jack. I have tested to swap the plugs from A->B and B->A in the board. Then the R signal gets stronger and the L is weaker (in the camera recording). So the problem is apparently something in the board, and not cables or camera.
We use the MainLR mix for this as we do not have any audience for the moment… because of Corona restrictions… and we do not have the main speakers turned on during recording.
I’ll try the test tone on the output jacks, to see if the signal strength differs on the jacks. Where do I find that function in the system?
Three main possibilities
hardware software user/process
You seem to have checked the obvious hardware causes - cable, camera.
Depending how you route to AB there are a number of places that could change the balance between them.
If people can change things then you need to save YOUR settings in a scene that you can recall unchanged by others.
Are you sure you recalled the correct scene?
I have seen people get the scene above the one they wanted to select by mistake.
Be sure to save your working scene when you fix the problem
I suspect a combination of user/process changing software settings.
Someone may have changed pan/trim or a fader somewhere causing your problems in this scene being used.
.
The meters for MainLR are showing correct/equal balance. And the output on 11 & 12 are good/balanced too.
The screenshot is showing current routing, yes.
I’ll try to re-route and swap L&R routing for A&B to B&A instead - to see if the problem follows the output jacks or the channels.
I’ll try this as soon as I can.
Could you post a picture of the cable you using showing the connectors at each end?
Just to completely take the camera and the 1/4in to 1/8in cable out of the equation
do you have a small powered speaker or even a headphone amp you could connect to the A
an B outputs one at a time to listen to them?
Sending the same level to them with the signal generator would be a good test as well as
was mentioned patching either the R or L to both the A and B outputs.
All good ideas and very basic troubleshooting with which the OP may be really familiar. Part of the problem about working through a technical issue in an on-line forum is that the flow of information is very choppy. I have seen this (and participated in it) many, many times. Test steps get left out, participants believe obvious steps have been taken when they have not, and everyone troubleshoots and fixes things in a different way (ask my car guru to speak on his opinion of my troubleshooting of vintage car issues. He will tell you flat out).
All good ideas and very basic troubleshooting with which the OP may be really familiar. Part of the problem about working through a technical issue in an on-line forum is that the flow of information is very choppy. I have seen this (and participated in it) many, many times. Test steps get left out, participants believe obvious steps have been taken when they have not, and everyone troubleshoots and fixes things in a different way (ask my car guru to speak on his opinion of my troubleshooting of vintage car issues. He will tell you flat out).
So true, when I’m doing on site troubleshooting at a service call being able to pick up on small nuances can some times lead to the problem cause and solution.
Just like a car when someone says their sound system is making a noise not until actually hearing the type of noise do you have an idea as to where to look for the problem.
