So how can I link a SQ-Rack for IEM along with a SQ-6 for FOH?
Currently using the SQ-6 to a AR2412 expanded with a AB168.
I have a Dante Card installed in the SQ-6, but I am kinda thinking latency and loss of preamp controls would be a loss. Can I install a SLink card in the I/O slots for both the SQ-6 and SQ-Rack and natively share the stage box I/O between both consoles? And gain preamp controls?
Other than the DT units - which are quite different and can also run standalone, so can be thought of as independent nodes - an expander expands the number of input and/or output sockets of a single mixer. Preamp control is always from the mixer the expanders are connected to. You can only connect expanders (other than DT units) to one mixer at a time. If you link two SQâs, this is a separate connection. You can then use tie lines to effectively pass signal directly from an expander to the second mixer and back, but the second mixer never âseesâ the expander directly and has no control over it.
Your options here would be to use an SLink card at FOH and run two cables, have preamp control from the IEM unit or add another Dante card and switch to DT units instead.
You can see the possible SLink connections here - https://www.allen-heath.com/content/uploads/2023/05/SLinkConnections_V1_5_0.pdf - and note that the addition of an SLink card allows any two of these connections with one SQ.
Hope this helps! Keith.
What local inputs will be connected to the new SQ Rack? If none, then the worry about âloosingâ preamp control is unwarranted. As Keith said, each console will retain the preamp settings for any connected inputs. These inputs obviously include the local inputs on the back of the console, but also the inputs from any connected stage box. If you keep all the inputs connected to the FOH console, then the FOH will continue to control those preamp settings. Honestly I think this is more than adequate for most situations -especially one with a rack console for monitors which likely means there isnât a dedicated monitor engineer. Then the question simply becomes how do you want to connect the two SQ together.
If you want to use SLink connections to connect the consoles, you will have to install a SLink card in the FOH (or IEM) console. This is because you also want to connect the stage box to this console and therefore you need TWO SLink ports if you want to connect both a stage box, and create a link to the other console. As Keith mentioned, if you want the stage box connected to the FOH console to retain preamp gain control, then you will need to run two cables to the stage - one for the stage box and on for the SQ Rack.
Of course setting it up this way will mean that the Dante card needs to be moved to the SQ Rack because it has the âfreeâ I/O expansion card slot. (The FOH slot being used by the SLink card). If you have Dante devices at FOH that need to be connected, this will require yet another network cable between the SQ Rackâs Dante card and the Dante devices at FOH.
Now all of this so far has been written assuming your SQ Rack would be on stage (or where ever your IEM transmitters are). If it would live at FOH, then this simplifies the wiring. Not the number of wires needed, but certainly connecting both devices at FOH is easier than running a bunch of cables to the stage to connect to the SQ Rack if that is where it lives.
The other option is get a Dante card for the SQ Rack and connect the two systems this way. It will still take a new cable to connect the SQ Rack to the Dante system, but that is the only new connection that is needed. FOH would retain the preamp controls of the stagebox (assuming the setup stays the same as it is now). The SQ Rack would have to provide the preamp controls for any locally connection inputs however.
Long story short, I donât think it is worth the cost and hassle of switching over to DT stage boxes. If you agree, then the only decision you have to think about is do you connect the two systems together using SLink (in which case you will need one SLink card) or do you connect the systems together using Dante (in which case you will need one Dante card).
PS - while Dante is slightly more latent than the SLink connection, it isnât a big enough difference to be noticable. This is because the Dante cards in these consoles are very fast and sending date between the two consoles will take advantage of this speed. Even if the data is also going to a âslowerâ Dante device (perhaps a computer running Dante DVS for multitrack recording), the data between the two consoles will still be fast.
While I personally donât like the idea of using Dante stage boxes for my primary I/O (because the manufacturerâs proprietary connections are generally more reliable and less latent), I have no problem in using Dante to connect two systems like this together.
Appreciate the detailed replies! I havenât seen the document on the different wiring options. But thatâs quite helpful to verify my options.