After working with the SQ series consoles for 5+ years and now the SQ+ here is a list of suggestions, wishes and criticism I have regarding the SQ+ series.
Channel to matrix routing
Please, please, pretty please add channel to matrix routing. There were so many times where I wished this desk would have had channel to matrix routing.
Insert in/out soft controls
It would be nice to easily toggle between Insert in/out via soft controls instead of recalling a scene. Having the option to assign inserts to a toggle on/off group would be very handy. Maybe four groups below the mute assign window in the routing page.
Shure wireless integration
On the processing page, where the preamp model is, would be a good space for Shure wireless integration. The tube stage preamp is something I don’t find myself using that often, especially in proportion to its screen real estate . More detailed settings could on the utility page. Implementation for Shure SLXD, SLXD+, QLXD, ULXD and Axient would be great.
I/O patch zoom
Now that the SQ+ has a larger screen it would be great to be able to zoom in when patching in the I/O Window. Like on the MixPad app.
Reset aux sends button
It would be nice to have a button where you can reset all aux sends, in order to be sure that there’s no unwanted signals going to a monitor when mixing monitors for multiple bands during a show.
Scene names
On the current version of the original SQ when saving scenes and naming them with the maximum amount of characters it doesn’t doesn’t show last character.
Also a problem I’ve ran into is that when you give the same name to two scenes in one show file it might corrupt one of those scenes and prevent you from loading them. Prohibiting the user from giving two scenes the same name would seem like a quick fix for that problem.
GEQ fader flip button on the display
I don’t want to sacrifice a soft button for GEQ fader flip. Since there isn’t a GEQ flip button anymore, it seems like a button on the screen in the GEQ window would seem like a good substitution.
GEQ reset button on the display
A button to reset the GEQ would be nice as well.
More channel strip colors
Having more options for color coding is something that I miss often. Orange, like on the CQ would be nice to have, as well as a dark green, maroon, brown and deep purple.
Virtual soundcheck
A slimmed down version of virtual soundcheck like on dLive (button in the I/O page to switch).
Currently I’m using the scenes to switch between show patching and digital soundcheck. A solution like on dlive would be great.
Harrison live tracks is an option but I think most people will still use their daw of choice and the synchronies channel name function is also nice but I’m definitely using more than six characters for channel names in my daw lol.
Channel library parameter
Channel library like the dLive where you can check what parameter you want to import when sharing a desk for a show.
EQ Band highlighting
I like the new highlighting feature of the EQ Band that is in use, but please change it to a yellow highlight of the small otherwise white circle and not a Hughe yellow one or at least an option to turn off the highlighting or change the radius of the circle. Unfortunately it doesn’t look good at the moment - at least to me.
Custom Layer MixPad & MixPad Layer mirroring
When creating custom Layers in the Setup page on the SQ+ MixPad app you can choose between custom 1-6, but when you switch to the Processing page the Layers are named “Layer A-F“.
It would be nice to have Custom 1-6 be the custom MixPad Layers and then have a Layer A-F button that mirrors the Layers on the SQ+.
Channel save options
More detailed channel save options for scenes would be very handy.
Clock/timer
I would love a clock on the home screen with the option to set it manually or auto synch by network with internet access so I can tell the time easily without looking away from the console. Switching the clock to a timer would also be a handy feature.
Transient designer
A transient designer add-on in the fx page would be great. Mainly something for drums and the likes.
Preamp page/preamp emulations
A big part of the „preamp“ page has been the preamp model. So far it could have been a Tube Stage on/off button instead of a menu. Having a few preamp models to color the signal at the start would be really nice and would help make the big preamp model portion of the page make sense.
MixPad library
When pressing the library button on the MixPad app the library page opens and you can close it by either tapping the “X“ on the top right of the page or tapping outside of the window. That doesn’t work on the source select window - you can only exit it by pressing the “X“. It would be nice if it was uniform on all the windows.
MixPad SQ-Drive
Having control over the two-track recording controls over the MixPad app in the utility page would be nice. At least to start and stop
MixPad FX page
A FX page is something I’ve missed on the OG SQ for years - that would be a nice addition to the MixPad app.
More mono mix buses?
As a lot of people have already said: a couple more mix busses or matrices would have been incredibly useful.
Using soft buttons to get a couple more of mix busses when switching from Stereo to mono would be great.
I’m surely not the first to suggest this but I wanted to circle back to that considering the SQ+ might be capable of doing that.
Thanks!
After some suggestion, wishes and criticism I want to point out that I really like what the team at A&H has done with the SQ+ and that I appreciate the livestream and the videos - they have been very useful and interesting.