My SQ5 appears to have an issue with the ST1 and ST2 1/4 jacks because the left side is 10db to 15db quieter than the right.
I’ve done every troubleshooting step one could do, I think…
- Tried multiple stereo 1/8th to dual 1/4 inch cables
- Tried multiple playback devices
- Flipped the 1/4 L/R cables, but whichever signal goes into the Right channel, the Right is always louder on the meter
- Flipped the stereo image on the channel. If they are backwards, then the Left side is louder than the Right (when set to Mono, both sides are balanced)
- Checked to see if it’s only a visual metering problem, but there is indeed less signal going out of the Main L XLR Out than there is going out to the Main R XLR Out when going into another mixer
I’ve had this issue for several years with the ST2 jacks, but I let it go because it was only regulated to ST2, not ST1. Since I had one Stereo input that was behaving correctly, it wasn’t a dealbreaker for me.
Oddly enough, I updated the console to 1.6 this week, and now both ST1 and ST2 are out of balance instead of just ST2. (Of course the firmware update couldn’t have fixed ST2… It had to mess up ST1 as well…)
I always assumed it was a hardware issue and I still feel 98% sure that it is, but the fact that this firmware update seemed to have screwed up both ST1 and ST2, now I’m not so sure. Could just be a coincidence.
It’s very frustrating though… If anyone has experienced anything similar or has any insights, please let me know.
Thanks
If you patch just both sides to mono inputs, does the problem still occur?
Yeah, I tried that too.
ST1 Left and ST2 Left both appear identically weak compared to ST1 / ST2 Right when they’re all patched to individual mono channels.
It crossed my mind that maybe the gain or the trim was adjusted at some point in the past on the channels my ST1/2 jacks were previously assigned.
Was it possible that when those channels were coupled together, each channel held onto those gain structures? Answer: No… As to be expected, that’s not the case.
So yes, another troubleshooting idea was that I ensured the gain and trim on each channel was set to 0db before assigning them as a stereo pair. After switching those adjacent channels to one stereo pair channel, as expected, they then share one gain structure and the Left side is still showing about 12db weaker than the Right side.
Also, when using the playback device and plugging those same 1/4 cables into DI’s and then into XLR inputs, they all show about the same level of signal you’d expect to see from a song mixed in stereo.
For the time being, I’ve changed my mindset when using my console. Now the ST3 Jack is only for music playback from a device, and ST3 is the only non XLR input to be assigned to a stereo channel.
The four 1/4 inputs can only be assigned to mono channels now where I can adjust the gain separately. In the back of my mind, I feel limited on the desk, but I rarely need two stereo channels using external stereo devices. And even if I did, I could switch the stereo image on the channel to mono and get by.
I don’t feel like buying a new sq5, and I won’t have more than a 10 day window to allow for service until November the way things like look right now.
I’ll just have to deal with it.
TBH, is it possible to get a console from your dealer? So that you can send your console to the repair shop?
I never thought of that. I bought this SQ5 from Sweetwater several years ago, and I know they wouldn’t lend me a different one.
But it’s worth looking into a more local dealer to see if that’s an option. Thanks for the idea!