For line level I/O is bypassing the pre’s and going straight into the TRS sockets a better path? I checked the manual but didn’t see much info on specs.
I plan on inserting four Neve 5045 on vocals and trying to keep the path as clean as possible.
All local I/O is free to use as I’m using remote I/O.
You don’t have many TRS IO choices on an SQ mixer to start with and none on the stage boxes. There are two ALT outs and two stereo pairs.
In one way or another you will be using some XLR IO to patch in all 5045’s channels.
On the QU series mixers each input has both TRS and XLR the TRS input still uses the mic preamp only it is padded down and can not receive phantom power.
I always wanted to try a 5045 on a podium or lapel mic in the live sound setup!
Then how does the block diagram make sense?
Are you saying AH misleads us with what is actually happening?
It makes sense and shows it plain as day!!
All the inputs are fully balanced and the first thing they hit is the differential amp / preamp right before the ADC.
They show the gain control on the mic inputs, ST1 and ST2 also have adjustable gain.
I would guess they use the same differential input amps on all the inputs short of maybe ST3 on the QU since it is an unbalanced input.
Attached are the input block diagrams for the QU and SQ. the same except for the pad on the SQ.
The trim is part of the channel processing (you can setup the trim individual for each channel which uses the same input socket) and therefore definitely in the digital path.
And of course there is an individual preamp for every analog input socket.
And at last, thephysical layout and naming suggests that ST1 and ST2 are two stereo inputs. but in fact they are four mono input sockets.
Dedicated line inputs in the SQ do not run through a preamp.
The differential amp is there to ‘unbalance’ the balanced signals from TRS inputs (hence the lack of ‘+’ and ‘-’ on the unbalanced 3.5mm stereo input).
So mic and TRS stereo/line inputs appear the same on the block diagram, as they are taking balanced inputs and outputting an unbalanced signal to the ADC. This stage for the mic inputs also includes the preamplification, shown with the connected gain control.
Whilst the preamp is at the socket and comes before ADC, trim is part of the input channel processing (i.e. it belongs to the channel, not the socket).