Why I Hate the Allen&Heath SQ Mixer Console

Here are just a few reasons as to why I dislike the Allen&Heath SQ-series of mixers.
This should apply to the SQ-5 SQ-6, and SQ-7.

[@Deaddinoproductions]

I’ve used this board extensively for years. I’ve also worked on many other industry standard consoles (m32/x32, Yamaha, Digico, Soundcraft, etc). And respectfully, these gripes are laughably nitpicky and overblown. To flat out suggest that this console is practically unusable and not worth buying is simply bad information. I could write an entire essay about why every point is highly exaggerated as being a problem, or is not in fact a problem at all. But suffice it to say I would just recommend that anyone who’s shopping around should take this video with a very large grain of salt and should look to other sources to help you make an informed decision. I personally would recommend the SQ as the best option in its price range to almost anybody, unless you need an especially large number of configurable busses/groups/matrixes or lots of effect slots to use as inserts on channels, which are the biggest limitations of the console (but still totally acceptable for the price). The UI is very easy and enjoyable to work with. The sound quality of the preamps, processing and effects are fantastic, especially when using the deep plugins. The routing, while a bit complicated, is still more intuitive than many other consoles in my experience. The wireless app integration is the best I’ve ever worked with. Multitrack recording is a breeze, with sample rates up to 96k. There’s a nice amount of customizable soft controls. And the board is super robust and reliable. Most importantly, after a bit of initial setup to create a starter template, I can get just about any band up and running and sounding great very quickly and easily on this thing and I’ve never received any complaints about the process.

[@davidelder1031]

💯

[@equipeoutdoors]

Completely agree - this guy is whining about the most utterly ridiculously fickle things.

[@spick1923]

Agreed, it's a giant and pointless whinge fest. Although I wouldn't want to use this board for theatre mixing though.

[@equipeoutdoors]

@@spick1923 I don’ t mind it for mixing theatre shows. Where possible I’ll use the dLive or my GLD, or a Yamaha CL.

[@apologeticajosecarlos]

Buy the Yamaha Dm7.

[@dakazbracho1981]

I own a SQ6 for almost 4 years now, and i've had only 2 problems with it and both were while recording multitracks on SQ-Drive (pendrive). In despite of that i'm in love with my SQ, i specially love the pre-amps man... they're just amazing for its price. I've worked with others console brands and series such as M7CL, LS9, TF(ugh), M32, X32, QU and DL1608, MR18, X-AIR in rack formats (among others) and i'd still rather have an SQ in my hands, it sounds great, i just love it. I see that all those problems you mentioned could be fixed with a firmware update, and if there is no update, you can just change your workflow. There are things i don't like though, but none of them make my life a nightmare.

[@PedroPaulo-gz8ud]

Yeah, for me too. I think this video have a clickbait title and out of the real role of the mixer. Btw, this is my opinion, the points of the video are correct for a firmware update.

[@nielsott]

The issue with the USB keys is the following: the SQ series actually is quite good with any kind of USB memory, unlike the Qu series. However, there's plenty of USB keys that either are in general too slow for swallowing the data stream, or they turn too hot and switch into some throttle mode after some minutes of recording. Which is very annoying. But it is not the fault of A&H. You can have the same issues with modern cameras that spit out ProRes to USB-C storage.

[@philipschrantz8402]

I’m sorry I clicked this. There’s really nothing more irritating than a grown man whining. Don’t like it? Fine. Don’t buy one.

[@WeaselFace]

Some points you made were legitimate concerns. I'm surprised you didn't mention the fact that the console MUST format a USB before you can save any shows or multi tracks to it, inconvenient when you usually tour with a USB that has multiple console show files to make touring in unfamiliar venues easier. But some points made me shout WTF at my screen. Your spectrum analyzer is dropping out because you're monitoring a signal that's -30db to -40db in volume. You're not getting any important information at that level and the console is just wasting time trying to read information at that low a level. if anything a spectrum analyzer at that low a level would just confuse me and make me worried a mic is live when it shouldn't be. And the graphic EQ thing is just nutty. I've been a world touring sound engineer for a good 15 years now and I can think of about 2 times where I have wanted to insert a graphic EQ on a single channel. The parametric on every channel gives you far greater control and a much tighter Q than a graphic ever could. If you're pulling more than 5 narrow bands from a single channel and no others, your problems are not with that channel, but in your gain staging for that particular mic. The last and most important thing you forgot to mention is how this console beats out almost all others within its price range. Its built tough, has good supporting infrastructure by A&H and is a solid low to mid range console without having to jump to the D-Live range. The console I would put it most comparable to would be the sd11, and that thing is twice the price.

[@Scott__C]

Yeah, totally wouldn't expect that to be shown on an included screen in a console.

[@TheKirkatwork]

💯 agree

[@josiahberry8743]

Agreed! My crappy house my wife and I rent made magic smoke come out of the mix 7 output bus (electrician has since confirmed the house’s wiring is all wrong) and the thing still kept working! Just had to replace the #7 opamp and that’s it. All other inputs and outputs were unaffected and it kept working like normal. This experience, while very annoying, showed me just how powerful and robust this thing really is especially for the price. It’s also so stupid easy to use for the people finally ready to go from analog to digital.

[@JBF-GST-Tanda]

@@josiahberry8743 More than broadcast level robustness

[@michaelmoore9870]

I went on tour with an SQ5 as a monitor desk and used all 48 inputs. Zero issues and although house guys thought it was funny how small my setup was, I got nothing but compliments. I also own and enjoy an LV1 rig, but i have lots of good things to say about SQ

[@marcussjoberg5569]

You can pfl Channels goding through the automixer of you change the pfl settings.

[@stephengentle2815]

Seems like mostly just little things that can be fixed in software updates (with some exceptions potentially being limitations to the scribble strip displays and USB hardware). Let’s hope Alan and Heath listen and make some fixes, generally this series of mixers look miles better than the Behringhers I’ve used an lot and other mixers in the price range.

[@morsikpl]

Seems like stereo issues (silencing whole console for the time of loading scene) will never be fixed... it's not problem with SQ, anything from A&H has exactly this issue. Doesn't matter if it's low-cost SQ, mid-cost Avantis or even dLive - all does the same mute when changing stereo channels. This is SOOOO stupid....

[@jamesrandolph3075]

I have been using an SQ7 at my church for about 3 years now and I love this mixer! Just because the UI may be different from your favorite brand is no reason to trash it! I bet if you took a poll, you would find the majority of folks really love this console. But you are entitled to your opinion.

[@juliensobiech765]

The UI looks like some D&D fan rolled their dice at this console and decided which knob goeas where, depending on where they landed

[@jamesmccabe1702]

@@juliensobiech765 what is your console of choice?

[@juliensobiech765]

@@jamesmccabe1702 depends on the Budget for rentals... The QL-5 is a good Touring console for everything. A really good metering section, fast workflows, insanely good pre amps and a Compact UI. My only Problem with this console is the remote... It Looks a Bit outdated... For a smaller Budget, i'll recommend the M32, really good beginner console, really nice to Work with..

[@jamesmccabe1702]

@Julien Sobiech your ears must be painted on. Yamaha consoles are fpr guys who don't want to learn how audio works, and the m32 is just a behringer

[@csdarlington86]

Being a touring FOH engineer I have been on about every console I can think of except a rivage or ssl consoles. I gotta say the SQ might be my favorite overall console. It’s super easy to figure out, customizable, multitrack/virtual soundcheck from just an ssd drive, 96k, multiband comp, dynamic eq… I could go on and on. I have had an issue with both monitor consoles freezing on start up but rarely even with the update that was supposed to fix it. But can’t think of any other issues.

[@cmfall1986]

Dude. You are mad. Sure- it’s not perfect. But to say it is “trash” is absolutely absurd. It’s a $4000 console with the power of a $30000 console from 10 years ago. Your complaints are almost entirely workflow related. Either adapt to a new workflow (like the many thousands of us that have great experiences with SQ) or stick to a console that has your preferred workflow. Lastly- I use this console at least weekly for a band that has ~30 inputs from the stage. I have NEVER had an issue with scribble strips. Ever. I’ve always been able to quickly and accurately find any channel I need- including digging into a layer I don’t normally use because a mic failed and I need to grab the backup. Pure clickbait. “Trash” is nothing but a gross exaggeration for “I personally don’t like these things”.

[@dronenb]

…the name of the channel is Completely Biased Audio reviews, LOL

[@nateminedew3573]

The sq5 has to be my favorite console I’ve worked on for the simple fact that it always worked! Never had one crash, freeze, stop talking to i/o etc. Can’t say the same about Digico Quantum 5, 225, 338, Avid profile, S6L, Midas pro series, M32, X32, Yamaha Ql1… I think it’s also important to note that in extremes primarily heat in settings like outdoor festivals consoles can totally be prone to failure. In extremes both hot cold and dusty the sq5 never let me down! As for the u/i once I got over the initial learning curve inherent to any new console I really grew to enjoy it. I find that things like u/i preferences become less of an issue over time as you figure out how to adapt your workflow to whatever limitations you find yourself with. But things like unreliability will never cease to be annoying in the field. Also love how you can change how fast the rta reacts. Super useful for identifying issues distinctly as they pertain to time.

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

This is simply not true. I had the S-Link between 2x SQ-7's switch from 128x128 down to 32x32 mid-show and I lost some very critical channels. un-plugging and re-plugging the S-Link didnt fix it as it remained 32x32, so I just rebooted BOTH consoles which fixed it, never had it happen again tho, same cables and everything

[@samuel9004]

@@completelybiasedaudiorevie661 I love this console i have a fast workflow and i`ve never had any issues. All things that you said in this video are not true.

[@jamesmccabe1702]

@@completelybiasedaudiorevie661 you must be doing it wrong

[@AlecSpence]

@@samuel9004 Er, no. Mono/stereo assignments are not stored in scenes, and scribble strips are limited to 6 characters. Both intensly irritating.

[@burhanuddin127]

​@completelybiasedaudiorevie661 well, probably the console thinks you're a trash (according to thumbnail) and doesn't want to work with you.

[@klondike2020]

Having just bought an SQ5 I though I was going to be screaming at this guy for hating on my new console, but he actually makes fair points, and has called out exactly the things that have frustrated me in the first week of ownership. The 6-letter scribble strip being one, and the inability to store a show file actually in the console being another. It doesn't diminish my love for it but it's heartening to know I'm not alone in thinking "why did they do that?"

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

The thing that hurts me the most is that they arn't fixing it with firmware

[@owenjoseph6097]

The gripes are the same for me. Six is not enough. I'm also confused about the pafl/ listen bus. Yammys just call it cue. At this price point it is still vgv

[@tobiaslofi]

Good to see that it's not just me who finds the mixer confusing.... I need to check that clock & Dante setting in our studio. We have struggled with random clicks for over a year now and had to stop using Dante and no hired technician could find the fault.

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

let me know what you discover in the end

[@tobiaslofi]

@@completelybiasedaudiorevie661 our sq-5 was set to “I/o port” but we have not used Dante in a year due to unwanted clicks and pops instead relying on a “stereo out to mini jack” cable…. Any other ideas? Can it be the sample rate of 96kHz?

[@TimmyP1955]

If you want to switch channels from stereo to dual mono within a show, don't use stereo channels, use ganging. A graphic in a channel? Why? I haven't willingly used a graphic since 1978.

[@josiahberry8743]

Lol 😂 I was born in 1994. But yes, graphics cut out way more content than what actually ever needs to be cut out. PEQ forever and always!

[@CalvaryChapelRioGrandeValley]

We’ve not had any problems with this mixer. It’s been the perfect fit for us.

[@petermuller7079]

Now that I own an SQ5 by myself i see one valid point: The scribble strips are really too small and plain! Yamaha TF or even Behringer consoles show, how it's done.... The other point i see: It's really hard to get an overview over the I/O routing.... BUT: The 'double click view'-feature really helps (shows the I/O of every channel on the channel strip). No perfect solution but very helpful in most cases.

[@hunterbrown2001]

Dude's reviewing a sound desk without using a pop filter on his Mic. We can hear all that's going on in his mouth.

[@Brian-Hansen]

Hmmm, while I agree with the your findings, you are not incorrect on the limitations, what other console in this price range does it better? The SQ is amazingly powerful for the price. At some point it just comes down to preference on brands and UI design.

[@ramolokikhanye9122]

I regret buying that, I end up buying behringer x18r

[@Scott__C]

@@ramolokikhanye9122 It's OK, the laptop software is laggy. The included "wireless" is a joke.

[@WBCStudio.]

You are very wrong on this awesome mixer. The SQ series is a very versatile mixer, highly customizable and flexible, particularly the routings. I've been using the SQ-5 for about 2 years now, and I've no regrets what do ever. If I had more money, I would another one. So, can't trash something because you don't like the way it's setup. I know that it's only your opinion, but your opinion is very wrong.

[@jimpemberton]

If you must deviate from 1 to 1 on the input channels, write it down. I keep a notebook of standard routings as well as standard input diagrams at all preamps and large wall plates. I never have to wonder what my routing is. 6 characters is a bit low, but I can make it work even if I have to post a quick shorthand reference. I haven't had any trouble with the SQ7 we have in the children's wing and we are planning an upgrade to a DLive in the Worship Center. I also know that an SQ7 is being recommended by our integrator for the Fellowship Hall. I anticipate changes in work flow from our old Yamahas, but that's doable.

[@jonahollstein]

May I ask why you’re opting / opted for the sq7? The more compact sq6 or even sq5 are just as capable afaik. Do you just need that many faders?

[@jimpemberton]

@@jonahollstein I didn't. It was spec'd by our integrator for our children's wing. I don't typically run it though I've done events in there before. It was a good move because the people who do run it don't even know how to call up a scene. It's set to run on layer 1 from faders only because even having to move to layer 2 would blow their minds. When we upgrade to a dLive in the Worship Center, we'll probably upgrade the streaming mix to a SQ7 there as well as they get nervous with layers as well. I'll probably set up most of it on DCAs for them then work them into DCA spills to get them used to layers.

[@baylinkdashyt]

Well, we have one in order-process, and you may have talked me into fighting it. Now, about the SI consoles; I looked at all the range about 4 years ago, and they all looked crappy... *except* the SI Impact, which had a really nice, orthogonal UI design; everything was where I expected they would put it. Did you have a problem *specifically* with the Impact, or just the various SI lines?

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

I may have poorly phrased my disgust for all harmon/samsung/akg/soundcraft products. The SI Impact is awful and i'd rather use a SQ if I had to choose between them. if you're still looking, i'd avoid any console without an auto-mixer and multi-band compression/dynamics as those processing tools are my #1 things I use for EVERY event 100% of the time.

[@raysubsonic]

To a lot of the people commenting here ... Many of the problems listed here date back to the iLive and GLD Series and have NEVER been fixed by software updates. 6 characters per scribble strip, fixed output architecture, the list goes on ...

[@kevinschmidt9082]

I'd love to see more reviews of consoles with this approach. While I care a lot about cool features, the caviats are just as important, if not sometimes more important. The marketing videos and "honest" reviews out there often just talk about features and not bugs, limitations, or unintuitive behavior.

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

Thanks. I'm currently working on a review of MOTU AVB/TSN line of audio interfaces, but i'm still testing things to find where the bugs

[@Buzznewmann]

I like the SQ series a lot, I really like the UI. Although my work flow is a lot different than yours. I find it simple and efficient to work with. 😊

[@Pianomagicdude]

I love the SQ7 - and most sound engineers that I know love it too, but I appreciate your criticisms and especially agree with your point on the RTA. Still, I have had an amazing time the past few years mixing some large musical theatre productions on this console using the DCA line-by-line technique. Compared to the Studio Live and M/X32s that I have to use more often, the SQ7 has been a bit more intuitive and quicker to program complicated shows on. Still, I'm planning on using the program TheatreMix with the console on the next show so I can spend even less time doing the tedious programming.

[@KLRCAT]

I mean.........he makes a good point, and I encountered all of these issues when first using the desk... But After getting used to the desk and how it operates, it's so easy to find everything and change things on the fly. Plus I've never had a crash or hardware issue with the desk.

[@Buzznewmann]

I think a lot of the concerns here probably will be addressed in an update. But you should review the Avantis next. It’s getting better but needs work still.. The apps for iphone and IPad are my major issues..

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

I hope so, if some of these mixer quirks are remedied then i'd have no reason to have this video up anymore. I know a A&H dealer i might be able to get my hands on a Avantis... if i'm really really nice to them :P

[@ReeceFish]

@@completelybiasedaudiorevie661 dude this video is exactly what A&H needs to hear for the SQ! While your obstacles are fairly niche, they are valid. I love using an SQ for small-mid size church stuff, but man nothing has topped using an Avantis for me! Its so quick to set up a mix from scratch, and it is such a flexible powerhouse. Would love to get your thoughts on the Avantis too. This was a great video!

[@Scott__C]

@@ReeceFish Fact is, if one person complains about something, they won't do anything. They have to see it as an issue for a good number of their users.

[@soundshopvlogs]

Great points. You're like a calmer version of our guy Kay. Love gear roasts!

[@sholasleek]

I'm glad he said it's his opinion, I'll just leave it at that. It's ok if the mixer doesn't suit your work flow, or you're lazy to learn and research how to use an unfamiliar mixer. But don't ruin a wonderful mixer at that price range. That Console has the best Preamp in it's class, easy to use, the patching you complained about is probably the easiest to use. If yo need more mix buses or inputs pay for a more expensive console.

[@elishahocking2885]

Hahahahha can't agree. I just bought the SQ 5 replacing a si impact 32 channel. Omg dude you don't understand how much it blows everything away. Your the type of guy to use a yamaha.

[@antonyronalda7664]

@@elishahocking2885 why you mean the type of guy using YAMAHA 🤔

[@elishahocking2885]

@@antonyronalda7664 Yamaha seems like the best option for his needs. Well that's unless you don't mention digico 🤑

[@antonyronalda7664]

@@elishahocking2885 I'm a YAMAHA lover..

[@elishahocking2885]

@@antonyronalda7664 For that price point the just get it right. And feel more commercial grade

[@gabbajon5654]

I've had nothing but good experiences with this desk. Wouldn't do a big show on it but I also don't do big shows so its perfect for when you need something small and cheap.

[@Zazquatch1]

Only problem - it is not cheap at all when it comes to pricing.

[@FPVogel]

@@Zazquatch1 Well, when taking into perspective what you get and the damn great audio quality that A&H generally has, in my opionion the price over an M32 for example is definitely worth it.

[@jeffthompson6162]

just used an sq5 at foh alongside two dlives in a 9,000 seat ampitheatre. sounded damn near identical.

[@gabbajon5654]

@@jeffthompson6162 I don't doubt that but the sq is just more limited when it comes to routing, inputs etc Although the main advantage is having the processing happen on stage so the show carries on if your cat5 line drops out

[@WellenlaengeVT]

Hi, I love the sq. I think it's the least complicated, fastest professional desk system. Especially for the price. - auto mix: yes you don't see the meters anymore. I only use the auto mix for corporate/conferencing. I always pfl the channels. Are you sure your pafl isn't set to afl? - the stereo and routing thing is a little bit annoying. But, it makes sense. It's the board's setting, not the channel's setting. - graphics as inserts... For me graphics are part of the system. I never wanted to insert them anywhere else. And I think it's super handy and fast that I can find them on all buses and auxes. - I think it makes sense to have the inputs as stereo/mono. One stereo channel still handles as one channel, but stereo. The Yamaha ql doesn't even have the option. The outputs are default as stereo. And you can reduce them to a mono as a feature. That's how I see it. the 3 Matrices are a little few but I think that's the price's fault. - all your dante issues are only with dante. That's the implementation of a third party protocol. - I understand the usb ports as only one at the time. I either use the usb a or b. If you want to multitrack record I would use dvs or be careful not to need the usb a. These things push the board to the limits. I wouldn't do that. It's no digico sd... I haven't seen a sq crash but I don't push it to all of it's features.

[@Geoffreymmckee]

While I don't want to be negitive, your expectations for a mixer this inexpensive are way out of line. The main advantage of more expensive consoles is the workflow. Yes its going to take longer to do things than on a DLive or SD10. Every console in this price range has major workflow limitations. In addition, some of the issues you raised aren't issues. The RTA has settings that let you adjust sensitivty. The dante issue is related to you not understaniding Dante. And I could go on. I work on both a Dlive and SQ on a weekly basis. The SQ is amazing for its price. And totally workable. if you need faster workflow connect it to a computer use the SQ mix pad to do patching and other operations. I'm kinda mind blown on this video. My suggestion would be to go to an avantis.

[@Brian-nz6ns]

These are all valid points. Also, why did they not make the two USB ports completely independent hardware interfaces is beyond me. Still, I prefer the AH SQ series above any other mixer in it's class.

[@KINGSOULSTUDIOS]

I wish I saw this vid 7 days ago. I fixed the pfl auto mixer issue in settings but it sucked to figure that out in show. I have to agree with all your points. It is very frustrating to mix on this console when you are used to Yamaha or Midas/Behringer.

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

just curious how you were able to fix the PFL auto-mix issue while also keeping the automixer in post-fader?

[@jewlz_verne]

Do you have a suggestion on which would be a better choice? I'm the AV manager at a full service hotel and I'm looking for a board to use when I have groups that needs more than 8 inputs, and one that also has very good digital parametric EQ for killing specific feedback frequencies on lav and podium mics. The SQ5 was the frontrunner until I watched this video.

[@joelbee77]

The SQ is still by far the best board in this range, any of the other options are going to have way more problems to gripe about...

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

If you could can find a Yamaha QL5 or QL1, it would be perfect, any engineer would be happy to mix on that as the Yamaha QL/CL series is pretty rider friendly and reliable. On the cheaper end, a Midas M32 or M32R could also work, They're popular enough that most engineers have used them. Both the Midas and Yamaha have good DSP out of the box without requiring *additional* paid upgrades like the SQ-series. If you want to "wow" your customers, you could look into a Midas Heritage-D or a Yamaha Rivage PM system, but I don't know what your budget is :P

[@krlosvitev]

​@@completelybiasedaudiorevie661​ Reviews Man you're crazy, cannot compare the SQ price vs. QL, CL, Heritage or Rivage. I think you're only are disappointed or frustrated with the brand.

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

@@krlosvitev Correct, I am disappointed and frustrated with the brand. I deem my opinion acceptable.

[@dcgreen1987]

The SQ5 is WAAAAAAAY more than good enough for this!

[@57kod]

I had the chance to work with A$H, Midas M32 and B. Wing. I just love to work with the wing over the others.

[@rockaround71]

What other mixer in the same price range would you say is better than the SQ? I have used a SQ on 100+ jobs, and I love it. I'm also using the Avantis a lot, and it's a better mixer, but also much more expensive.

[@juliensobiech765]

i was working as an sound engineer for a band, playing on a festival and everything gone wrong this day. I was told, that the house console used by the technican, was a m32. I tought it was nice, because it's the console we are touring with. And so i tought, hey, i can leave my rig at home and just use their console, because we played a weekender and the show in Hamburg, alsa had a m32 on hand. Like 4 hours before stage time, we weren't even near the location and the engineer called me and told me, their m32 gave up and i had to mix on a QL-5 console (i was told). I quickly pulled out my laptop in the car and made a scene on my laptop on the go, just to save some time. When we arrived, i pulled up to the FOH and there was a pretty chilled quy introducing himself as the house engineer and asked me, if i had eaten and If it's ok for me, him leaving for lunch. we had like 40 minutes to set up by the way. he gave me his channel routing and then I saw the SQ5 infront of me. A console I never worked with before (the qu I'm familiar with), because It's not a common console in Germany. I asked him, if he was kidding me.. He just said "my bad" and I told him, to stay with me, doing the soundcheck. No inbuild FX, the remote sucked and everything was chaotic as hell. 15 minutes before our stage time, the other stage finished their set early and everthing went quiet as I tried to figure out this stupid console on a 1500 people festival somewhere in germany. hell on earth. Then the power went of, because an unpaid stagehand spilled his beer on the stagebox and we had to repair it first. Point of this: I love this job, I hate this console. Sorry for my broke english by the way

[@LovesSummer100]

Your English is actually quite good! Sorry to hear about your terrible experience.

[@serhiy2020]

So what mixer would you recommend instead?

[@user-xy6fl8zp9s]

Dynacord 😂

[@pnnielsen]

So would you take a Midas m32 or Behringer x32 instead????!

[@jerrybanley7695]

Aren’t those the same thing 😜

[@pnnielsen]

@@jerrybanley7695 I think so. Isn't the x32 the Behringer branded one and m32 the Midas branded one?

[@barragan_music]

I come from the Soundcraft Ui24R. (if you think you know about that specific model but never got into that specific model, shh. I'm not speaking for the Ui12 or Ui16, or the Si boards.) With Ui24R I can simultaneously multitrack record out to a DAW, including LR and AUX mixes; AND... USB drive record LR mix, and multitrack record for redundant multitrack. I hate the mute setup on the SQ. If a channel is mute grouped, I can't unmute that channel in my aux without unmuting it everywhere else. Also, I can't mute a channel in my aux without muting the channel everywhere else. IF I hit a channel mute button that is actively mute grouped, I doubly mute that channel. I have to unmute the group to activate my channel, then re-mute other channels I don't want. I hate the screen and knob setup interface for processing.. especially EQ. For context, I used the Ui24R with a Dell 27 inch touch monitor and several iPads. On the touch monitor you can see everything all the time. All meters, all send levels on all channels, LABEL ALL MUTE AND VIEW GROUPS... EXRREMELY fast and easy to create any kind of group... (view, DCA, sub, mute, etc.) A processor touch setting page becomes the whole page. I just wish somebody made a mixer that combines the preamps and sound quality of the SQ and the strengths and workflow of the UI24R. I wanted to cascade a second Ui24R unit for 20 additional inputs but the Ui24R still lacks in some areas that a major board that the SQ has.

[@colinpreston6149]

My only issue with this desk is latency. I use it for flamenco gigs which uses a lot of precision clapping . Through a stage box in monitors you'll notice straight away something isn't quite right.

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

hmm.. That's not something I noticed. The spec sheet shows that the SQ series has similar latency to a beheringer x32. 0.7msec vs 0.8msec which shouldnt be that different, maybe it has to do with older 48khz stage-boxes that require sample rate conversion on the SQ-series

[@robertodellepiane9095]

I have been working all year round for at least 6 years with SQ5 and SQ6 and I have also worked with Digico and Midas, SQ is my favorite console for ease of use, if you don't need many matrices and many buses this console is the best !!!

[@brianlebrun2382]

I run an SQ7 at my church and no, I'm not a volunteer. There are only 2 issues I've run across and saving or creating scenes isn't one of them. I run a live stream and use an aux channel as my mix. Trying to route effects to only the aux and not the FOH can be a chore. The other issue...a simple one but I haven't found a work around....if I have a singer who's voice might be muffled or boomy in the FOH it's an easy thing to change but it also changes the live stream. If I get some peaks during the live stream I can pull that out easily but it affects the FOH as well. Yes, 2 boards would solve the problem but I don't have that option. We also do major concerts and there's never been an issue. It's not perfect but I haven't found a perfect mixer either.

[@dnb3810]

Can you mult the mic input that the problem vocal is on to 2 separate channel strips on this desk? Then you can process them independently, 1 for the PA and 1 for the stream aux. I'm doing a training on a dLive tomorrow actually so as of this moment I can only speculate, hth though!

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

just my 2-cents: If you find that the eq used for the room is significantly different than what the live stream needs, the PA system might need to be tuned (not by ear)

[@samgonza1975]

Brian, if you want your effects ONLY going to an aux and not FOH you have to un select it when in the main LR mix. This is done by un-assigning it. When you are on the board next time, on main LR mix, so basically right when you load your scene. Go to the layer that has your master FX returns. Hold the “assign” button found on the left side of the console, and press the corresponding SEL for the effects you do NOT want in FOH. Extra tip. You can do this for any channel. So let’s say a click track. Unselect it’s from any mix you don’t it going to, and you will never have to worry about accidentally turning up that fader and hearing it in the mix. To fix the boomy voice situation. Use above technique and if you have an extra open channel, patch the same input you are having problems with and apply seperate needed processing for the stream mix. Just keep in mind you will need to monitor your overall level for the stream of that channel as well. If your stream mix is post fader then you can adjust the fader level to match the FOH level and use trim digital trim to get the right amount for stream mix level. Then when you turn up and down in room use both faders and online mix should somewhat reflect your changes. Hope this helps. Please study up more on the mixer. It’s VERY powerful regardless of this videos criticisms. Just gotta know how to use the tools you are given. 👍

[@brianlebrun2382]

@@samgonza1975 thanks Sam. I'm an old analog guy and I've been running this board for the last 2+ years and after all that time I feel like I've only scratched the surface of what it can do. When I came on board here there was nobody to bounce ideas off of and everything I know about the board comes from my sound experience of 30+ years and KZbin tutorials. The live stream was worse because there wasn't anyone here at the church that knew anything about it or what it took to produce a good live stream. That all came from hard work and trial and error. Thanks for the tips, I'll put them to good use.

[@danhere1340]

Adding some extra compression on the streaming mix may help.

[@truedaystar]

I gave up when you want to AUTO mix anything! In my opinion you are nic picking. I run 7 band members, 16 inputs, in ear monitors and a live mix without any issues pluse podium and wireless mic's. Very simple to keep track of once you get the hang of the mixer. My only complaint is with setting up routing at times, I have to think about it for a second to get it right but that don't change that often or I would bet better at it.

[@jthunderbass1]

Have you considered Lv1? It will do the more advanced tools you require for your skill level and current needs.

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

I have once actually. Yes the Waves DSP is nice. I might toy around with it some more.

[@jthunderbass1]

@@completelybiasedaudiorevie661 You probably should!!! You are functioning at a level that a sub $20k mixing console does not have the tools you need for your tasks.

[@cowboytonydee]

Can we have a video like this for every console pls?

[@jeffthompson6162]

just got an sq5 it smokes the m32r i have. it's really not complicated and super straightforward. can pretty much figure it all out without the manual. lots of processing and customization. make the adjustments needed for your workflow it's a walk in the park. mixpad app is solid too.

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

how do you like the Multiband Compressor that's in the SQ5?

[@jeffthompson6162]

I've only used the 3 band version so far. It's a bit more transparent than the one that comes on the m32. Can tighten up a mix bus. The dynamic eq impressed me more initially but I still need to spend more time with the desk. The m32 is still awesome too but the SQ5 feels next level w/the extra features and processing.

[@anonymissed3611]

I have a QU 32 with recent firmware and pfl is available during AMM.

[@serhiy2020]

I’d also be nice if each channel had a knob for the gain control. I hate having to select each channel just to adjust the gain

[@steakikan]

Wish our SQ is as reliable as other, we have 2 SQ (one about 1 year old, and the other about 5 years old) and both had problems (scribble strip stuck, fader move by itself, and recently broken encoder). All 3 of our DXs has gone to service and has yet fully operational.

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

wow, that's a reliability score i'd associate with behringer products. thank you for your insight

[@steakikan]

@@completelybiasedaudiorevie661 yeah, we have used Allen Heath since the GLD series and it doesn't bode confidence when the newer product failed before their older counterpart.

[@ynnckkckcky9853]

Bought a SQ5 two months ago. After shipment delays it arrived just 2 days ago. Thanks for the heads up on what not to do and what weird quirks this console has. For me personally anything is better than going back to our old Yamaha 01V96 right now... haha

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

mercy the o1v96 just wow, that takes me way back. congratulations on the upgrade to the SQ5

[@jamesmccabe1702]

Are you a pro engineer, or someone who just "does sound" ?

[@videotrashcan4147]

Never had a problem with my qu 24. Great sound from this board. Can easily walk the line between studio and live.🤷‍♂️

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

On the QU-series remember not being able to have a channels' analog XLR audio pass to the computer when that same channel channel is set to USB return mode. makes it basically impossible to run Waves plugins live over usb

[@davecaplan7087]

Yeah. I dont know why allen and heath didnt keep the work flow of the GLD series with SQ. I loved that desk. Routing and patching was super quick and easy to understand. Wish they still made it. SQ is ok but not great.

[@samgonza1975]

Respectfully, our churches have both. GLD and SQ. While they are very different and the similar in ways, I personally prefer the workflow of the SQ far more than the GLD. 😊

[@zDerezzed]

So basically, you have some very small nitpicks of an otherwise very solid, virtually industry standard for the price range, line of consoles. Essentially everything pointed out in the video has very simple solutions.

[@Motorman2112]

I agree with most of this except the GEQ stuff. IMO there's not a use for them at all, so it makes no difference where you can or can't use them.

[@BjorgenEatinger]

Right. Use the channel PEQ.

[@singtall]

Coming from the Midas and Behringer I'm having an easy time with the SQ6.

[@Scott__C]

Are there not parametric EQs to insert or on the channel? I'd use those for an individual channel as you can be much narrower and just pull the offending frequency. Seems like they're targeting both pro and non-pro audiences so compromises have to be made.

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

well, there is a trick where if you *insert* any effect in a channel, that insert gains an additional 4x bands of parametric EQ, and sometimes i've done that.

[@jonathanreichardt2270]

Sure, expecting features usually found in a Console double or triple the price will always lead to disappointment. The SQ is the superior Console in it’s price range, but of course it cant hold up to a CL, or comparable (where you actually find useful Scene features)

[@willdatsun]

THANKYOU, you are the first person who is not evangelical about the SQ, I have been using the SQ for about two years and I still find it completely unintuitive and regularly causes me to panic because it is doing things I don't understand , how do I solo an input? Why doesn't changing the echo speed change the pitch like on any other echo, why does this thing send a gazillion volts down the outputs when you power it on or off, never had a piece of gear that does this , literally have to unplug all the cables if I want to turn the thing off and on again. On the screen it says 'it is now safe to turn off the mixer' no it bloody isn't .

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

Maybe a power sequencer is worth looking at so the amps power-up last and power-down first to prevent *pops*. I get your gripes tho, being a sound guy is stressfull enough, we don't need anything else to slow the flow down like a un-intuitive mixer making it's own decisions. (you should look at the behringer wing if you get time😇 I find the workflow pretty fast)

[@slofty]

It's pro equipment, which means there is no need to over-engineer the relay/railing to manage in-rush current from someone who does not understand SR101 and powerup/down rules. No offense, but consumer devices are made for hobbyists and weekend warriors i.e. 'tribute' bands.

[@lanemoran8399]

Just picked up another sq6. Seems like you’re doing something very wrong. Have QU, GL, and SQ. Saving for DLive. These things are amazing.

[@WayneDawkinsThePartyMan]

Holly Cow thanks for this review

[@franke.643]

The preamps live sound got me!!!! I can work with the rest

[@magnussoderman6676]

why would you use graphic on an input channel ? use the 4-band parametric or change mic / mic-distance . And stop comparing CL/Ql series with the SQ, they are in a completely different price-range. You get what you pay for . And for the patching, doesnt the display support multi-finger gestures to do zoom in/out ? I'm a yamaha-guy, but loves the functions and patching of the SQ. They are far more better the the TF series from Yamaha. Which would be a much more fair comparison

[@knormalramson7719]

I've used to SQ-5 and enjoyed it. Didn't really notice this many issues existed with the console. I use a Behringer Wing every day and it's much more user and volunteer friendly. The Wing is the hero in this price point.

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

yes, I own 2 wings, and even installed the internal Dante card so I could keep the 64-channel sd card recorder at the same time

[@willdatsun]

Is there a way to bring every channel fader up or down by the same amount on a page, as that would be really handy when you have the mix balanced but the faders are all too high or low on their range.

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

you *could* assign all of those faders to a DCA, also its usually best practice to get the sound to be balanced with the fader at 0db, using channel trim or compressor settings. its very easy to set the fader to 0 and is easy to remember

[@DbiPro]

That’s true and we had a super terrible experience with a famous band because of this mixer and people not knowing about these quirks before the show after we spent the entire day setting it up perfectly just to go back and have to start over with our crowd angry

[@KLRCAT]

0:16 - This is so funny to me now, cause at the church I work at, they have both the Si Performer 3 & the Si Expression 1 from Soundcraft in the Main Auditorium and Hall. Unfortunately the Performer had issues with the faders doing funky things and there were some major routing issues that couldn't be solved (FX routed into itself without anyone doing anything, pretty sure the motherboard is damaged), so that desk was put into storage (they also tried to sell it), while they got an SQ6 to replace the desk (which is working great). Recently the lighting desk died on us, so we brought out the Si Performer to literally just use it as a Lighting desk (which as a sound guy is the funniest thing to me), so now I have both the SQ6 and the Si performer sitting in front of me hahaha.

[@JBF-GST-Tanda]

Soundcraft desks are far behind the era... Everything is purely parametric without effective intuitive visual feedback. No RTA, no gate/compression curves, and the EQ curve is not touch-operated. Although these problems can be partially solved by using Mixing Station or ViSi Remote, it's still a great pain to totally rely on an external device to run the basic functions.

[@luisalbertoaboytes]

Does anyone know if any of the issues mentioned were fixed?

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

Firmware 1.5.9 is the latest, but I don't see anything promising in the changelog

[@dodgeman777]

I haven't used one in a live setting yet but I've played around with one that my friend hired with some of my multitracks and it's ok, not a fan of the tri-colour LED meters or the way it handles offline show files though. Don't know how there can be things that the X32 does better than what's supposed to be a more premium console

[@markkapner]

The thing these consoles, and a lot of A&H consoles lack for me, is output trims.

[@markbortnovsky9134]

In my experience, having to format my usb constantly to record was the only annoying thing about this console. As for shows, you can save to scenes on the console instead without any problems. But AMM without a meter is problematic for sure!

[@markbortnovsky9134]

BUT... the mixer is good bang for the buck overall

[@isettech]

Looks like it would just need a firmware upgrade to fix.

[@ManiacalMidget13]

Oh look ! Something I cannot afford and will never use but I still needed to hear this 😂

[@alexposch2872]

Nearly 60k Views on that and just below 600 Likes. I think thats all, need to be said.

[@jeff92k7]

All the "fanboy" comments aside (and I'd love to see the number of downvotes on this video from them); you make some good points. Nearly every digital mixer does the same thing now. It's these subtle differences that can make a console easy/fun to use or difficult/frustrating. While most of these concerns can easily be worked around, it's good to know about them to get an honest idea of how these consoles compare to others.

[@NoCoverCharge]

The old Allen and heaths were good back in 1990

[@alfaomega8185]

For save stereo or mono you have to restart this console first.

[@jakevinton2075]

Can you do a video on the Yamaha tf, it seems like a great deal compared to the Cl with the price point. Thanks!

[@a.nadeau537]

The devils are in the details. Most shows I'm doing, I start from scratch and i need to be as fast as possible. This console is not fast enough. I still think that the x32/m32 are the fastest console to set up

[@GKB.official]

I’ve been waiting for a Dante card for two years.

[@nielsott]

So you're focusing on the few flaws of the console. The stereo channel thing can easily be worked around using ganging. Never had the RTA issues. I could do a similar video on Yamaha's QL-series, which costs four times as much. For example, the automixer in the Yamaha's lives in the effect rack and takes a rack space of 16 channels, which is stupid. There is no perfect console. There's just the ones you like more, and the ones you don't like too much. I personally enjoy using the SQ series, despite a few inconveniences. I also find its app quite good. Especially in this low-budget mini-festivalish events with turbo speed changeovers and no real sound checks I usually set up the basic settings of each channel right after inserting the plug into the stage box via the app on stage. If the band uses proper instruments and knows how to play, you can really go from 0 to 100 in no time. (Not saying that this is my favorite way of doing it.) The only thing that really annoys me hard is the PAFL thing with the automixer. Note however that you can see the input volume in the preamp screen any time.

[@ZaryGrabusey]

Yes, as the old adage goes: "mix with your eyes, not your ears"...wait

[@MT-ue3yc]

Am I the only one who doesn't have this issuse? Ever since seeing this video I rushed to check whether the pafl automixer statement was true, and I was able to pafl every channel that was assigned to automixer, without raising the fader of course. I'm on the 1.5.7 firmware...

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

is your automixer set to "follow fader"?

[@tacomamusic]

you can also get the mount and have your iPad sitting above the console to use the app and see more like all input meters at once etc

[@GKB.official]

I learned the pops and clicks the hard way

[@gregdavis9376]

ALL of this can be fixed in a firmware update. Hope H&A is listening.

[@williamthesoundguybalestri1745]

I love Allen Heath digital mixers. Yes there are a few quirks, but I would NOT deal with problem designed mixers. I have owned and used the following Allen Heath mixers.. QU-16 QU-SB (still use it) QU-24 SQ-5 I have also run Midas M series and Behringer X series plus many, many other digital mixers. I tried Soundcraft models but did not like the workflow. Plus when I lost power for a second, it took MINUTES to reboot. A&M mixers boot in seconds. That was it for me for Soundcraft! Don't listen to this rat. The SQ is a fantastic mixer in 96k (not 44k) and is very flexible. The A&H preamps are spectacular! I will probably live and die with A&H mixers.

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

from my experience, 48khz vs 96khz is just marketing hype and makes no difference for live sound

[@griffin8062]

@@completelybiasedaudiorevie661 96khz means half the processing latency on the same effects, which is very nice for IEMs

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

@@griffin8062 but a behringer x32 has 0.8msec of latency at 48khz

[@alexdanton4842]

Why do you need a sample rate of 96 kHz - 48 kHz of effective audio - when the human ear cannot hear more than 20 kHz? Or when most audio equipment and mics only capture up to ~20 kHz? The gap between 20 and 48 will be filled with residual equipment noise. Useless.

[@williamthesoundguybalestri1745]

@@alexdanton4842 You are confusing audio frequency range with sampling rate! We are not talking about the frequency of the sound but rather the time that a digital mixer 'samples' the analog wave and converts it to digital. The more frequent the sample rate the better (supposedly) the better the quality of analog-to-digital reproduction of the sound.

[@veegee1974]

That was hilarious! I get it, they could make things so much easier.

[@thecrazytexan5899]

Just started mixing on this console, and i much prefer it over the x32 i was using. Als, i find it laughable that most of your issues with it are fixable with a firmware update

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

yes and that's the point, it could be fixed with a firmware update, but it wont ever be fixed

[@TheKirkatwork]

“I have to remember it IN MY BRAIN” 😂 classic

[@pacetoss]

Allen & Heath SQ is the best mixing desk in its price range !

[@rexstudios19]

🧢

[@shul5684]

the scrible strip would be a deal braker for me.

[@RoyChartier]

Why I use an analog desk.

[@cool88905]

It is dumb but you don’t have to “remember which channels were stereo” you just have to look where those holes are, if the number of that channel is odd then chances are that’s the stereo one. Or just have an input list lol

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

switching scenes shouldnt result in holes or missing channels, period

[@Mikepo587]

Not to be mean but you got the older version hence above and expensive on

[@genemikhaylov5076]

Dude, it is a superior mixer for it's value. Please do not compare it to a CL/QL5, it is not even close to the price range but has a greater sound quality with 96k FGPA processing. It has cheap expansion cards, awesome add-on plugins and you can supercharge it with A&H Prime top of the line preamps or just DX168 equipped with D-Live's preamps.

[@ivanvlaj1312]

I'm just here to say that I just love my SQ7 .. All, or most of the things listed by this guy in this video are irrelevant things...The mixer is very easy to use and of high quality, very good sound. What you would like to have on the mixer and how you would like it arranged is a completely different matter, that is why there are several manufacturers, so choose what meets your needs. Excellent mixer! Although I would also like it to have a GRAPHIC EQ like, say, MIDAS

[@thedeadearth]

digico stereo/mono input also can't recall from scene, custom fader either....i don't know why alot of soundguy love digico??

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

well... digico and A&H are the same company....

[@thedeadearth]

@@completelybiasedaudiorevie661 I know. but for the high price console (sd series) why ???

[@laujovo5368]

channel name checks out...

[@JoeHollywood-bf4pj]

TF5 or QU32?

[@completelybiasedaudiorevie661]

X32 is better than both of those. TF and QU routing are a joke. sometimes I want XLR #8 to show up on channel 8&9 but double patching is impossible on those. don't buy a TF, dont buy a QU

[@superfly3438]

I have a shiny penny. I call it Randolph . it can spin .

[@DuaLeaD]

"Alright gang, lets talk about the Allen & Heath SQ series console mixers today. I wanna start with, I HATE IT." 😂😂

[@kevinsantacroce7389]

This video should be called click bait for a struggling KZbinr.