PQ matrix questions

[Jordan Ochocki]

I didn't want to hijack the current thread about stereo ear mixes, so I started a separate thread with my own question about the PQ matrix. I understand that they are stereo matrices, and each input is mono. So if I am correct, if I wanted to use stereo stems (a stereo drum mix, stereo keys, stereo guitars, etc.), I would have to use two inputs and link them? It would then cut down my "stereo stems" to four, with a left/right, mono, and user.

Is this how most people run ears? I assume most people run them off the auxes, but I will have the auxes tied up with wedge and FX sends, and reserve the groups for creating submixes for the PQ. I am just trying to get a feel for how people utilize the D-Show for monitors.

-Jordan

[Sheldon Radford]

Hi Jordan,

I'm sure others will chime in with their own experience, but I'll start with a few different approaches developed by Dave Skaff, who used VENUE & PQ to mix monitors on last year's U2 tour. Pick the one that works best for your situation, or mix and match...

Approach 1
Subgroup instruments to mono or stereo stems using auxxes or groups and use these to feed each PQ, in addition to the User-assignable ("more me") inputs.

Approach 2
Start by creating a basic mix for everyone on say, the LR bus. Put this mix on two channels of all the PQ’s being used. You then have 24 mix busses left to make up sources for the remaining ten inputs to each PQ mix, plus the 8 common User-assignable individual channels.

Approach 3
If setting up the same basic mix for everyone seems too limiting, set each artist up with their own stereo aux mix and route this mix as two inputs to each PQ. You then have any remaining aux/var group mixes plus the LR, Mono and User-assignable inputs available to create the sources for the remaining 10 inputs to each PQ.

A few other useful PQ tips...
- Each PQ mix can have its own unique set of 12 input sources.
- These input sources can be changed for each song using snapshots (e.g., useful for when the artist needs one particular instrument in their mix, for one song)

Sheldon

[jim garrard]

I understand the issue of not enough inputs in the PQ sends. We use the PQ's and Matrix's together. I use the 8 Matrix sends to mix up to 12 Individual mono mixes (using user assign and aux/group) for a sub mix used in the 8 PQ sends. I then patch the 8 matrix sends to 8 channels (used in the PQ's) . I then assign those channels to the 8 PQ mixes using (user assign). Now i have up to 23 mono sub mixes for 8 inears or 13 mon and 5 stereo sub mixes for 8 inears. I little creative patching with a plugin and now you have more options. Another thing we do is sending the 8 Channels that get input from the matrix sends to Aux 1 thru Aux 8 (ie matrix send 1 to aux 1.......) now we also have a wildcard called aux 1 for inear 1 that can receive anything on the board. So the signal flow goes like this........ Matrix 1 to a channel strip (matrix patch) using a eq plugin then Channel strip to Aux 1 and then aux 1 to PQ 1. It's worked well for us.