SQ and SuperRack: recover audio and route effects returns

Map the insert and aux return paths before rehearsal

For a send effect, distinguish the aux output from the channel used as its return. Check the patch and listen using the installed plugin, firmware and software versions.

Switching out an SQ insert and bypassing a rack are different actions

The SQ V1.6.0 guide, §7.5, p.37 distinguishes In, which switches the insert in or out, from Unassign, which removes its connections. Identify the action you need before rehearsal.

In SuperRack SoundGrid, pp.79/93, bypassing the rack or plugin keeps audio in a working signal chain. However, Waves, Multiple servers states that SuperRack racks assigned to a failed server do not pass audio. Do not rely solely on a bypass inside the host if that path is lost.

Start with a known channel and its insert switched out, at a controlled test level. Listen for the expected signal at its destination. Then compare it with the working insert: removing processing can change the level or balance. Record any adjustment and the destination checked; restoring a vocal in the PA does not verify what reaches monitors or recording.

To rehearse a failure, agree on a pause and a way to restore the initial state. First test the scene with the system working. Arrange the missing-return test with the technical lead, outside the live show.

Scene filters: check the firmware, patch and recall protection

The SQ V1.5.0 Issue 6 guide, pp.60–61 grouped processing and inserts. The official V1.6.0 release notes document more detailed filters. Check the options in the installed firmware before applying a scene procedure written for a different version.

In SQ V1.6.0, pp.71/74–78, Processing/Insert includes patching and settings. Global Filters take precedence over scene filters; Safe prevents a channel from changing on scene recall. The filter does more than switch the insert In or Out.

For rehearsal, save two clearly identified scenes, such as WSG Out and WSG In, with the correct working patch. In the show copy, switch the intended inserts out before saving WSG Out; save them active in WSG In. In each scene's filter, block categories unrelated to recovery and allow Insert for the relevant channel types. List the affected inputs, groups, auxes and masters; if a filter covers several inserts, check all of them.

Before recalling either scene, set identifiable fader, EQ and mute values in the copy that differ from the saved values. Recall a scene and compare those values, insert states and connections. If an old patch returns, correct the test scene and repeat. An unchanged fader does not prove that every other setting was preserved.

If a channel does not change, check its recall protection before saving the scenes again. Agree with the operator before changing Global Filters or Safe, then retest the program scenes as well. Record that configuration in the worksheet for the next operator.

SoftKey: choose a specific scene and test the return

The SQ V1.6.0 guide, §12.5, pp.88–89 provides Recall Scene for a specific scene and Scene Recall Go for progressing through scenes. Check the assignment in Setup > Surface > Soft Controls.

Label the recovery control and the return control clearly. Rehearse in Scene Manager first, then repeat using the assigned key. Change the selected scene between tests and confirm that the recovery control still recalls the intended scene. Record its number, name, filters and key assignment.

Before switching the inserts back in, verify the signal leaving Waves and its destination. Make the change during an agreed pause, checking meters and listening. The audio operator should decide when to restore the inserts.

Keep a copy of the show and record any later patch changes. If channels are reassigned for another band or panel, retest the recovery scene: the name WSG Out does not guarantee that it still matches the setup.

Aux-fed reverb or delay: trace the output, rack and return channel

Map the path as follows: original channel → aux → I/O Port → Waves rack → I/O Port → return channel → destination mix. The original vocal retains its agreed path to that mix.

In SQ V1.6.0, §§6.1/8.4, pp.23/50, Mix Outs assigns the mix output and Input Channel receives the return; Pre/Post sets the send behavior. In SuperRack, p.15, assign the rack input and output and verify the format needed on each side.

Use an available aux, ports and return channel in the show copy. Send a recognizable phrase and follow the meters at each stage: aux, rack input, rack output and return. Listen to the original and return separately before combining them. Do not leave an insert active with an unconnected return to build this aux path.

Check what the plugin returns: depending on its settings, it may include the original signal, the effect or both. Identify the plugin and consult its manual before choosing a wet/dry ratio. During rehearsal, keep the return unassigned from the aux that feeds it; check the send list before raising its level.

Test what happens when you lower the source fader, close the aux send and close the return. Record the send mode and the length of the effect tail.

Worksheet for a concert, theater show or conference

Complete the SQ inserts and aux worksheet with firmware, card, server, plugins, scenes and routing. Leave results blank until each test is performed. Record the starting condition, the function being tested and what you actually observe.

Common mistakes include treating Safe as a parameter selector, saving a recovery scene without checking its patch, assigning Go without verifying the recalled scene, and feeding an effect return back into its own aux. Identify which audio can continue without Waves and who decides when to restore processing.

Related: SQ/SoundGrid clocking and ports, DiGiCo–SuperRack sessions and snapshots (Spanish guide) and show continuity. Agree on the recovery procedure and rehearsal with the operator of the event audio system.