SQ-Drive and USB-B use the same patching and sample rate settings. Signal is sent to both simultaneously for recording/streaming, using patching from the SQ to USB output sockets.

The USB input sockets are sourced from USB-B unless playback is active from SQ-Drive. When playing stereo or multitrack audio from SQ-Drive, all USB input sockets are automatically sourced from SQ-Drive. When playback is stopped (not paused), the USB source automatically switches back to USB-B.

ⓘ There are bandwidth intensive tasks (such as formatting an SQ-Drive or loading a show) that may interrupt use of SQ-Drive or USB-B.

Before recording or playing back audio, both the mode and the sample rate should be set.

ⓘ Changes to sample rate when a USB-B connection is active may require applications or DAW’s to be restarted for correct operation.

The USB-B connection allows 32 inputs and 32 outputs simultaneously at either 96kHz or 48kHz.

SQ-Drive can record or playback up to 16 channels at 96kHz or up to 32 channels at 48kHz.

To change the USB sample rate. Press the ‘Setup’ screen key then touch the ‘Audio’ tab followed by the ‘Digital I/O’ tab.

• Touch the ‘USB Sample Rate’ value to choose between ‘96kHz‘ or ‘48kHz’ operation.

SQ-Drive Stereo Recording and Playback

Press the ‘Utility’ screen key then touch the ‘SQ-Drive’ tab followed by the ‘Stereo’ tab to show the SQ-Drive Stereo record/playback screen.

The top half of the screen is for recording and the bottom half is for playback.

Recording –

• Stereo recordings are taken from USB output sockets 1&2. By default, Main LR L and Main LR R are patched to these. The currently patched channels or sockets are labelled below the record meters.

• Press the record button to arm recording, a new ‘Stereo Record’ file name will appear, the ‘Remaining’ time value will be displayed and the ‘Errors’ counter will reset.

• Press the play/pause button to start recording, the ‘Elapsed’ and ‘Remaining’ time values will display progress.

• Press the stop button to stop recording.

ⓘ The device load meter indicates the suitability of the USB device for recording or playback of audio.

ⓘ The ‘Errors’ counter increments with any detected writing error.

Playback –

• Stereo playback can be routed to any channel, or multiple channels, by sourcing them from USB input sockets 1&2. The first channels (in numerical order) that USB input sockets 1&2 are patched to are labelled below the playback meters.

• Touch the ‘Stereo Playback’ file name value. Then touch the ‘Playback’ or ‘Recording’ button to view files in each folder (recordings you have made with the SQ are displayed in the ‘Recordings’ folder).

• Touch a track to highlight it.

• Touch the ‘Select’ button to load the highlighted track.

• Touch the ‘Playback Mode’ value to select a mode.

Play All = Play all tracks in the folder consecutively.

Play Single = Play the selected track then stop.

Repeat All = Repeatedly play all tracks in the folder consecutively.

Repeat Single = Repeatedly play the selected track.

• Touch the transport buttons to go to the previous or next track, or to stop or play/pause.

• Touch and drag the circular playback position marker to jump to a different point in the track.

Formats and Folders –

SQ-Drive stores stereo recordings to ‘<SQ-DRIVE>:\AHSQ\USBREC’.

These are 96kHz or 48kHz 24bit stereo *.wav files, named sequentially in the order recorded i.e. SQ-ST001.WAV, SQ-ST002.WAV…

Files for stereo playback copied from a computer should be placed in
‘<SQ-DRIVE>:\AHSQ\USBPLAY’.

These can be mono or stereo, uncompressed PCM *.wav files, 44.1, 48 or 96kHz and 16 or 24-bit.

They must not contain any headers (such as BWF) or data (such as markers).

ⓘ Files will be time/date stamped with the time/date of the external device if an instance of SQ-MixPad is connected to the SQ when recording is started.

Length of Recording –

The maximum length of a stereo recording is based on the maximum file size of 4GB, which equates to approximately 2 hrs at 96kHz or 4 hrs at 48kHz.

SQ-Drive Multitrack Recording and Playback

Press the ‘Utility’ screen key then touch the ‘SQ-Drive’ tab followed by the ‘Multitrack’ tab to show the SQ-Drive multitrack record/playback screen.

In 96kHz operation the top row of 16 meters is displayed with the bottom row greyed out. When the USB sample rate is set to 48kHz, all 32 meters are shown.

When SQ-Drive is not being used, and during recording, the meters display the outputs from the SQ that have been patched to USB channels. During playback the meters instead show the incoming USB levels and are labelled with the highest numbered channel to which they have been patched.

ⓘ Meters for USB inputs and outputs can be seen simultaneously in the ‘Meters/USB meters’ screen.

Recording –

Only USB channels that have been patched to will be recorded. So, to avoid using disk space unnecessarily, patch only the required channels to USB in the I/O screen and leave other USB output sockets unpatched.

• Press the record button to arm recording. A new multitrack file name will appear, the ‘Remaining’ time value will be displayed and the ‘Errors’ counter will reset.

• Press the play/pause button to start recording. The ‘Elapsed’ and ‘Remaining’ time values will display progress.

• Press the stop button to stop recording.

ⓘ Allow the write process to complete before recording again or removing the device.

ⓘ The device load meter indicates the suitability of the USB device for recording or playback of audio.

ⓘ The ‘Errors’ counter increments with any detected writing error.

ⓘ Not all USB devices are capable of the high bandwidth used by the SQ-Drive multitrack recording feature. For best results when multitrack recording direct to USB, use a high-speed external hard drive rather than a USB stick/’pen’ drive.

Playback –

Recorded tracks will playback from SQ-Drive on the same USB socket numbers they were recorded from. i.e. If a recording were made where SQ outputs were patched to USB output sockets 3, 5 and 6, then when playing back the recording, USB input sockets 3, 5 and 6 should be patched to SQ inputs.

• Touch the multitrack file name value. Touch a track to select it, then scroll through the list of tracks using the touchscreen rotary if needed.

• Touch the ‘Select’ button to load the track.

• Touch the ‘Playback Mode’ value to select a mode.

Play All = Play all tracks in the folder consecutively.

Play Single = Play the selected track then stop.

Repeat All = Repeatedly play all tracks in the folder consecutively.

Repeat Single = Repeatedly play the selected track.

• Touch the transport buttons to go to the previous or next track, or to stop or play/pause.

• Touch and drag the circular playback position marker to jump to a different point in the track.

Formats and Folders –

SQ-Drive stores multitrack recordings to separate folders in the parent folder
‘<SQ-DRIVE>:\AHSQ\USBMTK’. Folders are named sequentially in the order recordings are made. i.e. ‘SQ-MT001’, ‘SQ-MT002’…

Up to sixteen 96kHz or up to thirty-two 48kHz, 24bit mono uncompressed PCM *.wav files are recorded – with naming based on the USB channel and source channel/socket name e.g. ‘01KikIn.WAV’, ‘02KikOut.WAV’…

Files for multitrack playback copied from a computer should follow this formatting, naming and folder structure. Files must also be exactly the same size/length.

ⓘ Files will be time/date stamped with the time/date of the external device if an instance of SQ-MixPad is connected to the SQ when recording is started.

Length of Recording –

The maximum length of a recording is based on a maximum individual file size of 4GB, which equates to approximately 4 hrs at 96kHz or 8 hrs at 48kHz.

Connecting to a Computer

To stream audio to and from a computer, it needs to be connected to the SQ using a USB-A to USB-B cable.

SQ conforms to USB 2.0 standards, so it is recommended to use a high-speed USB cable. Depending on the environment the system is being used in, it may also be beneficial to use a cable which includes a ferrite bead.

ⓘ Note that not all USB 3.0 ports are fully backward compatible with USB 2.0 – for best results, it is therefore recommended that a USB 2.0 port is used where available. Where unavailable, USB 3.0 ports utilising xHCI host controller drivers should be avoided as many are known not to support the isochronous transfer method used for streaming audio.

Sample rate –

The SQ USB sample rate should be set before any programs or apps accessing the USB-B connection are used.

To connect SQ to a mac –

The SQ is Core Audio compliant so drivers are not required.

Connect the SQ via USB and it will appear as both an audio and a MIDI device.

To connect SQ to a Windows PC –

Visit the Allen & Heath website (www.allen-heath.com) to download the latest SQ Windows ASIO/WDM drivers.

Follow the instructions to install the drivers before connecting the SQ.

Routing –

• It is important to note when patching, that outputs from the computer are USB input sockets on the SQ and USB output sockets from the SQ are inputs on the computer.

• By default, SQ input channels 47 and 48 are sourced from USB channels 1 and 2, and USB output channels 1 and 2 are fed from the Main LR mix, though all USB patching is fully assignable.

• When using WDM drivers to utilise the SQ for Windows system/default sound, only USB channels 1 and 2 are used on the SQ. To make use of all 32 input and 32 output channels, the ASIO driver must be used with a compatible program.

• When selecting the SQ as the default output audio device on a mac, USB channels 1 and 2 are used by default, though this can be changed in the Audio MIDI setup.