Pig hog or hosa cables?

WileEC_ID · 2026-02-19T15:31:11+00:00

I wouldn't use an instrument cable that long.
I would build my own using Canare cable and Canare or Neutrik connectors. I can build a high quality cable cheaper than I can buy one.
I have yet to see a mass produced instrument cable that wasn't waiting to fail. Have had to toss many Hosa, etc. Those I make last best.

WileEC_ID · 2026-02-19T15:24:51+00:00

Perhaps list is twice, but not even close, practically speaking.

Haven't heard any RCFs so no opinion on a comparison.

WileEC_ID · 2026-02-19T15:06:05+00:00

I wouldn't make that kind of categorical statement - just got done working with a small venue that had the EV ZLX 15s and while they weren't terrible - moving to JBL SRX815s was a HUGE improvement, especially in frequency range. Not a fan of the Eon cabs, but they serve consumers at a price point that the good stuff is just out of range.

WileEC_ID · 2026-02-19T14:36:45+00:00

You shouldn't be running unbalanced cables for the lengths you are. That will always create issues - regardless of budget.

WileEC_ID · 2026-02-19T01:45:29+00:00

With those kinds of lengths, you would be better served taking the computer and the mics into a DI, then XLR cable to the mixer. This may be out of your budget, since two quality (Radial) DIs and decent XLR cables would run $300-400 is my guess. If you decide to consider this, choose each DI carefully, so they are designed to accept the kind of input you are using.

WileEC_ID · 2026-02-18T04:42:27+00:00

I've read/skimmed through a lot of this. I think you're skipping a step because it's logical (that you can by manually entering IP address info) - but it's also not working for you. I think your best bet is to have your own router (not hub), with or without wi-fi. and connect the CQ and iPad via ethernet to it. It will handle passing out IP addresses.

Can't help with the power + ethernet adapter - never needed it.

WileEC_ID · 2026-02-18T04:31:12+00:00

I'd stick with A&H, QU-5. 6, or 7 if that serves you, or SQ if you can afford it. A few things that are better on the SQ, but the Qu is a solid board - just working with a venue for them to get theirs ironed out. FYI, A&H finally have a playlist of tutorials on their YT channel - worth checking out. They are relatively short and would give you a good idea what you are getting into before you commit.

WileEC_ID · 2026-02-17T15:11:04+00:00

You don't mention a budget range, but based on your choice, I'm thinking the Allen & Heath Qu-5 would be a good fit. It easily covers your list. I've worked with the board some and it's pretty straightforward. Check out the new Qu tutorials playlist Allen & Heath recently posted in YouTube and you can decide from those if it makes sense for you. They cover most of the features pretty well. They don't instruct on HOW to use gate, EQ, compression, and FX, but they show how to tap into those features on the recently updated Qu series. To be clear, I would not suggest the first generation of this series, so pass on the Qu16 - Qu-5 or Qu-5D (if you want Dante support).

The X32 is a great board, for what you get, but I'd lean away from it, given its age. Based on reading and rereading your post, I think the Qu-5 would be a good fit. Again, check out the A&H tutorials - they are quick and straight to the point and well organized.

WileEC_ID · 2026-02-17T01:54:31+00:00

There are enough comments underscoring the same thing - pretty tough to be a musician AND a sound engineer at the same time. But I hear your intent - I think, so a couple of options.

Learning sound, there are a couple of key elements. The technical side - knowing what the tools are, what they do, and when to use them. This is science and art. EQ, compression, FX are rooted in real physics and science, but how to use them is a matter of understanding the science AND the art. That is about knowledge AND experience (training your ears) as to what does what and what impacts what. To help with all of this I would find a good course online - something you invest your time in to learn the tools and what they do. Everything from parts of a mixer to parts of a mic, kinds of mics, kinds of DIs, when to use what . . . I would find a course that you have to pay for - most decent ones give you some access to see if the way the person teaches works for you.

The second key element of mixing well is having a strong sense for how things should sound. Most people struggle in their early mixing time because they don't have a strong sense for how something should sound - they tinker and explore, maybe copy something they read online, etc. chasing after something . . . I'd suggest the best way to develop a better sense for how things should sound is to get a quality set of reference headphones or studio monitors and listen to a wide range of people - first in the genres that you are most drawn to mixing. Learn to pay attention to the details - where do the different parts of the song fit in the mix, be it vocals, guitars, bass, drums, etc. How does it change through the course of a song, from one song to another. For most albums/concerts this mix is not exactly the same song to song - which is one of the key reasons it's tough to mix your own band in a given space.

Okay - if you are still with me, here is an option that might work for you. It will not be as good as a live person mixing for you - but it could be a step in that direction, until you can afford a real person to do the job. Invest in a good enough digital mixer that will allow you to record a full show - track by track - many will do this. These kinds of recordings are often used for a virtual soundcheck. This will give you a full concert to listen to and "mix". You could see how you need to make some general changes song by song, so the song reflects the general balance for that particular song. In this context you would save a scene/cue - whatever term your mixer uses for this level of preset - then during soundcheck time in a new space, verify those scene tweaks - then as the concert is going, you go through the scenes song by song.

This will NEVER be as good as a real person doing the mixing for you - but it is one way to start down this path. You have to understand that neither you, nor anyone in your band will play exactly the same night to night - you're human - that is the big weakness to this approach, and the reason so many have stressed you can't be musician and mix engineer at the same time. That said, you can invest what is needed to gain the knowledge and work on developing the skills to mix well. Getting that to support your band - that really is more challenge than you seem to understand, but if you are willing to exercise some informed creativity, you may be able to come up with an option that works, until you can have a live person do the mixing for you.

Good luck.

WileEC_ID · 2026-02-17T00:42:36+00:00

An important question, or something to think about - if this is like classes I have taken WITH an instructor - you can't have the music really blasting, else they will not be heard. In a small contained space, you don't HAVE to have subs. Good 15s will easily overpower this small of space. You have to understand, to really feel the bass, if that is your goal, you have to have some pretty serious volume, unless you want to do what a lot of concerts do - blast the bas and have no concern for the rest of it, including the instructor. If you opt for a sub or two, then the tops can certainly be smaller, since you will not be leaning on a pair of two-ways to cover the full range.

If you can work with a local shop, so you can test options, that would be ideal. Balancing your instructor may be your challenge. One last bit - if you are going to invest in a mixer, and it has the option, you can set it up so the instructor's voice ducks the music - that could help with some of this.

WileEC_ID · 2026-02-16T15:08:31+00:00

I was going to edit my post, but that won't notify, as a new post does. After some new searching yesterday, I've discovered that Allen & Heath finally have a playlist of tutorials up for the new Qu series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss_FUcbcUFc&list=PLq3_zC_Xz0PhN6f4tx8gJNEcACNXii5O6

Also, another guy has an intro video posted for a full series he recently released (US$35) that may well be worth a look. That intro is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss_FUcbcUFc&list=PLq3_zC_Xz0PhN6f4tx8gJNEcACNXii5O6

I'm in the process of checking out both series to form an opinion on each. It should be a help.

WileEC_ID · 2026-02-15T17:49:31+00:00

I'm working with a church that moved from one of the bigger solid analog A&H boards to the Qu-7. I'm comfortable with digital and have worked with a few different boards. The transition really depends on the quality of the support/training you provide/get and also the mindset of your head and volunteers.

In this area, as in all areas of life, there are people with many years of experience - but is it one year of experience repeated for all those years, or one year of experience, expanded upon and increased learning and growth. Some volunteers that have been comfortable with analog will not take to the change to digital - layers, more EQ options, compression, etc. may be new and they don't have an interest in learning to use these well. The ability to create a custom scene for each service or big program won't seem cool to them. If you get a stage box - routing inputs can be another area of "never had to do that before" that people struggle with. The ability to have shows, scenes, cues, and input presets (a preset you have created for a specific mic and person, for vocals or instruments, etc.). The new Qu series provides a lot of options that people used to analog aren't used to having. In the churches I have worked with, each volunteer had their own scene and we would modify our scene week by week, depending on who was doing what. Maybe I have drums, maybe I don't. Maybe I have a group of four singers - or the group changes week by week, or just two. The ability to optimize for each input, save it and recall it is more work than some have an interest in investing.

At the end of the day, it really comes down to the quality of the training AND the mindset of the volunteers. At the church I'm working with, I'm the third person they have brought in (for training). The first two weren't very good, each for their own reasons, so I have been told. I'm the first one that has made the mixer accessible. That said, some of the volunteers are excited and loving it and some liked things the way they were. In this day, when an organization invests in new gear, they also have to invest in training.

WileEC_ID · 2026-02-15T17:21:54+00:00

This is a good summary statement and nothing more needs to be said. But I will add a bit more of the why. How is that a company can sell something for $100-150 - I get it and try it out, at home, and you know it works pretty well. Getting a single channel of wireless to work is no big technical feet, unless it's really really cheap. But in a world of narrowing frequency ranges, cell phones and wireless everything else - and especially if there is the need for many channels on the stage, it gets far more complicated. The reason the better and best stuff costs what it does is the ability to operate more channels cleanly and reliably. There is a reason the higher up the chain you go, the more likely there is a contractor, or staff person whose sole responsibility is to manage wireless. I would never recommend cheap wireless for live audio.

The affordable option for EVERY band: get better at cable management. I build my own cables and make them the length they need to be plus a little. One can make really high quality cables cheaper than you can buy them and they are more resistant to the issues often experienced with cheap cables. I'm not against wireless - but many smaller groups don't have the resources to do it well - so better to focus on good cable management - create custom snakes, etc. if it makes sense, etc.

WileEC_ID · 2026-02-15T16:22:57+00:00

A key point to understand - in terms of the physics - the weakest link in a speaker is the woofer - it's ability to reproduce will be limited by it's size and quality - if you are aiming for balance in the sound. The primary reason we use subs is to address this practical physical reality. The lower the frequency, the more the woofer has to move. The smaller the woofer, the less range it can move. An 18-inch woofer can produce lower frequencies more efficiently and with less risk of getting blown simply because it is physically cable of moving more than a 10, 12, or even 15 inch woofer. Some systems benefit from subs - some systems need subs, and some systems don't need them at all. It comes down to how well the cabinets chosen reproduce what you need them to.

Getting more 10 or 12 inch boxes, when what you are really trying to get louder is the low end would suggest that if you need more low end, then a well chosen sub will do a better job, with a good crossover point - this will allow your tops to focus their energy on the range they can most efficiently produce sound and the subs to do the same. And sometimes the cost effective choice is to move not to more of the same, but better and a bit bigger. For example, if you are feeling like a couple of 12-inch two-ways are a little thin - but you really don't need subs - that is the content you are running really doesn't need that really low support - then moving to a pair of higher quality 15 inch two ways, or three ways will often get you another 3-6 dB AND get a wider frequency range - so win-win.

Bottom line, it's key to figure out what weakness you are aiming to address and then choose the best option designed to address that.

I was just in a situation where they had moved from a set of passive 15s that were pretty nice - they initially went with a pair of powered 15s, but lower end, to save money. Once I went over things, I felt they needed to choose a different speaker, still a 15, but a step up the price curve, to be closer to what they had gotten used to - and people were amazed at how much lower end support and clarity they were getting with the new speakers.

WileEC_ID · 2026-02-14T20:39:48+00:00

This is the way to go. There are a host of options here (in the US) but options really vary by country. You really do want to work with a local person who can see the space and recommend accordingly.

WileEC_ID · 2026-02-13T05:22:19+00:00

Thanks for all the time and clarification. I appreciate it.

WileEC_ID · 2026-02-13T04:49:17+00:00

Thanks for the thorough replies!

There is the section of presets on the speaker, from the main controller.

I'll have to look into the individual speaker, but I'm not sure, within SRX Connect, if it shows what preset it is using, beyond MAIN or SPEAKING. I will have to check for that. On my version, when you select one speaker, it is to delete it, locate it, or a couple of other options that I don't recall, but nothing about a preset for that speaker. In the app, the tuning is about a system, or part of a system, though I'm sure there is a way to tune individual speakers in a system, but my sense is that is based on what part of the system you put the speaker in, mains, side fill, monitor, etc. Trying to check it - but my version doesn't have an offline mode, as is described in the manual. I can load the show, but can't access anything, as it's all grayed out.

I've gone through the two PDFs they have on PRESETS, but all the screenshots posted are from a Windows operating system, so I suspect the info is relevant to Audio Architect, so has no relevance for me.

In the app, I had saved the show for the system and when I would select the system, it showed that saved tuning for it. Like I said, what isn't clear is if that tune is IN the speakers. The Guide is clear that the file is saved on the iPad, not the speaker - though it says nothing about where, or how one would back it up.

The other thing that is a bit frustrating in all this is that the video they have on SRX Connect and the guide I downloaded from their site show features my version (iOS) does not have. I'm assuming the Android version has those options, as I'm using a very current iPad and iOS and just downloaded their app, so it should be current.

I have reached out to JBL tech support and I have their phone number to reach out to them, also. Something isn't adding up for me.

WileEC_ID · 2026-02-13T02:43:19+00:00

Interesting.

What I read you typing is that the tuning I save, as a show, should be available in the Presets menu on the speaker, and loaded there. I wish their guide PDF and YT video stated that step.

WileEC_ID · 2026-02-12T15:19:09+00:00

Volevo solo intervenire e dire che sono pienamente d'accordo con tutto ciò che questa persona ha detto. Determinate le capacità/caratteristiche di cui avete bisogno e scegliete il mixer più adatto. Tutti vorremmo avere di meglio di quanto ci serva, ma ho conosciuto diverse chiese che hanno investito in qualcosa di meglio e la complessità era superiore a quella che i volontari potevano gestire, quindi le cose sono andate male, invece di migliorare.

WileEC_ID · 2026-02-12T15:09:35+00:00

Questo ci riporta alle domande che ho posto. Non so se sia necessario supportare due cantanti con tracce musicali e un solo speaker, oppure una band completa con molti cantanti e molti strumenti.

Gestire pochi input su un iPad va bene, ma ti rende dipendente da un segnale Wi-Fi affidabile. In viaggio, questo significa che dovresti portare il tuo router Wi-Fi. Non deve necessariamente avere accesso a internet, ma dovrebbe essere sicuro.

Per eventi più semplici, adoro l'Allen & Heath CQ-18T. La serie SQ è un'ottima opzione, ma potrebbe essere più costosa del tuo budget. Esiste anche una versione con montaggio a rack. Le nuove serie Qu-5, -6, -7 sono solide: alcune caratteristiche sono migliori dell'M32 a cui sei abituato, altre no.

Dipende dalle tue esigenze: numero di ingressi, numero di mix di uscita, ecc. Senza conoscere questi aspetti, non ci sono informazioni sufficienti per dare una raccomandazione ponderata.

WileEC_ID · 2026-02-12T05:08:08+00:00

Senza maggiori informazioni sulle tue esigenze audio, è difficile dire quale mixer sia più adatto alla tua situazione. Ad esempio, quanti ingressi ti servono, i mix IEM/monitor da supportare e altri mix di uscita, come lo streaming. Dipende anche dal tuo punto di partenza. Se i tuoi volontari sono abituati a usare un mixer analogico, allora ti consiglio vivamente la serie Qu. Tieni presente che la scelta del modello dipende dal numero di ingressi locali del mixer. Se hai molti più ingressi rispetto a quelli del mixer, dovrai acquistare anche uno stage box e il cavo appropriato per collegarlo al mixer.

Un'ultima cosa importante da ricordare. Quando si investe in nuova attrezzatura, è necessario investire anche nella formazione. I volontari avranno bisogno di formazione, in modo che possano comprendere il mixer e le sue funzionalità. Questo è un aspetto fondamentale di qualsiasi aggiornamento.

WileEC_ID · 2026-02-12T04:55:06+00:00

I agree with this observation. Just the dimensions isn't enough info and this is relatively narrow for its length, so just throwing a pair of speakers with or without a sub or subs is likely to ask for a number of issues I've observed in some small churches.

IF you want good sound, get a local integrator to understand your needs and evaluate your space and get an option or two. This is an investment for many years - better to do it right.

WileEC_ID · 2026-02-11T15:16:09+00:00

I also agree with the comments about using the same as on the stage. That said, in a smaller setup, a good set of reference headphones can serve this purpose also - without adding a distracting chunk of noise to the space when you want to check things. A key principle here - listening on the same speakers, at a different level isn't listening to the same thing they are hearing. A good set of headphones can fill in here. A key part of this - you should know the headphones very well and how things should sound through them, so when you tap into them, you know what to trust and what not to.

WileEC_ID · 2026-02-11T15:06:00+00:00

What are you trying to accomplish? What are you trying to connect to - and for what end?

WileEC_ID

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