We've all had to add a microphone or guitar before a Worship Night or any big weekend throughout the year. This is a walkthrough of how to properly add an input on the sound console using the wall plates, whether you have a CL5 or a QL5. If needed, you can also patch into the back of these consoles.
1. Gather your supplies!
Keep in mind that some instruments sound best in stereo, which requires 2 channels. Keyboards and Drum Pads are some examples of stereo instruments.
A. XLR cable (Shown Below) for every input you want to add.
B. If using an instrument with only 1/4" outputs, grab a DI box for every input that is being added.
Notice the Stereo DI box in the picture below. This provides 2 channels of conversion with only one box to help keep things clean and simple in a world full of stereo keyboards and drum pads.
In most cases, we will be patching on the stage for this process. If you would like the gear to be located at the Front Of House tech booth, then hop to Patching into the back of the console.
2. Plug it in!
A. Choose the stage location for the instrument, and find an open audio tie line on the wall plate behind that side of the stage.
B. When you've chosen the location and the tie line, run the XLR as neatly as possible from the instrument or DI box to the wall plate and plug it in to the desired tie line.
C. Take note of the number above the tie line that you just plugged in to and walk back to the amp room.
D. In the Amp room, find the corresponding number on the snake tail (shown below), and plug it into a RIO or TIO.
Make sure to take note of the number that is above the port that you plugged into on the RIO or TIO.
If using a TIO, also take note of which TIO was used. This will come in handy when you get back to the console.
Ex. Top Tio (1), Middle Tio (2), or Bottom Tio (3).
3. Patch at the console!
A. Head back to the console and select an open channel for the new input.
Try your hardest to keep instrument groups together. For example, if you are adding a guitar, try to keep it near other existing guitar channels.
B. On the selected channel, press the gray box that is just to the right of the gain knob on the screen. If the channel is completely empty, this box will say "----". If something is already patched by default, this box will show a "DANTE-(number)".
C. Select the correct DANTE input for the channel by pressing on the input square.
Notice the little numbers (Y001-001) underneath the DANTE input number. If using a QL5/TIO setup, this is a great indicator of which TIO input that you should select.
For example:
Y001-001 = Top TIO, input 1
Y002-009 = Middle TIO, input 9
Y003-016 = Bottom TIO, input 16
D. Before exiting the menu completely, name your channel by tapping on the text box that displays the channel name.
Lastly, if you are using a stereo instrument, make sure that your channels are linked. If you are using a mono (one channel) instrument, make sure they are unlinked. If you do not know how to link channels, click HERE for instructions on linking channels.