Allen & Heath SQ-6: livestream audio settings
A practical starting point for getting a watchable stream out of a Allen & Heath SQ-6 — written for volunteers, not engineers.
- Usual stream output
- Mix 1-2
Send the stream its own mix
The Allen & Heath SQ-6 is a digital desk, so you have spare buses. Build the stream mix on its own bus — Mix 1-2 is the usual choice — and leave your main L/R for the room.
This is the single change that fixes the most streams. A mix balanced for a room is not a mix that works in headphones, because the room is already supplying what the desk is not.
Numbers worth aiming at
| What | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Loudness | -16 LUFS | Roughly where streaming platforms normalise. Below about -20 LUFS viewers reach for the volume. |
| True peak | -6 to -3 dBFS | Leaves headroom so the loud moment of the last song does not distort. |
| Dynamic range | 8-14 dB | Controlled but still alive. Under about 4 dB the mix sounds flat and tiring. |
The faults that come up most
- Streaming the FOH mix. Covered above, and worth the effort to separate.
- No high-pass filter. Rumble, handling noise and air conditioning build up across open channels. High-pass everything except kick and bass.
- No limiter on the stream output. One loud moment clips the whole broadcast.
- Riding gain during the service. Set gain structure at soundcheck; use faders during.
- Never checking in mono. Most viewers watch on a phone speaker, which is mono. Anything that disappears in mono is a problem your congregation will hear and you will not.
Common questions
Which output should I send to the stream on a Allen & Heath SQ-6?
Most churches use Mix 1-2. The important part is that it is a separate feed from the main mix going to the room, so you can balance it for headphones and phone speakers without changing what the congregation hears.
Why does our SQ-6 stream sound quieter than other videos?
Almost always because the stream is sitting well below -16 LUFS. Platforms normalise loudness, so a quiet stream stays quiet next to everything else in the viewer's feed. Measure the recording before changing anything — guessing at the master fader usually overshoots.
Why does the stream sound thin when the room sounds full?
The room gives you drums, bass and congregational singing acoustically, so they never pass through the desk at full level. A viewer hears only what you send. Instruments that need no reinforcement live almost always need more level in the stream mix.
Stop guessing at it
Upload a recording of your stream and get the actual numbers — loudness, peak, dynamics, stereo width — plus what to change. Free, no account needed, and the file never leaves your browser.
Analyze your SQ-6 mix