SQ Mixer Powers Broadcast Studio for Volume.com Streaming Service

Live music streaming service Volume.com was founded during the pandemic as a way for musicians to continue performing and earning a living when live venues were shut down. “One of the owners saw his musician friends struggling and wondered how we could help,” recalled Business Development Manager Chris Austin. “We realized streaming wasn’t going away, so we dug in further and started developing the platform.” Two years later, Volume is thriving – with artists streaming from across the globe to their fans online. 

Musicians in Nashville have the benefit of streaming from one of Volume’s broadcast studios, which are centered around an Allen & Heath SQ-6. “The SQ does everything we need,” said Austin, who also works as the production director for Volume. “We use the on-board effects, grouping, and customization – the console is so user-friendly. Even the default show file already sounds great!”

SQ series consoles feature 48 channels of 96kHz digital audio processing, along with 36 busses and 8 stereo FX engines. It is one of three Allen & Heath console series built around the 96kHz XCVI FPGA engine, along with Avantis and dLive.

When multitrack recording is needed, Austin makes use of the SQ’s built-in 32-channel 96kHz USB interface. “I hook up a laptop running Pro Tools and I can do full multitracking for the artists that want it,” adds Austin. “Everything is super easy to set up and the artists gain deliverables that they can distribute to fans.”

As Volume grows, Austin hopes to expand into more areas of entertainment. “We’ve got boxing matches, comedy, and we’re looking to feature record producers giving lessons on mixing to an online audience.” 

“It continues to amaze me just how wide of a range of applications we see SQ show up as a key audio component,” said Jeff Hawley, Marketing Director for Allen & Heath USA. “SQ is happy to tackle streaming, live mixing, multitrack USB, and whatever Volume throws at it without even breaking a sweat. This is a truly special partnership as the goal is so centered around supporting musicians and folks across the music industry. We’re proud to work with Chris and the extended Volume team!”