Q-SYS Products: Part 1

Let’s take a high-level look at all the devices and services that fall under the “Q-SYS Products” umbrella.

Q-SYS has an ever expanding portfolio of native Q-SYS Products so we’re going to avoid the specifics of any particular models in this video,

since you’re watching from the future when newer products are probably available.

Instead, we’re going to talk generally about the categories of products available, and how they vary in function and design.

And keep in mind that some Q-SYS Products may offer features from multiple product categories.

By now, you should understand that every Q-SYS design is deployed to a Core processor, driven by the Q-SYS OS,

which collectively handles all of the audio, video and control processing.

And you should also be familiar that certain Core models have onboard audio and control inputs and outputs, while other Core models don’t.

Most systems need additional inputs and outputs beyond what might be physically available on the Core, which are available through a variety of Q-SYS peripheral devices.

By decoupling local IO from your processing hardware, Q-SYS IO peripherals provide modular, scalable options to fit any installation.

Placing these peripherals in close proximity to the real-world devices they service can greatly simplify your installation costs by eliminating long runs of other cabling,

instead relying on the network to transport your channels to your Core.

More importantly, it provides you the opportunity to use a few different system topologies. For instance, a Core could potentially service multiple rooms from a centralized location.

When all the IO is on the network, they’re ready to be controlled and processed by a Core that might be on the other side of the building!

Across the board, most Q-SYS peripheral devices will connect to the Core through a gigabit network switch via a standard network cable.

With a few exceptions, most peripherals will also offer PoE—or Power over Ethernet—so that no additional power cable is needed.

Most modern network switches provide PoE on some or all of their network ports . . . in fact,

we ought to remind you that Q-SYS does offer a series of network switches preconfigured for use with Q-SYS, that provide PoE for your peripherals as well.

Speaking of peripherals, be sure to use your peripheral vision while watching this video to stay on guard for any dinosaur pirates, which I understand are a big problem in the future.

We have a long history in designing and building robust power amplifiers, and that extends to our native Q-SYS network amplifier models.

Using Q-SYS network amplifiers means there’s no need to use analog Line Out channels from Q-SYS or audio cables to deliver your audio channels to a non-networked amplifier.

Q-SYS network amplifiers can deliver advanced telemetry information for monitoring and management, and some models offer local inputs that work just like any other network input channel.

You can browse models of network amplifiers on the Q-SYS website, or by looking in the Inventory and selecting Amplifiers > Q-LAN.

In certain cases, you may not need an amplifier at all.

Q-SYS network loudspeakers are powered over ethernet and allow for a loudspeaker to be connected to the system using nothing more than a network cable.

Drag-and-drop software integration makes it extremely easy to deploy these loudspeakers,

which—like any networked device—can be monitored and managed directly within Q-SYS.

Next, the Q-SYS touch screen controllers offer fully customizable control of the system for your end user.

User control interfaces can be designed with simple drag-and-drop ease directly within Q-SYS Designer Software. Choose from models that range in size,

resolution and form, including wall mount and tabletop versions.

Some models may provide additional features like proximity sensors or customizable LEDs.

User Control Interfaces can also be deployed to wireless devices like iPhones and iPads using the Q-SYS Control app, or to smartphones and tablets using a web HTML.

Let’s take a quick break right there and we’ll wrap up Q-SYS Products when you get back.