Behringer X32?

[John_P]

I’m looking at buying a new desk, I currently use the xr18 for PA work mixing bands most weeks.  I’m happy with the xr18 but we could do with a second desk so I’m looking at the x32. 

I’d appreciate any thoughts about the compact and producer models?     Looks like a smaller screen and no scribble strips on the channels is the difference but i can live with that.    Anything else I’m missing?

[EBS_freak]

16 hours ago, John_P said:

I’m looking at buying a new desk, I currently use the xr18 for PA work mixing bands most weeks.  I’m happy with the xr18 but we could do with a second desk so I’m looking at the x32. 

I’d appreciate any thoughts about the compact and producer models?     Looks like a smaller screen and no scribble strips on the channels is the difference but i can live with that.    Anything else I’m missing?

That's pretty much it - worth noting that the producer is also rack mountable (which may or may not be relevant depending upon what other stuff you may have).

I take it you want physical faders?

[moonbass]

I went from the XR18 to the X32 Core + S16 stage box. It’s much more flexible, and lots more you can do with it, but not a huge leap in sound quality. Interestingly the iPad interface is much more intuitive on the XR18, but that’s mostly because of the greater options on the X32. 

I honestly struggle going back to a physical desk now, and not sure why anyone wants something you can’t use at the bar nowadays  

[EBS_freak]

30 minutes ago, moonbass said:

I went from the XR18 to the X32 Core + S16 stage box. It’s much more flexible, and lots more you can do with it, but not a huge leap in sound quality. Interestingly the iPad interface is much more intuitive on the XR18, but that’s mostly because of the greater options on the X32. 

I honestly struggle going back to a physical desk now, and not sure why anyone wants something you can’t use at the bar nowadays  

I was going to suggest a M32 Core (as X32 Core seems to be discontinued) and a SD16/S16 or both - so you can have a nice stage box dropped on stage for I/O, and a rack unit if you want some extra I/O off the stage. The XR18 could be replaced by by a SD16 and just a 1u rack unit as a small alternative (don't know if you are looking at keeping your XR18 or not).

If you then get serious about PA, you can add a Compact/Producer for sliders and then you use AES to connect between the mixers for a FOH/Monitoring setup. Or you could do the whole lot in reverse - get the producer/compact - and add a M32 Core later.

[observer]

HI Guys, hope you don't mind my question.  My band is considering buying XR series mixer.. I've read about poor wireless connection performance. Could you share your experience in live situations.

Thanks

Kris

[moonbass]

Sometimes fine, but I found in busier venues it would drop out  frequently - I presume due to greater wireless traffic. Easy to link to an external router though. I used an Apple Airport Express with the XR18 and had no problems. Would definitely recommend a dual band, as still less traffic on 5GHz at moment. Currently I use a Nowsonic Stage Router and have zero dropouts and haven’t found a distance it doesn’t work at yet! (Obviously at a price though.)

[intime-nick]

On 20/10/2018 at 11:09, observer said:

HI Guys, hope you don't mind my question.  My band is considering buying XR series mixer.. I've read about poor wireless connection performance. Could you share your experience in live situations.

Thanks

Kris

We’ve used an XR18 for about two years now and have always used an external router (a pretty basic dual band TP-LINK model).  Run it only on 5GHz, hide the SSID and all should be well.  We’ve had no issues with dropouts/slow connections even in pretty heavy RF environments. 

Edited October 21, 2018 by intime-nick

[Woodinblack]

On 20/10/2018 at 11:09, observer said:

HI Guys, hope you don't mind my question.  My band is considering buying XR series mixer.. I've read about poor wireless connection performance. Could you share your experience in live situations.

I used an XR16, then a X18 for a few years. I used it without an external router for a year or so without any issues, even though common logic is you use it with an external router. Then one event its performance wasn't good, so I got a cheap external router, about the size of a plug, never had any problems since, although to be fair I wouldn't worry if I forgot the router either (although I wouldn't as it lives in the same case).

[EBS_freak]

54 minutes ago, moonbass said:

Currently I use a Nowsonic Stage Router and have zero dropouts and haven’t found a distance it doesn’t work at yet! (Obviously at a price though.)

Ah the good old Nowsonic router. If you must have the performance of the Nowsonic router, you could always buy one of these...

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/TOTOLINK-A3002RU-AC1200-Wireless-Dual-Band-Gigabit-Router/32701126467.html

Notice anything similar between the Nowsonic and the Totolink? Alas, it's just a cheapo Aliexpress router dressed up in a nice rack case. If it works, it works... but not really worth the expense imho. Here's the guts, Nowsonic on the left, Totolink on the right.

 

As an aside, you should never rack mount a rf device in a rack case - it actually decreases performance!

Edited October 21, 2018 by EBS_freak

[moonbass]

Sorry, I think I missed what you would suggest instead EBS_freak?

[EBS_freak]

1 hour ago, moonbass said:

Sorry, I think I missed what you would suggest instead EBS_freak?

Instead of a Nowsonic?

An Ubiquiti AP.