Behringer x32 rack outputs at shows questions

Chuck Galaviz

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Jan 5, 2021
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I've been posting lots of questions relating to the x32 rack and IEM system my band got. I have another question and I'm sure I'm going to get lots of opinions and I want to hear them all. We are probably going to evolve with our sound setup that we are going to take our x32 rack/IEM with us when we play so we don't have to worry about spotty venue sound setups. This means we are planning on using our own mics, plugging them all in to the x32 Rack. What I don't know and am curious about is what outputs should we be ready to give to the venues and what would be the best way to accomplish it? The band guy who buys all the stuff bought us an S8 mic splitter which we are plugging in to, sending one set of the outs to the XLR ins 1-8 on the x32 Rack and the second set is plugged in to a Hosa PDR-369 patch bay.

I have zero experience using patch bays. We have used pretty much all the outs on the x32 rack for the IEMs (we still have XLR 7 and 8 "free" (the default main L/R and aux 5 and 6). I feel like we have enough inputs (we really need at most 12 or 13). If a venue wanted to have control of our sound with their own mixing equipment without messing with what we are putting through the x32...how could we get more outputs for them? As I'm sure there are many options to accomplish this I'd really love to hear all opinions. We aren't using any of the effects in the x32 rack at this point so not worried about them screwing up how we sound, I just want to know how to have enough outputs for the venue so they could have FOH control with their equipment.
 
I'd look into a passive XLR splitter snake. Let their FOH guys do whatever they need to do and you'll have your same mix every night for your IEM's. https://www.audiopile.net/PSX

There is also Rack Mount versions. I'm not a big fan of this brand but on the other hand I've heard some people are out with them with no issues. They are on the light duty side https://www.seismicaudiospeakers.com/products/16-channel-rack-mount-splitter-snake-5-and-15-xlr-trunks

The above are just examples.
You can also check the used market and the Ebay kind of places as well.

Any band that comes through with a splitter snake setup and their own IEM system is always welcome in my area. Just makes it so much easier. FOH does their thing and you do what you need for your monitoring.

I have a ProCo split snake that works rather well and has held up great.

Doug
 

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Hi Chuck-

Ditto to most everything Douglas Allen posted.

You might just point to the X32 and say "7 and 8 are left and right" but we won't be friends anymore... :(

When I get bands like yours as opening acts (gosh, I remember doing gigs!) it's a great day when you can hand me "tails" from the splitter in your IEM rack. It's a greater day if they're legibly labeled, in good condition and full working order... And it's golden hour free shopping at day at Vices R Us is that tails cable is 25 feet long. ✅

Your buddy could get another S8 and another of those "patch bay" (it's a $99 straight pass-through box, more cosmetic than functional) things. So long as you can put your rack somewhere within about 20 feet of my snake's stage box we can be friends again. But a splitter with a short fanout (for the X32) and a 25 ft fanout (for FOH) is the slick way to do it.
 
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I would not consider getting the linked to Seismic Audio splitter or for that matter anything SA.
The few bands that I had who were attempting to use one of those all had some dead channels, the wire gauge used in those is crazy small and pulls out of the cheap knock connectors. Speaking of the connectors they do not really mate up well
with real XLR connectors, as in getting stuck.
 
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FWIW they are pretty easy to make yourself.
I made a range of XLR M/F+LK37 stage boxes that can be used for stuff like this when needed, saved a couple of band gigs with them.
Making a version that fits in a rack with tails instead of LK37 isn't too much work if you know to use a soldering iron.
 
I would not consider getting the linked to Seismic Audio splitter or for that matter anything SA.
The few bands that I had who were attempting to use one of those all had some dead channels, the wire gauge used in those is crazy small and pulls out of the cheap knock connectors. Speaking of the connectors they do not really mate up well
with real XLR connectors, as in getting stuck.
lol I hear you about SA...I bought a travel case (I think 19U or something like that) and immediately noticed how flimsy it was and vowed not to get anything else from them. It's ludicrous that something that is meant to hold potentially thousands of dollars of gear is so flimsy. Spent money on a gator case and am much happier!
 
Hi Chuck-

Ditto to most everything Douglas Allen posted.

You might just point to the X32 and say "7 and 8 are left and right" but we won't be friends anymore... :(

When I get bands like yours as opening acts (gosh, I remember doing gigs!) it's a great day when you can hand me "tails" from the splitter in your IEM rack. It's a greater day if they're legibly labeled, in good condition and full working order... And it's golden hour free shopping at day at Vices R Us is that tails cable is 25 feet long. ✅

Your buddy could get another S8 and another of those "patch bay" (it's a $99 straight pass-through box, more cosmetic than functional) things. So long as you can put your rack somewhere within about 20 feet of my snake's stage box we can be friends again. But a splitter with a short fanout (for the X32) and a 25 ft fanout (for FOH) is the slick way to do it.
We actually got a second S8 (after much debate about whether to get the S8 3 way or a second normal S8) and an ART P16. Maybe need to add a snake too from what you are saying to be able to reach the FOH box. Your comment about 7 and 8 are left and right is really funny to me, because some of the guys in the band are like why bother with all of this stuff when we can just give the main mix to the FOH. Explaining to them the why to do it was an...interesting discussion.
 
Is it weird that I wanted a stage snake that was essentially 25 ft long with 16 XLR male on one end and 16 XLR female on the other end and I seriously thought about just buying 16 cables and wrapping them together?
 
Is it weird that I wanted a stage snake that was essentially 25 ft long with 16 XLR male on one end and 16 XLR female on the other end and I seriously thought about just buying 16 cables and wrapping them together?

Weird is more a value judgment, but sometimes it's easier, cheaper, or the path of least resistance. 16 mic cables will be heavier, take up more room, and possibly be more expensive.


A good example in the link; a 30 ft is US$188. I don't think you can buy 16 mic cables of reasonable quality for that price. BTW, I've done business with Audiopile, both personally and for the company I manage, and they are great folks to work with.