There is a new rack mounted digital mixer in town

[John Chiara]

Re: There is a new rack mounted digital mixer in town

Listening to marketing propaganda these days from pro audio manufacturers you would think running a copper snake and having a control surface with real faders were the worst things in the world. Having a digital console is one thing, but having no control surface whatsoever is completely unacceptable in any "band" mixing situation that I care to be involved in.

I thought this too but after a season of doing just that I can honestly say for any 'normal' show or small festival, I am almost as fast on the iPad and faster for many functions. X32R. Not a single failure or dropout all year. 5G router has been 100% reliable.

 

[Tim McCulloch]

Re: There is a new rack mounted digital mixer in town

Listening to marketing propaganda these days from pro audio manufacturers you would think running a copper snake and having a control surface with real faders were the worst things in the world. Having a digital console is one thing, but having no control surface whatsoever is completely unacceptable in any "band" mixing situation that I care to be involved in.

Well, you think Mackie, Behringer and others (including Midas) have nothing better for their engineers to do than design UI for devices people hate?

Look, I agree that mixing on a tablet (which I have done) *in it's current form* is inferior to a physical surface, but to claim that manufacturers are driving this trend is frankly hooey. Go to the Avid DUC Live Sound forum and about half the comments are (over 3 years running) "where the hell is a functional tablet app, not just a VNC connection to the desk?"

FWIW, a tablet IS a control surface... just not the one I prefer.

 

[Scott Bolt]

Re: There is a new rack mounted digital mixer in town

Well, you think Mackie, Behringer and others (including Midas) have nothing better for their engineers to do than design UI for devices people hate?

Look, I agree that mixing on a tablet (which I have done) *in it's current form* is inferior to a physical surface, but to claim that manufacturers are driving this trend is frankly hooey. Go to the Avid DUC Live Sound forum and about half the comments are (over 3 years running) "where the hell is a functional tablet app, not just a VNC connection to the desk?"

FWIW, a tablet IS a control surface... just not the one I prefer.

Well put.

The reason all the manufacturers are falling all over themselves to put out new digital mixers and new tablet applications is because the market is lapping it up.

Tim, I would stipulate that there are things about mixing on a tablet that are inferior to a physical surface; however, there are things about mixing on a physical mixer that are inferior to a tablet as well.

Setting compressors and gates with that little X32 blue dot on the graphic is pretty darned slick as an example. Having a small version of a full meter bridge across the top of the app is also very nice (as another example). LCD scribble strips with full names along the faders is also pretty cool.

As many have pointed out, you are never likely to have your fingers on 4 faders at once on a tablet as you could on a physical surface. For that kind of mixing, it is unlikely that a tablet will ever fit the bill.

For many (most?) smaller applications which comprise the lions share of this market, I think you can get along with a tablet pretty well.

 

[John Chiara]

Re: There is a new rack mounted digital mixer in town

Well put

As many have pointed out, you are never likely to have your fingers on 4 faders at once on a tablet as you could on a physical surface. For that kind of mixing, it is unlikely that a tablet will ever fit the bill.

For many (most?) smaller applications which comprise the lions share of this market, I think you can get along with a tablet pretty well.

Actually, with the iPad DCA page I often mix 3-4 faders at once. Riding lead vocals, guitars and effects returns at the same time is pretty normal mixing procedure and very easy with the iPad case that I have that lets me angle it however I want.

 

[Glenn Adams]

Re: There is a new rack mounted digital mixer in town

Well, you think Mackie, Behringer and others (including Midas) have nothing better for their engineers to do than design UI for devices people hate?

Look, I agree that mixing on a tablet (which I have done) *in it's current form* is inferior to a physical surface, but to claim that manufacturers are driving this trend is frankly hooey. Go to the Avid DUC Live Sound forum and about half the comments are (over 3 years running) "where the hell is a functional tablet app, not just a VNC connection to the desk?"

FWIW, a tablet IS a control surface... just not the one I prefer.

There is no turning back now, the genie is out. And I never got my 3rd wish.