X32 Rack

J

Jovance Todorov

Freshman
Jul 27, 2014
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Dear friends,
We are band with 5 participants and we are looking for new mixer for live events and sometimes for recording.
We use pair of active speakers JBL PRX715XLF and JBL PRX712 tops.
We are interested to new BEHRINGER X32 Rack and we want to controle it with Ipad.
Can anyone want to share with us his experience in live situations?


Thank you
Jovance
 
Re: X32 Rack

Great solution, if you have no sound engineer. I only would add a laptop for control, with the ipad you have to have a solid wifi, that can be a problem, the laptop can be connected with a cable...
Ipad control is great, for sure during soundcheck, you can setup everything on stage and walk the room with the ipad. During soundcheck I have never had any problems with wifi, only when rooms are packed with people and mobile phones (hotspots)
 
Re: X32 Rack

You should be comparing the X32 Rack to the Mackie DL32 and the PreSonus RM32, not consoles with faders. I would pick the console with faders everytime, just for the flexibility. When you take the control surface away, you have given up some control and you might wish you had it one night, when all of a sudden, you can't keep a connection.

I mix two to three times a week with no control surface. These are corporate gigs, outdoor events and there is LOTS of RF and LOTS of WiFi traffic. There have been times where I was not allowed to use the on-site network, and I could not keep a reliable connection. I needed to have a control surface, luckily, there was a PreSonus StudioLive with faders to fall back on. If you do go console-less, carry two routers, two iPads, etc. You never know what will happen. That's what I do, and it has paid off.

If you have to buy today, I would say, get the Mackie. I sell all by the way and have nothing against any of them. But right now, the Mackie has them all beat with the GUI, the color coding, the ability to play and record 32 tracks via a USB drive, without the need of a computer. It is only 48kHz like the Behringer. The PreSonus is 96kHz. The downside to the X32 Rack and the Mackie is they cannot be cascaded. Yes, you can sub mix from one to the other, but the control software does not allow you to combine and control two units as one seamless console. The PreSonus has that capability. I think the Mackie is built a little tougher than the X32 and the PreSonus. I like the physical layout of the XLRs on the Mackie. There is enough space to get a skinny strip of board tape or label gun tape above each row of connectors. You cannot easily label the PreSonus. The X32 Rack doesn't have all of the XLRs on board, so then there is that. You would have to add a S16 if you want 32 mic pres.

If you can't get great results with any of these, it isn't the product.
 
Re: X32 Rack

So, if you suggest me a mixer with faders, I will buy X32 compact, but if I may control all funcions with laptop, then I will buy X32 rack
 
Re: X32 Rack

Jovance Todorov said:
So, if you suggest me a mixer with faders, I will buy X32 compact, but if I may control all funcions with laptop, then I will buy X32 rack
Click to expand...

You might want to wait until NAMM, InfoComm, etc. There may be some more alternatives. You can control all of the X Behringers remotely. So, I would recommend buying the console always, so you have the option of using the control surface.
 
Re: X32 Rack

Jovance Todorov said:
So, if you suggest me a mixer with faders, I will buy X32 compact, but if I may control all funcions with laptop, then I will buy X32 rack
Click to expand...

hi Jovance
the X32Rack is one of the best purchases I've ever bought.
I have a full console as well and I am old school, likening faders and not liking layers.
but I have used my iPad to mix shows with just the Rack and it works well.
I also use Mixing Station that is on android, both a HP Slate 10 and I use a HP Slate 21 Pro for a main control surface with a hard wired connection for the reasons stated above.

I am not a total Behringer fan boy but you can find lots of people using it as you want to on the Behringer Forum for X32 stuff.
There is one problem using a PC is that X32Edit is not designed for touch control and the fader area is not great for controlling a live show. You can do almost everything as if you were at the console by I find it hard to mix on. We have been clammering for a new PC/Mac/Linux app to replace Edit on the Forum.

If you do not need more I/O than the Rack has and do not plan to expand it, there is a new XR18 coming out this January that looks great and has 18X8 I/O. $699USD. It is a stage box with built in Wireless and hard line networking.
the PC app looks better and the iPad app looks better too. Same DSP as in the Rack, same effects and all.

the Mackie looks great also, no PC app mentioned yet. But no PC/Mac/Linux or Android apps.
the Presonus loos real good and I do like the touch screen PC designed interface. But no Linux/ Android
 
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Re: X32 Rack

Jovance Todorov said:
So, if I controle x32 rack only with laptop, I can do that if there is no wi-fi intermet, right?
Click to expand...

That is correct.

I have to disagree with Brent, IF the mixer is going to live on stage for it's entire life and full control surface is just more bulk to deal with. Prior to getting a X32Rack I did many shows where the mixer was backstage and I was out front with my iPad, when going solo it's nice to not have to ask someone to help you place your console on a table.

Of course I'm assuming that is your plan since you specifically mention iPad control.
 
Re: X32 Rack

The x32-rack can actually be operated in full from its front panel if the situation should occur. The is not possible with the presonus-rm and mackie dl32.

While the presonus mixers now can do 96k this assfects your ability to mix. You lose all processing on the outputs and you lose two of the four fx. You also lose the ability to cascade two units. Not many will use 96k for mixing...
 
Re: X32 Rack

Robert Lofgren said:
The x32-rack can actually be operated in full from its front panel if the situation should occur. The is not possible with the presonus-rm and mackie dl32.

While the presonus mixers now can do 96k this assfects your ability to mix. You lose all processing on the outputs and you lose two of the four fx. You also lose the ability to cascade two units. Not many will use 96k for mixing...
Click to expand...

As a resource for mixing audio heard by a proximate audience, 96K is and shall remain bullshit. This is not to preclude its use for lowering latency for IEMs or recording for future use, but as for what the audience hears it makes no difference and it makes no sense to accept the performance hits with the current level of affordable technologies.
 
Re: X32 Rack

Hello

X32R - connected via router into laptop - first I control system with iPad ( have two of them with me ) - if iPad/WiFi fails, I run to laptop and kep mixing ( so far never ) - if laptop fails, too ( never tested because of solid iPad/WiFi ) I can control everything with front panel controls - definitevely clumsy, but possible ( thx G there is fixed MASTER FADER encoder )

So my conclusion is - have iPad and laptop - even better if you have TWO iPAds and TWO laptops - any old laptop with WinXP is good for that and they cost next to nothing...

Of course the router needs to be quality product, too...
 
Re: X32 Rack

Because I am used to do a multitrack recording of the shows there is always a laptop connected to the rack. So no problem to have a fallback.
one big advantage of the X32Rack is the fact that it can also be used as an extension for the other mixers, or if you like a full featured S16 with mixing capabilities. This is not possible with the presonus or Mackie.
 
Re: X32 Rack

Brent Handy said:
So, I would recommend buying the console always, so you have the option of using the control surface.
Click to expand...
I totally get that, but as an owner of both, I inevitably leave the console at home and take the X32Rack+S16 to 90% of the gigs.
And the thing is, getting the Rack is never a mistake, even if you decide you need a console, because Rack+S16/DL16/DL153 is the right stage box combo.
 
Re: X32 Rack

Timo Ulkuniemi said:
Hello

X32R - connected via router into laptop - first I control system with iPad ( have two of them with me ) - if iPad/WiFi fails, I run to laptop and kep mixing ( so far never ) - if laptop fails, too ( never tested because of solid iPad/WiFi ) I can control everything with front panel controls - definitevely clumsy, but possible ( thx G there is fixed MASTER FADER encoder )

So my conclusion is - have iPad and laptop - even better if you have TWO iPAds and TWO laptops - any old laptop with WinXP is good for that and they cost next to nothing...

Of course the router needs to be quality product, too...
Click to expand...
So, if there is no internet acces I can't mixing via laptop or ipad, right?
 
Re: X32 Rack

Tim McCulloch said:
As a resource for mixing audio heard by a proximate audience, 96K is and shall remain bullshit. This is not to preclude its use for lowering latency for IEMs or recording for future use, but as for what the audience hears it makes no difference and it makes no sense to accept the performance hits with the current level of affordable technologies.
Click to expand...
In the case of the presonus rm-mixers there is a huge audiable difference since you lose all of the output processing and half of your fx when you run at 96k :D~:-D~:grin:. I'm not sure how it will affect the ai-mixers but I assume that there is a similar limitation in place.
 
Re: X32 Rack

Robert Lofgren said:
In the case of the presonus rm-mixers there is a huge audiable difference since you lose all of the output processing and half of your fx when you run at 96k :D~:-D~:grin:. I'm not sure how it will affect the ai-mixers but I assume that there is a similar limitation in place.
Click to expand...

That would be the performance hits I mentioned.
 
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