Mackie announces... the X32 rack

[OneEng]

Sam,

I'll have to check back to see what your thoughts are after your first gig.

As for the topic of mixing on stage while playing.....

I play guitar and sing lead most of the time. I have an iPad Mini that I have on a clamp on my mic stand.

I generally keep a set of DCA's for drums, bass, vocals, guitar 1, and guitar 2. I don't leave this page, and I tweak the guitar volume for only the lead player (that still uses a ton of pedals and moves his volume knob to adjust his amp gain).

We use IEM's, and our stage noise is very low (vDrums, my Kemper, bass is DI, and only the lead guitar has an amp on stage at low volume with a plexiglass shield around it). I use the L/R stereo direct mix into my IEM to set the levels, but really only change the vocal volumes for different lead singers, and combat my lead players continuous changes in volume with his DCA fader.

I have several friends who also play in bands and they have assured me that our mix sounds pretty darned good and consistent from gig to gig as well as throughout the night.

[Sam Spoons]

Slightly different scenario for me, I have used my DL1608 for all my own gigs now for a couple of years and use an iPad running My Lyric Book to aid my poor memory (too many bands with too many songs). I can switch over to Master Fader but usually have the desk close by with a second iPad docked. If possible though, I try to find a mate in the audience and give him the other iPad to balance FOH.

The first X32 gig is a PA job involving two bands and a duo, plus speeches and background/dance music from iPod. I'll be mixing with the desk side of stage on this one using the iPad for FOH from the audience. S16 and Cat5 to follow soon (or maybe an X32 Rack, cost per input :- S16 - £36.93, X32 Rack - £36.63).

[shufflebeat]

It never ends.

[MarkPAman]

S16 and Cat5 to follow soon (or maybe an X32 Rack, cost per input :- S16 - £36.93, X32 Rack - £36.63).

Sam, you do realise the "Rack" has only 16 pre-amps..... I can't make you figures add up, how are you working that one out?

[OneEng]

S16 and Cat5 to follow soon (or maybe an X32 Rack, cost per input :- S16 - £36.93, X32 Rack - £36.63).

Sam, you do realise the "Rack" has only 16 pre-amps..... I can't make you figures add up, how are you working that one out?

Sure, but the X32 Rack has six 1/4" aux inputs as well. These are quite useful for things like keys, iPod, and DI's which would have normally taken up precious XLR inputs.

The X32 Rack is truly a 22 input desk (24 if you count the USB playback the console offers .... but I have trouble calling those additional 2 "inputs").

Sam,

I have given up the faders completely with the X32 Rack. I was very worried at first. I was worried more about durability issues and felt that without faders ..... what was there to fail?

Now I would never go back. Having my iPad Mini right on my mic stand while I play is orders of magnitude better than trying to work my way around stage to push faders .... frequently in a poorly lit room with crap all over the stage.

[Sam Spoons]

The X32 Compact gives me the best of both worlds (and I still have my DL1608), I can still mix FOH from the iPad or use the desk out front with a snake (S16 or analogue multi depending) where appropriate. Obviously mixing out front is impossible if you're playing in the band too.

[OneEng]

The X32 Compact gives me the best of both worlds (and I still have my DL1608), I can still mix FOH from the iPad or use the desk out front with a snake (S16 or analogue multi depending) where appropriate. Obviously mixing out front is impossible if you're playing in the band too.

Not if you are REALLY fast Sam!

I nearly got the Compact. They had a deal on them going for a short time for ~$1700.00 (before the price drops happened). Then I remembered that I didn't want to carry a large mixer any more and that many of the stages I play on are very small.

I think these little rack mount mixers are going to really take off. The new Behringer ones are silly inexpensive (but not as complete in features as the X32 line is). I certainly didn't foresee myself mixing on an iPad. It is amazing how fast this technology has changed the industry. It reminds me of the powered speaker revolution that preceded it.

[Sam Spoons]

The X32 Compact gives me the best of both worlds (and I still have my DL1608), I can still mix FOH from the iPad or use the desk out front with a snake (S16 or analogue multi depending) where appropriate. Obviously mixing out front is impossible if you're playing in the band too.

Not if you are REALLY fast Sam!

Or have extremely long arms (Have you been watching re-runs of "Heros" Eng?)

[OneEng]

The X32 Compact gives me the best of both worlds (and I still have my DL1608), I can still mix FOH from the iPad or use the desk out front with a snake (S16 or analogue multi depending) where appropriate. Obviously mixing out front is impossible if you're playing in the band too.

Not if you are REALLY fast Sam!

Or have extremely long arms (Have you been watching re-runs of "Heros" Eng?)

LOL. Exactly.

I have everything in an 8 space roller rack now with LED lights inside the case for plugging in the inputs. We can do a complete setup in around 30 minutes. I do a quick virtual sound check to assess the level in the venue and off we go.

Digital mixers are the microwave of pro audio. You wonder how you ever got along without them

[Sam Spoons]

my microwave mostly serves as a cat-proof cupboard in my kitchen.....

[shufflebeat]

my microwave mostly serves as a cat-proof cupboard in my kitchen.....

Just to clarify... the cat's on the outside, yeah?

[Sam Spoons]

Yeah, cats on the outside of the microwave, food on the inside (cat or microwave, you takes the choice)