Physical control for digital mixer

chor808

Hello

Planning to migrate from an analogue mixer to a digital one, XR16 I believe. It's going to be controlled from either an iPad or a PC. Any issues live today I just grab the master volume, press mute etc.... I can do that in seconds. On the digital one I've got to open a PC, iPad etc and that's making me nervous! Is there such thing as a physical controller for digital? Or do I just run the outputs from the digital via a basic analogue mixer...

Anyone else already manage this..

Thanks

Musicwolf

I use one of these with my XR18 for exactly the reason that you state.  Sits between the XR18 and the powered cabs.

chor808

Superb thanks that's perfect. Glad to know it's not only me worried about feedback and a locked laptop.....

maltingsaudio

This is exactly the reason I wouldn’t buy any digital mixer which only works with an iPad or tablet, plus there will come a time when the iPad no longer supports digital mixers.

maltingsaudio

maltingsaudio said:

This is exactly the reason I wouldn’t buy any digital mixer which only works with an iPad or tablet, plus there will come a time when the iPad no longer supports digital mixers.

Not to mention battery life!

guitarmangler

Ooo. Clever. I’m getting one of those. 

Danny1969

maltingsaudio said:

This is exactly the reason I wouldn’t buy any digital mixer which only works with an iPad or tablet, plus there will come a time when the iPad no longer supports digital mixers.

Sorry clicked lol instead of quote at first. I'm not a fan of surface-less mixers either. Although I've mixed hundreds of gigs from an ipad there is a certain risk involved with it. I certainly wouldn't want to be playing in a band and trying to mix it onstage from an iPad either. 

It's a shame inserts have gone from digital mixers because it would have been a piece of cake to make a surface with 8 physical faders controlling the 8 things you thought were most critical, such as lead vox, BV's ect. Trouble is any insert point would require another DA and DA convertor so I can see why they don't use inserts on budget digital mixers. 

I'm not concerned about the lack of iPad support as Apple don't need to support the mixer. As long as the Ap meets the rules put down by the Ap store the makers of the desk will be able to keep coding the aps. 

One thing people learn with digital desks though is once you have a stable iPad / desk relationship don't keep letting your iPad update. 
Have an iPad that works with the desk and don't use it for anything else.    

sw67

I have probably done 50 gigs with a X-16 mixer. Had to move to mix station as the Behringer app has not been updated and doesn't work properly with ipad. Most gigs i don't touch it but its on a stand if i need it. Wifi is via apple airport. We have vocals x 3 + 2 guitars.

PhilM

Had an XR-18 for years and mixed on a tablet. Tablet is always unlocked, never had an issue I’ve not been able to deal with - even while playing. 

ESBlonde

XR18 user, I hard wire a laptop to it. Android phone on Wi-Fi is the backup (external router for Wi-Fi). If all else fails the XR18 retains its current settings and overall volume could be tweaked on the powered cabs to get you through a night, that’s alright if your basic mix covers you.
if you want hardware sliders spend on a bigger digital mixer with knobs on!

John_P

With the xr18 you can just add the behringer X-touch to add faders, it can connect via the router with an ethernet cable.     A bit limiting that you can't see all the channels at once but it's quick choose the fader bank or bus you want to control.