Digital Mixers. Now adding NAMM 2015 entries

[Geri O]

Still researching the 2015 mixers for you guys. Nothing doing. Personally i'm hoping 2016 is a better year. New laptops with SSD & USB 3.0 3.1 are coming & they can move FAR more data than USB 2.0 for recording. I can't see committing to a mixer for a decade with USB 2.0, same for a laptop.

It's called "Dante". It's available on most all the small mixers. It's great on the Yamaha CL and QL series. Don't know if it's available on the TF series, but they didn't interest me too much.

You can hold off if you like, I'm pretty capable or researching my own mixers, thank you. After everything was said and done, I couldn't see anything tangibly better than the 4-year-old (technology-wise) X32. If you want high-speed data transfer for recording, get the Dante card for it (or the Soundcraft SI, Expression, or Impact series). I've been recording 32 tracks to Reaper using the USB port on it with no problems, although I am about to swap my USB card for a friend's USB/Firewire card.

As for committing to 10 years, I think I'll be extremely lucky if I can get 5 years from my X32. The makers won't be supporting mixers in that category for that long and software will advance beyond those mixers' capability, unless you plan to commit to the entire eco-system of that mixer for 10 years. I can't see it.

I never say never, and I'm not gonna say you are mistaken for the plan or the idea of committing to a mixer for that long, I hope it works out for you. But as technology trickles down from the pro market to the MI sector, so do the caveats that go with it.

 

[Tunaman]

I never say never, and I'm not gonna say you are mistaken for the plan or the idea of committing to a mixer for that long, I hope it works out for you. But as technology trickles down from the pro market to the MI sector, so do the caveats that go with it.

The X32 is a great mixer. If I HAD TO get one now, that would probably be it, same for QU-16. I have a feeling the X32 gets refreshed in 2016, could be wrong though. We'll see.

 

[Geri O]

The X32 is a great mixer. If I HAD TO get one now, that would probably be it, same for QU-16. I have a feeling the X32 gets refreshed in 2016, could be wrong though. We'll see.

That would be about right, Tunaman, as I just bought mine last spring.....Not to mention that they dropped the price a few hundred dollars a month later. I guess that's what the fine print is for...

Nonetheless, it's serving me well and as I expected, plus some. I looked into the Dante card, but it's expensive and I haven't really seen the need yet. I was hoping they would bring out a USB 3.0 card for the X32, but from my limited vantage point, I don't think that is where high-speed audio transfer is headed.

BTW, thanx for being a good sport in your response. The post you responded to had an inappropriate and uncalled for amount of snarkiness to it. I had just gotten off go the phone with a guy wanting to rent my stage gear and was ragging on not only the X32, but the fact that a guy with my pro audio background would actually buy one. I didn't even want to talk to him after that, but he kept calling and I finally had to ignore his calls, then he called my former boss trying to get him to intervene and get my gear for next to nothing (which the former boss thankfully handled him like a pro would...). So I apologize for that. I'm going to let it stand as it is, like a battle scar...

There was a reason that I passed on the QU-16, but I think a lot of it, nonetheless. I think of all these mixers in this category as disposable pocket mixers. And I mean that in a good and endearing way, kinda like what our smartphones have become.

Good luck and take care....

 

[seamonkey]

Still researching the 2015 mixers for you guys. Nothing doing. Personally i'm hoping 2016 is a better year. New laptops with SSD & USB 3.0 3.1 are coming & they can move FAR more data than USB 2.0 for recording. I can't see committing to a mixer for a decade with USB 2.0, same for a laptop.

Just got a new laptop with Thunderbolt.

Really though, USB 2 is fine for 16-32 channels of audio. Windows, even Windows 10 has never natively supported "USB Audio Class 2 standard"(2009)
Chromebooks and other OS's do. It may just be a Windows thing that USB has a bad rap.

 

[Wadge]

I have been looking at new digital mixers too. We currently run an older generation (non-AI) Presonus 24.4.2. In truth, the only reason to upgrade is that sometimes we need more than 24 channels (on maybe 6% of our gigs) + new toys are cool.

I happen to like the Presonus layout so the 32.4.2. AI is tempting. What I don't like about it is that it only has 14 Auxes. It ought to be just enough but 16 would be better. Also, moving faders would be nice but it is not a deal breaker.
I've looked at the Behringer X32 and it looks pretty cool. I just can't get past my bad experiences with Behringer products. The local dealer has also quit getting Behringer because of all the returns and issues. That said, it doesn't seem that the X32 has had any particular reliability problems.
With the Rack mixers, I am nervous about not having a fader I can pull down when feedback hits.
The Yamaha TF mixers look interesting although all the way it is marketed (as a mixer even newbies can use) kindy annoys me.

In truth, there isn't much which excites me about the current crop of digital mixers.

 

[Geri O]

I have been looking at new digital mixers too. We currently run an older generation (non-AI) Presonus 24.4.2. In truth, the only reason to upgrade is that sometimes we need more than 24 channels (on maybe 6% of our gigs) + new toys are cool.

I happen to like the Presonus layout so the 32.4.2. AI is tempting. What I don't like about it is that it only has 14 Auxes. It ought to be just enough but 16 would be better. Also, moving faders would be nice but it is not a deal breaker.
I've looked at the Behringer X32 and it looks pretty cool. I just can't get past my bad experiences with Behringer products. The local dealer has also quit getting Behringer because of all the returns and issues. That said, it doesn't seem that the X32 has had any particular reliability problems.
With the Rack mixers, I am nervous about not having a fader I can pull down when feedback hits.
The Yamaha TF mixers look interesting although all the way it is marketed (as a mixer even newbies can use) kindy annoys me.

In truth, there isn't much which excites me about the current crop of digital mixers.

You didn't mention the Soundcraft Impact. Have a look at it.

As for the X32. I would have liked to been able to compare it to the Impact, but the Impact wasn't around when I needed to buy. Having said that, I don't regret going with the X32. And I haven't heard o anyone around here with one having any problems. Can't say that about the Presonus. And the X32 is the only Behringer product I've ever used (and the Midas technology had a hand in it, to boot). So I can't speak for the rest of B gear

But see if the Impact does it for you.

 

[walterw]

the X32 is the only Behringer product I've ever used (and the Midas technology had a hand in it, to boot). So I can't speak for the rest of B gear

it does seem like the "X" digital mixers from those guys have jumped the fence to some kind of respectability. (hey, it's not like all the other digital boards aren't made in china too.)

 

[Geri O]

it does seem like the "X" digital mixers from those guys have jumped the fence to some kind of respectability. (hey, it's not like all the other digital boards aren't made in china too.)

For sure, the X32 and the variants, the Midas Pro One and Pro Two, as well as the Soundcraft Si series. I'm thinking the Yamaha TF series is either China or Taiwan, but I should verify that before I assert it, I suppose. And there's bound to be others....