HereSoundcraft Ui24R vs Behringer XR18

[abzurd]

 

Full document available - HERE. I'll update if I find more.

Soundcraft Ui24R vs Behringer XR18

I realize the Soundcraft mixer is $400 more than the Behringer, but I own both and have been using the XR18 for about a year now. The bullets below are features the Soundcraft has that the Behringer lacks. Whether it’s worth the premium is up to you. I put this together shortly after unboxing and taking it the GUI for a spin around the block.

General

 

• Two headphone jacks
  
• Parallel TRS and XLR main outputs
  
• Neutrik XLR inputs
  
• Analog knobs on mixer for main outs
  

Connection

 

• Built in dual band router (2.4 / 5)
  
• Can connect directly to a touchscreen monitor via HDMI for a “no computer” hard wired connection
  
• Browser based GUI means any device with a browser can operate the mixer. (will be interesting to see if it works with my original Ipad 1)
  
• No apps to install
  
• Up to 10 simultaneous connections
  
• opinion - Very responsive controls with better metering, IMO, than the XR18
  
• USB ports in front and also on the side (assuming for better protection)
  

Outputs

 

• 8 Aux outputs
  
• 6 sub groups
  
• 6 VCAs
  
• Aux outputs can be used as matrix outputs
  

Processing

 

• 3 selectable HPF slopes (12, 24, 36)
  
• De-esser built into EQ
  
• 2 channels of guitar amp efx (channels 1 & 2)
  
• Automated feedback detection/elimination on all outputs
  

Recording/Playback

 

• Recording direct to USB thumb drive
  
• Flac support for recording (16 or 24 bit)
  
• Built in audio player with playlist support (actually pretty usable… more convenient than using “airplay” on Apple Router)
  
• “Soundcheck” mode to map pre-recorded files to channels for virtual soundchecks via thumb drive files
  
• Can record to USB drive and PC/Mac simultaneously for redundancy or multiple copies
  

Cons

 

• Audio player lacks crossfade support (XR18 lacks a player at all though)
  
• No midi (but does have “footswitch” controls)
  
• Not as many DSP options (just 2 verbs, delay, chorus)
  
• RCA inputs for line in input, versus TRS for the XR18
  
• Can’t only get 10 channels visible at a time without needing to scroll, but does have 6 assignable views so you can at least break it down in usable ways
  

 

[Luckenbacher]

I have an XR18 and felt it was a pretty good value for what I've been using it for, despite needing to rack it up with an ethernet switch, a wireless access point, and feeling like I have to travel with a laptop that has ethernet "just in case". And I am thinking about adding a volume knob to the master output.

 

As a web developer, I'm really, really curious how well a web browser client will work versus a native application. I see the appeal of of a generic API served over HTTP, but having dealt with a lot of issues in that stack of technology, I feel like even a native application is a bit of a stretch.

 

Like, I've been working with a native iOS app for about 6 months now on a number of small shows and it works well enough. But even it feels "iffy" a lot of the time.

 

I think it would be really interesting to play with the API and writing, say, a subset of the application. But as a guy who spends a lot of time troubleshooting "why that H1 tag isn't centered correctly in android opera browser" or "why can't that server get a twitter feed via CURL" or "how come the load time on that page is 5 seconds instead of hitting the webserver cache"... I'm just so skeptical that that it's a realtime "enough" kind of solution.

 

But I can't, of course, comment on equipment that I've never used. I'm just curious how well it works and wish I had one to play with to see what writing an interface for it would be like.

 

Still, that reasoning (plus cost and some user reviews) was why I chose the XR18... the app seemed like a "feature" not a bug.

 

Also, just to add to your doc, the xr18 can do guitar effects / amp sim as an insert on any channel. I've considered using it as a solution to being a multi instrumentalist, as I could use it as a processor and direct box for 6+ instruments + give me a personal monitor... it just seems way more cumbersome. Also the XR18 has been very nice to use as a front end for logic.

[Luckenbacher]

For an example of what I am skeptical about, I'm curious what the implementation of the a parametric eq control in SVG (or canvas) and Javascript might look like, and how well that might perform versus the same control built in Cocoa.

 

It might be no big deal... I'm bad at the math behind implementing those kinds of graphics and have never done any real graphics programming anyhow... I am just trying to figure out what the implementation in my usual web stack looks like and a quick google search didn't turn up a good stackoverflow answer.

[abzurd]

Here's a full demo of the Soundcraft GUI - http://www.soundcraft.com/ui24-software-demo/mixer.html