Behringer XR series strange issues

[cappttenron]

While using my Behringer XR16 series mixer at a local gig everything was going well for the first two sets. In the middle of the third set the guitarist flipped the power button on the power strip because he was changing guitars and cut off the mixer too (idiot). I was not able to connect back to the mixer with the IPAD or even see the XR in settings? We were able to finish because it stayed in its last setting but I was not a happy camper. I had also noticed a couple of times when I switched screens the volume main meter quit showing the meter lights? This would come back on if I switched from looking at 16 channels to 8 and back? I will play with it at home tonight and see if this happens again. I have had the Ipad lose a signal from even the Presonus unit we use in the other band before but it would always come back if I rebooted. This has not been a killer in the past because I was able to get it back in under a minute and the unit stayed in the standard scene I use mostly. I did bring my laptop with 50ft of Cat5 cable just in case but the show was close to ending anyway. The IPAD was down to about 25% battery at this point?

 

Anyone got any ideas?

[abzurd]

Odd that you couldn't get the connection back, but that could have been a lot of things. Are you using an external router? If not, get one. The built in wifi is hideous.

 

As for the main meter not working on the ipad app, yep that's a thing. Same thing happened to me on Saturday, and has popped up a few other times in the past. The iPad app is half baked. Behringer knows it and has kicked the can down the road for over a year. Supposedly, after doing major overhauls to the X32 iPad app, they have just started working on it again. Who knows though, it is "B". The android app has better functionality, but it's ugly as sin and not as intuitive. There is a 3rd party android app that helps with the work flow.

 

Battery life wise, one thing that will save you significantly is to turn the screen brightness down. This can save as much as 25% in a 4-5 hour time period. Also, remember to turn the screen off during breaks.

 

If you use an Android tablet you can use a $10 adapter to hardwire it to the mixer if needed. I did this just to have a backup plan in case I encountered a particularly hostile wifi environment. I also use it with a laptop that has no ethernet port.

[cappttenron]

Usually when I do shows with the IPAD and battery life is no problem just this show took longer because they are a large 8 piece band. Normally I never go below 50%. I had read if you create a password and change the channel from 1 you will have much less problems which was the case and someone had posted the had greater than 99% success with those changes in crowded venues not using a external router. Will have to think about getting the android and hardwiring cause you can get them pretty cheap.

[abzurd]

It's also good to have some sort of backup. One "oops" with the ipad... battery, drop, malfuctnion, or it "walks off", you have something else. Cheapies will work but you'll be limited to 2.4Ghz wifi. The most solid wifi would be an external router running 5 Ghz, though you could broadcast on both bands. I only do 5 Ghz because we are using 2.4 Ghz wireless instrument transmitters. In fact, that's something to consider if you're doing multiple bands. You never know who may show up with 2.4 Ghz hogging wifi. Some music wifi systems can take down venue wifi (I've done it before).

[Luckenbacher]

I agree with what other folks have said, more or less.

 

I think that an external router is essential. I had one gig without it, but as far as I am concerned using the XR as a router by itself is a no go. I think that it works well to wirelessly connect it to the network-- I do that at home. But I haven't tried it without wired ethernet, as it's right next to the router and easy enough to connect via wire.

 

I also think having some kind of wired backup that has an ethernet port is important.

 

One thing that I have found helpful is that you can restart the application; that's been necessary several times. On the ipad, double tap the home button so you see all the apps in a row, and swipe the up upwards. This will reboot the app. This is what I have done when the app becomes unresponsive.

 

The stakes on the gigs I play are so low, but this device makes me very worried if I had to do anything really high stakes with it. Still, I haven't had any problems now that it's on its own router and network.

[cappttenron]

To be really safe you really need almost two of everything haha. I carry my laptop with 50ft of cat5 and I will start bringing my little ZED10 to leave in the truck in case of major failure so we can limp thru a show. I have not really heard of anyones XR series sh_t_ng the bed so I guess they are pretty reliable. I have heard many complaints about the wifi. I do notice hard wired the response is much faster.

[Luckenbacher]

My laptop bag has a 12" ipad pro, a 2011 mbp, 50' of cat5, 10' cat5, 5' cat5, and my belkin n750... plus the assorted power supplied. I've just been leaving the router in the bag and wiring it to to power and the mixer.

 

I haven't needed to wired connection or the MBP yet, though I tested it and it works okay. I think that I will rig the bag with a powerstrip, but I'm still trying this setup out.

 

I don't think that I would have gone with this mixer if I didn't need to have a backup development laptop and my boss hadn't gifted my the ipad... I don't think that bringing $2K or so of technology + an $700 mixer is all that great an idea, honestly... it feels super fragile on several levels.

 

But at the same time, the incremental cost was not as high as the other paths that I looked at and most importantly to me it's still a very small package.