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Behringer XAir XR18 mixer


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I just ordered it. Musician"s Friend had a 12% discount plus my earned points come out to $400,00. My choice was this one or a Soundcraft UI 16, by the way the Soundcraft is on sale for $378. and change, that's such a good price I was thinking of changing my order but all my friends told me I should stick with what I ordered..Question are any of you familiar with either of these?

 

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Just switched from ipad to android this past weekend. Android has better functionality in that you can get 16+ channel strips showing at the same time. I think I have 19. While the newly released ipad app has full functionality now, it can only show 8 channels at a time. Also the metering is terrible.... slow and is hard to tell where the levels are.

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The practical answer is, it's silly to only have 1 tablet with you on a gig. Because there is no other way to operate them, tablet only mixers introduce another fail point. As far as I know any android tablet will work so you'd be best served getting a relatively cheap android tablet and using it to mix. If it gets dropped or stolen, you're out $100 or less versus using your ipad, which you can have tucked away as a back up.

 

If your'e at all adventurous, a cheap good tablet would be a $50 Amazon Fire . Out of the box you can't load android apps directly, but there are ways to go about it - note, I've not done this.

 

Obviously, there are tons of cheap tablets out there and it would be easier to just get a native android one. A suggestion there would be to buy local. Wal*Mart, for example, has a 15 day return policy on tablets. That's plenty of time to load the app and see if the tablet does the job.

 

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It won't work on your iphone anyway. The apple support is only for ipad. There's not even a monitor control app for the X-air series. There is a 3rd party iphone app called X Air FMP ' date=' but it only controls faders, panning and mutes (and it's $9).[/quote']

 

 

XAir apps are available for iPad, IPhone, and the desktop/laptop IOS. They are also available for Windows, Andoid, and Linux. This is the reason I had an XR18 for a few years and then upgraded to the X32 rack.

 

My goto XR18/X32 rack setup is a wired laptop near the mixer as an emergency backup, and an Android tablet for line check, monitor tweaking, and mixing. YMMV.

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XAir apps are available for iPad, IPhone *, and the desktop/laptop IOS. They are also available for Windows, Andoid, and Linux. This is the reason I had an XR18 for a few years and then upgraded to the X32 rack.

 

My goto XR18/X32 rack setup is a wired laptop near the mixer as an emergency backup, and an Android tablet for line check, monitor tweaking, and mixing. YMMV.

 

* This is inaccurate. There is no iPhone app from Behringer, only a 3rd party app that costs $9 and just does fader levels, panning, and mutes.

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Thanks guys! What size android would you suggest? I also heard you can run up tp 100ft of cat 5 cable off your Lap top in case your I pad or android stopped working. Hey any suggestion, I'm all ears! The suggestion Walmart is a good one. Thanks.

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If you want to get at 17 channels visible (all channels and main) I'd go for a 10" tablet because it's easier to see. if you don't care about that then a 7" "mini" size will work. I've been using an iPad mini for several months. Also, if it's going to be out on a mic stand on stage, smaller is less noticeable. Really though, it's doesn't much matter. Larger is bigger sliders/buttons so easier to use while playing if that's what you're doing.

 

And yes, you can hard wire to a laptop. You can also get and adapter for an android tablet.

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Yes you can bring a laptop and just run CAT5 which is much better than going wireless if you can live with the cable. I keep a 50 ft CAT5 in my bag and bring my laptop for just in case. Mainly I use my Ipad 10" tablet and have had only had minor problems like dropping a signal once in awhile. This doesn't cause the sound to cut off just locks you in your scene until you connect again.

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Yes you can bring a laptop and just run CAT5 which is much better than going wireless if you can live with the cable. I keep a 50 ft CAT5 in my bag and bring my laptop for just in case. Mainly I use my Ipad 10" tablet and have had only had minor problems like dropping a signal once in awhile. This doesn't cause the sound to cut off just locks you in your scene until you connect again.

 

I do a similar thing.

 

I put my xr18 in a rack case w/ a 5-port ethernet switch and a small wifi router. I always bring an iPad (i have the 12" pro) and a MBP (which can do wifi or wired ethernet and which I also use w/ logic via USB). So I can have both connected. I haven't had any problems since switching to an external wifi router.

 

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I do a similar thing.

 

I put my xr18 in a rack case w/ a 5-port ethernet switch and a small wifi router. I always bring an iPad (i have the 12" pro) and a MBP (which can do wifi or wired ethernet and which I also use w/ logic via USB). So I can have both connected. I haven't had any problems since switching to an external wifi router.

 

Couldn't you go Ethernet out from the XR18 to your router. Control device/computer hard wired to the external router. No. 2 here. Edit: for correct flow.

 

 

https://musicgroup-prod.mindtouch.us/04_BEHRINGER/X_Air-_What_Are_The_Different_Ways_To_Connect_To_My_X_Air_Mixer%3F

 

Doug

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Abzurd I have been running sound every week end for the last 3 years in a club that has their own pa system analog, We're closed about 2 Fridays a month, so I thought I might start doing a Friday here and there, so to lighten my load I thought the XR18 would help.

 

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Couldn't you go Ethernet out from the XR18 to your router. Control device/computer hard wired to the external router. No. 2 here. Edit: for correct flow.

 

Yeah, that's more or less my setup, though I typically use wifi.

 

xr18 -> ethernet switch,

wifi router -> ethernet switch -> xr18,

(possibly) MBPro -> wired to ethernet switch -> xr18

 

(possibly) MBPro -> wifi -> switch -> xr18

(usually) iPad Pro -> wifi -> switch -> xr18

 

This is the wifi router:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005WKIKA0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

This is the switch:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00002EQCW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

I have it in a rack, switch and router are velcro'd to the mounts, and I could pull out/elevate the router if I wanted to (I have enough cable to do this and it's mounted on the outside on the rack ear. But I haven't had to do that.

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Thanks everyone, as far as getting a cheap android and get it to work, I'm not that savvy, so would any in the 50 to $100.00 work?

 

 

Again, I'd just find something local from a retailer that will let you return it. You'll know right away if it will be responsive enough. Note that cheap android tablets are 2.4 Ghz only. If you run into hostile wifi environments you'll want an 5Ghz option.... another reason why at least having your ipad with you is good. To that end, the built in wifi on the XR series mixers is horrific as you've likely read elsewhere. Any 3rd party router will be an upgrade, but get one with a 5G option so you can run dual band. This lets you run a 2.4 android tablet, as well as 5 option for your ipad if needed.

 

I recently bought a used airport express for $40 on ebay and do my break music wirelessly via airplay on the 5 G band (drop outs were happening at 2.4).

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Oh, I also picked up a used Yoga 2 11 on c-list for like $120. It's a touch screen windows laptop and been nice to have as a backup mixer, but also has handled multi-track recording. It has a 500 GB hard drive. It's also the perfect travel laptop for vacations.

 

To that end, a windows tablet might be best if you're actually running sound. It's the best, most complete GUI.

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I have a 5G dual band router that I'm not using, since I hooked up to direct tv. I also have a HP laptop, Which works great, except I can't close the lid since I broke the hinge on one side,. other then that it works great. Thanks for the help.

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