I May Be the Stupidest Person Alive, But I Bought the DL1608

[ChiroVette]

lol Okay, sorry for the hyperbole, but this past Tuesday, I ordered the Mackie DL1608 in spite of the fact that I have never been particularly fond of Mackie products and them tanking their own forums was, in my opinion, a really stupid (not to mention suspicious) thing to do!

The thing is that too many people I respect have recommended it to me, including RoadRanger and a couple of friends who are raving about the mixer. Plus, I love the iPad interface and have been playing with MyFader 1.3 for a few weeks now. It shipped Thursday, so hopefully I will have it in my hands by middle of this coming week.

[RoadRanger]

I think we'll all be a LOT happier when V1.5 is released . In the mean time the limitations aren't that hard to live within. Not having to set up a FOH and wrangle a snake is a BIG plus with me and (for now ) makes me happy enough with the trade-offs. As I do mostly private functions I often can't run a snake anyways and would get stuck mixing side-stage .

[ijpengelly]

Definitely speed of set up, compactness and the features it comes loaded with considering the budget are going to, hopefully, really like it. Perhaps if you have come from fully featured expensive digital desks or have really demanding requirements might you not like it. However, its easy to get a great sound with it and perhaps going back to "basics" might be fun. 

[WK154]

Look on the bright side. You can dump it later and pick up a iX16 and only loose a couple of bucks. Better than leasing something to tie you over till Behr..... is able to ship (FCC delay as I understand it).

[ChiroVette]

Hehehe the title was meant more tongue-in-cheek than anything. I am definitely NOT HAPPY that Mackie closed down their official forum. I think that is a terrible thing for a business to do in this modern age.

Look on the bright side. You can dump it later and pick up a iX16 and only loose a couple of bucks. Better than leasing something to tie you over till Behr..... is able to ship (FCC delay as I understand it).

Precisely what  was thinking. Don't get me wrong, I think that for the price, the quality and feature set of this little mixer is nothing short of amazing. But the ix16 looks like it is going to be insane.

[RoadRanger]

I'll predict that Mackie will get the software sorted out by the time the iX16 comes out and most of us won't feel it worthwhile to "crossgrade" to it . Those buying new are another story . OTOH Behringer doesn't seem interested in input into their software so we'll see who makes us the "warm and fuzziest" .

[ChiroVette]

Which brings up another point, RoadRanger: I have been playing with MasterFader 1.3 for a while now and I love it. Very intuitive and interesting, with lots of pretty colors and waveforms to graphically represent what you are doing sonically. However, the XiControl app is one I am finding incredibly clumsy and strange to navigate. First off, all the parametric EQ, compression, gating, and some other stuff are all these horrible virtual knobs and they are cumbersome to try and move clockwise and counterclockwise.

Honestly, if that is going to be the same basic software, only smaller and with less features, to control the ix16 then I am thinking that I will likely be better off with the DL1608 even if the ix16 has more features. Of course, this is just all speculation, but I am NOT liking the Behringer iPad app at all!

Oh, since I started this thread, I have a router question: The Sweetwater Q&A thread about the 1608 recommends the AirPort Extreme because they say that all the cell phones and wireless devices could interfere with the WiFi of the 1608. Do you guys still recommend the AirPort Express? Oh and is this the right model?

http://www.amazon.com/Apple-AirPort-Express-Station-MC414LL/dp/B008ALA2RC/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

[Kevin]

Oh, since I started this thread, I have a router question: The Sweetwater Q&A thread about the 1608 recommends the AirPort Extreme because they say that all the cell phones and wireless devices could interfere with the WiFi of the 1608

I'd go with the Express. I had both and sent the Extreme back (I bought it not realizing that it didnt support Airplay). I A/B'ed them both together and the Extreme does get a little bit better range, but not significantly so. They both have very good range. IMHO the extra bit of range on the Extreme is not worth the extra money and not having Airplay. OTOH, if you have two iPods and can keep one docked then Airplay on the router is not as big of deal.

[RoadRanger]

Which brings up another point, RoadRanger: I have been playing with MasterFader 1.3 for a while now and I love it. Very intuitive and interesting, with lots of pretty colors and waveforms to graphically represent what you are doing sonically. However, the XiControl app is one I am finding incredibly clumsy and strange to navigate. First off, all the parametric EQ, compression, gating, and some other stuff are all these horrible virtual knobs and they are cumbersome to try and move clockwise and counterclockwise.

Those of us used to moving fader mixers find it less strange . And as for the knobs the touchscreen convention is to put your finger on the knob and slide up and down as if it is a fader - completely obvious, right?

Oh, since I started this thread, I have a router question:

"Use the Search, Luke" :
http://cacophony.aspinock.com/index.php?topic=195

[WK154]

I'll predict that Mackie will get the software sorted out by the time the iX16 comes out and most of us won't feel it worthwhile to "crossgrade" to it . Those buying new are another story . OTOH Behringer doesn't seem interested in input into their software so we'll see who makes us the "warm and fuzziest" .

Haven't seen you on this forum and I'm just a lurker there myself but I think you'll have to agree that none of this will ever will happen at Mackie.
http://soundforums.net/varsity/4299-uli-behringer-music-group-q.html
You'll never see Mark Graham get on a forum. Yes Mackie asked for input but you know the results. My money is on Behringer with the iX16 before MF v1.5. Then this whole debate will be mute. We'll just have to start beating on Behringer for all the new features we want.

[RoadRanger]

Haven't seen you on this forum and I'm just a lurker there myself but I think you'll have to agree that none of this will ever will happen at Mackie.
http://soundforums.net/varsity/4299-uli-behringer-music-group-q.html

I post mostly on the "Junior Varsity" forum there .

You'll never see Mark Graham get on a forum. Yes Mackie asked for input but you know the results. My money is on Behringer with the iX16 before MF v1.5. Then this whole debate will be mute. We'll just have to start beating on Behringer for all the new features we want.

I do wish Mackie would go through the "UserVoice" list and mark them as "Planning to implement", "Under consideration", "Not planned at this time", or "Not possible with the present hardware" . But I do understand that in a big company like that it is a HUGE amount of effort to get any public statements approved. Behringer has the advantage that Uli can just say whatever he wants without a hundred people discussing it for weeks and signing off on it .

[WK154]

It's Uli not Uri he's not Russian. Behringer is a much larger company at this time than Mackie. I doubt if Uli's statements weren't run past PR or the legal beagles. May be it's too early for Mackie to edit the forum based on their track record or they may simply be afraid of all the fallout. I think it's about the lack of passion on part of the leaders (not the hard workers) at Mackie for the MI. A bad approach in an industry loaded with emotional, opinionated and passionate people as customers. I wonder if Mackie can make their first quarter $85,000 settlement payment to the FCC?

[RoadRanger]

I wonder if Mackie can make their first quarter $85,000 settlement payment to the FCC?

Oops, did they pull a Uli? The DDX3216 mixer was never legal here I'm told . I had a mint one with two ADAT cards in it and sold it to a bigger fish than me that needed it. I still have a mostly working one, needs a little TLC and doesn't have an ADAT card .

[WK154]

Actually Behr.... had over a $1,000,000 fine that they finally reduced and settled on with the FCC (mostly Lawyers and a handful of lab and field people) Did you expect something else from a government agency? My DDX3216 is working fine, no add on cards. Pristine but needs a new home.