iOS DL16S experience

[Wynnd]

Hoping to make sure you all understand that I really like the mixer.  I also think that Mackie shortchanged the WiFi.  It should have been better, but I will be running through my Airport Express on dual bands starting with MLK day.  There are some quirks that will get rung out in one of the future versions, but nothing I can't live with.

[Wynnd]

Just received a minor update, not the larger one we are all waiting for.  (MF 5.0.1)  Downloading it now and will be giving it a run through.

[WK154]

I was on the new trim screen and needed to reduce the trim on a VERY HOT HEADSET MIC that the drummer was using.  I would use my finger to reduce the setting on that channel and when I took it off the screen, the mixer immediately returned the trim to the previous level.  I agree that 3 feet shouldn't be an issue with the stock setup, but it was.  The organ that was between the two is a Mojo and internally it is a Embedded XP windows machine.  (I find that strange, but it should make repairs easier as I used to be a PC/Network tech.)

As I read the manual the correct level setting for analog input channels is GAIN not TRIM. See pg. 91 of the RG. Trim is used for digital input (USB) sources. This applies to the new DL mixers unlike the DL1608/806 where TRIM will affect the analog inputs. At least that's how I interpret this.

[Wynnd]

You're right.  It is called Gain.  (My bad.)  Didn't realize the difference between gain and trim.  Glad you pointed that out.

[WK154]

I think Mackie should grey out controls that are not applicable (ie. A input selected = Gain, B input USB = Trim greyed out, etc.). Also if your moving Trim caused a volume reduction while you held it that's a Bug.

[Wynnd]

I was used to the "trim" control not really doing very much from the DL1608.  I was actually moving the "gain" control.  I like the single screen for setting them for all the channels.  Makes setup faster.  (I do sound for my two different bands and various other sound jobs.  Will be doing the end of MLK march speeches outdoors.  Last year it was snowing and 23 degrees.  I'm hoping for better weather this year.)  Guess we are getting used to greyed out controls that only work when not greyed out.  I would put that on my desirable but do the other stuff first.

[Wynnd]

Used the DL16S for a presentation by former Colorado Governor Dick Lamb yesterday.  Was in the Park Hill United Methodist Church.  I used a DriveRack PX to EQ the room prior to the event.  Like most things I do, I will make changes for next week.  I'm using my Airport Express II  (Dual band model)  it ran flawlessly.  I walked out of the sanctuary and into the parlor and had a very solid connection to the mixer through one wall and about 120 feet away on the 5 gigahertz band.  (Which doesn't carry as far away as the 2.4 GHz) There were about 5 other WiFi's in the area.  Don't know about their frequency or strength.  I finally made use of the Spectrum monitoring.  Never used it before But I had two instances of feedback.  (Hate that)  The AntiFeedbackSystem of the DRPX either was busy or just missed it.  it was pretty obvious on the spectrum monitoring what frequency needed to be cut.  I really couldn't ring out the system as I didn't know where the microphones were going to be placed.  I have a better idea now.  Love the mixer and still exploring its capabilities.

[ToH2002]

I think Mackie should grey out controls that are not applicable (ie. A input selected = Gain, B input USB = Trim greyed out, etc.). Also if your moving Trim caused a volume reduction while you held it that's a Bug.

Trim definitely IS applicable also on analog inputs. It just works on the signal AFTER the preamps in the digital domain, while Gain directly controls the preamp (which is only available for analog inputs of course).

So trim working on analog inputs is definitely NOT a bug but working as intended - I use this regularly on my DL32R when trimming down signals I want at a lower level in the mix (because my faders have better resolution around 0 dB) but want them at higher level from the preamps (signal to noise). So I use trim after the preamp for analog inputs; when switching inputs from A to B for virtual soundcheck, the level after trim stays the same - expected behavior, not a bug for me.

Quote from the MasterFader manual: " Trim – Trim is a digital level control at the top of the channel’s processing. It affects all input sources to the channel whether analog or digital. "

Cheers,

Torsten

[WK154]

Without getting into a lot of semantics Pg 91 of the V5.0 Mackie reference manual explains it quite well (including their Note which recommends against your approach). It appears that Wynnd had a problem with the Trim control not staying where he wanted it and that's the BUG. Whether Mackie want's Trim to function as per manual and like your DL32R at present it doesn't. Neither of us have a DLXXS to test. My Android MF V5.0.1 allows adjustment of trim without resetting to a previous setting, but that's without a mixer attached (Offline). So I would let Wynnd explain it further. He also used a iPad for control which will have a different set of Bugs compared to a Android and soon to be a PC and Mac. V5.0.1 may have fixed that as well.

[Wynnd]

No problem with the control.  The problem was with the WiFi.  At the time I was using the internal WiFi with the stock antenna.  In spite of the distance from my iPad to the mixer only being through a Mojo Organ and about 3 feet in a club environment, it was dropping out as I was lowering the gain and reconnecting to reflect the original gain setting.  I put a better antenna on and the problem went away immediately.  I really can't recommend that anyone buying this mixer depend upon the internal WiFi.  If it works for you, good, but I know that My mixer's internal WiFi is weak.  I've been running an Airport Express II and generally using the 5 GHz band with not a bit of trouble.  And with that minor change, I love this mixer and the software.  (And good WiFi routers can be had for less than $50.)

[Wynnd]

Report on MLK Jr day end of march event in Denver.  (Greek Theater in Civic Center Park.)   Event is held outdoors in a 125 foot amphitheater.  Large enough that my typical club set up isn't enough.  So I setup for my LR output into a DriveRack PX and then to EV ZXA1 subs and satellites.  Then using the output patch screen, I used the MainL and MainR patched to XLR1 and XLR2 respectively.  Then took output 1 and 2 to a DriveRack PA which is already set up for my Hafler P1500 that I run to the Kustom Horns and my Crown XLS1000 that drive the Kustom's Altec Lansing 15"s.  the speakers are Kustom PA speakers that were built between 1965 and 1970.  The Altec Lansing 15 inch speakers were OEM and I've never been able to find out exactly how much power they officially handle. (Guitar 15"s.  Think they are F6 models.)  The Kustoms are a bit beamy as these are the round "police siren" style horns.  (Least that's how Kustom described them in their sales brochure back then.)  They are EQ'd fairly heavily in stark contrast to the EVs.  I did learn that I should have set the mixer's output EQ separately for the two outputs.  (Live and learn)  I didn't check to see if I still had a mixer connection at the port-a-potties, but they were 200+ feet away with some concrete in the way too.  I had no problems in 5GHz anywhere in the amphitheater.  I really like that the mixer connects up so quickly when switching apps.  I'm using an iPad pro so I'm still missing the split screen that worked with MF 4.x.  Hopefully that will be fixed in MF5.1.  I'm quite happy with the mixer's performance.

[WK154]

It's great your having fun. So just to be clears the trim which you adjusted before stays wherever you set it now and doesn't go back to a preset level. This was because of a poor WiFi connection?

[Wynnd]

totally.  with good WiFi there is NEVER any trouble with that.

I am running an external WiFi router, but I'm also carrying that better antenna with me as a back up.  (I carry a lot of items as backups for possible failures.  Extra mixer, more than one powered speaker for small things, extra XLR cables.......)

[Wynnd]

Thanks for the MF 5.1 schedule update.  If the release dates are met, this is fairly good news.  If they aren't met, people will doubt Mackie's ability to produce software on a schedule.  (A fairly common problem in all software development.)  Vaporware doesn't ever look good.  It does sometimes look desperate.  Master Fader has become a seriously powerful piece of software.

[WK154]

Wynnd when did you ever see Mackie meet a schedule, NEVER. Whether software or for that matter hardware including the latest product the DL16/32S. Professional Software companies do stick to a schedule unlike seat of the pants planners like Mackie who probably only have some spreadsheet for planning instead of the right tools and managers. Time of course will tell. WK=5, Mackie=0 so far