X18 X18R X16R X12R Details & Video

[WK154]

Yup the "old gits" convention alright. My last fundraiser for the "Concert for the Cure" brings back fond memories. Here is a Tribute to my better half from someone you may recognize Deacon from Nashville series. He was our emcee for many years, as my wife had all his children thru her music program. He flew out that day from Nashville to perform this. We raised over $40,000 over the years for this cause. Yes the tech stuff was me for 20+ years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxniSNVjX5g
 It's good that some of us give back when we can.

[sam.spoons]

Lovely

[Rdmitch]

Ok Sam so why are the Mains behind the mikes?

[sam.spoons]

We had no monitors so, as we were restricted by my little 5 watt amp (and, being outdoors, there were no room issues to deal with) it was a workable compromise. Let me explain, we were travelling very light, the gig was over the late August bank holiday weekend and I was at my caravan from the beginning of August 'till after the gig so the gear had to live in the car for 3 ½ weeks but I still needed to be able to use the car for that time. It worked well enough on that occasion but we have since progressed to my full rig and backline with a 2 KVA genny to power it all (stored in my trailer for the duration) which is just as well as the audiences have grown significantly and last year we had a rather good choir as our support act.

[stevegarris]

Ok Sam so why are the Mains behind the mikes?

I noticed that, and I'm curious what those speakers are and how they're powered.

I regularly see a small jazz/pop band that a friend of mine plays in. They use (1) powered box, 15 & horn, sitting in the corner behind the band. It's nice and loud, has a nice, wet delay on the vocals, and just sounds fantastic in the room. They're a 3-piece, they all sing, and guitar and bass are run though the mains. I've never heard it feedback, and it always sounds good. The guitar players vocal mic is only about 5 ft away, almost directly in front of the speaker. If done carefully, it can work well.

[sam.spoons]

Sold now but they were Wharfdale SI10s (not as I incorrectly remembered in another post/thread, Celestions). Wharfdale still make a version but back then they were rated, IIRC, for 150 watts. The amp was a Crown xTi 2000 driven by my Mackie 1202. The PA was for the three vocals only and the guitar amp was a 5 watt Epiphone Valve Junior (not miked!).

[robbocurry]

Cool Sam
Any folks not from the UK, that's what an August summer day looks like!
Tell me it was warmer than it looked Sam?

[sam.spoons]

It had been a nice day, that pic was just before dusk and it was still quite warm (we are all in tee shirts you'll notice). It is Anglesey not Andorra though

[RoadRanger]

Just FYI I've ordered an XR12 to use in a bass rig as a preamp. It has several clones of highly desirable studio compressors and some sort of tube OD that hopefully will suit me. I'll be able to have separate EQ and FX for my stage sound and for sending to FOH as you can route a single input to multiple channel strips. It has a couple Hi Z instrument inputs, is 2U rack mountable, and only cost $235 shipped  .

All things I'd like to see in a new DL806 replacement but just can't wait for

I'll also be able to mic the kick through it - and use it as a PA system for my smaller bands (I was in ten as of the first of the year - ouch). While it has only 4 mic inputs you can input two passive guitars into the Hi Z inputs and active instruments into the other 6 inputs as well as LOUD mics such as close mic'd drums and guitar amps.

I'll rack it up with a power amp (maybe a 4 channel?), my wireless instrument receiver, and IEM transmitter. Woo  !

It does have 6 outputs (Main L, Main R, Aux1, Aux 2, Headphone L and Headphone R) but they aren't fully routable (yet? ) - but I think I can get two mono monitor mixes and one stereo monitor mix out of it. It is a 10 bus mixer just like its big brother the XR18. I really wish Mackie would add a couple more buses to the DL1608 so we could set up a separate record mix. It does share one of my pet peeves with the DL1608 - it is unable to un-stereo-link the Main L and Main R or at least allow separate EQ (and processing?) on each to support aux driven subs without "wasting" an aux out .

[WK154]

That's a lot on the plate for the XR12 probably should have ordered a XR18 or a X18 cause I'm sure you forgot some other function you want. Multi-channel recording comes to mind.  Good luck RR.

[RoadRanger]

That's a lot on the plate for the XR12 probably should have ordered a XR18 or a X18 cause I'm sure you forgot some other function you want. Multi-channel recording comes to mind.  Good luck RR.

I specifically want the reduced channel count and lack of multichannel recording for when I'm running sound for my own projects from the stage. I'll still have the DL1608 for sound gigs but still waiting for that DL2412R .

And I've not found a bass preamp or amp that has separate EQ for the stage sound and the FOH sound - and I hate shelving controls so want the multiple parametric EQs and variable HPF and LPF  .

[Fluddman]

I hope the forum moderator doesn't find out we are talking Behringer! 

[RoadRanger]

Folks have always been free to discuss/compare other mixers .

So, got the XR12 in. It came from the factory in "feedback loop smoke all your gear" mode but was fine after a reset in setup. My ears should stop ringing in a week or so (had the headphones on - ouch).

Definitely lacks some of the Mackie's features and refinements but it seems there are workarounds for what I've seen so far.

Strange that I had to crank the Hi-Z input gain fully up for the bass I plugged-in - I think this bass is relatively hot for a passive so it might not work with all of my others . All the TRS inputs top out at +20db gain, the mic inputs top out at +60db gain.

The FXs I tried were top-notch - tube stage, 1176 comp, pitch shifter. It has about 60 choices of FX for the four slots but some are dual mono versions of the stereo ones so maybe don't count . Channels are limited to one FX insert although you can use a subgroup to insert a second one.

Seems well built enough, heavier than expected with the built-in power supply. No cooling fan although it has a grill for one on one end?? I've had it on for a few hours and it hasn't gotten hot or smell excessively.

[WK154]

RR some have had problems with Hi-Z.   http://forum.music-group.com/showthread.php?10275-Guitar-breaks-Inputs-1-amp-2-on-XR18
Might want to check that although it's on a Xenyx pre instead of a Midas version in the XR12. No schematics makes it hard to judge.

[RoadRanger]

RR some have had problems with Hi-Z.   http://forum.music-group.com/showthread.php?10275-Guitar-breaks-Inputs-1-amp-2-on-XR18
Might want to check that although it's on a Xenyx pre instead of a Midas version in the XR12. No schematics makes it hard to judge.

Yah saw that - but there's no pre at all on the XR12's lame-arse Hi-Z inputs. Don't even know if the gain is real or virtual/digital as I think the normal "mic gain" is in the preamp chip? Even those I suspect is "stepped" with virtual/digital gain filling in the gaps and supplying some of the total gain?