Rack Mounted Mixers with PFL

[Brian]

I have a requirement for a simple mic/line mixer with 4 or so channels, to be used as a 'toolbox' mixer. Must be rack mounted and must have PFL. I don't want to rack a 'normal' mixer as they are too high, ideally it should be around 3U or 4U.

 

In the analogue world, apart from a load of odd DJ mixers I can only find this...

 

https://www.thomann.de/gb/the_t.mix_rackmix_821_fx_usb.htm

 

Many of the others don't have front panel gain controls which makes them tricky to use with unknown sources.

 

So I'm wondering about a digital mixer. Either something from Soundcraft from their 'Ui' range or Behringer 'X Air' or Midas 'MR'.

 

1) I assume the X Air and the MR units are identical. I certainly can't see any difference.

2) Does anyone have any of these and what do you think of them?

3) If I wanted to run some real faders from a small MIDI surface are their any gotchas?

[timsabre]

I run an x-air at our church (xr16) . Amazing device for the money. Occasionally miss having real faders when needing to grab a fader quickly in a panic feedback moment or something.

 

I was messing about using a midi fader panel but eventually decided it wasn't worth the extra setup time. We were using 12 channels so you run into problems with fader paging then. With 4 chans it might be better.

[pete10uk]

The mixer you linked to seems ok for an analog option, if you do go down a digital option without faders the A&H qu-sb has done me well.

[david.elsbury]

Xr18s are great. Never tried midi faders sorry. Avoid the Soundcraft UI- expensive and they have awful preamps

[Bryson]

I think TOA make something that does what you want...but it's a ton of money. The PFL is the hard part, otherwise the Denon DN410X would do the job nicely.

[sunray]

I was going to suggest Inter-M but I think that may be a clone. I've used a DAP7.3 at a venue which seemed to do the trick.Just 2 mic I/p and 5 stereo line, 3 zone.

https://cpc.farnell.com/dap-audio/imix-7-3/install-mixer-7channel-3-zone/dp/DP33645?mckv=sodsteZvI_dc|pcrid|224680541983|kword||match||plid||slid||product|DP33645|pgrid|47726778220|ptaid|pla-412978964809|&CMP=KNC-GUK-CPC-SHOPPING&s_kwcid=AL!5616!3!224680541983!!!network}!412978964809!&gclid=Cj0KCQjws-OEBhCkARIsAPhOkIZGI0OOqI5oXKg6lLclCnsDJ2YnB7KbvmYnzfUErT9YM5g0maFXu4gaAqr3EALw_wcB

 

[timsabre]

Obviously one problem with wifi mixers is that the pfl is tied to headphones plugged into the mixer. As you are often not next to the mixer this can be difficult... I would have thought the headphones signal could be sent to the controlling tablet but nobody does this.

[richard_cooper]

2) Does anyone have any of these and what do you think of them?

 

 

I've used them both and played with the A&H and RCF ones. For some things they're great BUT.......

 

For really small things (and saying "Toolbox" makes me suspect that's what you're thinking) I absolutely HATE needing to mess around with external devices, software, potential wifi issues, where all I really is some simple instant knobs to reach for.

 

I was going to pick up one of these back before the world went mad, mostly out of curiosity to try out. If it worked at all well it could have been really useful to me, but then....

Edited May 10, 2021 by richard_cooper

[J Pearce]

The XR18 and X32 rack interface well with the XTouch fader wing over ethernet. Haven't looked at the smaller XR units and XTouch yet.

 

Both also have a fully featured multichannel soundcard making them useful as an interface as well as a mixer.

 

Allegedly the MR mixers have at least slightly better spec components, and possibly some slightly different boards. Same software though.

Edited May 10, 2021 by J Pearce

[timsabre]

I have to say with the x-air the internal wifi has been very solid. If you have a dedicated tablet to control it, it's just a case of turning it on and tapping the app, off it goes. Also the mixer powers on in its last state so all channel gain/mute settings come back within a couple of seconds of power on even if no control devices are connected. Edited May 10, 2021 by timsabre

[Brian]

The mixer you linked to seems ok for an analog option, if you do go down a digital option without faders the A&H qu-sb has done me well.

 

Nice, but a bit expensive.

 

 

Xr18s are great. Never tried midi faders sorry. Avoid the Soundcraft UI- expensive and they have awful preamps

 

I also find the look of the Soundcraft a bit odd.

 

 

I was going to suggest Inter-M but I think that may be a clone. I've used a DAP7.3 at a venue which seemed to do the trick. Just 2 mic I/p and 5 stereo line, 3 zone.

 

I've looked at the 7.3 and various similar looking units. The problem is the rear gain controls.

 

 

Obviously one problem with wifi mixers is that the pfl is tied to headphones plugged into the mixer. As you are often not next to the mixer this can be difficult... I would have thought the headphones signal could be sent to the controlling tablet but nobody does this.

 

For my situation that wouldn't be an issue. A quick web search does throw up some audio-over-wifi solutions, some aimed at assistive listening.

[sandall]

A quick web search does throw up some audio-over-wifi solutions, some aimed at assistive listening.

Possibly worth looking at 433MHz assistive / private listening systems if the distance would be small

[J Pearce]

Possibly worth looking at 433MHz assistive / private listening systems if the distance would be small

 

An IEM setup is the standard solution, and works well using industry standard gear.

The manufacturer who embeds audio over wifi into their remote could do well though!

[Don Allen]

One of the schools I service has an Alesis Multimix 10 Wireless that has PFL on Aux 1. The also have a MultiMix 12R with PFL on Aux 1. thomann show the Multimix 10 Wireless on their web site. Another option ?

[sunray]

A quick web search does throw up some audio-over-wifi solutions, some aimed at assistive listening.

Possibly worth looking at 433MHz assistive / private listening systems if the distance would be small

Horrible illegal rubbish!