Fader replacement / X32 vs M32

[kurzweil_dude]

I know of one X32 that had screens and faders die within 6 months of new.

 

Dear kurzweil_dude,

 



If possible can you send me the serial number of the X32 so I can look into the exact situation and report back?

 Any of the other issues you have mentioned were very old issues that were addressed early on immediately. 

With hundreds of thousands of X32s in service in all different environments including touring bands, club installs, AV applications, etc. we have had very few issues.

 

I would encourage anyone to give Sweetwater in the US or Thomann in Europe a call and get facts directly from out top vendors who sell thousands of units.


I don't work at the venue its at anymore, but thanks. Thomann were really helpful in getting the desk sorted out with a very quick turnaround. Cheers though!

 

and another that had a fader die on its first gig (with me!)..

Its pot luck

 

Best technical pun ever, intentional or not!

 

Dave

 

Ha! Wasn't intentional, but I'm making a mental note of that now!

[pete10uk]

Just Catching up on this post.

 

Judging on the long response from S&L, I feel that my first post may have come across a little badly as it was done in a rush without much thought.

 

The experiences were purely that of an acquaintances I meet once a year at a particular gig, it was the first and only time I've seen an x32 close up, I was probably not the best person chirp up but did have a story to tell, I perhaps should have let this post pass me by.

 

I don't know if he was referring to early models but the guy clearly had issues with faders not working which I believe were introduced by obstructing faders while recalling pre sets etc., you could call this user error or that the equipment was not upto use in an environment like we often see, or it could simply have been a design fault which has been ironed out as suggested in subsiquent posts.

 

My comments on Behringer refer back a good number of years to when cheap equipment was in it's early days to the market and they simply had a bad name because it didn't last as long, sound or feel as good as the more expensive counterparts, we have all seen riders stating "No Behringer", I do understand they have been trying hard over the past years to change perceptions, I for one tale a little longer to change my habits.

 

Behringer has it's place for me, I have had and still own a good number of Behringer pieces of equipment, I personally buy choose them when I need a piece for a 1 off or as a backup or when I need additional stuff over and above my usual, DI boxes is a good one, I have 4 BSS DI's for everyday use but I also have 5 Behringer units for when I need extra units, the 5 cost about the same as a single BSS from memory, but are no less useful when you need one (Baring the Behringer DI100 which has an awful hiss, as I believe they all do).

 

In response to Paulears, That is exactly my point, I don't expect too much from my money, paying this kind of price for a piece of equipment capable of doing so much has to have compromises, I only had a quick play and I could tell it was in the housing and surface components.

 

I hadn't realised they did an M32 which I have taken from reading this post is the same unit but with better housing and surface components?, I should have perhaps done some research. Your comment on the Computer is a classic for me as I use this all the time, I'm a mac person now, 8 years ago I got fed up with Windows because every other year I needed a new laptop as it had slowed down, I swapped to Mac, payed £800 for a medium spec Macbook compared to the £200 for a PC laptop I was using at the time and 8 years on its still going strong just as fast today as when it was purchased.

 

However I have learned that it was not simply Windows is shockingly made, I was buying the wrong machine because I could, I was going cheap, If I'd have purchases the top of the range Sony PC rather than a cheap and cheerful Acer then it may well still be going strong.

[sam.spoons]

My experience of Sony laptops (well Sony laptop singular) was not great and their post warrantee after rales was a very discouraging experience. I had modest success with the Fujitsu that followed it but that finally died after 3 years or so. Next I bought a new but ex display Windows machine which developed a dodgy keyboard within three weeks (ok, maybe a few months on the shelf in Comet didn't help) so back it went and I bought a bottom of the range MacBook Pro and haven't looked back. Four years in and apart from a failed HDD (which was made by Seagate not Apple) it has been a pleasure to own and I expect it to just as good in another four years and beyond. It still feels solid and fast and I plan to treat it to an SSD for Christmas which will make it fast enough to keep me happy for the foreseeable future.

[Peter18]

My experience of Sony laptops (well Sony laptop singular) was not great and their post warrantee after rales was a very discouraging experience. I had modest success with the Fujitsu that followed it but that finally died after 3 years or so. Next I bought a new but ex display Windows machine which developed a dodgy keyboard within three weeks (ok, maybe a few months on the shelf in Comet didn't help) so back it went and I bought a bottom of the range MacBook Pro and haven't looked back. Four years in and apart from a failed HDD (which was made by Seagate not Apple) it has been a pleasure to own and I expect it to just as good in another four years and beyond. It still feels solid and fast and I plan to treat it to an SSD for Christmas which will make it fast enough to keep me happy for the foreseeable future.

 

If I can be allowed to follow the drift OT, my 2p would be that most manufacturers have been guilty of manufacturing at least some 'rogue latops' in their product range and (?just like Behringer) should not be judged by one experience of one laptop model. My 'day job' is repairing laptops and I have seen quite a few poorly Macbooks - just google 'Macbook GPU failure' or 'Macbook Air hinge problem' and you will see plenty of irate owners venting their frustration. The build quality in a Macbook is superb and the software very clever BUT they have not got everything right and a key criticism must that they do not allow their products to be readily repaired. In contrast, the avererage Dell is simplicity itself to replace eg the keyboard, and will cost a fraction of the price charged by Apple after the all too common close encounter with a cup of coffee. I suspect part of the longevity of Macbooks may be the care their owners take, after having parted with such a relatively large amount of money.

[sam.spoons]

I wouldn't argue with your greater knowledge and I'm sure MacBooks have their issues like anything tech. My experience with my Sony laptop was more to do with the fact that the fault on a 2 and a bit year old laptop worth, used, at most £150-200 was a broken/worn out power socket, Sony would only offer to replace the main board for £350 (plus around £80 carriage to and from Germany). Sony were then incredibly unhelpful regarding my requests for some kind of service sheet detailing the method for dismantling the casework without damaging the various plastic clips holding it together. I did replace the socket with a Maplin one for 69p (I was very careful but working blind so it was at the cost of a couple of said plastic clips) because the alternative would be to scrap the machine. It worked for another few months I'd guess before dying for another reason. My MacBook is undoubtedly better built than any windows laptop I have ever owned or used and, as far as I have dismantled it to replace the faulty HDD, much easier to take apart. Individual components will fail, just as they will in any other computer but things don't break 'cos the chassis is so weak that closing the lid flexes both the screen and the keyboard (like nearly all cheaper laptops do, just go into a computer shop and open and close a few to see what I mean), which was, incidentally, the reason my Sony power connector failed in the first place. I went through three windows laptops in the time I expect to have my MacBook for (and I know several people with much older MacBooks than mine, including some white ones, which are still working fine). I don't treat it with kid gloves, just with the same respect I treated my other laptops.

 

edit :- I've just looked for genuine Dell and Apple replacement keyboards, £15 and £20 respectively on t'net.....

[Peter18]

Sam - if you ever have to repair a non Apple device then for the major manufacturers, the service guides are out on the web (usually on their main website) showing you how to do the strip down for a mainboard removal etc - no need to work blind. Apple do not do this but there is the very wonderful 'iFixit' site that gives step by step illustrated guides for the strip down of most Apple products (NOT with Apple's approval, however). Ref your prices for the keyboards, what that does not reveal is the very different level of work required to change them. In fact Apple themselves do not fit the type of product you refer to but the complete top case (costing over £200), the reason being that for many models the keyboard membrane assembly (which is the part you quote the price for) is riveted to the palmrest. Getting the old one off is not easy and neither is securing the new one!

Getting back on topic, the point I was trying to make was that the likes of Behringer should better be judged on a product by product basis and the ease of maintenance needs to come into that judgement too, since it will influence the long term use of that item.

I have recently been repairing some 15+ year old Zero88 lighting desks. I was pleasantly surprised to find key components readily available from CPC or Farnell and schematics (and helpful advice) supplied by the Zero88 service department. OK the technology is basic but it seems that acces for maintenance was considered in the design. Later today I will replace the keyboard on a Macbook A1286. It will require it to be almost completely disamantled involving ?50 odd screws (in this model the keyboard membrane is screwed to the palmrest) in 6 different sizes using 5 types of screwdriver. It will take a long time. I could change a Dell keyboard in a few minutes.

[sam.spoons]

Fair comment, as I said I bow to your greater knowledge. But, the service guides for my Sony laptop were definitely not available on the web. The excuses Sony's so called customer service gave for not releasing the relevant service sheet ranged from "we just don't do that" to "it's commercially sensitive information and we are concerned about industrial espionage!". Just to redress the balance a little (though is involves a different branch of the Sony empire) I did have an out of warrantee minidisc walkman repaired FOC by Sony many years ago, they just fixed it and, after the fact, said "no charge".

 

I too agree that Berry kit should be judged on a product by product basis, I have had bad experiences with some Berry kit (older small analogue mixers, and DI100 DI boxes which are horrible) but good with their composer pro compressors and AR4400 multigates. None has been spectacular, just adequate but for the money that was fine.

 

OTOH I now have two X32 mixers which are IMHO spectacular.

[Alec]

OTOH I now have two X32 mixers which are IMHO spectacular.

 

And back on topic! Thank you.

[sam.spoons]

OTOH I now have two X32 mixers which are IMHO spectacular.

 

And back on topic! Thank you.

 

:)