Soundcraft Ui12

[Eeen]

Has anyone used/got a Soundcraft Ui12 or Ui16 or Ui18? I'm considering replacing a TOA MX9000 installed pre-amp mixer with one in my works chapel, as there are non technical staff switching on and swapping inputs and surprise surprise all the gains are different for each input as I originally set it up for a pair of lectern mics, radio mic and a line input for background music.

 

My thoughts are if I can set up 3 key staff with iPad app access then they can recall presets to stop me having to re-set every other week after the music department have swapped things about. and then it also has a much nicer user interface for the staff to be able to adjust levels from the chapel and not the crypt where the head currently is...

 

Also any one know of a rental/demo one I could get hold of? - obviously I haven't called Soundcraft yet but that's next.

 

fire away with info!

[whisky-zulu]

Hi Eeen,

 

We have a Ui16 in our hire stock and use it for smaller gigs/open mic style events, and DJs. You can make it so that only people with a password can access it, and you can also turn on/off the various network options.

 

I know that some people have had issues with the Ui12 and the WiFi dropping out alot, but I've not had any issues with the 16s in the 18 months we've been using.

 

Device wise, I've used my windows phone, MS surface, an android phone, and two small Windows based netbooks with very little issues, though the netbooks lacked slightly in RAM when using a high channel count.

 

Where abouts are you based?

[Eeen]

Hi Eeen,

 

We have a Ui16 in our hire stock and use it for smaller gigs/open mic style events, and DJs. You can make it so that only people with a password can access it, and you can also turn on/off the various network options.

 

I know that some people have had issues with the Ui12 and the WiFi dropping out alot, but I've not had any issues with the 16s in the 18 months we've been using.

 

Device wise, I've used my windows phone, MS surface, an android phone, and two small Windows based netbooks with very little issues, though the netbooks lacked slightly in RAM when using a high channel count.

 

Where abouts are you based?

 

I'm In Ascot, Berkshire, that's brilliant news, its nice to hear a real review do you think with little training a "normal" could switch on and adjust levels as desired? I think you can lock out options for other users so I would like to take away the eq, effects etc.

 

I'm not sold on the Beringher version...of it but keen to hear opinions.

[whisky-zulu]

Yes, I would say that with little training someone could grasp the basics of its use, and Soundcraft have got a nice suite of walk-through videos should they need any extra guidance on the unit's use,

[Eeen]

Yes, I would say that with little training someone could grasp the basics of its use, and Soundcraft have got a nice suite of walk-through videos should they need any extra guidance on the unit's use,

 

Thanks so much for your help and I see you rent them... now to find an event I can hire it for!!!

 

Do let me know when you have a training day as I'm looking to change out my theater pa cabs at some point.

 

Thanks

Ian

[whisky-zulu]

Yes, I would say that with little training someone could grasp the basics of its use, and Soundcraft have got a nice suite of walk-through videos should they need any extra guidance on the unit's use,

 

Thanks so much for your help and I see you rent them... now to find an event I can hire it for!!!

 

Do let me know when you have a training day as I'm looking to change out my theater pa cabs at some point.

 

Thanks

Ian

 

Not a problem at all.

 

Am happy to arrange demo days on request with our stock items if you have anything in particular you want to look at.

 

Wes

[peza2010]

We thought the ui12 would fill a hole in our hire stock.

 

Our experience was that it drops out constantly through wifi with various routers etc.

 

Stick a cat 5 in it and its lovely and works as advertised.

[Eeen]

We thought the ui12 would fill a hole in our hire stock.

 

Our experience was that it drops out constantly through wifi with various routers etc.

 

Stick a cat 5 in it and its lovely and works as advertised.

 

That's great to know, whats the Ui16 WiFi like will it work through a concrete wall and 500 bodys in the way or can I connect it directly to the main network? and access it remotely? is that what you do?... sorry for all the questions... ill go read the manual now...

[MarkPAman]

The pre-amps are surprisingly noisy, especially with phantom power on, not too bad for a noisy gig, but I'd worry about it in a church.

But It was connection problems made it unusable for me. Would drop out, then not re-connect until you turned it off and on again. And that could happen even when I was only a few meters away with clear line of sight. This happened with both the internal router, and an external one.

Had 2 show stopping moments then I sent mine back & spent some extra dosh on a QU-Pac, which is a decision I've not regretted for a moment. Same external router on it as the one I had problems with on the Ui.

There's been firmware updates since then, so it may be better. But a very long thread on another site seems to say it's not.

Note that there's a new Ui24 coming out - may be worth seeing if that's any better.

[Simon Lewis]

From memory, Soundcraft bought the Ui from another company, so did not develop it themselves. Although there are positive review such as given above, there does also seem to be quite a few not so happy users, with some other similar devices being suggested as possible alternatives..

[Eeen]

Thanks guys for all the info.

 

So if not the Ui, you would suggest a QU-PAC, any other options out there I haven't seen but you lovely people have?

[Alec]

While I haven't used one, the collection of issues users have had with noisy pre-amps, the mixer becoming unresponsive and needing a reboot, and dislike of some versions of some browsers would make me run a mile, regardless of how ideal the web browser interface appears.

 

If you're looking to be name friendly, i.e., Soundcraft, then you're deluding yourself - it's a third party product that Soundcraft brought in and appear not to be supporting well. Not to say you'll have problems with this mixer, but the risk now feels too high - especially in a church environment where an unresponsive mixer won't be popular with unskilled users.

 

Other options include the Behringer XR series, Mackie DL series, QSC Touchmix series, A&H QU-SB and QU-Pac, RCF M series. Check out the platform support - Mackie don't support Android devices.

 

I'd choose the Behringer XR like a shot, but don't rule out the others without a look. Pop in the external router, ignore the built-in one, and you'll never look back!

[Yorkie]

Thanks guys for all the info.

 

So if not the Ui, you would suggest a QU-PAC, any other options out there I haven't seen but you lovely people have?

 

A friend who's a musician turned pastor decided on a QU-PAC 18 months ago for a small church where they needed something to just work without faff or operators. The EQ's for the mics were set up for him and to date all he's had to do is use the softkeys they'd set up and labelled as mutes, and the odd level adjustment.

 

Edit... sorry I should have read your original post properly. I realise the ipad is the crux of the matter and they haven't done that with the qu-pac

[Stuart91]

We've got an installation similar to what Yorkie's described. A church hall that needs simple, hands-off operation for quite a range of events. One extra complication is that they have a 5:1 system for movie screenings, and only certain speakers are used for non-movie events.

 

The QU-pack has been great. There are a few quite competent users who tend to run the system for more complicated events, and they've not reported any issues at all with the iPad connectivity. For the single-mic events it's been a case of softkeys to load presets and that seems to have worked well.

 

My one concern for the OP is that the QUPAC might be slightly overkill for his application - it depends on the inputs and outputs required. If it's just a handful of mics and a single stereo output to the amps, it's definitely overkill.

[Eeen]

OK now I want to try them I know I can rent a Ui16, who has got a Beringher xair or RCF M18 to hire? Ive got an open mic night in a week and a bit time, it'll be nice to try one in the theatre and see how it works... then I can persuade the people wholl want to buy one!!

 

I love the Idea of an A&H QU but its got to much going on for whats needed and it'll go to waste in the chapel, but then I am looking for a new digital desk for the theatre... and thats a long way off at the moment...

 

Once again thank you all for your information.