Behringer X32 - is the end of analog live desks coming for everbody
Anyone seen the new Behringer X32 ? Basically for around 2K you get all this :
32 mic pre amps over 2 layers, apparently Midas design which they now own
16 assignable analog outs
100mm motorized faders
Dynamics and digital EQ \ filters on every channel plus main effects with updatable plugin format
Built in 32 channel firewire audio interface so you can track a gig straight to Logic \ Reaper \ Protools etc
Full HUI controller for the above
Digisnake ready \ 48 channel
expansion slots for future upgrade cards
Great LS9 type colour screen
Ipad remote mixable, app is free download
If these prove reliable then I reckon there will be less and less analog desks used in the semi pro market. The pro market seems to be all digital now. This thing breaks a new price barrier, even more so than the Presonus Studiolive. Has anyone on here used one \ got one ?
That's a very big "If"
Theyve been aggressively marketing it on facebook and it does look pretty awesome to me, i can see this as a great buy for a band who want something to use as a project style recording interface and also run their own PA.
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Can't see it being used for both applications. If you build it into a project studio you'd want to leave it there, not take it on the road. And it looks too big for most bands for their pub/club gigs. You don't need that complexity. I'll ask some pro PA chaps what they think of it.
Size wise it looks about the same size as a GL2400, so not too bad, bearing in mind if the qualitly of the dynamics and main bus effects are good enough you won't need any outboard at all. And if you want to record the gig to multitrack you don't need an interface or direct outs, you can stream 32 channels of 24 \ 44 straight into a laptop. You don't even need an iPod, it's got a built in 2 track player \ recorder ...... just plug your pen key in the USB slot
A lot of the stuff mentioned above I've got on a DM4800, but that was 4K with the firewire card being another £800. Presonus Studiolive is only £1400 ish but only 16 channels, no motorized faders, no HUI etc. If they build an X16 version of the X32 for £1500 ish and it does prove reliable then I can see that being a winner
Originally Posted by Danny1969
i doubt analog desks are going away. Remember the humungous "star-trek control-panel style" mackie digital mixer? (hosted vst fx etc, modular in/out boards etc etc) http://www.mackie.com/products/digitalxbus/index.html
never sold much, was last seen at bargain basement prices.
the pro top-end studio market is far from all digital btw, dunno where you get that idea from that they are all digital.
looks like a tasty product tho, but i wonder if smaller pa companies would need it and if bigger pro ones would risk using behringer despite the involvement of some "names" behringer bought up.
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First feedback I've now got is positive. So looks promising if it is a real quality product and not just good until a day after the warranty runs out. But if it does go wrong, how easy will it be to get fixed?
No I meant the Pro Live market is all digital now, Digidesign Venue for huge gigs but now also available in affordable SC48 format, Digico boards , New Midas digital boards etc. In my end of the market it's Yam LS9's, Soundcraft Si, Prosonus Studiolive 24 ... now maybe Behringer X32
We have 8 analog boards, from 8 channel to 32 and 3 digital desks. I wouldn't buy another analog desk for live use, not now the new digital boards are so affordable. My experience with Behringer boards hasn't been great in terms of build quality but if the X32 is reliable it's a winner for live use .... at least in terms of features. In the studio the HUI control is handy, and so's the ability to track 32 things at once but it's in the live market I think it will do well .
Behringer recently acquired Midas, so I assume that there will some transfer of Midas technology to Behringer desks.
Mind you, a flakey digital desk is worse than useless.................
The behringer has a lot of promise however still has the behringer name with all that entails I wouldn't punt two grand on it though know a couple of people who have and seem happy.The smaller digital desk market is very interesting at the moment with the ipad thing being big and also it is just possible that the line6 offering may turn everything on its head with future engineers although those with a few more years under their belt just see it as a toy!
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