Behringer Air X18 vs Mackie DL806 wireless mixers

FarleyUK

My band have been using the Mackie DL806 for a while, but we're starting to encounter some weird quirks with it - mostly around aux outs. I notice the Behringer Air X18 is also wireless, can be controlled by an iPad and has 6 aux outs, which would be great for us.

Has anyone here used both? Any major differences and positives / negatives for them?

ESBlonde

Only used the xr18, the known flaw is that the built in wireless can be flaky in some situations. A cheap external router and it's solid. 

Musicwolf

I have both.  The Mackie has been consigned to the loft of hidden musical treasures ever since I got the XR-18.  The point that @ESBlonde makes about using an external router is a good one although I tend to use an Ethernet cable between XR-18 and laptop for rock solid connection (I’m usually mixing from the stage).  I have an Airport Express which I bought for the Mackie and that works fine with the XR-18 although, since I’m only using the wireless feature at soundcheck, the inbuilt router is adequate (but I wouldn’t rely on it during a gig).

If you are planning to use an iPad with the XR-18 then make sure that it is a later generation.  I had a very old, spare, iPad (30 pin) which I used with the Mackie – this won’t run the XR-18.

Major differences?  18 inputs (16 mic channels) vs 8, 6 aux busses vs 4.  I use a P16-M mixer for IEM which doesn’t take up any aux buses.  Digital gain control (the physical controls on the Mackie move ridiculously easily).  You can use the XR-18 to make multitrack recordings (I record our gigs).

The XR-18 is very cute, especially if you have the little carry case

FarleyUK

Thanks both! How's the software for the XR18? Is it better than the Mackie Master Fader 5 app?

Musicwolf

I've only really used on PC, which is very good.  I think that you can download and try in demo mode.

Roland

FarleyUK said:

Thanks both! How's the software for the XR18? Is it better than the Mackie Master Fader 5 app?

I run our XR18 from my iPad. If needed I could use the Windows machine which runs our lights. The software is similar on each platform. Both work well. There’s also an iPhone app which can be used for your personal Aux/IEM mix.

In the early days we took a hardwired laptop as a fallback, but soon found that we didn’t need it.

FarleyUK

Roland said:

FarleyUK said:

Thanks both! How's the software for the XR18? Is it better than the Mackie Master Fader 5 app?

I run our XR18 from my iPad. If needed I could use the Windows machine which runs our lights. The software is similar on each platform. Both work well. There’s also an iPhone app which can be used for your personal Aux/IEM mix.

In the early days we took a hardwired laptop as a fallback, but soon found that we didn’t need it.

Nice, thanks; for the Mackie DL806, we each use an iPad, and I've locked the other two in the band to only see their own IEM mix. I have another view for the FoH sound as well as one for my own IEM mix. I'm guessing it works the same way on the XR18 (i.e. you don't need two devices to control HoH and your own mix)?

Roland

Yes. I can control the whole mixer - FOH and any of the personal mixes

Stratavarious

Get the Soundcraft UI24r instead.    Very very stable.   Multitrack record gigs to USB.