Small mixer

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This topic contains 9 replies, has 4 voices, and was last updated by Profile photo of PEJ PEJ 7 years, 10 months ago.

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  • #55458
    Profile photo of PEJ
    PEJ
    Participant

    What are the chances that A&H will (soon) release a small digital mixer at a low price to compete with the Ui12?

    #55462
    Profile photo of [XAP]Bob
    [XAP]Bob
    Participant

    I suspect the QUSB is as small as they’ll go – but pair it with an android device and a midi fader board and you have a pretty nice compact mixer.

    #55473
    Profile photo of MarkPAman
    MarkPAman
    Participant

    [Pure speculation]

    Mackie, Roland, Bose, RCF, Behringer, Soundcraft, Phonic, all have digital mixers at under £500, some well under – and I’ve probably forgotten some.

    As more very small digital desks become available, I’d be very surprised if A&H don’t join in. Nobody is buying new, large analogue desks now, and soon they won’t be buying small ones either.

    [/Pure speculation]

    #55474
    Profile photo of dickiefunk
    dickiefunk
    Participant

    I’m using a QU-PAC which I love and by the standards only a few years ago is a very small and compact mixer given the sheer power and amount of features it has. However, for some gigs I only need between 2-6 channels plus 2-4 monitor mixes. The QU-PAC is complete overkill for this and even their upcoming QU-SB. I have a ZED 10fx which I use for really small events but do miss having the features a digital desk offers.
    I’d love to see something along the lines of a hybrid QU-PAC/QSC Touchmix8 but have a built in router or WIFI dongle option like the QSC! It would be great to have the touchscreen UI of the QU-PAC but with half the channels. I understand Allen & Heaths reasons for not wanting to put routers inside their QU series due to optimal positioning etc but there is a market where this wouldn’t be an issue. I do a lot of small acoustic gigs (vocal, piano, guitar) where I’m only using between 2-6 channels. The venues are mainly higher end hotels where we would be performing during meals so having a FOH engineer would not really be appropriate. I would like to be able to use the iPad for sound checks with the added features of a digital desk before guests arrive and then have it onstage during sets. The mixer would be on the floor next to me so the built in router positioning won’t be crucial for these gigs. I don’t really want to be bringing an external router to these gigs so I’d love something with a built in router or a wifi dongle like the QSC Touchmix. Even having a wifi dongle for the QU-PAC would help!
    I’ve tried the Behringer X-Air 12 but simply preferred the sound of both the QU-PAC and ZED 10fx.

    #55480
    Profile photo of MarkPAman
    MarkPAman
    Participant

    Just to add, as the Ui12 was specifically mentioned in the OP, that I’d hope A&H will produce something much better!
    I’ll not post what I think of the Ui desks here, as that seems unfair, but I would encourage people to seek out user reviews, & forum posts in other places before considering buying one.

    #55481
    Profile photo of [XAP]Bob
    [XAP]Bob
    Participant

    You could set up a RasPi 3 as a basic “dongle”
    The small size of some current routers is just insane, so you could velcro one onto the desk, and power it from the QuDrive port if that isn’t otherwise in use…

    #55485
    Profile photo of dickiefunk
    dickiefunk
    Participant

    Would the QU-Drive USB port be able to power a USB router?

    Would something like this work? :-

    https://www.netstoredirect.com/netgear-network-cards-adapters/13082-netgear-n900-0606449081626.html

    I tried a D-Link DIR 510L rechargable mini router and this wouldn’t work with the QU-PAC.

    https://www.dlink.com/uk/en/home-solutions/connect/portable-routers/dir-510l-wi-fi-ac750-portable-router-and-charger

    The router needs LAN to work with the QU-PAC which the DIR 510L doesn’t have.

    #55487
    Profile photo of MarkPAman
    MarkPAman
    Participant

    That USB router will need the correct drivers to be installed on the computer you connect it to. Not possible with a Qu desk.

    As the desk needs mains anyway, what’s the problem with a mains powered router? Having had a show stopping incident due to a poor built in router, I’ve gone off that idea myself!

    My Qu-Pac is mounted in a rack with a PowerCon output, next to an EtherCon & my Airport express just plugs into both of these on about 2m of loomed together cable. Easy! And my 16 has its router living in the bottom of its flightcase, permanently plugged in, but again with enough cable to get it high up should I need to.

    #55491
    Profile photo of [XAP]Bob
    [XAP]Bob
    Participant

    I run an external antenna on a WAP – so the WAP stays in the flight case, the antenna gets plugged in and sat up on a stand.

    #55501
    Profile photo of PEJ
    PEJ
    Participant

    Just to add, as the Ui12 was specifically mentioned in the OP, that I’d hope A&H will produce something much better!
    I’ll not post what I think of the Ui desks here, as that seems unfair, but I would encourage people to seek out user reviews, & forum posts in other places before considering buying one.

    Yes, the Ui12 was used as an example, but my father always said, “you get what you pay for”. My need for some applications is 4 to 6 inputs with good eq/comp and mono mains with graphic eq. The other valuable features are scene save/recall and remote control. The wifi option is less critical to me since networking is my day job.

    I would love to have A&H quality in two or three smaller form factors at a lower cost… Waiting impatiently 😉

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