I didn't think this would be much of a problem, however, so I started setting up the input and output routing so that I had the inputs and sends where I wanted them, before roughly configuring each channel to save time on the night.
#Behringer x32 digital snake manual
Navigating The X32īy default, the X32 routes all its local analogue inputs to the first 32 processing channels, but this had to be reconfigured for use with the S16 snake.īefore the X32 arrived, I had been warned that there was no user manual in the box, and when I looked there wasn't one available on the Behringer web site either, just a quick-start guide (the full 'preliminary' manual is actually now available online). Input parameters such as the head-amp trim and phantom-power switching can be controlled either from the S16 or from the X32 surface, and there's also a dedicated Ultranet connection for use with the Powerplay 16 personal mixing system (see 'Powerplay Monitoring' box). This feature alone should be enough to make anyone turn to digital! The S16 has a pair of standard ADAT optical outputs, which can be used for connecting suitable external devices, and which also allow the S16 to work as a stand-alone digital snake in conjunction with an analogue-to-ADAT converter. Two S16 units can be connected together by a local data cable, allowing 32 inputs and 16 returns to be carried over only a single Cat 5 connection - which is a blessing compared to having to roll out a heavy analogue snake and painstakingly plug in all the tails and returns. The X32 is intended to be partnered with the S16, which has 16 analogue ins and eight analogue outs, built into a 2U metal rackmount enclosure. One of the most appealing aspects of a portable digital live-sound mixer such as this is the ability to use a digital stage box and Cat 5 cable instead of a traditional multicore.
The Behringer X32 and its accompanying digital snake system, the S16, were put to use at an outdoor gig, where the requirement was to mix a total of 13 channels, with four independent monitor mixes going back to the stage wedges. In many cases, you could simply put this in place of an existing analogue desk without replacing a single plug or lead. In practical terms, the most noticeable feature of the X32 is that it has a full complement of 32 local XLR inputs and 16 outputs on the rear panel, so it can be used as a live desk without the need for a digital snake, which would be a good option if your venue already has stage feeds and returns plumbed in. It's easy to pick up, as there are good deep handles built in on either side (which also contain the headphone output sockets, one on each side), and it's a manageable 20.6kg, so by no means a heavyweight. It was a little bigger than I'd expected, although still nice and compact considering its functionality.
I didn't have much time to find my way around the X32 before taking it out for real, but I thought I'd better sit with it for an hour or so, get the feel of the controls, and set up the channels I was going to need for an outboor band gig the next day. What you are about to read is therefore very much my own take on using the X32 live, rather than any kind of technical commentary - for that, you can read Hugh's review at /sos/aug12/articles/behringer-x32.htm.Īs well as the desk itself, I was given the new Behringer S16, a 16-in/8-out digital snake based on Klark Teknik technology, and Powerplay P16M personal monitor mixer. Technical Editor Hugh Robjohns reviewed the console in last month's SOS, but I was asked to take the X32 out on a real-life gig and report back from a user's point of view. The newly released X32 digital mixing console from Behringer has generated enormous amounts of interest in the live-sound world, mainly because of its incorporated technology from Midas and Klark Teknik, and its low launch price compared to rival products from other manufacturers. Behringer's new digital mixer and snake system are impressive on paper, but how do they fare under real-life gigging conditions?