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Is the Soundcraft Ui12 right for me?

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citizensc View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote citizensc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Is the Soundcraft Ui12 right for me?
    Posted: 21 January 2018 at 2:57pm
Hi guys

Looking to get a new rack-mount mixer that can be controlled via phones, tablets, laptops etc. 

I have been looking at the Ui12 and Ui16. 

-We do DJs, electronic live sets (drum machines, synths etc), occasional singer/mc over the top. Never do bands and don't intend to for the time being. 

-We are looking to put both our master signal and booth signal through the mixer, so we need to be able to assign inputs to the aux outputs with out them coming through the master. 

-We need to have good control over gain and eq. 

-Needs line level xlr in and out 

-Needs to be secure (can people hack these things and 'hijack' your pa??) 

Would the Ui12 be a good choice? are we missing out on much by not going with the Ui16? Is there another product all together that we should be looking at instead. 

The Ui12 is worryingly cheap, are there any issues with quality, sound, reliability? 

Thanks heaps
-Hugh

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote spongebob Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 January 2018 at 3:04pm
Wouldn't touch the UI's again other than the 24, the network stack is simply too unreliable.

(Inc. Using external access point, whole network stack dies and have to reboot mid show.)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Conanski Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 January 2018 at 4:27pm
Look at the Berry XR series too. The wireless AP in all these things are poor performers but if the unit is deployed as usual on the floor and often behind something that shouldn't be a surprise, an AP needs to be up high with a clear line of sight to work best. So best practice is to get a remote AP and attach it to an external router/switch that you then configure for the most robust performance, and that will include using the 5ghz band instead of the violently overcrowded 2.4ghz band, setting up a static IP for the mixer with a non standard subnet mask all in an effort to minimize traffic on your little network that will slow it down and cause dropouts.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Xoc1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 January 2018 at 4:46pm
I have a Ui 24r and been very happy with it, I put it in a rack mount with a monitor and a mouse for setting up and then leave that screen as a multichannel VU meter when mixing from front of house.
I changed the front Wi-Fi antenna for a high gain one. The Wi-Fi can be configured with a password just the same as any other Wi-Fi network. You could use an external router like other digital mixers.
The Ui 12 & 16 are not the same as the 24 and have noise issues due to poor mic preamps and hum issues due to the external PSU. The were not even designed by Soundcraft but the Ui24r was.
If was looking at the Ui12 I would look elsewhwere! Behringer maybe?

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote snowflake Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 January 2018 at 5:13pm
I'm using a ui16 and haven't noticed any hum issue. the wi-fi reception does drop out all the time but for the OP's use that doesn't matter - he will just set it up at the start of the evening and not have to touch it again anyway.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote aziz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 January 2018 at 5:44pm
Was using a ui16 last night for a award show,beta 87a on a lectern and four senny ew100s with 845 handhelds.
The 87 was noisy when I had to give it the beans and the handhelds were a bit hissy as well ,never had that with my x32 or a ancient o1v.
iPad mini worked well with the ui own ap but iPad was right next to it
End of the day,I would prefer the berry xr or the Midas version for brand snobbery.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 January 2018 at 8:55am
The ui12 and 16 are basically just a raspberry pi 2 style board and an analog devices DSP

The whole thing runs Linux (sunxi) the same way as your android tablet does.

I'm working on cracking this units software open (note: it's 99% done). Should be able to fix the WiFi issues. Apparently though, there is new firmware due soon. Also, someone has done a mod to fix the noisy pre issue, adding a few components to the area of the PSU that is doing the step up to 48v.

Watch this space if you're interested in a rooted ui16 that you can do whatever you want with :)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote snowflake Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 January 2018 at 12:25pm
Originally posted by freddymendez freddymendez wrote:

The ui12 and 16 are basically just a raspberry pi 2 style board and an analog devices DSP

The whole thing runs Linux (sunxi) the same way as your android tablet does.

I'm working on cracking this units software open (note: it's 99% done). Should be able to fix the WiFi issues. Apparently though, there is new firmware due soon. Also, someone has done a mod to fix the noisy pre issue, adding a few components to the area of the PSU that is doing the step up to 48v.

Watch this space if you're interested in a rooted ui16 that you can do whatever you want with :)


yes, do let me know. currently trying to fix a ui16 with a fault in the phantom power circuit - need a circuit diagram really.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote snowflake Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 January 2018 at 12:27pm
Originally posted by snowflake snowflake wrote:

Originally posted by freddymendez freddymendez wrote:

The ui12 and 16 are basically just a raspberry pi 2 style board and an analog devices DSP

The whole thing runs Linux (sunxi) the same way as your android tablet does.

I'm working on cracking this units software open (note: it's 99% done). Should be able to fix the WiFi issues. Apparently though, there is new firmware due soon. Also, someone has done a mod to fix the noisy pre issue, adding a few components to the area of the PSU that is doing the step up to 48v.

Watch this space if you're interested in a rooted ui16 that you can do whatever you want with :)


yes, do let me know. currently trying to fix a ui16 with a fault in the phantom power circuit - need a circuit diagram really. the newer version of the ui16 does have some modifications - so maybe my newer (fully working) unit doesn't have the hissing problem that the older units do.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote citizensc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 January 2018 at 1:33pm
This seems to have confirmed my suspicions...the soundcraft is too cheap to be good. 

I'm now looking at the Berry xr12/xr18 and Midas mr12/mr18. They look exactly the same on the outside but from the research I have done, the internals have some differences.


This post ( http://forum.tkaraoke.com/tkf_postst11314_REVIEW---COMPARISON--Behringer-XR12-vs-Midas-MR12-digital-mixer.aspx#post76540 ) on a Karaoke forum of all places discusses the superior preamps, analogue to digital/digital to analogue conversion and connectors on the Midas. It also has a bunch of pics of the internals of each, the Midas appears to have more components confirming that the internals are not exactly the same. 

Does anyone have any real world experience using the Midas vs berry? 


Edited by citizensc - 22 January 2018 at 1:33pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote toastyghost Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 January 2018 at 1:22am
I've used all three, and unfortunately, the Soundcraft sounds by far the best. So you choose your horse…
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citizensc View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote citizensc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 January 2018 at 1:37am
Originally posted by toastyghost toastyghost wrote:

I've used all three, and unfortunately, the Soundcraft sounds by far the best. So you choose your horse…


So are they all flawed then or would you say the soundcraft actually sounds good? Would you allow one in the signal chain of one of your systems?
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