BillFitzmaurice.info

88h88 wrote:So could someone explain in idiot newbie terms what the S16 does? My brain says: "you don't need a snake with this, just a loooooooong cat5/6".

Would you require one at FoH and one at the stage linked by said cat5/6?

I am an idiot, hardest setup I personally have done with my BFM is a piddly Yamaha 10/2 with a couple of mics and a DJ mixer. Help me do learnin'!

The S16 and the X32 connect by Cat5 Ethernet cable, instead of thick, heavy multi-channel snake cable. The S16 in near/on the stage, and is where 16 mics/DI/Line levels connect to the X32 mixer via the Cat5, and the 8 returns are also there. It's a very slick setup, but my (bad) experiences with Behringer mixers makes me very shy from this setup.

Donny, you have to figure out what direction you wish to take. If it were me, I would continue the insurance. Continue upgrading your system while you earn, and charge your DJ rates to be profitable. Charging $250 for a gig with an insurance overhead of $100 really kills the profit margin. Of course, YMMV.

DJPhatman wrote:The S16 and the X32 connect by Cat5 Ethernet cable, instead of thick, heavy multi-channel snake cable. The S16 in near/on the stage, and is where 16 mics/DI/Line levels connect to the X32 mixer via the Cat5, and the 8 returns are also there. It's a very slick setup, but my (bad) experiences with Behringer mixers makes me very shy from this setup.

Perfect explanation. Thank you. I only have my experience with the DEQ and DCX to go on with Behringer gear and *fingers crossed* they've been solid so far.

A digital snake has the preamps and digital converters in the stage side box. These all get multiplexed and sent to the FOH mix position on a Cat5e or fiber connection. At the FOH mix position, the Cat5e or fiber is connected either to a digital mixing console that allows remote control of the individual preamp gains, and of course de-multiplexes all the individual channels for mixing, usually still in the digital domain. The mixed signals can then be sent back to the stage on the same cat5e or fiber on the digital returns to be converted back to analog audio to drive the stage side power amps.

Alternatively, some digital snakes just have a mix position control box that allows gain adjustment of the preamps, and has digital to analog converters that allow connection to a conventional analog mixing console.

My opinion of these is somewhat low. I certainly like the idea of being able to run everything on a single light weight Cat 5e cable. However, because I mix festival events where often there is one act after another coming and going from the stage without prior sound and level checks, all mixing is done on the fly.
This means I need instant access to all the preamp gain controls in order to get levels set and a mix happening in the first 10 seconds of the performance starting. Wading through multi function menus and stepping through selections to adjust the preamps is not an option. For my purposes the mix position box would need to have a knob for every preamp channel. Some of digital mixers were designed with this in mind and do have individual controls, even if some are in banks of 8 channels or so that must be toggled between. Maybe I'm a dinosaur, but I still prefer a full function analog mixer where you can just grab any control in an instant.

In a rehearsed situation, or for theater performances, I can see a digital mixer having many benefits over a conventional analog, such as saving and recalling different scenes regarding gain, muting, EQ, etc. in memory.

Donny sorry for the hijack, I agree that if you have a little to spend right now a good analog snake or paying the insurance is a wise thing. However, if you're really getting serious about doing live sound the X32 is incredible. Under $3000 for a full featured digital board? Unheard of before now. I spent all weekend researching online because I'm doing a big sound bid this week and I'm blown away at what Behringer is bringing to the table. Uli Behringer has been on several sound forums answering questions about his company and is very committed (apparently) to changing perceptions. I may post later tonight under "Everything Else" on it. Keep in mind his parent company recently bought Midas and Klark Teknik.

byacey, the S16 is pretty cool. If it is only connected to one X32, the X32 overides the gain settings on the S16 so it's just like an analog snake in that regard. If you're using an X32 for monitors and another X32 FOH, the monitor mixer controls the input gains. By the way, a festival event is perfect for the X32- especially if you've had the opportunity to sound check the headliner earlier in the day.