Digital Mixer Showdown* : RCF M18 v Behringer XR18 review - Which should you buy ? *Not Sponsored
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- Опубликовано: 12 сен 2024
- All this equipment was purchased with my own money. This is not a sponsored video like many, the opinions are my own honest feedback based in my experience using them live in the heat of the night.
Amazon Affiliate links :
Soundcraft UI24r
amzn.to/3W4Aqhd
Behringer XR18
amzn.to/3TKIil8
I'm an Amazon Affiliate member, they've a great returns policy. If you found my video useful and are considering buying one, if you happen to click on the link I'll earn a small commission but you won't be charged any extra, this helps me invest more time in creating more and better reviews. I bought all 3 units myself.
If you’re a function band or conference engineer, digital mixers controlled by a mobile device are the way to go. Find out which one, between the RCF M18 and XR18, I chose to keep, (Hint : major plot twist)
#RCFM18 #XR18 #RCF #Soundcraft #UI24r #Behringer #LiveSound.
To clarify, the overheating years back caused the desk to shutdown repeatedly in the middle of a live gig, took me 3 shutdowns to understand why it was happening.
As this is my first review it was a bit nerve racking to say the least, I'm not used to speaking to a camera and I don't like it at all, so discovering now afterwards that some fellow musos have found it somewhat useful has been a big buzz. I spent many hours editing out my awkward "ums" and "eh's" to get the video to sound more coherent and less jarring to anyone listening, hence I do about one review a year 😄 coz it takes so much time, lighting, multiple takes etc. so it's great seeing your comments good or bad. I hope you found this overview from my own "live musician's perspective" useful. Thanks for watching.
Hi folks, if I can get 200 likes I'll do a UI24r review so please hit the like button 👍🏻. Thank you for watching and I hope this helped if you were considering going digital. It's been over 2 years since I made this video and it was fun but jaysus was it alot of effort, hence few reviews since. I spent so long editing out dozens of "ums and ehs" to make it listenable. All my gear is paid for by me so you're getting an honest and unbiased opinion, and that's all it is, just my humble opinion based on my personal use 😄
The UI24 has increased a staggering 70% from 715eur when I bought it then 2 years ago, to 1200eur today, that is crazy. COVID, supply chain issues and chips and processors shortage has contributed to this. All the best for 2024.
Slava Ukrayini 🇺🇦
excellent, thanks a lot, you're way ahead of me so all points brought up are appreaciated
looking at the Soundcraft 12ch now, might be a match
Thanks for watching glad it helped 👍🏻
I tested and use: Midas, Xr , M18 rcf and now I m using UI24R Soundcraft. Man....I tell everybody very seriously, the best sound in quality, dynamcs(!!), noise (!!!), is RCF M18. THE BEST ! And I m very happy that I still have it and not sell it. I have Ui24R for few points: conectivity PC, touchscreens, inside DSP and more buuuut I m very very sad with noise and poor quality sound and dynamics compare to RCF m18.
The M18 is a fantastic unit, it's now discontinued unfortunately. I'm sorry I sold mine too but firmware updates were few and far between. I forgot to mention the M18 4 track playback on usb which is great for combining tracks with a click and cues.
Hi there .good reviews.Just to let you know you can mute the FX on the m18 .on the main page of the mixer app on the right hand side above the MAIN OUT volume you will see the RCF logo. Click on the logo and you will see the options for main mix. you can MUTE FX there.also you could assign FX to a DCA in the settings tab and mute that DCA on mixer page.I use a cheap 2 button footswitch (button 1 mute FX and button 2 PLAY next track) to make it even easier.Theres a play button for usb tracks as well under RCF logo which might be handy.
Thanks Andrew and thanks for watching, yes correct, though you do still have to press the logo to see though options, thus hiding the master fader so it's a choice, and the footswitch FX switch is a great option which I forgot to mention, but no tap tempo option for either footswitch or main UI which is essential I think. Thanks again for your comment and for watching, much appreciated
Hi Sound engineer and musician for 40 years and I have both. RCF I use for a live gig each week and the X Air in the studio. Both over 4 years. RCF wifi is pants but I think X air is the same. Used an external Router and this has now just failed in the RCF. I have to use the internal wifi. Not had an issue so far with X air. Interface on X Air is has all you will need, though but runs on more gear IE Linux, Mac, Android and Ipad. Great Vid though.
Thanks for sharing!
Mixing station is the third party app it is amazing .💯% solid and and very intuitive
Nice one I'll check it out, have you tried it on the ui24 by any chance ? I like the fact the access is browser based, great idea.
Thanks for this great help. Your review was clear and well structured
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment
Now after using the Soundcraft, I am curious what your thoughts are. There are some negatives on the internet concerning reliability and noisy preamps. I am not concerned so much about WiFi because most all of these type units seem better if directly connected or using an external router. I am more concerned about the build quality, preamps, and other thoughts you may share. Thank you for the time you took to review these products and your brief opinion, if only a reply to this comment, is much appreciated. Thanks.
Hi Jerry, thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. With the lockdown I haven't done a single show since this video. I am itching to try it out live though it's a great mixer. I haven't had any issues, though any issues mssy be addressed by updating the firmware. If you have one yourself I'd love to see a review and hesr your insight. Thanks again.
This was so helpful! Thank you!
Glad it was helpful and thanks for the feedback!
Great reviews very detailed.i juts don't understand why the black and white camera filter.i would have loved to see the color on each of the mixers.
Thanks for watching.
I thought it would be easier on the eye 😁. It's literally my first review, so I improvised some backlighting, overdubbed the audio separately and cut out maybe 5,000 "umms" and "ahhs" to make it flow a bit better. Both units are pretty dull looking. I'll do the Soundcraft in colour as it's a nice vibrant blue 👍
@@toneranger that's great, thank you .don't misunderstand. I do like your video editing and the black and white,but with this pandemic it's hard to go to any music store and look at the real thing so a lot of us are looking at youtube before we buy ....keep it up you did a great job. very detailed and useful info.thanks again.
@@vicadaja1 Cheers thanks for watching and the positive vibes good to know you found it useful 👍🏻
Thank You Very Nice REVIEW, I do have a Question Dose Behringer XR 18 Have feedback Buster on all chancels ? I thank You In ADVANCE :)
I got the xair 16 and it is very clean sounding
The Behringer doesn't have any active feedback suppression that I am aware of, though it may have been added in an update since. It has real-time graphic frequency analysis (RTA) which highlights any wayward frequencies.
The Soundcraft has a 2 channel feedback suppressor and RTA aswell.
Thank you for doing the comparison, much appreciated!
I’m currently trying to figure out what to buy... The RCF does not have Automix functionality, which the Behringer does. Since I’m looking for a mixer for voice discussions I guess the Behringer is the only one which could do the job :-)
Thanks for watching. Yes a good USP for the Behringer V M18 at that price point. Not a feature I would need but for speeches it keeps down the stage noise and potential for feedback. The Soundcraft does it too after a 2018 firmware update, but obviously more expensive:
www.soundcraft.com/en/softwares/ui24r-v2
@@toneranger Thank you very much, I will look more closely into the Soundcraft Ui24r. If it has advantages (for my use case) over the XR18 it could be worth the extra money.
Having used all 3, I reckon if you can afford it, it makes a better investment overall, more versatility and functionality. Maybe sell on some gear you're not using to add to the kitty 😁
@@toneranger I hope it's ok if I ask another question... I've now compared the datasheets and I especially noticed that the Ui24r has "dbx’s patented (Advanced Feedback Suppression) AFS™ technology". Do you think it would be a good thing to have for a conference room style setup (broadcast externally via a webmeeting) or for something like a discussion panel in front of an audience? I think it sounds like exactly something I would need for good audio quality but perhaps I'm misunderstanding what this is for. The Behringer X Air 18 does not have this as far as I can tell...
@@geraldh.8047 Hi Gerald, a pleasure, thanks for your questions. DBX rack gear is found in many of the top studios so it's definitely good to have. I haven't used it for web broadcast or the scenario you mention, but having been a participant of many there is often feedback that spirals quickly because someone isn't using headphones, so definitely good to have. It will definitely make your voice sound better before it is broadcast. You won't have as much control over those dialing in as it depends on their Mic, and connection but you should have a better balanced sound so if you go into the UI24 initially purely to process it, add compression etc. and then go into the computer from a monitor mix or patch that Mic to the headphone out of the UI24 not the L+R. You would need to then come back out of the computer for the L+R Mic from the WebConference and back into the UI24 for overall balance.
Not sure if that's what you are intending but anti feedback is good. The RTA spectrum analyser also highlights the frequency which is really useful. Hope that helps
I’m using de ui24 in de studio and live. Really creat mixer. Using it with a touchsceen. And with a double antenna i experience no wifi problems.
Thank you for the review!
Thanks for watching Alexander. 👍🏻
Please do a review on the soundcraft ui24r.youe thoughts after working with it.thank you so much.great review
Thanks for your kind feedback. I will of course. Just can't really get the most out of it during lockdown. So will wait till I do some live shows and then post a review.
Thanks again
Now that you’ve used the SoundCloud for multiple years, what is your experience comparing it to the M18
Great video. Thanks.
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment 👍🏻
Great comparison. One thing I didn't get: Does the RCF can record multitrack and play it back in order to mix the band after recording a song or having a guide recording that can be used for any gig instead doing a live soundcheck at the venue?
Hi @Römer, thanks for watching 🤟🏻, the RCF is more practical than the XR18 for recording live as you can do it direct to a simple thumb drive in the standard USB (rectangular shaped), which the Soundcraft also has. The XR18 is impractical in my experience as you need to record to another device, PC, laptop etc. the USB (doghouse shaped) only acts as an interface.
On the RCF you can record a stereo mix and play it back immediately to give you a perspective on the mix, but you cannot adjust the individual tracks volume etc in the USB recording as you are listening, which is "soundcheck mode" which the Soundcraft has.Hope that helps
@@toneranger thanks for this answer,. I hoped the M16 recordings also have a soundcheck option. So I need to sell the M16 and get a Soundcraft. What a pity, I like the M16 a lot for everything else.
@@romerbass2813 yes it's a great option. It depends on your circumstances, I really use the Soundcraft mainly for the extra channels, but I also bought it for the Soundcheck function. It turns out I rarely use Soundcheck but the extra channels in the UI are a must. The M18 was very handy for the size and the fact it has 4 channel playback from the USB thumb drive, for backing tracks, click tracks and cues, that's amazing! The USB on the M18 never gave any issues either. With the Ui24, a powered USB hub is recommended for long recording sessions to avoid overheating.
I have the M18 and lately the built in WiFi is intermittent. It won’t even work with an external router . It’s effectively useless . Really disappointed
It's just been discontinued unfortunately. Try a reset and/or update to latest firmware, hope you get sorted.
nice one thanx for sharing
Thanks for watching 👍🏻
What do you think ofRCK 20x?
you mention the problem of heat getting out of rack cases , especially thru the brackets on the front,,, with all cases you can remove the cover on the back so its not really an issue. ALSO, you complaining that the Behringer XR18 has usb B out and not a regular usb out... There is a simple reason if you investigate it..... Like you said, It is because it can be used as a multi track recorder ... what doesnt suit you could suit other users.....
Yeah I’ve used the xr on tour and the thing has crazy options if you take the time and research I agree with you
@TheBlues Ine Thanks for your comment, though it's clear you did not actually listen to or understand what I took the time to clearly explain and cover in the video.
1. As mentioned in the video: Standard USB Multi-track recording to usb "stick" or thumbdrive is a feature exclusive to the Soundcraft, you CANNOT do that on the XR18 you need a DAW and a Tablet/PC cables and power supply, at best that's inconvenient and impractical.
And also mentioned in the video: The Behringer requires the addition of a pc or laptop to record, it cannot record multitrack direct to USB stick the #UI24r can, that makes the #xr18 impractical for my requirements or in a live situation, maybe in a comfy studio where you have time and space to leave a laptop setup permantly, but not live.
2. Leaving the rear case door on would be an extremely lazy and risky approach, even with no flight case at all the #Behringer #overheats, this is a known problem. So from past experience of overheating desks, as explained, this is not a risk worth taking for me.
3. Just like the Behringer you need to chill dude 😁. This is an unpaid review, what's more I personally purchased and have experience using all 3 mixers live. It is not a paid review and I am not selling anything. It is from the perspective of a live musician with no dedicated sound engineer or monitor engineer to run the sound for me, so anyone watching can get a heads up on things to be aware of. If I had the Behringer 10-20 years ago I wouldn't be complaining.
@@matthewcook6629 Thanks for watching. There is no doubt the Behringer is a great mixer live or studio, especially compared to the massive flightcases, fx racks, looms and the wiring etc. required, that were all necessary until recently. It saves a ton on money, time and backbreaking physical work. But for my specific requirements it just wasn't suitable and I'm glad I went with the Soundcraft. Rock on! 👍
Does the soundcraft Ui 12 have compressor , delay and chorus on all channels ?
I am torn between the M18 and the sound craft .
Hi I am guessing yes as I haven't used the UI12, the UI24 does, the major difference is the multitrack recording and additional channels. I really liked the M18, the 4 track playback on USB is very handy for backing tracks, even the UI24 only has 2 channels
m18 can send effects to aux?
Yes it can, go to the EDIT tab, then AUX 1 for example then check the FX return master faders in the AUX channel are up.
@@toneranger found it! so many thanks!
@@MauroDoninibrotherjake great glad to help 👍🏻
Hi there, thank you for the review. We use the M18 for church purposes. For some reason, whenever we do playback from the usb there is always a slight buzz present. When playback is stopped the busz goes away. Would you have any idea why this is happening? Thanks.
Thanks for watching! That's strange alright.
If you haven't, updating to the latest firmware is a good start.
Have you tried any of the following ? :
1. Format the USB stick and upload the files again.
2. Try a new USB, highest class you can find.
3. Increase the quality of the mp3 files bit rate, or better still, use .wav files which the M18 can also playback.
4. Drop new audio files onto the USB from a different source.
Do let us know in the comments if you manage to solve the issue one way or another, best of luck !
@@toneranger Thank you for the advice. Will give it a try and see what happens.
@@lonngrentaljaard7768 Any luck so far ?
you can't run the M18 on laptop and viewing it on android doesn't cut it and the X18 is more user friendly as far as my concern
Thanks for watching Al, the M18 worked perfectly fine for me on Android and, at least for my needs, a laptop makes no sense on stage if a tablet is an option, touchscreen all the way. The Soundcraft UI24R goes even further, plug your mouse and your monitor directly into the usb/hdmi ports, no keyboard necessary. Thanks again for watching 👍🏻
Look closer there is no fan on the xr18
Thank you for watching and for confirming Kevin, check out the videos and tutorials of XR18 users added adding their own external fans as a hack, this should not be necessary but it is according their experience, again that just backs up my point, there should be a fan and more ventilation points and that's why so many users are complaining of the XR18 overheating and shutdowns as a result of that overheating. This would also effect the long term viability of the internal components. I play venues without air-conditioning at the height of summer, the ambient heat and humidity is already very very high, add to that the heat and moisture from the bodyheat of people dancing in stuffy venues with no proper air circulation = a recipe for disaster. Thanks again for watching and contribution to the discussion.
I been using XR18 Edit app /stagebox for four yrs.
it gets warm? yes ...so keep the air moving around it
in a rack or not 😯
@@MrSoundude thanks again for watching 👍🏻
There is no fan in XR18
Thanks for confirming, well this is a major design flaw. I've seen reports of the XR18 shutting down due to ambient heat. I've also seen people on YT adding external fans to compensate, this should not be happening on a modern piece of equipment, let alone one that costs as much as the XR18. Here in Italy I play locations at the height of summer 35° outside and hotter inside with no air circulation and no aircon, the XR18 would not be reliable under these conditions.
Hello
Thanks for watching