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Thread: Soundcraft Ui 16 mixer

  1. #1

    Default Soundcraft Ui 16 mixer

    A friend is considering buying one of these mixers for trio gigs we do, and I have a healthy skepticism when something seems to be incredible for the price. Now the fact you use an iPad or computer to control the mixer for sure saves costs, and that the Lexicon and Digitech effects posed no extra R&D costs, as all are owned by the same company, but $409? 16 channels? 4 output buses? 4 aux sends? direct USB recording to a memory stick? Up to 10 devices supported so each band member can adjust there own monitor mix on the fly?

    Any thoughts of this or other digital mixers you've used?
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  2. #2
    Dave Sheets
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    Default Re: Soundcraft Ui 16 mixer

    I have a UI-12 I mix contra dances on. I got if for about $200, and am happy with it, particularly at that price. The pre-amps are better (cleaner) than I would have expected. I did get a larger antenna for it, a +7dB antenna on Amazon for about $7. Some folks have said devices lose contact with the UI-12/16, but I haven't had any issues using the larger antenna. I use a kindle tablet with it, works fine, I've also connected to it with an iphone without a problem. There is a lot to the control system, but it is laid out pretty well. Practice with it a bit ahead of time. The eq and compressors in particular are both handy and effective, at least for me.

    I've had it about 6 or 8 months, it gets used twice a month, no problems so far. The UI-12 has 8 preamps, a stereo RCA input, stereo outputs and two aux outputs that do the job for monitoring.
    Last edited by Dave Sheets; May-19-2019 at 5:51pm. Reason: more into
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    F5G & MD305 Astro's Avatar
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    Default Re: Soundcraft Ui 16 mixer

    I've had my ui16 almost 2 years I think. Ive really enjoyed it. Tough to beat for the money. Sorry I dont have more experience with anything else to compare it to. Going digital is a bit of a learning curve but once familiarized, it becomes easier than expected. There is lots to remember when setting up for a gig as there are so many variables and options. But there is always the option of keeping it simple. And it practically does that for you. Also you'll need some better than average computer skills if you want to vary the connections from the out of the box set up. But if I can figure it out, anybody can.

    PS You may hear a lot of complaints about connectivity interruptions. I havent found it to be much of an issue and I think they are exagerrated a bit. I did have to reconnect a time or 2 but its easy to do and if connectivity is lost , nothing stops working, it just means you cant use the controls until you reconnect. Once I turned off my lap top screen savers and battery savers and excluded other wifis, it hasn't really been an issue.
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    Registered User almeriastrings's Avatar
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    Default Re: Soundcraft Ui 16 mixer

    They are 'OK'. Excellent user interface. Easy to operate. The built in FX, etc., are really good. The ability to save scenes and presets is superb if you are coming from an analog background. The built-in anti-feedback system on these is really good too. There is one area of the Ui-12 and Ui-16 that is a real issue with low output mics and that's the preamps. They are far 'noisier' than competing systems, especially with phantom power engaged. The noise floor is really high. The later Ui24 does not suffer from this issue (they totally redesigned the preamps on that model). The preamps are OK if you use very high output mics - but for dynamic or other low-output mics they really 'hiss' a lot more than you might find acceptable. I've set up a few people with these (that being said) and they were all happy with them.. the only competition at that price is the Behringer's... the preamps on those are better than on the UI12 and Ui16, but the user interface is nowhere near as nice and they have a few other issues of their own. My actual recommendation for a small digital console would be the QSC Touchmix 8 or Touchmix 16. These are outstanding. Lovely clean, high gain preamps. Very low noise floor. Functionality and user-interface is excellent. FX are first class. They are really nice little desks. They are a lot more expensive than the Soundcraft Ui16's though...
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  5. #5
    Registered User Bob Visentin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Soundcraft Ui 16 mixer

    I will second all this. I bought a bigger antenna also. It does loose connectivity sometimes but everything keeps working. Preamps hiss give it a hot signal and turn the masters up hot too. Amazing amount of effects and feed back control. The memory is nice also. No matter what channel my voice is in I can recall my basic settings. If you play the same room again you can save those settings too. We like it. Being able to walk around the room and make changes from anywhere is great.

  6. #6
    Mandolin user MontanaMatt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Soundcraft Ui 16 mixer

    I have the Mackie dl1608. It is so much better than the huge presonus board we had prior, and light years better than the analog system I had before that. There are many things I don’t like though. Noisy preamps, no preamp setting saving, recording is only two channels, only records to iPad, requires WiFi router, inputs are not arranged in easy to see pattern. I’m planning to switch to the new Beheringer system soon. The Midas pre amps are very nice, and the plugins are more intense.
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    Default Re: Soundcraft Ui 16 mixer

    I've been using the Ui12 for a couple of years now, and going digital has been far easier and far more satisfying than expected. I would find it hard to imagine someone more computer illiterate than me, but I've managed to figure out how to get it to do what I need it to. I only use about 5% of the thing is capable of, but that's all I need. We usually run a vocal condenser, a couple of clip-on condensers and the guitar plugged in, and we get a nice, transparent sound. With the dBx, I never give a thought to feedback. It clips it so quickly that you often don't notice a thing. The scene saving is a great feature - I just click on the scenario I want and it comes up, with all of the gain and mix already set. I'm now at the point where I can't imagine going analog again. I've been thinking about stepping up to the 16.
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  8. #8

    Default Re: Soundcraft Ui 16 mixer

    Sounds like the Ui 24 might be worth it for the mic pres. For a trio, we have a more complicated setup than might be normal. Two of us need instrument mics for mandolin, banjo, and guitars without pickups. One of us plays standup bass, one electric bass, and we all sing, so we have five mics, up to four acoustic guitars with pickups, plus the standup bass has a pickup. I like the ability to mute the instruments I'm not playing, and not transfer cords from guitar to guitar. Plus the feedback control feature. Maybe it is time to join the real world.
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  9. #9

    Default Re: Soundcraft Ui 16 mixer

    We've been running the Ui16 for about a year and a half. It is a solid piece of equipment once you get it figured. It has been known to have a slight hiss, and we have seen that but not sure if that is user error. Regardless it has served our band really well and made it easier to go into bars where the board is a landmine. The recording feature is nice to listen back, but since it is singletrack, you can't change the levels. A nice feature, but there are boards in similar price range that multitrack. The 24 would be stronger than the 16, but that boosts you to a new price level where you can get the QSC Touch Mix, which seems like a better mixer. Regardless, the Ui16 was a huge game changer for my band as we started up and had to mix our own sound, which is where we currently are still at.

  10. #10
    Registered User almeriastrings's Avatar
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    Default Re: Soundcraft Ui 16 mixer

    Quote Originally Posted by Josh Levine View Post
    We've been running the Ui16 for about a year and a half. It is a solid piece of equipment once you get it figured. It has been known to have a slight hiss, and we have seen that but not sure if that is user error.
    It is a circuit design issue. The Ui12 and Ui16 were not actually designed by Soundcraft. They 'bought the design in' from another company when they acquired it. There are some 'workarounds'. Use high output microphones or a head-amp, such as the Triton FEThead with low output mics. The Ui24 was a total re-working of the design, by Soundcraft engineers. This has entirely different (and far superior) preamps without the 'hiss' problem.
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  11. #11

    Default Re: Soundcraft Ui 16 mixer

    The FEThead solution would be more attractive if I didn't need five of them. But really, the ambient noise of any venue might just render the point moot.
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  12. #12
    Registered User almeriastrings's Avatar
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    Default Re: Soundcraft Ui 16 mixer

    You would normally be OK with most condenser mics. Anything with an output level of >7mV/PA will be fine. This really only becomes and issue with low-output dynamic mics, such as the SM57/58 or similar. These have output levels in the 1.7mV/PA range and you really have to crank the input trims on the Ui12/16. That's where a 'pre-pre' amp can make a big difference. In most respects these are a really good little mixer with some excellent features. They are let down by the preamp quality, however.
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    Registered User Drew Egerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Soundcraft Ui 16 mixer

    I had looked at the Soundcraft, but after reading about the noise complaints I decided to go for the Behringer XR16. So far we are pretty happy with it while still learning to use it. With the RTA EQ we have been able to get much more gain out of our mic without feedback.
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  15. #14

    Default Re: Soundcraft Ui 16 mixer

    Quote Originally Posted by Drew Egerton View Post
    I had looked at the Soundcraft, but after reading about the noise complaints I decided to go for the Behringer XR16. So far we are pretty happy with it while still learning to use it. With the RTA EQ we have been able to get much more gain out of our mic without feedback.
    I have the Behringer XRAir 18. awesome. It also runs through either ipad, laptop or chromebook type pad. More inputs than the soundcraft, all inputs are combo 1/4 in
    and xlr

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