Got a question for any Behringer owners using an X-Touch with an X32.

Im going to be doing sound for a band that has the X32 Rack. Ive debating picking up an X-touch to be able to give me some real faders at the helm. I would still also like to use the ipad along with the X-Touch. How have you guys been connecting your X-Touch to an x32 to be able to run the wireless network and use the X-Touch along side your ipad to have some more control?

Thanks!

I've used a Rack with iPad quite extensively, and has left me with no craving for "real faders" whatsoever. It begs the question, how is a touchscreen that translates tactile response directly to digital values less "real" than a mechanical fader that scrubs a resistive strip to produce varying DC voltage which is then converted to a digital value?

The good news is that the X-touch will hold its resale value pretty well, so you won't badly regret selling it once you get used to the iPad. Or if you really take to the X-Touch the iPad is a much better display than the X32 consoles.

Edit: scratch that. An X-touch is near useless for live remote mixing. Your iPad won't change screens as you switch layers on the X-Touch. You'll end up just leaving it on the DCA's, something a second tablet can do just as well and much more for much less.

When I was first setting up my behringer, xtouch wasnt out yet and I really wanted it as a tactile control surface. Since then I have now mixed many times from tablet and surface pro, and see no need for myself to get the xtouch. I love all the options at your fingertips working from a tablet. Once in a while (adjusting para eq) I really miss the knobs, but never faders.

I'm still waiting for official support for xtouch controlling X32.

There is little in the X-Touch-design that is pointing towards it being intended for live mixing. It can interact with X32-Edit running on PC/MAC/Linux and thus indirectly control parameters on the X32, but I suspect that the direct ethernet control mentioned when the unit was first presented was just the slip of the tongue of one or more overly enthusiastic sales-people.

At least you don't have to stare at screen with real faders. A lot easier to do multiple simultaneous moves too.

Yep, and since it's a MIDI controller, I guess it should be possible to do a completely custom lay-out. Faders 1-4 being kick-snare-bass-vocals subgroups, 5&6 being guitar and keys DCA's, 7 being the lead vocal delay send and 8 being the master bus compressor threshold? No problem. Same thing for the encoders, tons and tons of flexibility here, just figure out what you use most and have it right there in front of your nose.

Disclaimer; I'm a knobs 'n faders guy, I don't like tablet-only mixing at all.


Dutchy

I realize this is an old thread but I've been using an X-touch for live remote mixing about a year. WiFi can get spotty in a room full of people and cell phones. There's also been some shows that flat out wouldn't be possible without having eight fingers on eight faders. I spend most of sound check using a tablet. For the actual shows, it's usually the physical interface with the tablet on a different page or remotely running my recording computer.

You can also run the x-touch wirelessly:
https://youtu.be/HwBn0L57SLM

I've relied heavily on tablets even in large clubs and small arenas. You need a router with amplified antennas, use 5GHz only, and do not broadcast the SSID. The D-Link DIR-822 works well. If you're running a cat5 line out to FOH then put the router at FOH.

For a second interface to the iPad I'm happier with an Android tablet than a physical console. The IDCA's are just the best. Though obviously beyond maybe 250 cap rooms and light duty outdoor fests I won't go without a physical console at FOH. I just won't use it much.

I really feel a lot better with a hard line. I don't want ANY risk of lost communication during a show, which has happened a few times when I was relying solely on WiFi control.

I had an X-32C lose connection w a laptop, hard wired with cat-5, during a session in my studio, and had to reboot both to re-establish the link.

So far, I've never lost connection with with a hard line, even using a 50M Cat5 cable. I HAVE, however, lost connection with WiFi at almost every show, usually when people are pouring into the venue and playing with their phones.

Never use 2.4GHz for console control - there's too much rubbish in the band. 5GHz is a must.

Bump-
Has anyone used the X-touch with the X32 standard console (full size, non-rack)? It seems to be compatible with the X32 Rack (which should be the same protocol) but I wanted to verify if anyone has actually seen it work the original X32 console (latest firmware).

I'm looking at using the X-touch to repeat/duplicate control so I can control the X32 Console from multiple locations.

Everything that works with one X32 or M32 model works with them all. You can literally use the same file to upgrade the firmware of any of them. Only the graphics are different between X32 and M32 models.

The fun part is how to connect the X-Touch to the console at a distance. You can run Cat5 of course, but usually folks want a wireless option. Often the best option is to hook it up via USB to an Android tablet running Mixing Station, which gives you excellent customization and a visual interface.

I actually have an old BCF2000 (ca. 2005) which I've used to control my X32 Rack and Producer via Mixing Station on an Android tablet. Mostly just nerdy fun, but fun nonetheless! The combination is a fully usable mini remote console, just too campy for pro purposes.

Mixing Station is a must.

You kids and your behringer toys. I guess if all the kids are just going to stare at their phones during the show then the FOH mixer should blend in too huh

Funny, “Halestorm’s” dedicated opener uses an x-32 rack with an x-touch and one of the biggest current country stars’ FOH/Monitors are both m32. I see BLA now offers a mod for x32r. I’ve been doing live sound for 15 years and worked shows for REO, STYX, Dylan, Chicago, Disturbed and tons of others; the x32 (not even the m32) has made its way into many of those for some reason. For house sound, we have an SC-48 collecting dust because our m32 is always the go to. Prior to Music Group’s acquisition of both the above mentioned, Behringer made excellent paper weights. I use an x32 very often (pre-covid) and nobody in the crowd will ever have a sub-par experience due to it.

(defensive rant over)

As for the x-touch with x-32r, there is something about physical faders and knobs/buttons that puts me at ease; continual micro adjustments are hard on tablets. Two+ fader movements aren’t possible accurately. You give up the wireless gimmick with the x-touch but gain real feel.

I can understand wanting to be able to walk to room and make adjustments as I walk around until it sounds right. Not wanting faders to mix on to me just sounds silly.

If you try it then you might decide it’s not so silly. I use my x-touch with my x32 rack and I use tablets. Both have their advantages. I use the tablet app with a digico as well so I can go onstage to do monitors with musicians, and sometimes I use the tablet in conjunction with the faders at FOH too, depending on the task.

If you can’t get a good mix with an x32 then it’s not the equipment. Does the digico sound better, to my ears? Absolutely. And when I use the Midas dl16 stagebox I have it sounds better than the x32 preamps and outputs. But the x32 doesn’t sound bad at all.

Most importantly, to me, I have tools that I can do my gigs with and I don’t have any debt on it. If someone wants to provide something else for me to use I’m happy to do it, but if I’m bringing what I have then that’s what I have.

But if you prefer other tools than the x32, all good. No need to look down on anyone else. Attention to musicians, performers and presenters is so much important anyway, and the people I read and hear about, or meet in person, that are successful in this field all have that as the center of their work.

Take what I say for what it is. As someone who worked in another field for 25 years and is just getting to be able to do this full time, I’m very happy even in these crazy times of scarce work.

If you work such easy jobs that you don't need the fine instant control that only real faders give you, you should be fine. The rest of us don't work such cakewalks

Cool. People do work in many different ways and I’ve found that dismissing that doesn’t work well for me. I also enjoy learning about how others approach their work to see what I can learn from them, then try to adapt concepts to the workflow and events I have available to me.

If you’re doing things that bring you happiness and make the people you’re serving supporting happy, then that’s a good thing. I’d love for you to share some of that here, for example specific types of situations you’ve run across In your experience where physical faders helped you. For the record, I do prefer physical faders over virtual as well, but use tablets as part of the workflow and virtual faders when the situation dictates that it’s necessary.

If you have ever done a festival gig with 20 plus inputs and 5 minutes soundcheck, like is the standard in many places, you would know why having 100s of knobs and 40 faders to grab at during the first song can be crucial.

Cool.

Why would you drag 100's of knobs and 40 faders on stage while you're doing a festival changeover line check when you could just use a tablet?

Oh wait, you're still doing festival changeover line checks from FOH. Nevermind...

Line check doesn't help you put together a nice mix on the first song. It just keeps you from overloading channels in the meantime.

Not every gig has a 5 minute setup time either, doesn’t mean the gig is “simple.” I would bet there are some people who have figured out a really fast tablet based workflow though. To each their own as long as it works.

I actually can’t stand the tablet mixing, but I live with it since it’s the new norm. I had countless gigs lost due to needing a “wireless” pa; ADA compliance requires adequate cable ramps that cost money and space. Not a problem with tablet mixing. I have three snakes collecting dust since I started using one. However, any time I can use knobs and faders over a touchscreen makes me happy.

It really is amazing to me how promoters want someone to make a nice mix in the house but won't let them have anywhere in the house to mix from. Wedding people seem to be the worst. When they want a "wireless" PA, you know they really don't want you to have to be there and will treat you that way.