Some advice on gain staging: the method you describe, setting the fader to unity or "0" and then raising the input gain until it reaches good volume in the house will not give you optimal results in areas other than the main speakers, e.g. aux sends for monitors. The input gain on a channel sets the stage for how much signal that channel can send to each buss in the mixer - this includes the Main Buss for front-of-house (FOH) speakers, as you mention, but also Auxiliary (AUX) busses and Effects (FX) sends. If you use just enough gain to blend an acoustic guitar into the house mix with the fader at unity, the acoustic guitar player using a monitor system from an AUX out on the mixer will likely have to perform an extreme boost on the bodypack or floor monitor and have a poor signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio which results in a lot of hiss. A more preferred method is to set the input gain to a level where the loudest sounds send the channel meter just below clipping, and then use the fader to mix the instrument into the house. This ensures a full and healthy SNR for all busses and FX sends downstream of the preamp. Cheers!
DrumsBasically hey I’ve encountered a problem. So let’s say for fx1, I want to use it on channel 1. So alright I go to fx1 and bring up Chanel 1 fader. However, I also have to go to Main LR and turn it up there aswell in order for the signal from channel 1 to go into fx1. Alright, sure. But now I want to hear channel 1 in, say, bus 1 so yes go to bus1 and turn up channel one. Now let’s say I want to hear channel 1 with fx1 in bus1. So okay turn up fx1 in bus1. The problem I have is why does the level on channel 1 at Main LR control the amount that goes into the fx. Let’s say I want to hear channel 1 with a lot of delay in my bus1 but not through the FOH. How can I do this? Is it even possible?
@@naingoohtun6716 while I no longer own the XR18 mixer, most digital consoles (to include the XR18) allow you to route FX in different ways e.g. Pre-fader or Post-fader. What you've described, sounds like the FX1 is being routed "Post-Fader", meaning it's intensity on all sends will follow the faders on your Main Buss. To achieve independent level control of the FX, regardless of the position of your main fader, find the send options for your FX1, and there is usually toggle buttons to indicate it's routing style. Change to "Pre-Fader" and you will then have to mix in the effect on each buss manually. Keep in mind, a potentially negative side effect of this approach is you may still hear the effect through your PA even when channels are muted depending on how your mutes are set up. You will also likely have a slightly more complicated workflow for both mains and monitors. Pre-Fader FX is useful for me in limited ways, e.g. when a snare drum is played in a small space, I likely do not need to amplify it, so its fader will be down, however with Pre-Fader effects, I can still send reverb on the snare out of the PA speakers. Cheers!
Sigh. Yes, you're absolutely correct. The Gain approach here is a hold-over from my work on analog boards. I was making these videos while using a digital board for the first time, and really needed to spend some time figuring out gain-staging, which sadly I did not do in advance of making these videos. My penance is to constantly have to apologize for not following best practices. I now adjust gain first, then faders. Wish I had a time machine :)
DrumsBasically I’ve been shown the gain structure approach for the certain reason that adjusting from the fader instead of gain, you loose more. Faders jump harder than gain meaning even a small fader adjustment could cost you 3db.
@@mdleeproductions5002 There is some validity to that position. Faders are often logarithmic, so they're exponentially more sensitive the further they are from Unity - meaning large db shifts will occur with small fader adjustments if operating a good distance above or below unity. In my experience, there is minimal/no risk to operating this way however, as good input gain structure will likely put all faders close enough to unity on the channel strip, that the fader adjustments are quite manageable for mixing the audio. There are tradeoffs with either method; I'd pose that the method I proposed in my first comment is the best all around solution.
I'd like to thank you for making this video which is very helpful for those of us who are still learning live digital mixing. Your descriptions are done in laymen terms and are easy to understand and gain useful knowledge from. Thank you !
Thanks Andrew great job explaining the software for the X18. I am a newby to mixing in general and the digital format is what I am starting with. I have viewed two of your intro videos and I have agood workable knowledge of the setup. Looking forward to learning more about the system
I totally agree with Francis James comments, "Wow... this was an amazing video!". This is a very professional video. I will be spending a lot of time reviewing it and will use it as a reference video. You cover a wide range of information (that has application to many tools) and apply it to this particular tool. I have been at this awhile and finding a tutorial that can take complex topics and break them down into simple understandable language is hard to find. BTW I am retired and have just started taking music technology and recording classes at EIU in Illinois. I feel very fortunate to be able to learn from my professors; and professionals like you. Thank you.
I do support this sentiment. Most of the videos on this topic are presented for people who are already familiar with studio situations. Thanks to Andrews for this post.
Behringer should have to pay you for this. This was the absolute best tutorial video I have ever watched on this unit (which I have owned for 2 years.) Thank you so much. Great job. Now if you could walk us through how we should have everything set up to record including how to monitor while recording over tracks being played back. I have an issue with delay unless I monitor through the DAW directly while recording. I am having a very difficult time understanding the routing. Basically, I want to learn how to monitor the sound going in to the DAW, while still hearing the previously recorded tracks. However, I want to hear my instrument at a different level than the tracks and click track I am playing to. Very difficult for me.
Yeah, sorry. I didn't get into swapping audio to and from a DAW. The setup I was creating didn't require that kind of sophistication, so I'm not able to advise on that subject. Sorry :(
This was a very useful instructional video and having watched at least twenty such videos on the XR-18 over the past several months, there is no doubt that your section on EQ is the absolute best of any of the videos I have seen. THANKS!
Wow... this was an amazing video! Thank you so much for explaining how software works and especially the correct use of settings and interpretation of charts and visualizations. Please keep up the great work.... you're helping lots of folks. Thanks again for an amazingly helpful video!
Yes, this is very basic instruction aimed at beginners. I've since made other videos that talk more about gain structure. The instruction on setting gain here relies on several unspoken assumptions about how I set up the amps to favour this method of managing gain. Several people have commented that they wish I'd approached it differently, and I have to agree with them. My explanation is confusing and does not reflect best practices.
Talk about the blind leading the blind. I did learn one thing from this video- ALWAYS read the comments before watching a video from someone you are not familiar with. It can save you from “learning” how to do something from someone who does not know what they are doing.
Um... OK. I'm not a professional sound engineer, and this video isn't focused on best practices, but on explaining what's what to those who are rank beginners. My expectation is that this video is a first step which will give people some confidence and context to understand other videos that are available online.
Sorry if I was rude with my first comment... You present the material in an authoritative and confident manner. Your self-assured manner of presentation could easily lead less informed people to believe that you know something that they need to know. Not everything can be adopted by faith. A simple, quick disclaimer at the beginning would let people know where you are coming from. Be well sir.
Darrell Williams i see several people giving Andrew a hard time about not being a professional sound engineer Do you create any videos or give constructive criticism about what may be done better. This is well done for the audience intended
You do understand that the video that I commented on was one in which he was giving instruction on how to use a particular piece of sound equipment, right? I do not have a problem with the fact that he is not a professional, my issue with that particular video was that he was simply giving bad, incorrect advice on doing something that was unfortunately coming from a position of ignorance concerning the very subject he was giving instruction. If his video simply contained bad audio I would not have cared at all- My issue was the fact that he was giving instruction about something that he had no competency.
Thanks for the really good tutorial of how some of this program works, very helpful to us "not a sound man but bought some nice equipment" folks! Thank you!
Yes, it was my intent to aim at beginners. There's lots of stuff out there for pros who already understand half of what you need to know. I made these videos for volunteers at a church.
Thank you very much. I am a pretty much old-school analog mixer, but getting older to carry heavy cable snakes and other cables. Now, I just got my new first digital mixer which I have no idea and Behringer manual is not helping at all. Very helpful.
The only suggestion I would make would be to set your gain first, and not worry about the fader position until after the gain is set. Use PFL and bring the gain peak levels up to "0". Then adjust your faders to desired volume.
@@AndrewBellous I use the same method for both analog and digital mixers. I try to maximize the signal at each step, which gives you more headroom when you get to the amps. Then to increase the overall volume, just bump the power amps or the powered speakers. It always made sense to me to follow the signal path as it comes into the mixer, and maximize at each step. Gain is the first step of mix, so I use PFL, so the loudest signal of a channel reaches zero on a digital mixer. Then adjust your faders to desired sound. Thanks for the video.
Yes, thank you. I follow the same methodology. However, we are all on a path of knowledge as to how to do sound better, and these videos were produced rather spontaneously. I have come to appreciate how important it is to think through every aspect of a video. One moment that was not fully considered can be subsequently brought to one's attention many, many times. I appreciate your interest in finding the right answers and helping me stay on track :)
Very good narrative. I really liked your illustrations on your video. Thanks for taking the time to explain this in detail. I am a subscriber at your channel and thanks for sharing
Thanks so much for putting together this video after watching it a few times I have become so much better in setting up properly my XR18 mixer. Would load any more videos on how to edit the effects properties in the future?
Very helpful video. One question, though. With the FX send fader - reverb for instance - should you just leave that a unity 0, and then control the amount of reverb on the channel itself? I hope that makes sense.
The gain should be set per channel based on the incoming signal level, so as to not clip, but also to not be too low, which leads to poor signal to nose ratio. The channel fader sets relative levels, and 0 is a good Target, but "appropriate levels" out of the mains are set by the main fader and mains volumes.
Great vids !! These really help me out ! Thank you!! I have the xAir18 for a few years now and considering switching to the preSonus 24R. Doing a lot of research. Can the 24R be used as your audio interface? I have an older RME Fireface 800 firewire400, looking for more up to date connectivity like thunderbolt. What do you suggest? Thanks
Yes, that's a good comment. Properly speaking you should set the gain first, and then work backwards to the fader. But, I find that this procedure is easier for beginners who don't have experience using headphones to check the solo levels before starting to mix. For someone just starting out, in my experience this method creates fewer problems. There are certainly other ways to go about it. It's how I was trained, and unless your main speaker amps are set too high so that you can't get your monitor levels up high enough, it does work.
Andrew Bellous the gain is the primary adjustment to get the desired signal (SNR, signal to noise ratio) you want to set to 1 o'clock for vocals as a good starting point. The fader is just the volume control and does not affect the led meter.
Completely agreed Scott. The method explained here is back to front and is a misappropriation of the method we used before we had PFL buttons and better input metering. IMHO, NEVER mix with the gain pots! I see this so often and it's a recipe for clipped channels and a mushy sound. Get all channels in their sweet spot with the gain pot with plenty of headroom and then mix with your faders. Your signal to noise will be heaps better, you'll never have clipped channels and your sound will be clear with heaps of dynamics.
Actually I'm doing the same thing. Set the channel fader first to zero, then set the gain level to the point of optimum but with no noise or hiss on my speaker. This works for me..
Vrixx Aldeguer, yes. I do the same thing. I don't go into it in this video, but I turn the amp all the way down, run a line level from a CD or DVD, set the channel to unity gain, then adjust the amp levels. It allows you to follow the procedure I describe without risking ridiculously low gain settings that distort the sound. There are those with a different opinion and many of them hold those opinions very, very strongly. There are a variety of ways to do it, in my humble opinion.
when he turned the compressor on and says his vocal sounds more beefier, but it was below threshold and all it was was make up gain. good on the guy for giving it a go though!
You definitely taught me something Andrew with all that not so perfect video, as some may call it. Thank you for your efforts! I have ordered an XR18 and need to learn to get around the control system. This is my first Digital Mixer so i needed to watch this video. Thank You!.
No. I'm not a pro sound engineer. I'm a pastor. My focus is on providing a basic explanation for those who are unfamiliar with sound engineering. I'm sure that there are many areas where I oversimplify or don't follow best practices. Sorry for what I got wrong :)
Computerjante his target audience and purpose for the video was a basic functional overview of the settings and to get a newby like me started. As us newby's learn the basics, we can then delve deeper into the finner points of sounds mixing.
I realize this is an older video, but the information provided is fantastic. Question. If I'm using a DAW (Reaper in my case) is it advisable to skip the Gate, EQ, and Compression in the XAir and handle all of that in the DAW? I'm assuming so, but thought I'd ask.
Yes, I'd recommend using your DAW to apply those effects. You have much greater variety available. The effects here aren't bad, but any DAW will have far superior options. Glad you found the video useful :)
Could you do a video on “starting points” for specific channel setups? For example, the EQ, compressor, gate and FX for a kick drum. Obviously we have to change things based on our systems, mics and instruments, but a basic setup tutorial would be great! Thank you.
I no longer have access to an XR18, because I'm now serving a different congregation, and they're using presonus. There are lots of videos out there on EQ made by people far better equipped to instruct you than I am. My focus is on the basics for beginners, which seems to be a neglected category :)
Off topic question, but is it possible to sidechain a compressor or gate trigger to set fx delay timings and or levels? If so, how many side chains can be created? For example if I have a backing track that has a high intensity section and a mellow section but I want a certain effect on a live performer to be louder/more present during the intense portion of the backing track, and very subtle during the mellow portion, to kind of follow the dynamics of the elements without having to ride faders?
Have you done any recording into a daw? Like guitars mics but mainly with synthesisers recording audio tracks. Do you know roughly what the noise floor is with this mixer.
I haven't done any serious recording with this unit, but I did test it to make sure that functionality worked. If you're concerned about Noise Floor, I'd suggest moving to Presonus or A&H. The Behringer stuff is pretty clean, but there's no question the build quality on Presonus or A&H is better and makes a difference to the Noise Floor.
Hi Andrew using the default that comes with the app works only the problem that when inserting reverb in any channel works but I have no control over the amount I need. some advice. Thank you
You should be able to adjust the level of reverb in a number of ways. You can change the parameters on the plug-in. If you put the effect on one of the 'send' effects channels, then by using the fader for that effect send, you should be able to adjust how much of the signal is modified by the reverb, controlling the wet-dry of the mix.
Typically the fader on a digital mixer don’t have to be in the middle when setting gain. Also unity on a digital mixer is around -18 DB full-scale. When your gain knob is all the way down counterclockwise that is called Infinity.
It's been 4 years since this video, I hope to get a response to my question. On my EQ there are big circles in the middle of the EQ screen but yours are small circles on the top of the EQ screen. Is there any difference? How can I make mine look like yours?
It may be that the latest software update made this change. If they adjusted the User Interface in a software update, I would expect that there's not a way to revert to the old style.
Very helpfull and simple explanation of all topics covered. I bought a second had unit and I have on ch 12 its running hot even when nothing is plugged in....is there reset or what do I need to do to fix ch 12?
@@AndrewBellous I have tried every button and reset it several times....turned photos power and every setting in input on and off...its still running hot even when muted...abd with nothing plugged in....time to call Behringer..
I just got this mixer. When I’m using headphones I can’t hear anything? The software is running on windows 10. The meters are showing I’m receiving audio. Not sure what to do
Hey! If you are using only the mixer, then click In/out, then click Main Out, then position the headphones on either Main Out or Monitor, like this it should work. But if you have connected the Mixer to a Daw then position the headphones in the Channel's number that you have chosen in your Daw as an Output. Hope it should help, if you haven't yet found an answer.
The solution is to select one of the 'Virtual Outs' as the output for your main bus. Sorry this reply came too late to be helpful. It took me a month to figure that out, and it was only dumb luck, not anything I found in documentation. I plan to make a video on this subject when I can find the time.
Thanks so much for this.the best beginners guide i have come across so far. what will your advice be on the effects to use for vocals so it doesn't sound dead.
The basic effects to brighten vocals are Noise gate (cut out background noise), EQ (balance bass and treble), Compression (control sudden volume spikes), Reverb (add echo) and Chorus (thicken the sound). On my channel you'll find several playlists from creators with more expertise in these areas. Look for the EQ playlist and that will get you well on your way. ☺️
The focus of this video was on explaining the basics of operation, and it doesn't incorporate best practices on gain-staging. I made it while adapting to digital sound environments, and if I had it to do again, would change who I approach gain and the sliders.
Some advice on gain staging: the method you describe, setting the fader to unity or "0" and then raising the input gain until it reaches good volume in the house will not give you optimal results in areas other than the main speakers, e.g. aux sends for monitors. The input gain on a channel sets the stage for how much signal that channel can send to each buss in the mixer - this includes the Main Buss for front-of-house (FOH) speakers, as you mention, but also Auxiliary (AUX) busses and Effects (FX) sends. If you use just enough gain to blend an acoustic guitar into the house mix with the fader at unity, the acoustic guitar player using a monitor system from an AUX out on the mixer will likely have to perform an extreme boost on the bodypack or floor monitor and have a poor signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio which results in a lot of hiss. A more preferred method is to set the input gain to a level where the loudest sounds send the channel meter just below clipping, and then use the fader to mix the instrument into the house. This ensures a full and healthy SNR for all busses and FX sends downstream of the preamp. Cheers!
DrumsBasically hey I’ve encountered a problem. So let’s say for fx1, I want to use it on channel 1. So alright I go to fx1 and bring up Chanel 1 fader. However, I also have to go to Main LR and turn it up there aswell in order for the signal from channel 1 to go into fx1. Alright, sure. But now I want to hear channel 1 in, say, bus 1 so yes go to bus1 and turn up channel one. Now let’s say I want to hear channel 1 with fx1 in bus1. So okay turn up fx1 in bus1. The problem I have is why does the level on channel 1 at Main LR control the amount that goes into the fx. Let’s say I want to hear channel 1 with a lot of delay in my bus1 but not through the FOH. How can I do this? Is it even possible?
@@naingoohtun6716 while I no longer own the XR18 mixer, most digital consoles (to include the XR18) allow you to route FX in different ways e.g. Pre-fader or Post-fader. What you've described, sounds like the FX1 is being routed "Post-Fader", meaning it's intensity on all sends will follow the faders on your Main Buss. To achieve independent level control of the FX, regardless of the position of your main fader, find the send options for your FX1, and there is usually toggle buttons to indicate it's routing style. Change to "Pre-Fader" and you will then have to mix in the effect on each buss manually. Keep in mind, a potentially negative side effect of this approach is you may still hear the effect through your PA even when channels are muted depending on how your mutes are set up. You will also likely have a slightly more complicated workflow for both mains and monitors. Pre-Fader FX is useful for me in limited ways, e.g. when a snare drum is played in a small space, I likely do not need to amplify it, so its fader will be down, however with Pre-Fader effects, I can still send reverb on the snare out of the PA speakers. Cheers!
Sigh. Yes, you're absolutely correct. The Gain approach here is a hold-over from my work on analog boards. I was making these videos while using a digital board for the first time, and really needed to spend some time figuring out gain-staging, which sadly I did not do in advance of making these videos. My penance is to constantly have to apologize for not following best practices. I now adjust gain first, then faders. Wish I had a time machine :)
DrumsBasically I’ve been shown the gain structure approach for the certain reason that adjusting from the fader instead of gain, you loose more. Faders jump harder than gain meaning even a small fader adjustment could cost you 3db.
@@mdleeproductions5002 There is some validity to that position. Faders are often logarithmic, so they're exponentially more sensitive the further they are from Unity - meaning large db shifts will occur with small fader adjustments if operating a good distance above or below unity. In my experience, there is minimal/no risk to operating this way however, as good input gain structure will likely put all faders close enough to unity on the channel strip, that the fader adjustments are quite manageable for mixing the audio. There are tradeoffs with either method; I'd pose that the method I proposed in my first comment is the best all around solution.
I'd like to thank you for making this video which is very helpful for those of us who are still learning live digital mixing.
Your descriptions are done in laymen terms and are easy to understand and gain useful knowledge from. Thank you !
Mike Stein, that was the goal. Glad you appreciate the video ☺️
Thanks Andrew great job explaining the software for the X18. I am a newby to mixing in general and the digital format is what I am starting with. I have viewed two of your intro videos and I have agood workable knowledge of the setup. Looking forward to learning more about the system
I totally agree with Francis James comments, "Wow... this was an amazing video!". This is a very professional video. I will be spending a lot of time reviewing it and will use it as a reference video. You cover a wide range of information (that has application to many tools) and apply it to this particular tool. I have been at this awhile and finding a tutorial that can take complex topics and break them down into simple understandable language is hard to find. BTW I am retired and have just started taking music technology and recording classes at EIU in Illinois. I feel very fortunate to be able to learn from my professors; and professionals like you. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful :)
Literally the best explanation ever for beginners, thank you so much. Still relevant today
I aim to please :) You're very welcome.
Dude your explanation is better than the behringer videos. They should be paying you!
Glad you think so. They don't :)
This the most useful tutorial I've seen for the new mixer - I'm new to the digital mixing world and this is a huge help. thanks!
Glad to be helpful :)
I do support this sentiment. Most of the videos on this topic are presented for people who are already familiar with studio situations. Thanks to Andrews for this post.
Behringer should have to pay you for this. This was the absolute best tutorial video I have ever watched on this unit (which I have owned for 2 years.) Thank you so much. Great job. Now if you could walk us through how we should have everything set up to record including how to monitor while recording over tracks being played back. I have an issue with delay unless I monitor through the DAW directly while recording.
I am having a very difficult time understanding the routing. Basically, I want to learn how to monitor the sound going in to the DAW, while still hearing the previously recorded tracks. However, I want to hear my instrument at a different level than the tracks and click track I am playing to. Very difficult for me.
Yeah, sorry. I didn't get into swapping audio to and from a DAW. The setup I was creating didn't require that kind of sophistication, so I'm not able to advise on that subject. Sorry :(
That's really thru ....
This was a very useful instructional video and having watched at least twenty such videos on the XR-18 over the past several months, there is no doubt that your section on EQ is the absolute best of any of the videos I have seen. THANKS!
Glad it helped :)
Thank you, you have given me a place to start. well done. very helpful. I dont know why Behringer hasnt made video like this.
You're welcome :)
Behringer has made literally dozens of videos like this. Look up 'x air how to'
That is a great tutorial, you are explaining better that Behringer staff, thank you, Andrew
Glad you liked it :)
Wonderful! Thank you so much for making this! Sends starts at 20:02; Mute & DCA groups @ 27:50; Saving/Reusing Channel 30:07;
Glad it was helpful :)
For someone that is starting out with live sound this was very helpful. I'm planning on buying this mixer.
Glad to be of help. It's a well-built and functional unit. I hope you enjoy yours :)
Thanks for this! Haven't used my mixer live for a year because pandemic so getting reacquainted with what it can do. Very helpful video 👍🏻👍🏻
You're very welcome :)
Thank you for all your videos🙏They have made me learn more things everytime i go back and look at them all.
I love his dog/kids and then mistletoe explanations, really clears things up.
Glad it helped make things clear.
Well done. You made this equipment so much more accessible to me.
Good to hear :)
That explanation on the Vocal vs. background vocals at arround 13:40 is brilliant! How did i not know about this :D
Glad you found it helpful, but most of what I know came from watching other CZcams videos, so I shouldn't take too much credit :)
Wow... this was an amazing video! Thank you so much for explaining how software works and especially the correct use of settings and interpretation of charts and visualizations. Please keep up the great work.... you're helping lots of folks. Thanks again for an amazingly helpful video!
I'm glad it was helpful to you :)
One of the best x32 tut for beginners. Thank you .
:)
Lots of very useful information here. Notwithstanding, once you get started you can go deeper into learning about gain structures and optimizing SNR
Yes, this is very basic instruction aimed at beginners. I've since made other videos that talk more about gain structure. The instruction on setting gain here relies on several unspoken assumptions about how I set up the amps to favour this method of managing gain. Several people have commented that they wish I'd approached it differently, and I have to agree with them. My explanation is confusing and does not reflect best practices.
Thank you so much for your tips Sir it really helps, just bought 2nd hand x18 here in Thailand, im so happy for the mixer.
Glad you're finding it useful :)
Talk about the blind leading the blind. I did learn one thing from this video- ALWAYS read the comments before watching a video from someone you are not familiar with. It can save you from “learning” how to do something from someone who does not know what they are doing.
Um... OK. I'm not a professional sound engineer, and this video isn't focused on best practices, but on explaining what's what to those who are rank beginners. My expectation is that this video is a first step which will give people some confidence and context to understand other videos that are available online.
Sorry if I was rude with my first comment...
You present the material in an authoritative and confident manner. Your self-assured manner of presentation could easily lead less informed people to believe that you know something that they need to know.
Not everything can be adopted by faith.
A simple, quick disclaimer at the beginning would let people know where you are coming from.
Be well sir.
@@dwpix Your comment did seem a touch harsh, but I am not easily offended. I am well and wish the same for you.
Darrell Williams i see several people giving Andrew a hard time about not being a professional sound engineer Do you create any videos or give constructive criticism about what may be done better. This is well done for the audience intended
You do understand that the video that I commented on was one in which he was giving instruction on how to use a particular piece of sound equipment, right?
I do not have a problem with the fact that he is not a professional, my issue with that particular video was that he was simply giving bad, incorrect advice on doing something that was unfortunately coming from a position of ignorance concerning the very subject he was giving instruction.
If his video simply contained bad audio I would not have cared at all- My issue was the fact that he was giving instruction about something that he had no competency.
Brilliant explanation - extremely thorough clear and concise-many thanks.
Glad you found it useful :)
Thank you for the video. Very helpful stuff!👍👍👍
Great video, you explained everything i needed, Thanks!
Thank you for taking the time to explain some of the features of XR18. Excellent resource.
It's my pleasure to be of assistance.
Thanks for the really good tutorial of how some of this program works, very helpful to us "not a sound man but bought some nice equipment" folks! Thank you!
Yes, it was my intent to aim at beginners. There's lots of stuff out there for pros who already understand half of what you need to know. I made these videos for volunteers at a church.
Thank you for the video. Very simple demo and easy to understand.
Glad it was helpful!
Wonderfully helpful video. Thank you! One thing, if you could slow your clicks on the pointer a bit, it would help those of us over 60 greatly.
I'll do my best :)
Thank you very much. I am a pretty much old-school analog mixer, but getting older to carry heavy cable snakes and other cables. Now, I just got my new first digital mixer which I have no idea and Behringer manual is not helping at all. Very helpful.
Glad it was useful :)
Really excellent tutorial. Thank you for posting this!
Awesome. Thanks :)
Excellent video, thank you very much!
Glad it was helpful :)
Excellent video!thanks for sharing !✨✨✨✨
Glad you liked it :)
Best video ever for explaining so clearly. Thank you sooo much.
Happy to help.
Such clear explanation. Thanks a bunch...
Glad you liked it
Extremely helpful! Great analogies! This will help me in many ways TY!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you I just bought this mixer yesterday and this really helps
Glad I could help!
Thank you for the video. Very helpful stuff!
The only suggestion I would make would be to set your gain first, and not worry about the fader position until after the gain is set. Use PFL and bring the gain peak levels up to "0". Then adjust your faders to desired volume.
Yes, I agree. I was still new to digital mixers when I made this video, and I've since changed the way I approach gain.
@@AndrewBellous I use the same method for both analog and digital mixers. I try to maximize the signal at each step, which gives you more headroom when you get to the amps. Then to increase the overall volume, just bump the power amps or the powered speakers.
It always made sense to me to follow the signal path as it comes into the mixer, and maximize at each step. Gain is the first step of mix, so I use PFL, so the loudest signal of a channel reaches zero on a digital mixer. Then adjust your faders to desired sound. Thanks for the video.
Yes, thank you. I follow the same methodology. However, we are all on a path of knowledge as to how to do sound better, and these videos were produced rather spontaneously. I have come to appreciate how important it is to think through every aspect of a video. One moment that was not fully considered can be subsequently brought to one's attention many, many times. I appreciate your interest in finding the right answers and helping me stay on track :)
@@AndrewBellous , We're all always learning. I'm far from a finished product in terms of learning all this stuff. Very far as a matter of fact. 😊
All I can say is thank you to you Andrew for this video then subscribe to your channel. You are very detailing. Thanks again.
Happy to help 😊
I need to sample out the "The delay...is the echo !"
This is a very useful video. Thanks for posting.
Cool
This is a dope technique
Great tutorial. Well explained! Thx!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for making this video help me a lot.
Glad you found it useful :)
Thank you. Awesome video! Very helpful
Glad you liked it :)
Thanks for the info 👍🏻
Thank you for this video, it’s been very helpful and simple to understand, I really appreciate it, 👍🏻
Glad it was helpful!
Very good narrative. I really liked your illustrations on your video. Thanks for taking the time to explain this in detail.
I am a subscriber at your channel and thanks for sharing
Glad to hear it :)
Great video - much more informative than the Behringer videos!
Thanks, glad it was helpful😊
This is an amazing video thank you so much
Glad you enjoyed it!
Good job!
Thanks :)
Can someone tell Behringer to hire this guy instead of Mr. Phil gate please!! Thanks for you lovely video!!
Glad it as helpful :)
Thanks so much for putting together this video after watching it a few times I have become so much better in setting up properly my XR18 mixer. Would load any more videos on how to edit the effects properties in the future?
Sorry, no longer have access to the board.
Great insight! Thank you
Glad it was helpful :)
Very helpful video. One question, though. With the FX send fader - reverb for instance - should you just leave that a unity 0, and then control the amount of reverb on the channel itself? I hope that makes sense.
Stellar breakdown.
Yeah, dang stars. Busted em up good.
The gain should be set per channel based on the incoming signal level, so as to not clip, but also to not be too low, which leads to poor signal to nose ratio. The channel fader sets relative levels, and 0 is a good Target, but "appropriate levels" out of the mains are set by the main fader and mains volumes.
Yes. I agree. If I were making this video today, I would set gain first, then adjust fader. Thanks for your comment.
This is 🤯 mind blowing lol so much to learn! Thank you for this video!
Glad it helped :)
Thank you, this was a lot of help 👍🏾👍🏾
Good. I'm pleased you found it useful :)
Great vids !! These really help me out ! Thank you!! I have the xAir18 for a few years now and considering switching to the preSonus 24R. Doing a lot of research. Can the 24R be used as your audio interface? I have an older RME Fireface 800 firewire400, looking for more up to date connectivity like thunderbolt. What do you suggest? Thanks
Good video!
Glad you found it helpful :)
great tutorial. thank you for sharing
Happy to help :)
Do the older XR 18 have the same EQ layout. I'm thinking about buying a used xr18 but I don't want to get an outdated unit.
Very good! Thank you👍
Glad it was helpful.
Your gain structure is backwards. The voltage pot is adjusted using pfl or solo to match the levels of the amp then the fader is adjusted for volume
Yes, that's a good comment. Properly speaking you should set the gain first, and then work backwards to the fader. But, I find that this procedure is easier for beginners who don't have experience using headphones to check the solo levels before starting to mix. For someone just starting out, in my experience this method creates fewer problems. There are certainly other ways to go about it. It's how I was trained, and unless your main speaker amps are set too high so that you can't get your monitor levels up high enough, it does work.
Andrew Bellous the gain is the primary adjustment to get the desired signal (SNR, signal to noise ratio) you want to set to 1 o'clock for vocals as a good starting point. The fader is just the volume control and does not affect the led meter.
Completely agreed Scott.
The method explained here is back to front and is a misappropriation of the method we used before we had PFL buttons and better input metering.
IMHO, NEVER mix with the gain pots! I see this so often and it's a recipe for clipped channels and a mushy sound.
Get all channels in their sweet spot with the gain pot with plenty of headroom and then mix with your faders. Your signal to noise will be heaps better, you'll never have clipped channels and your sound will be clear with heaps of dynamics.
Actually I'm doing the same thing. Set the channel fader first to zero, then set the gain level to the point of optimum but with no noise or hiss on my speaker. This works for me..
Vrixx Aldeguer, yes. I do the same thing. I don't go into it in this video, but I turn the amp all the way down, run a line level from a CD or DVD, set the channel to unity gain, then adjust the amp levels. It allows you to follow the procedure I describe without risking ridiculously low gain settings that distort the sound. There are those with a different opinion and many of them hold those opinions very, very strongly. There are a variety of ways to do it, in my humble opinion.
You lost me the moment you flipped polarity on the channel and said it sounded better.
what about when he turn almost immediately phatom pw on and off with eveything unmute... mic and monitor destroyer
microscopic phasing from headphones maybe? lol
when he turned the compressor on and says his vocal sounds more beefier, but it was below threshold and all it was was make up gain.
good on the guy for giving it a go though!
Hey, guys. Thanks for keeping me humble. I still have plenty to learn :)
You definitely taught me something Andrew with all that not so perfect video, as some may call it. Thank you for your efforts!
I have ordered an XR18 and need to learn to get around the control system. This is my first Digital Mixer so i needed to watch this video. Thank You!.
Super helpful
Excellent :)
every how to video skips over the presets, your has something I can't read and snare bass and kick how do I get Acoustic in one of those slots?
Great Tutorial Thanks
Glad you found it helpful :)
THANK YOU
No Problem :)
Great Job!
Thks for helping me!
Cool.
To people who think this video is helpfull: This was NOT done by a professional sound engineer.
No. I'm not a pro sound engineer. I'm a pastor. My focus is on providing a basic explanation for those who are unfamiliar with sound engineering. I'm sure that there are many areas where I oversimplify or don't follow best practices. Sorry for what I got wrong :)
Computerjante his target audience and purpose for the video was a basic functional overview of the settings and to get a newby like me started. As us newby's learn the basics, we can then delve deeper into the finner points of sounds mixing.
I realize this is an older video, but the information provided is fantastic.
Question. If I'm using a DAW (Reaper in my case) is it advisable to skip the Gate, EQ, and Compression in the XAir and handle all of that in the DAW? I'm assuming so, but thought I'd ask.
Yes, I'd recommend using your DAW to apply those effects. You have much greater variety available. The effects here aren't bad, but any DAW will have far superior options. Glad you found the video useful :)
Very good job helped me a lot......Thank you
Glad I could be of assistance :)
LOL thanks for brapping my studio monitors with the phantom power. You might wanna edit that out :) (But Seriously, thanks for these demos)
Sorry, I'll see if I can make an edit now that it's online. Glad I was of some help :)
@@AndrewBellous The rest of it turned out to be spot on live :)
Could you do a video on “starting points” for specific channel setups? For example, the EQ, compressor, gate and FX for a kick drum. Obviously we have to change things based on our systems, mics and instruments, but a basic setup tutorial would be great! Thank you.
I no longer have access to an XR18, because I'm now serving a different congregation, and they're using presonus. There are lots of videos out there on EQ made by people far better equipped to instruct you than I am. My focus is on the basics for beginners, which seems to be a neglected category :)
OMG FADER!! A slider is a White Castle burger
Sorry. Old habits die hard.
Hello Andrew, do you know why is there a filter (on self channel) on vocal compressor preset (611 Hz) ? what is the effect ?
No, sorry, I haven't taken a look at that yet.
Thanks Mn this has help me greatly
Glad it was helpful :)
Thanks
Wow this is amazing thank you so much.
Glad it helped :)
needs more channel 7 😄
More cowbell's what that needs :)
Off topic question, but is it possible to sidechain a compressor or gate trigger to set fx delay timings and or levels? If so, how many side chains can be created? For example if I have a backing track that has a high intensity section and a mellow section but I want a certain effect on a live performer to be louder/more present during the intense portion of the backing track, and very subtle during the mellow portion, to kind of follow the dynamics of the elements without having to ride faders?
That question is a little above my skill level. I would recommend sending the signal through a DAW to do something that complex.
Hello. Which microphone for video recording? Noise in sound from preamps?
I believe I was using an AKG Perception for that recording, but it was a while ago so I don't specifically remember. Could also have been at AT 4040.
Hey Andrew can i directly insert bass and guitar to line 1 & 2 without using di? Since the lines 1 & 2 are high impedance?
Yes, should work.
Have you done any recording into a daw? Like guitars mics but mainly with synthesisers recording audio tracks. Do you know roughly what the noise floor is with this mixer.
I haven't done any serious recording with this unit, but I did test it to make sure that functionality worked. If you're concerned about Noise Floor, I'd suggest moving to Presonus or A&H. The Behringer stuff is pretty clean, but there's no question the build quality on Presonus or A&H is better and makes a difference to the Noise Floor.
@@AndrewBellous Thanks for the reply
Hi Andrew using the default that comes with the app works only the problem that when inserting reverb in any channel works but I have no control over the amount I need. some advice. Thank you
You should be able to adjust the level of reverb in a number of ways. You can change the parameters on the plug-in. If you put the effect on one of the 'send' effects channels, then by using the fader for that effect send, you should be able to adjust how much of the signal is modified by the reverb, controlling the wet-dry of the mix.
Typically the fader on a digital mixer don’t have to be in the middle when setting gain. Also unity on a digital mixer is around -18 DB full-scale. When your gain knob is all the way down counterclockwise that is called Infinity.
Yeah, there are a few things I would do differently in this video if I were to do it again. Thanks for your comment.
Good demo!
Thanks.
Hello, i have xr16, i would like to know how to pair channels to stereo? I will be grateful for the information.
If you go into the setup menu for a particular channel, there should be a button labelled 'link'. That should do the trick :)
It's been 4 years since this video, I hope to get a response to my question.
On my EQ there are big circles in the middle of the EQ screen but yours are small circles on the top of the EQ screen. Is there any difference? How can I make mine look like yours?
It may be that the latest software update made this change. If they adjusted the User Interface in a software update, I would expect that there's not a way to revert to the old style.
Spectrum analyzer and this layout isn’t on my iPad for xr18? So is this a computer software? And this looks different because it’s a laptop?
The computer app, the android app and the iOS app are all very different pieces of software.
Very helpfull and simple explanation of all topics covered. I bought a second had unit and I have on ch 12 its running hot even when nothing is plugged in....is there reset or what do I need to do to fix ch 12?
I've not run across that problem. Not sure how to help, sorry.
@@AndrewBellous I have tried every button and reset it several times....turned photos power and every setting in input on and off...its still running hot even when muted...abd with nothing plugged in....time to call Behringer..
@@debzsmart8220 yeah, I'd investigate having it serviced at that point.
Was the sound recorded on a computer?
Yes, the sound was recorded through the device onto a PC.
I just got this mixer. When I’m using headphones I can’t hear anything? The software is running on windows 10. The meters are showing I’m receiving audio. Not sure what to do
Hey! If you are using only the mixer, then click In/out, then click Main Out, then position the headphones on either Main Out or Monitor, like this it should work. But if you have connected the Mixer to a Daw then position the headphones in the Channel's number that you have chosen in your Daw as an Output. Hope it should help, if you haven't yet found an answer.
Kapongo Kal thanks for the info. I ended up returning it.
The solution is to select one of the 'Virtual Outs' as the output for your main bus. Sorry this reply came too late to be helpful. It took me a month to figure that out, and it was only dumb luck, not anything I found in documentation. I plan to make a video on this subject when I can find the time.
Thanks so much for this.the best beginners guide i have come across so far.
what will your advice be on the effects to use for vocals so it doesn't sound dead.
The basic effects to brighten vocals are Noise gate (cut out background noise), EQ (balance bass and treble), Compression (control sudden volume spikes), Reverb (add echo) and Chorus (thicken the sound). On my channel you'll find several playlists from creators with more expertise in these areas. Look for the EQ playlist and that will get you well on your way. ☺️
niceee. i will give that a try
Andrew Bellous p
Hi Andrew what software your using or what os
Windows 10 and 11 currently, but I think I was on an earlier version when that video was made.
Thank you, it very helpful
I'm glad it was helpful
What kind of sound people make a video that has audio levels like this video ?
The focus of this video was on explaining the basics of operation, and it doesn't incorporate best practices on gain-staging. I made it while adapting to digital sound environments, and if I had it to do again, would change who I approach gain and the sliders.