Soundcraft Ui16

Sound technology has progressed significantly over the last ten years. Whether at home or in professional recording studios or on the stage, digital technology has replaced analogue devices almost everywhere and ushered in new, innovative technical possibilities at increasingly affordable prices. The Soundcraft Ui16 exemplifies this fundamental shift. The Ui16 is an ultra-compact digital mixing console that provides an affordable entry point into the world of professional live mixing, and is therefore perfectly suited to use by smaller bands looking to mix themselves while keeping costs down.

The Soundcraft Ui16 is anything but a conventional live mixing console. The design of this 19" (4U) device differs significantly different from classic mixers that feature a plethora of buttons, knobs, and faders: Instead, the Ui16 is a stripped-down combination of a stagebox, router, and DSP-powered effects unit. The actual mixing is done via smartphone, tablet, or PC. However, this is not a disadvantage, as it means that long cables, extra stage boxes, and similar pieces of gear are a thing of the past, in addition to which it also makes it easier to monitor all of the participants on stage.

The Soundcraft Ui16 is not only an outstanding choice for bands that mix themselves, but also for small bars or clubs that don't want to miss out on good sound even without a front-of-house setup. The mixer (preferably installed in a rack) is simply placed close to the musician. The Ui16 features twelve mic/line inputs and a stereo RCA input, and the two-channel USB media player supports MP3, WAV, and AIFF formats, for example for music during breaks in the performance. It is also possible to record directly onto a USB device via the mixer. The Ui16 also features effects, AUX paths, and headphone outputs as well as an integrated router that allows up to ten users to connect wirelessly to the mixer via smartphone or tablet. After familiarising oneself with the web browser-based user interface, excellent sounding mixes can be achieved in no time at all.