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An open rack case holding a digital mixer with a lit meter display above two rack units, cabled in blue and green, with a pair of in-ears in the lid.
Workflow · Intermediate · 8 min read

XR18, X32 Rack or Wing Rack: Which Behringer Rack Mixer Should Run Your IEMs?

Preamps, outputs, stage-box expansion and rack space for the three Behringer rack mixers bands use for in-ear mixes.

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Before you start

All three mixers can run a band’s in-ear mixes from a rack. The difference is how many inputs arrive at the rack, how many separate mixes leave it, and whether the rig has to grow into a stage box later.

The short answer

  • XR18: 16 inputs, six aux outputs, built-in Wi-Fi, no stage-box expansion. Right for a band that fits on 16 channels and mixes from a tablet.
  • X32 Rack: 16 local inputs plus two AES50 ports for stage boxes. Right for a band that will outgrow 16 inputs or wants a P16 personal-mixer system.
  • Wing Rack: 24 local inputs, three AES50 ports, StageConnect and a 64-channel expansion slot. Right for larger bands, recording every show, or Dante and MADI systems.

Side by side

Figure 1. The three Behringer rack mixers this guide compares.

XR18

Behringer’s manual for the XR18 lists 16 XLR/TRS combo inputs with gain-programmable Midas preamps, six aux outputs plus main left/right, a phones output, an 18x18 USB audio interface, an Ultranet port for P16 personal mixers, and built-in Wi-Fi. The box is 33.3 cm wide, 4.24 kg and rated at 30W; the catalog records it as 3U once the rack ears are on. Six aux outputs means six mono or three stereo wired IEM mixes.

X32 Rack

The X32 Rack quick start guide lists 16 XLR inputs with Midas preamps, 8 XLR outputs, 6 quarter-inch aux in/outs, 2 RCA in/outs, 2 monitor outputs and a phones output. Its two AES50 ports carry 96 channels both ways, which is how an S16 or SD16 stage box adds inputs over one network cable. The P-16 connector sends 16 channels to Behringer’s P16 personal mixers, and the optional X-USB card gives 32 channels each way to a computer. It is 132 x 483 x 287 mm (3U), 6.5 kg, and rated at 60W.

Wing Rack

The Wing Rack runs 48 channels and 28 buses. Behringer lists 24 Midas PRO preamps on combo jacks, 8 XLR outputs, three AES50 ports of up to 48 channels in and out each, StageConnect for up to 32 channels over a standard XLR cable, 48x48 USB audio, and a 64x64 expansion slot. It ships with the WING-LIVE card for recording up to 64 channels to SD, and takes Dante, MADI or SoundGrid cards instead. Behringer rates it at 130W. The catalog records it as 4U and 486 mm deep, the deepest of the three by far.

Preamps: what you get on each

1
MIC INPUTSLINE OUTPUTSBEHRINGERS16Digital Stage Box
2
  1. 1Behringer X32 Rack · 3U
  2. 2Behringer S16 · 2U
Figure 2. An X32 Rack with an S16 on AES50: 16 local preamps plus 16 on stage.
  • Preamp count: XR18, 16 Midas on combo jacks. X32 Rack, 16 Midas on XLR. Wing Rack, 24 Midas PRO on combo jacks.
  • Gain range: X32 Rack, 72 dB of gain range, per Behringer’s quick start guide. Behringer publishes no range for the XR18 or Wing Rack, only measurements at set gains (the Wing’s noise figure is quoted at +45 dB).
  • Phantom power: 48V switchable per input on all three.
  • Maximum input level: XR18 and X32 Rack, +23 dBu on XLR. Wing Rack, +21 dBu.
  • Gain control: all three set gain digitally, so the console, an app or a tablet can recall it per show.
  • Rig impact: more preamps come from a stage box. On the X32 Rack and Wing Rack, each AES50 stage box adds its preamps over one cable; the XR18 has no AES50 port, so its 16 inputs are the ceiling.

Counting IEM mixes

Figure 3. Two ways to get mixes out: P16 personal mixers over Ultranet, or a transmitter on each pair of outputs.

A wired stereo IEM mix needs two outputs. The XR18’s six aux outputs give three stereo mixes. The X32 Rack adds 8 XLR outputs, and stage boxes add more over AES50. With a P16 system on Ultranet, each musician builds their own mix from 16 channels and the console outputs stay free for wireless IEM transmitters. Our X32 IEM setup guide walks through the bus routing, and the personal monitor mixer comparison covers P16 against its alternatives.

Which one to rack

Explore in 3DBehringer Wing RackThe one with 24 local preamps. Check your case depth first.Gear page ›
  • Up to 16 inputs, three or fewer stereo mixes, tablet mixing: XR18.
  • A band that will add a stage box or personal mixers: X32 Rack.
  • More than 16 local inputs, multitrack recording at every show, or a Dante or MADI system: Wing Rack, if your case can take 486 mm of depth.

For full specs, see the XR18, X32 Rack and Wing Rack gear pages.

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Sources

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