MIDAS vs Class A XMAX

Jukebox92

New member
Hello everyone. I am a studio on a budget and I'm currently working with a Presonus 22vsl interface. I am concidering buying the Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD just for sh*ts and gigs sinse it it selling so cheep right now.

My question is can anyone tell me a difference between the A XMAX preamp and the MIDAS preamps? Which is better if any? I know the general specs on both interfaces especially the one I own of course, but I cannot find what the main differences are in those two preamps.

Much appreciated,

Jukebox
 
Hard to answer this question, which is why you haven't got any answers yet. I like the sound of Presonus gear, but for the price it's hard to beat what Behringer bring out.

The Behringer has more Pre's which could be handy? I have used little Behringer mixers and I have a Behringer pre in the studio and both sound fine, also a Presonus Firebox which also is very good, both units are older then what you are talking about so the ones you are looking at will probably be even better.

I don't really think you will notice a big difference and both can give a good result. Remembering we are taking a budget studio I think the question should be value for money (budget) and features.

Alan
 
The only features I see are 4 channels vs. 2, maybe front panel phones out, 192kHz, new product 3yr warranty. And you end up with a spare interface.

So, to me, it comes down to whether you have any expectation of getting value out of the 4 inputs. Even if it's just a time saving thing, where you could leave some things permanently set up, I could justify it. But, that's it.

The Presonus has solid specs, and the Behringer has a lot of marketing info. So, hard to really evaluate but I'd say that in a blind test you won't hear a difference that you could say "A is better than B" and consistently pick one or the other, but that's the cynic in me.

There's no end of ways to spend money in this madness. I buy an interface when I have to.
 
you need to do your own tests, but all the clean mic preamps I tried in my closet studio showed about zero difference.
I could see more inputs being more real and tangible a change than clean mic preamps.
44k,48l,88k.96k, 192k....well...I can do 96k and most the time its playing stuff thats 44.1k unless Im listening to classical on 96k as a test.
thats my rant....clean mic preamps can be like different plastic bottles of water...theres tiny taste differences maybe, but you have to decide if its worth the money. I have a $50 preamp that equalled a $2500 one in oscope and audio tests/shootouts and even my interface preamp sounds as good as the $50 preamp, so it sits in the corner unused.

getting a good mic that compliments your interface pre, and some room acoustics I think makes more difference than clean mic preamps.

now...2 vs 4 inputs is a real question of the tangible type. I went to 8 because I didnt think 2 was enough so now I have 6 extra I never use.

good luck! report back on the preamp shootout
 
Hello everyone. I am a studio on a budget and I'm currently working with a Presonus 22vsl interface. I am concidering buying the Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD just for sh*ts and gigs sinse it it selling so cheep right now.

My question is can anyone tell me a difference between the A XMAX preamp and the MIDAS preamps? Which is better if any? I know the general specs on both interfaces especially the one I own of course, but I cannot find what the main differences are in those two preamps.

Much appreciated,

Jukebox

They are both simular in design (almost the same), the xmax is pin and hole technology plus surface mount and the behringer is surface mount. The behringers have a little bigger coupling caps, so its not so edgy sounding like the presonus.

btw, all marketing hype aside, these mic preamps are $5 circuits.
 
i love it...$5 circuits

still theres something, a lot to be said for the box and knob.
 
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