Is there any behringer gear that is "good"?
- Thread starter hand in glove
- Start date
hand in glove said:
Avoid the DI120, though---it's a full-featured hiss generator with a make-you-cuss battery compartment.
Every MX mixer I had worked fine but every (better-sounding) UB mixer developed some flakey (but not fatal) malfunction. I have lots of live recordings through Mackie VLZ and VLZ-Pro preamps and they absolutely compare with the Behri MX and UB preamps (via insert sends); the EQ's on the Mackies were simpler but superior---the Behris are touchier to tweak; it's hard to find anything anywhere near the price of a UB2442FX with the same features/capabilities. Like any other surface-mount mixer, a nightmare to do simple service/repairs on. All my MX and UB mixers are sold or for sale---but I do have a new Xenyx around here that I haven't had time to fool aroud with.
The ADA8000 is a bargain ADAT preamp; it works reliably, simply, and as advertised---as does the SRC2496 (Format converter).
The VX2496 hasn't knocked me out or won me over yet. The little MIC200 is noticeably hissier than the ART unit it emulates.
The DEQ2496 is more than worth every penny and you'd have to shoot me to get my SNR2000 (or at least give me a really good multiband noise-reduction plug-in to take its place).
The HPS3000 and 5000 headphones are disappointing. The headphone amps work fine.
The B-5 condensor mic is not bad but it didn't blow me away. It doesn't have the hottest signal but that contributes to making it one of my favorite's for a snare condensor. I gave my C2 condensors away (I kept the stereo bar, though). I'm not a fan of their LDC B-series mics; they can be surpassed in every category by other brands at the same price-points. The ECM8000 mics are worthwhile and notable Behri pieces.
I usually use the MDX compressor/limiter/gate/yada-yadas for the limiters. I'm not nuts about their other features---better on isnstruments than vocals. I just have other stuff that just sounds better with greater ease.
Until the recent (GMX) series of guitar amps , the knobs/connectors were not road-worthy---but the amps give you big bang for the buck and the connectivity options are amazing. The GMX amps are a bargain (the GMX212 may have the smallest 2-12 footprint available), and offer a lot of options if you use them with a modling pedal (GNX, POD, V-AMP, etc.). They do not, however, duplicate the EQ of the Tech21 amps they emulate---and the treble control on a Tech21 Trademark amp is a thing of thick, rare beauty. I found the Behringer Vintager AC112 to be the bluesiest sounding tube-hybrid amp and a blast to play cranked (the amp, that is---not me). I had to do a few simple things to it to stop some bush-league mechanical buzzez/rattles. The ACX1000 acoustic amp was full-featured but noisey (they should have labeled the tube-blend circuit "Hiss") and overweight. The V-AMPs are all bargains and eminently useable.
The FCB Midi Controller is a classic bargain in MIDI gear.
The Beat Counter works well and comes in handy.
The Cable Tester (besides color, is there a difference between the Behri and the EbTech?) works great but the power switch is ill-positioned to remain off in transit. Irritating---Nothing like pulling out a drained unit to test a bad cable.
I sure I've got some other Behri stuff around here but it doesn't get used enough for me to remember. In general, you get more impressed with the features than knocked-out by the sound. I'd have to say that my Behri stuff doesn't owe me anything and paid for itself many times over. The stuff that works, works. I rue that most of it sounds better than the equipment Joe/Jill Average uses to play back anything you put through it.
I hope the above list helps you out.
Good luck,
Paj
8^)
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The only behringer gear i've tried are the mixers which are dreadful. if your on a very small budget then fair enough, but the preamps are so bad. I have't touched anything behringer stuff for a long time. Mackie outclass them many times over. Don't know about their other products, some people speak highly of some of their rack stuff but i aint trying anything behringer again unless i'm desperate.
xistenz
New member
my behringer multicom died in four months.
my 16 channel line mixer is a year old and all the pots are scratchy, and the headphone amp is practically dead. oh and one channel is way higher than the rest, for no apparent reason.
my shark on the other hand has held up quite well for live performance. i'll be replacing it though.
my 16 channel line mixer is a year old and all the pots are scratchy, and the headphone amp is practically dead. oh and one channel is way higher than the rest, for no apparent reason.
my shark on the other hand has held up quite well for live performance. i'll be replacing it though.
dgatwood said:I have a Behringer Bass V-Amp Pro, and I use it instead of a guitar amp. I like it very much. I picked it up after reading tons of reviews and seeing a fair number of reviews in which folks preferred it over other products in that category. I haven't been disappointed.
I'm controlling it with one of their FCB1010 pedal boards, which I bought because bending down is a pain in the backside. The only thing I don't like about it is that my V-Amp Bass Pro remembers the patch number when I turn it off and back on, but the pedal board always comes on at zero, so they start out not in sync. Other than that minor annoyance, it works quite well, too.
Those are the only pieces of Behringer gear I own, though, and I intend to keep it that way.
Just wondering, if the two pieces you use work well and you say you have not been disappointed, why then do you say,
"Those are the only pieces of Behringer gear I own, though, and I intend to keep it that way" ?
BentRabbit
New member
I have an ADA8000 and it's been totally faithful... I also recieved a switchable patchbay in a rack and it's proven itself pretty stable in the past 6 months.
I picked up a Composer (2100?) for about $25 about a year ago... Not bad for live compression but tends to get a bit scratchy and overloaded in the studio... I haven't tinkered too much with it to see if it's my fault or Behringer's tho...
My guitar player has a Feedback Destroyer, Virtualizer, and an EQ (not sure what model numbers) in his rack (used for live and recording sessions)... In the past 2 years whenever something goes screwy he always cusses out the Behringer stuff first, only to find the culprit was a faulty cable or patch port... The B. stuff is still in his rack...
I picked up a Composer (2100?) for about $25 about a year ago... Not bad for live compression but tends to get a bit scratchy and overloaded in the studio... I haven't tinkered too much with it to see if it's my fault or Behringer's tho...
My guitar player has a Feedback Destroyer, Virtualizer, and an EQ (not sure what model numbers) in his rack (used for live and recording sessions)... In the past 2 years whenever something goes screwy he always cusses out the Behringer stuff first, only to find the culprit was a faulty cable or patch port... The B. stuff is still in his rack...
kid klash
The original Mr. Nice Guy
So here's my take...
I'm another guy that's been happy with the Behringer gear that I've bought. Sure - maybe some of the stuff arrives DOA, but that happens with other brands too. I think the key with buying any piece of gear is understanding how to use it, AND, the support you receive from the people that sold it to you.
I't just my hunch, but because Behringer gear is so cost-effective, there are lots of noobies buying it. Being a one-time audio noobie myself, I remember struggling with my first "real" mixer (Teac 2A) and multitrack recorder (Teac A-3440S), and learning that the problems I was having (distortion, odd sounds, poor mixes) had nothing to do with the gear - it was the noobie (me) miss-using the gear. So, I'd guess that many of the bad experiences that get posted about Behringer gear and other lower-cost equipment have a lot to do with the operator... like the old golfer told me many years ago as I was swearing at my five iron after a bad shot, "it's the indian, not the arrow, that missed the target".
Behringer gets a lot of bad press (some of which is deserved IMHO), due to copying other designs, and not doing complete EMI testing, and other issues, but the bottom line, to me anyway, is that they build some pretty amazing equipment that the retailers can sell for pretty amazing prices. Without manufacturers like Behringer, most audio hobbyists would never get the chance to begin learning the art of audio engineering and recording. Also, imagine what the cost of other manufacturer's gear would be without competitors like Behringer...
So, load up the flamethrowers if you want, but I think Behringer and other low cost gear is here to stay, and it's only going to get better, from a spec standpoint and quality standpoint.
If you don't believe it, then you're not old enough to remember the first Dotsuns, Hondas and Toyotas that came out back in the 60's... everyone (especially Detroit) laughed at Japan's attempt to build a lower cost, more economical car. The only people laughing today are the Japanese car manufacurers. YMMV.
I'm another guy that's been happy with the Behringer gear that I've bought. Sure - maybe some of the stuff arrives DOA, but that happens with other brands too. I think the key with buying any piece of gear is understanding how to use it, AND, the support you receive from the people that sold it to you.
I't just my hunch, but because Behringer gear is so cost-effective, there are lots of noobies buying it. Being a one-time audio noobie myself, I remember struggling with my first "real" mixer (Teac 2A) and multitrack recorder (Teac A-3440S), and learning that the problems I was having (distortion, odd sounds, poor mixes) had nothing to do with the gear - it was the noobie (me) miss-using the gear. So, I'd guess that many of the bad experiences that get posted about Behringer gear and other lower-cost equipment have a lot to do with the operator... like the old golfer told me many years ago as I was swearing at my five iron after a bad shot, "it's the indian, not the arrow, that missed the target".
Behringer gets a lot of bad press (some of which is deserved IMHO), due to copying other designs, and not doing complete EMI testing, and other issues, but the bottom line, to me anyway, is that they build some pretty amazing equipment that the retailers can sell for pretty amazing prices. Without manufacturers like Behringer, most audio hobbyists would never get the chance to begin learning the art of audio engineering and recording. Also, imagine what the cost of other manufacturer's gear would be without competitors like Behringer...
So, load up the flamethrowers if you want, but I think Behringer and other low cost gear is here to stay, and it's only going to get better, from a spec standpoint and quality standpoint.
If you don't believe it, then you're not old enough to remember the first Dotsuns, Hondas and Toyotas that came out back in the 60's... everyone (especially Detroit) laughed at Japan's attempt to build a lower cost, more economical car. The only people laughing today are the Japanese car manufacurers. YMMV.
dgatwood
is out. Leave a message.
EDAN said:
Statistics, really. If nine out of every ten Behringer products are turds, and if I've gotten two good ones, I'm at odds of 100:1. My luck isn't good enough for 1000:1.
Also, in the case of the Bass V-Amp Pro, I only purchased it after extensive research, and most of the time, I'm not willing to put that much research into... well... anything. Too much hassle. In that particular case, there were only a couple of choices in my price range, so I did the analysis to see which one got better reviews. It is extremely rare for there to be only one or two of any class of device within my price range, though, so the odds of that happening again are slim.
In the case of the pedal, I had used one before. Since there aren't any other Behringer products I've ever used, I can't use personal experience to guide me in that direction.
Also, in both cases, there was almost a factor of two difference between the Behringer product and its nearest competitor. That's very unusual. Usually, they beat the next guy by about 15-20%. If it's a factor of two, even if it's a dud, I can still get a replacement while the first one is being repaired, then sell the first one on eBay and no great loss. If it's 15% and something goes wrong, I feel like I've wasted a lot of money when I could have spent just a little more and gotten something that might not have keeled over dead. Thus, unless the savings is much better than the Behringer norm, they aren't interesting.
Now I won't completely dismiss Behringer; if there were some specific product that a lot of people considered very good, and if I were in the market for such a product, I might consider them. That said, given their reputation, I steer clear of them for the most part, and will only purchase a very carefully cherry picked subset of their offerings, and only then after days of online research.
1832
I got a new Xenyx 1832FX board and am really happy with it, except for the USB issue which is mainly my computer's fault but the DSP is much better than I expected, everything is really clean, good preamps, new "British EQ" don't know specifically what it is but it makes it really easy to make my guitars shine. For $379 Cdn I am really quite pleased.
I got a new Xenyx 1832FX board and am really happy with it, except for the USB issue which is mainly my computer's fault but the DSP is much better than I expected, everything is really clean, good preamps, new "British EQ" don't know specifically what it is but it makes it really easy to make my guitars shine. For $379 Cdn I am really quite pleased.
JCM900
New member
I have the following
behringer equipment, and have never had a DOA, or a failure, and have logged many many hours on this equipment
MX3282A
(2) FBQ 3102
(1) GEQ 3102
(5) MDX1600
(1) MDX4400
(1) MDX2200
(1) MDX2600
(1) DSP1024P
(1) DSP2024P
(1) DEQ2496
(1) DSP1400P
(1) HA8000
B2031A monitors
Euro Power EP1500
Other things are
Alesis HD24
Alesis Materlink
Peavey Q231F
Yeah Im real happy with the behringer stuff
We also used 3 of the older 2004A mixers on the road weekly for 5+years
never failed, never skipped a beat.
behringer equipment, and have never had a DOA, or a failure, and have logged many many hours on this equipment
MX3282A
(2) FBQ 3102
(1) GEQ 3102
(5) MDX1600
(1) MDX4400
(1) MDX2200
(1) MDX2600
(1) DSP1024P
(1) DSP2024P
(1) DEQ2496
(1) DSP1400P
(1) HA8000
B2031A monitors
Euro Power EP1500
Other things are
Alesis HD24
Alesis Materlink
Peavey Q231F
Yeah Im real happy with the behringer stuff
We also used 3 of the older 2004A mixers on the road weekly for 5+years
never failed, never skipped a beat.
bigwillz24
New member
Just a thought...
Out of all the cheap gear Behringer has greatest resale value. I say that because the couple of pieces of berri gear I sold on ebay went for more than I purchased them for.
Out of all the cheap gear Behringer has greatest resale value. I say that because the couple of pieces of berri gear I sold on ebay went for more than I purchased them for.
behringer's resale value is good because it's starting price is so low.
i have used the HA8000 which i like. It's a headphone amp so it's not integral to the sound quality. It will affect how the performers perform tho. if they think they sound like crap they wont play as well. so you may have to pay attention to their mix to sweeten it up for them.
I have used a 16 ch mixer with indivitual outputs....and that was noisy as hell. I would not buy another cheap unit like that again.
although I do like the B1 LDC.
i want to try the B2. I find the mic to be better than the mxl2001 i have. i have to say tho....its no u87.
i have used the HA8000 which i like. It's a headphone amp so it's not integral to the sound quality. It will affect how the performers perform tho. if they think they sound like crap they wont play as well. so you may have to pay attention to their mix to sweeten it up for them.
I have used a 16 ch mixer with indivitual outputs....and that was noisy as hell. I would not buy another cheap unit like that again.
although I do like the B1 LDC.
i want to try the B2. I find the mic to be better than the mxl2001 i have. i have to say tho....its no u87.
I've had ok luck with B gear. I have a Bass Vamp Pro that works well for me. The bass POD is 3 times the price but not 3 times the quality (although it is better). I have an MX mixer and a Mackie, and the Mackie is much better. The MX works ok as a sub mixer.
Our band uses the HA4700 and it causes us some problems. We plug a drum machine into an aux input for the drummer to use as a click track and we get a lot of bleed into the other channels. We also get bleed on the UB mixer we use for practice.
I've not had any break downs with the stuff I've owned or used.
So my verdict is: low cost, but you put up with some compromise for the cost. Sometimes that compromise is necessary.
Our band uses the HA4700 and it causes us some problems. We plug a drum machine into an aux input for the drummer to use as a click track and we get a lot of bleed into the other channels. We also get bleed on the UB mixer we use for practice.
I've not had any break downs with the stuff I've owned or used.
So my verdict is: low cost, but you put up with some compromise for the cost. Sometimes that compromise is necessary.
Addendum to my previous post:
My service tech just reported back about an out-of-warranty repair on a UB2442FX mixer (At 18 months, the Ch. 1 trim pot not functioning---signal seemed to be "stuck" at /near proper PFL level). It appears that absolutely nothing went bad on the board. The channel 1 main/subgroup buttons were compromised by cigarette ashes. They just needed to be cleaned. I guess I have to have some words with somebody . . .
Paj
8^)
My service tech just reported back about an out-of-warranty repair on a UB2442FX mixer (At 18 months, the Ch. 1 trim pot not functioning---signal seemed to be "stuck" at /near proper PFL level). It appears that absolutely nothing went bad on the board. The channel 1 main/subgroup buttons were compromised by cigarette ashes. They just needed to be cleaned. I guess I have to have some words with somebody . . .
Paj
8^)
SMC Productions
New member
Purge said:The 4 x 12 cabs are great. Jensen speakers, handles up to 400 watts (not that you would ever need them to...)...but yeah, 250 bucks was a good deal on the ones I've got.
I think the 412S (http://tinyurl.com/eezn8) cabinets are simply a STEAL! I can't get over how well they sound, lots of times better than those expensive 'name brand' cabs that cost 5 times as much....and excepting the cheap casters, they are built like a TANK. I don't see how they do it! I'm getting ready to pick up ANOTHER one for the studio!