Behringer, a jem or crap?

[misscc803]

The only thing i have bought from them is a mixer. Its ok but i have heard some bad ass talk about their gear but i got my moneys worth dats all mater to me.

 

[seansigep]

Behringer makes products cheap, and makes cheap products. But I'm really tired of the gear snobs here. Obviously this is HOME RECORDING. I would venture a guess that 90% of the people here don't have thousands to spend and don't have the time to "save up your money for something better". People want gear and they want it now, and Behringer just happens to cater to that market.

Whether they steal ideas or not, they make decent gear for the price point, which is a point that has been made over and over again.

You never know if a kid who didnt have the money to get "pro gear" gets some Behri stuff and becomes the next great musician, engineer or producer. Behringer gives a window to the little guy to experiment without breaking the bank.

Behringer is hobby-grade. And I love it.

 

[Cosmic]

I got back into playing/recording in 2001. Got a Tascam 788, enjoyed it. Not cheap then, but well made.
Got a DBX 286 pre. Cheap and good, solidly built.
Got a Marshall V67 mic. Cheap and good. Solidly built.
Got a Behringer guitar DI box. Cheap and OK. Built-in amp effect worthless.
Got a Behringer Ultra-DI four-channel direct box for my piano and such. Hissy as hell at line level.

Then I stopped buying Behringer.

It is bad enough that their literature wallows in romantic descriptions of "sleepless nights" spent designing the masterpiece you are currently holding in your hands, when it is so often a ripped-off design, mass-produced in China.

Yes, I know my Marshall mic is also made in China; however I know WHERE it is made, in a factory outside Peking called (I believe the 777 Factory, I don't have the exact number in my head now.)

Someone at a convention made a point of asking the Beh reps if any of their gear was manufactured in prison factories (and believe me, the Chinese treatment of prison labor is downright 15th century.)

The reps refused to answer. "No Comment."

The best laugh ever over their gear came when they put out the 'Vintage' series of pres and processors, with the cute round window for the tubes to be shown...
And then it was discovered that the 'glow from the tube' actually came from a small bulb behind it...talk about theater.

Uli Behringer is an educated man with an engineering degree and I belive he is also a trained pianist. That said, the number of lawsuits against the company for stealing designs should speak volumes in itself.

And that "No Comment"....

I now have a Tascam 2488 and a Studer 807 reel-to-reel.
The 4-channel direct box still sits in the corner, and I will be damned if it will ever have XLR Intercourse
with the Studer; the boys in Zurich would send a hit man for me if they heard of such...

Best,
C

 

[valverec]

Wow, I'm amazed at the positivity of the poll. I have had nothing but terrible experiences with their gear. I've seen a lot of people use the RTA they make, but never seen anyone use the audio that comes out the other end.

I would say that as long as it has a Berringer logo on it, AND it doesn't pass audio, then it's okay.

 

[valverec]

I would venture a guess that 90% of the people here don't have thousands to spend and don't have the time to "save up your money for something better". People want gear and they want it now, and Behringer just happens to cater to that market.

I don't know, go buy yourself a Mackie mixer and don't bother with Berringer. I think that using a Berringer compressor does nothing but make your sound worse, no matter how great you are at utilizing compression. I think their mic pres are for the most part total crap. There's so much gear out there that's near the price range they supply that is infinitely better.

In my opinion there is no good reason to buy Behringer. I'm sure they have a couple passable pieces of equipment. A couple have gotten decent reviews in TapeOp, but unless you can find substantial info out there documented a product as a gem, then in general they should just be avoided.

Gear snob or not, I think there is a lot better cheap equipment out there.

 

[chessrock]

Please refer to my amptly-titled thread: If you own Behringer gear, you're a freakin' moron :

http://www.homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=193845

It's a good read on the subject.

.

 

[ErikTheRed]

Please refer to my amptly-titled thread: If you own Behringer gear, you're a freakin' moron :

I own 5 Behringer mixers and 4 racks full of Behringer gear. I have used this gear and rented it out over the last 5 years. The gear is used for live sound, DJing and private or public functions.

None of my Behringer gear has ever failed due to normal reasons. SOmeone drove a truck rear wheel ove a mixer once and it stopped working but it alse punctured the truck tire.

My gear gets trucked around the country in renta-trucks.

It is cheap to buy and if I need more I just go and buy more.

I have been an audiophile for over 45 years and hold a degree in electronics and a second in telecommunications. I have also been a tube amplifier designer as welll as a loudspeaker cabinet designer. I AM NOT A FREAKIN' MORON.

I do know that the same integrated circuits and other components that go into Behringer gear come out of THE SAME factories that make electronic components for Mackie, Soundcraft and Yamaha. I have been to some of the factories. I KNOW.

Behringer gear is pretty much as well made as any other piece of gear in it price range Their designs closely follow the reccomended designs published by the IC manufacturer. Yes it's true that Behringer "reverse engineer" - copy other designs but, were did the excellent XENYX mic preamps come from? Certainly it was not Mackie. I've repaired both MAckie and Soundcraft mixers and have dismantled Behringer mixers too. The designs are completely different.

Yes, Behringer keep getting sued for copying other people's designs but, these suits often do not succeed. Do you really think that Behringer are the only people who copy designs and ideas. Look ate Microsoft, Apple and Xerox if you really want to see riff-offs.

Behringer gear is NOT high end gear. It is IMO very, very good for the price and with the new service deal currently on their website I shall keep buying it until I want to buil my own high end studio in a couple of years. Then I will not use much Behringer gear.

 

[chessrock]

Bla bla bla bla bla bla bla ...

It still sucks.

.

 

[ErikTheRed]

It still sucks..

In your opinion and maybe your experience, yes. However opinions are like a$$holes, everyone has one and they all stink.

nuff said, I think. We agree to differ.

 

[Gamelan]

If you choose audio gear by brand name only, you might be a moron. I got a Behringer mixer about ten years ago, use it almost every day and never had a problem. I had to choose between an Allen & Heath, a Mackie, and a Behringer all in the same price range. Chose the Behringer because it had the right combination of tools for the work I do and the others didn't. Certainly Behringer makes some sketchy stuff, lots of companies do. But, if they make something that works well and fits your needs within your budget, that's all that matters. In contrast, my Mackie amp, purchased at the same time and used far less, has needed service twice. Once for a blown capacitor worth 50 cents. The repair cost over $200 because the cap was buried so deeply that half the amp had to be dismantled to reach it. The repair guy just laughed because it was so poorly designed. Periodically a channel goes out or starts crackling and frying or whatever. Anything in the budget price range is going to have a down side, although I have yet to see it from my 2642.

 

[Chris Shaeffer]

I think the answer to the original question is "both."

Its good sounding stuff for the price. And its a price that brings a fair amount of features within reach for people who don't aren't willing (for a host of reasons) to spend more.

I've heard some amazing recordings that have passed through behri gear- you would be very surprised. The way folks rant and rave about it around here I was surprised that it sounded so good. But, as the engineer reminded me, its HOW you use the tools that is more important that the tools you are using.

-C

 

[iceyflame]

my bassist has a Behringer BX1200 amp and there's been no problems with it, it's very tweakable. and just the other day when i was with him he dropped the amp on some concrete floor, but there was no problems

 

[travelin travis]

If you choose audio gear by brand name only, you might be a moron. I got a Behringer mixer about ten years ago, use it almost every day and never had a problem. I had to choose between an Allen & Heath, a Mackie, and a Behringer all in the same price range. Chose the Behringer because it had the right combination of tools for the work I do and the others didn't. Certainly Behringer makes some sketchy stuff, lots of companies do. But, if they make something that works well and fits your needs within your budget, that's all that matters. In contrast, my Mackie amp, purchased at the same time and used far less, has needed service twice. Once for a blown capacitor worth 50 cents. The repair cost over $200 because the cap was buried so deeply that half the amp had to be dismantled to reach it. The repair guy just laughed because it was so poorly designed. Periodically a channel goes out or starts crackling and frying or whatever. Anything in the budget price range is going to have a down side, although I have yet to see it from my 2642.

I hear the 2642a is one of the better behringer mixers. Is yours the silver one or the dark colored one? How do you think it sounds?

 

[Gamelan]

I have the dark one. Sounds fine, very low noise, no coloration that I can hear, decent mic pres, clean pots and faders. The configuration is very handy for a project studio. It's a nice flexible board.

 

[riffy]

They are what they are, what more can you expect for the money?

For that price, I think the mixers are an ok deal - however if you save a little longer you can buy something better for sure... just depends on your budget and needs!

That's pretty much it in a nutshell. I have one of the original MDX 2000 Composers and it has been used alot, eventually the right channel died. It had its uses. I won't be replacing it with a new one however

 

[chestwick91]

Some of its great and some of its crap
the good that i know of
Ecm 8000 condensor mic (good overhead/acustic)
Feedback destroyer (cheap and easy)
some of there small mixing boards (cheap easy..ok sound)
there rack mount effects prossecors arent bad for the price

CRAP to stay away from

Eurodesk (noisy mixing board)

ALL GUITAR AMPS ARE CRAP...They make a few desent keyboard amps

floor monitors i am in different not best sound at all but better then that b-52 shit and others, because their cheap

 

[killthepixelnow]

Playstation

I was about to buy a four track Behringer Eurorack.. You know, I don't have much money, you see? Just wanted my personal (little) home studio. I visited a friend of mine who told me something that's being confirmed in this threat:
"Behringer is a toy... like the Playstation"
No more Behringer for me. Cheap gear sounds cheap, period.

 

[clevodrummer]

my behringer is acting up

Ive got this little 4 input eurorack and just out of nowhere it decides to not have any volume on the left side of my headphones, or monitors or anything. my headphones are fine because I checked with a few different pairs. Im pissed. just when I was getting stated.

 

[etnoziroh]

Ive got this little 4 input eurorack and just out of nowhere it decides to not have any volume on the left side of my headphones, or monitors or anything. my headphones are fine because I checked with a few different pairs. Im pissed. just when I was getting stated.

I´ve got the same one, Eurorack UB502, I´ve been having issues with my left side headphone output too. I give it a smack and it comes back. For how long I don´t know.

 

[jndietz]

I have nothing but Behringer gear (see sig )