Behringer how bad, really?

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Toker41

Better Than You
I am always hearing Behringer products getting bashed. However I find the most people that bash them have never really spent much time with them. Word of mouth can be really good, or really bad to a company be it true or not. I stayed away from Behringer stuff because of the bashing I had heard. However, I needed a cheap mixer in a hurry in an emergency and ended up with a Behringer UB1832 FX pro. Tell ya...for the price it's a nice, versitile little board. Quite as a mouse. I had planned on replacing it later with a higher end makie when I bought it while in the pinch, but changed my mind after spending a little time with it.

Anyway, question to ONLY PEOPLE THAT USE OR HAVE USED THEM is...
What is your opinion on Behringer products??

...and please, could we not get into the Makie copyright moral crap.

...
 
i love behringer gear... if it wasn't for my behri gear, i would still be saving the cash for a soundcraft or mackie.... sure one of those might sound better, but at least i've had two years experience on something rather than twidling my thumbs waiting... besides i think the sound is quite alright... i've had my behri mixer for two years, and i've treated it like shit, the thing still ticks beatifully, and (it's been said before) if it breaks you can just buy a new one :D
 
Toker41 said:
I am always hearing Behringer products getting bashed. However I find the most people that bash them have never really spent much time with them. Word of mouth can be really good, or really bad to a company be it true or not. I stayed away from Behringer stuff because of the bashing I had heard. However, I needed a cheap mixer in a hurry in an emergency and ended up with a Behringer UB1832 FX pro. Tell ya...for the price it's a nice, versitile little board. Quite as a mouse. I had planned on replacing it later with a higher end makie when I bought it while in the pinch, but changed my mind after spending a little time with it.

Anyway, question to ONLY PEOPLE THAT USE OR HAVE USED THEM is...
What is your opinion on Behringer products??

...and please, could we not get into the Makie copyright moral crap.

...

Ok, we pretty much KNOW that Behringer makes a living at ripping off other companies' stuff. That's a given and most who post here regularly know this. BUT, "copyright and moral crap" aside, recently I had the opportunity to do a A/B comparison between the Mackie 1202 VLZ PRO and the Behr MX602A. I gotta tell you that even though I had the 602A and not the 802A, which is a direct 1202 VLZ rippoff, at least visually, the 602A held its own pretty well. Although I could tell that Mackie was a bit better in overall performance, the difference doesn't warrant me spending 4 TIMES the amount for the Mackie! I gotta tell you, and I know that I'll step on some toes here but Behringer is close enough to a Mackie to seriously think about getting one. No, it's not a Mackie but like I said earlier, it's close. (For beginners the difference is nil). This especially rings true for a home recordist like myself. Fact is that for the price of one Mackie 1202 I can get every piece of Behr gear I need to have a cool little home studio. I wish more people would be open to recommending Behringer stuff for "budget" oriented recordists who want to save lots of money but want very decent results. <Now the ranting starts>. I must say I felt very angry when I fell into the trap of being advised to purchase "quality" gear, which had a price tag to match, and I was constantly dissuaded from Behringer and saving money. I also was sold on a lot of "overblown" gear that I later returned 'cause it didn't fit my needs. Why get a Ferrari when I can get by alright with a honda civic ? A lot of people here and in music stores don't understand that not everyone wants or needs or can afford an RNC or NEVE or whatever. Why not just give advice based on what the person requires for the task at hand ? Yes, you might swear by the Lexicon mpx500 but that's you and your applications and your money and your level of comfort or satisfaction. But what about a nonoverb or the behringer effects unit or what have you ? All people have different needs and comfort levels. Wasn't the whole idea about making music ? Not long ago people were making records on things many people would laugh at today but many of these turned out to be classics. The whole thing about buying more and more gear kinda makes you forget about the music making process and turn you into a "never satisfied" type of person who must have more and more stuff. I wish people returned to the basics of making music. I remember when I had a little cheap mixer, mic and a cassette deck and with its limitations and all, I had an absolute ball and WAS making music! Nothing to distract me. There is a part in me that wishes I was never introduced to all the wonderful and colorful gear which is so abundant today. I'd still be making music. Perhaps not studio quality but good enough for most to enjoy. My new advice for people, especially newbies, is to make music with what you have and make it work for you or at least get it cheap and only what you absolutely need at the time. This may require some thought on your part and research but it must be done. Focus, my friend, focus! Don't fall into the trap of buying more and more gear. It can be a nightmare. <End of rant>. Anyway, a lot of people ask why Behr offers products for so little $$. Well, they have their stuff made in China and the wages paid to their workers is something like, and I don't remember the precise numbers, but it was something like one tenth or one twentieth the wages of American workers. Mackies, on the other hand, are made in the USA. And to answer your original question .. Behringer is not bad at all :) Be nice :) ;)

Daniel
 
dr.colossus said:
i love behringer gear... if it wasn't for my behri gear, i would still be saving the cash for a soundcraft or mackie.... sure one of those might sound better, but at least i've had two years experience on something rather than twidling my thumbs waiting... besides i think the sound is quite alright... i've had my behri mixer for two years, and i've treated it like shit, the thing still ticks beatifully, and (it's been said before) if it breaks you can just buy a new one :D

Very true :)

Daniel
 
I agree, for that price you get a lot of good.

I got some headphone amps (4600), mixer/splitter device, mic pre amp (mic2200) and a desk (mx3280) and love it.
period.
 
I HAD (luckily i don't have it anymore) a Behringer MX8000... well THAT must be the WORST piece of gear they ever sold...

Had it for 6 months then sold it as soon as i found a buyer that matched my price...

Crosstalk, fader noises, buzz in the background... it had all sorts of stuff ( and i tried 3 more, as i was suspicious it could be just mine)...

So that's for the MX8000, now i have a Soundtracs MRX 24/16/8/2 and i am A LOT happier...

For other gear... I have a 4600 headphone amp that does it's job and a COMPOSER pro that works fine...
 
Their compressors are not bad at all but the mixers are questionable. The build quality feels cheesy and as stated, crosstalk and a bit of noise on the one I tried. I do own a Composer Pro that I'm happy enough with though.
 
behringer

Here's my limited experience with Behringer. Had a 602a mixer. No reliability issues. (had it a little over a year, passed it on to someone who can use it)
After trying various mics to get my rich sounding Martin D-35 to sound good on a recording, I always felt that something was missing. I finally picked up a DMP3 and voila! It sounds like my guitar now.
So, I think the pres in the MX series mixers may be a little thin sounding, but I see that Toker has the UB series that is reportedly an improvement in the pres. Whether the Behringer works for you may depend on your type of material. I am very finicky about acoustic guitar sound, it's the centerpiece of my singer/songwriter thing. And it's hanging out there very exposed. In a bigger mix, who knows? The thinner sound might mix BETTER.
 
Behri stuff, I consider, entry level type stuff- My first mixer i used for recording was an MX802 and its still around- I learned alot using it- was a bit noisy and being what it was, signal routing choices were limited- but it suited my purpose- i think alot of people arounf here who knock em are either way past "entry level" or just wish they were- Im usin a Soundcraft M8 now and am very happy with it- but i dont rule out Behri for cheap gear
 
I get no cross talk from my mixer. Telling ya I love it! I do have to admit it does not seem very road worthy, though. It sits in my modest little studio, and doesn't take any abuse, so it should last a life time. Faders feel amazing good for a "lower end" unit. Thing is...I don't have million dollor studio...so why have a $2000 mixer when I use $150 mics? I do have alot of mid to top end gear, but I'm finding that the some of the "lower end" stuff I have down there is giving me pretty good results. The industry has been ripping the consumer off for too long. $2500 for a Les Paul? $1500 for a small Makie mixer? AND WTF is with the $180 12 space rack that feels like it wouldn't protect your gear from a roll of toilet paper falling on it. $35 for a damn guitar cable! Or what about ART with their $900 sgx2000 (crap). It's a well known fact that the average musician has NO money! I can't tell you how happy I am to see a company like Behringer come along and finally say "we don't want ALL your money, just a little"
 
Behringer Sucks for the price too

Behringer is good for under $200 Mixers, simply because nobody else makes mixers like that except for Alesis and Nady, which aren't any better.

For $350 from Musiciansfriend, Behringer makes the UB2442FX which has 8 mono and 2 stereo channels, 60mm faders, and a crappy FX unit.

For $360 SHIPPED from Northern Sound and Light, you get the Souncraft Spirit E12 Mixer with 12 Mono and 2 stereo channels, 100mm faders, etc. It doesn't have four busses like the Behringer or a useless effects unit, but it's a Soundcraft. Its pres are better, it has more channels and it's cheaper after shipping.

Musiciansfriend also screws up EVERY order that has more that one item in it. One time I ordered a guitar stand among several other items, and they shipped it with no feet. Another time I ordered two guitars so that I could choose the one that looked better and sell off the other. They only sent me one and they verified this after I called to complain. Finally, I saw an awesome deal on Ibanez guitars, and also ordered two to choose the better, and they cancelled all my orders and said I could only pay using wire transfer with Western Union, which costs $68 per $1000 transferred. What a bunch of assholes.

Northern Sound and Light doesn't screw up orders at all. They are much more professional.
 
The problem with all 'inexpensive' mixers is usually two-fold. Headroom and crosstalk. Its a design problem with all 'motherboard' types of designs. I'm glad that not everybody has experienced this with their resonably priced gear.Everyone who so desires should have the ability to own and operate gear which allows them the pleasure of making their music.
My own personal problem with a LOT of these budget minded companies is hype. Many ads claiming to sound this way or that way with no regard to a person's experience or abilities just rubs me wrong. Your Behringer or Mackie or many others are not going to sound like an API or Neve or something of that ilk. And these ad campaigns for the most part make it sound like anybody can get spectacular professional results simply by buying this piece or that.
I would have no problem with Behringer simply stating that they are entry level manufacturers and this is a great way for any budding recording engineer to get their ears wet at a price that doesnt eat up the car payments.
BTW. I have used Behringer mixers and find them to be okay. Not a high level of performance but functional. I have found that their Quality Control leaves a lot to be desired at times as in picking up a mixer to move it and hearing things rattling around loosely inside.....not my idea of what you want inside your mixer..
But, this also leads up to the idea of value.There are so many pieces of gear on the market now that claim so many things and it gets down to personal preference in most cases. The ears will always be the best judges and comparative shopping makes sense when spending hard earned dough on equipment. Shop places that have great return policies and places that offer a wide selection of gear. Used gear market is HUGE. And though you dont want someone elses problems, there are many pieces that are several years old but performancewise were miles ahead of most of the budget crap new today. A PM series Yamaha mixer has high quality pres and if youre recording to a DAW will sound so much better than ANY Behringer or Mackie. There are many other pieces that fall into this catagory and personal research will uncover these bargains. Not just reading on the net about which is best and which is worst....go try em and hear for yourselves.
 
I use a lot of their gear as it is the only thing in my budget right now. I look at it as do the best with what you have and grow from there;)
 
I couldn't agree more with what you said!

Ok, we pretty much KNOW that Behringer makes a living at ripping off other companies' stuff. That's a given and most who post here regularly know this. BUT, "copyright and moral crap" aside, recently I had the opportunity to do a A/B comparison between the Mackie 1202 VLZ PRO and the Behr MX602A. I gotta tell you that even though I had the 602A and not the 802A, which is a direct 1202 VLZ rippoff, at least visually, the 602A held its own pretty well. Although I could tell that Mackie was a bit better in overall performance, the difference doesn't warrant me spending 4 TIMES the amount for the Mackie! I gotta tell you, and I know that I'll step on some toes here but Behringer is close enough to a Mackie to seriously think about getting one. No, it's not a Mackie but like I said earlier, it's close. (For beginners the difference is nil). This especially rings true for a home recordist like myself. Fact is that for the price of one Mackie 1202 I can get every piece of Behr gear I need to have a cool little home studio. I wish more people would be open to recommending Behringer stuff for "budget" oriented recordists who want to save lots of money but want very decent results. <Now the ranting starts>. I must say I felt very angry when I fell into the trap of being advised to purchase "quality" gear, which had a price tag to match, and I was constantly dissuaded from Behringer and saving money. I also was sold on a lot of "overblown" gear that I later returned 'cause it didn't fit my needs. Why get a Ferrari when I can get by alright with a honda civic ? A lot of people here and in music stores don't understand that not everyone wants or needs or can afford an RNC or NEVE or whatever. Why not just give advice based on what the person requires for the task at hand ? Yes, you might swear by the Lexicon mpx500 but that's you and your applications and your money and your level of comfort or satisfaction. But what about a nonoverb or the behringer effects unit or what have you ? All people have different needs and comfort levels. Wasn't the whole idea about making music ? Not long ago people were making records on things many people would laugh at today but many of these turned out to be classics. The whole thing about buying more and more gear kinda makes you forget about the music making process and turn you into a "never satisfied" type of person who must have more and more stuff. I wish people returned to the basics of making music. I remember when I had a little cheap mixer, mic and a cassette deck and with its limitations and all, I had an absolute ball and WAS making music! Nothing to distract me. There is a part in me that wishes I was never introduced to all the wonderful and colorful gear which is so abundant today. I'd still be making music. Perhaps not studio quality but good enough for most to enjoy. My new advice for people, especially newbies, is to make music with what you have and make it work for you or at least get it cheap and only what you absolutely need at the time. This may require some thought on your part and research but it must be done. Focus, my friend, focus! Don't fall into the trap of buying more and more gear. It can be a nightmare. <End of rant>. Anyway, a lot of people ask why Behr offers products for so little $$. Well, they have their stuff made in China and the wages paid to their workers is something like, and I don't remember the precise numbers, but it was something like one tenth or one twentieth the wages of American workers. Mackies, on the other hand, are made in the USA. And to answer your original question .. Behringer is not bad at all Be nice

The only mistake you made is that much of Mackie's gear IS made in China now. Prolly in the same factories as Behringer. And the sad thing is that they are STILL CHARGING 3 to 4 TIMES AS MUCH because of the name.

My Behringer Gear:

1-MX2004A Mixer

3- XM8500 Mics

1- V-AMP2

I have used them for over a year now with no probs for recording, rehearsal, and Live for small venues. I 'm very satisfied with my gear.

I can't wait for the ADA8000 to come out in Oct so I can use it with my Fostex VF160CDR to do 16 tracks at once when needed.

CR ><>
 
Axe4Yahweh said:
I couldn't agree more with what you said!



The only mistake you made is that much of Mackie's gear IS made in China now. Prolly in the same factories as Behringer. And the sad thing is that they are STILL CHARGING 3 to 4 TIMES AS MUCH because of the name.

My Behringer Gear:

1-MX2004A Mixer

3- XM8500 Mics

1- V-AMP2

I have used them for over a year now with no probs for recording, rehearsal, and Live for small venues. I 'm very satisfied with my gear.

I can't wait for the ADA8000 to come out in Oct so I can use it with my Fostex VF160CDR to do 16 tracks at once when needed.

CR ><>

Damn, yeah, I've heard that too, that Mackie will be "made in china" from now on! Damn shame they're still charging people the same. If someone wants to talk about the "morals" of it all, I think they should look at the overpriced Mackie mixers and not Behringer.

Thanks,

Daniel
 
Toker41 said:
I am always hearing Behringer products getting bashed.

They make a lot of crap. And they make things that are good value too. Few people that have actually tested them ditch all their products as being crap. ;)
 
Re: Re: Behringer how bad, really?

cjacek said:
A lot of people here and in music stores don't understand that not everyone wants or needs or can afford an RNC or NEVE or whatever.
I can see that Joe Average can't afford a pair of 1073 modules, but if you can afford a $79 COmposer Pro, you can also afford a $175 RNC. Just suck some dick or flip burgers for a week.

cjacek said:
Why not just give advice based on what the person requires for the task at hand ? Yes, you might swear by the Lexicon mpx500 but that's you and your applications and your money and your level of comfort or satisfaction. But what about a nonoverb or the behringer effects unit or what have you ?Daniel
I know that the Lex is around $400-450 (in Europe), but I can guarantee you that for HALF that money, you can get a DOUBLE as great multi-fx: it's called the Sony DPS-V55M.
And since the Virtualizers and Midiverbs all cost around the $150-250 mark, I don't see why you shouldn't buy a $200-300 Sony off Ebay.
Virtualizer=crap
Sony=great

Yes, when comparing a $300 Behringer mixer to a $1300 A&H, I can see your point about not wanting to spend quadruple, for something that doesn't sound quadruple better. But when you CAN get a unit that is 4 times better for $50 or $100 more, I don't see the reason for hanging with the Behringer stuff.

I have their Tube Composer, which I picked up in excellent condition 2nd handed for $140 and I'm very happy with it. I also have an RNC, which is way better on ac. guitars, vocals and submixes. But the Tube Composer handles my drumcomputer very well and adds punch and definition.

The only Behringer products I can see myself buying in the future are:
some of their active D.I.'s
their headphone amp
maybe an older 2nd handed MDX 2100 Composer (the direct rip-off of some Drawmer model)
and MAYBE an Intelligate.

That's about it.
 
I have a MX8000 mixing board. I got it in 1997. It was the last of the "lawsuit" ones. It is an excellent board. I still use it with no problems. My brother has a Mackie. It is the same board. They sound identical. I don't know about current products, but, I just bought a T1951 tube EQ and love it. It is very quiet and works magic on drums and synths. So, as a long time Behringer owner, I can say that some of their stuff is well worth it.
 
I have several pieces and have been satisfied with what I got out of it. Haven't had any failures in 2-3 years. It's decent, cheap stuff to get started with.
 
The same way many behringer bashers haven't used behringer many behringer supporters have never used anything better. I've messed around with some of the mixers and have heard stuff done on them. Their mixers will generally do what they are supposed to do but the sound is usually thin and slightly muffled.

The problem is that the differences between okay and great sound are a lot of small things added together. You can make passable recordings on a behringer but you will be far from killer sound. For a few hundred bucks more you can be much closer.
 
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