I know this is a ten year old thread but I need to set matters straight.......
First off your concert sound man probably had the PA system setup wrong or had some mic wires reversed polarity.
I am still using both the MX9000 and the MX2642 with no problems, just the usual maintenance from time to time, cleaning faders, buttons and the connectors. Just as you should clean and lube all your studio electrical gear to keep all your connections sounding clean. And I had to replace the MX9000 power supply only after ten years of abuse. Not too shabby......
I got news for you that Mackie and other manufactures have had mixers with various issues like bad ribbon connectors, channels going out or half the mixer going dead. Behringer isn't the only manufacture that has had a few problem mixers here and there, but now a days a bit more than usual it seems are slipping by quality control. The older stuff seems to be more reliable. So what do you expect ? It does happen when you manufacture and sell allot more mixers than any other company out there.
I owned some Mackie mixers and I was never impressed with the durability or their sound. I just knew they cost way too much for what the were used for and what you are getting. I don't care for Mackie Warranty Department either, they took forever to fix my Mackie CR1604 mixer, and after they fixed it they goofed up and caused yet another problem. And at the time they would not replace the mixer with a new one after I had 2 slider pots go bad after only the very first month I bought it brand new.
I just gave up on Mackie eventually because I felt they were way over hyped and way over priced. Performance was just OK while it lasted......it seemed that Mackie mixers needed allot more maintenance than Behringer mixers ever did.
Ok try to find a better mixer with more features than a Behringer MX2642A for the price, I dare anyone to match it to anything else out there......used or new. The same goes for the gigantic Behringer MX9000 mixer.
I know I won't be getting rid of my Behringer mixers anytime soon.
The thing I don't understand about Behringer is that they discontinue their really good analog mixers and their digital mixer ? Even though many people still want them but you can't find them anywhere new. Oh well, eBay or Craigslist and good luck finding their older digital mixer ?
The MX2642A is great for mixing down to analog ADAT tracks and reel to reel tape tracks, good for both mix down and mic recording for portable digital multitrack recorders, and use for a live recording PA mixer. Also great for mixing down your vocals, drums, etc. down to seperation groups to ease the final mastering process. It has 6 auxillary sends and returns, direct outs and inserts, 4 mono and stereo busses for just so many routing and effects possibilties. Can also be used as a sub-mixer for larger console mixers.
The Behringer MX2642A is one of the most useful and compact mixers there ever was designed. Look at the specs and features and hear the sound quality yourself if you don't believe.
" The World is still very much Analog just in case you never knew or forgot that after sitting at your Digital Desktop for hours and starring at your glorious new Digital Gear and wondering why it sounds so sterile."
