behringer

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kestell

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hey...my band currently uses a behringer eurorack 2004A to record in the studio, and we're pretty new at the whole recording thing, so i was wondering if someone could help me with a few questoins about it. i've heard people talking about different mixers having different preamps, and how the quality of a preamp will make or break the sound of your CD. so anyway, my question is, what's the quality of the preamps in the mixer we're using? if they aren't up to par, we could always invest in something different. thanks guys!
 
I`m sad to break this to you, but the Behringer pre`s really aren`t up to par, not even close........
There`s a lot of different good pre`s out there, but it depends on your budget....

Amund
 
Depends on the reason you are recording the CD. If it is just a demo for handing out to your friends then the PREs may do. If it is something you want to get a "professional" as possible then investing in a better pre is a must in my opinion.
 
kestell said:
what's the quality of the preamps in the mixer we're using?
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That really depends on how high your standards are. You will probably find that they are either absolute shit, totally workable, or somewhere in between those two.
 
kestell, as you may know, the quality of your performance and material will make or break the sound of your CD in the main.
A better pre will help "capture" the sound more accurately though.

Steve Perry through your Behringer pre's will still sound better
than 99+% of other current day tenor pop/rock vocalists using an SSL board because the musical source quality is #1. :)

If it's an important record for you, think seriously about having a competent pro engineer record it. The Indian is more important than the arrow. You could also just "track" the record, then have it mixed, mastered, etc. professionally later as a runner-up choice.

Just make sure not to slap something like a compressor, or reverb across the stereo mix before sending it in!

How much of a budget are you prepared to spend for more peace of mind?

Chris
 
I have the MX2004A also. For the past couple of years, this mixer has been equipted with the same IMP Pres that the upper end Berry's have. They are surprisingly good, especially when you consider what ya paid for that mixer. You have to know how to use whatever it is that you have. I also use mine for Live Sound and from the experience that I have gained by Mixing for Recording, I can make a band sound almost Hi-fi through my lil Sound System.

Alot has to do with your ear and the Mics that you are putting into it and how you use the mics and other gear that you have. The questions that you have been asked as to what you are trying to accomplish as far as a CD and the advice about pro help is good if you want this to be as good as possible. Nothing beats experience and talent. I've been doing the home recording thing for a bit over a year now. I would never consider myself a "Pro."

Another question or two. What recording setup are you running this mixer into? What kind of music are you recording?

I have a friend that is a Producer/Engineer and let me tell ya, he says it's more in the ear than in the gear. I know others that disagree with that and some that say it's a combo of both. However, I have heard many of the former's recordings and knowing what he has just built and what gear he uses now, his recordings are just as good as or better than the others. But they are all excellent. They are all Pros and they will all tell ya that nothing takes the place of talent and experience.

Also, there are many here at HR in the MP3 Mixing Clinic and Mastering that are more than willing to help.

Realize, some of the greatest recordings of all time were made on 4 Track Tape. Just about anything out there today is better than what was available 20-30 years ago. Just about all of it is capable of producing "Pro" quality recordings. However, it takes time to learn to do things professionally.

Don't think that I am trying to discourage you from doing this yourselves. I am trying to be honest with you and tell you that it takes time to learn how to record and mix. I encourage you to get what ya need to get the job done and above all else, that's experience. You only get experience by doing not worrying about the next gadget you think that you just have to have and manytimes less is more. :)

CR ><>
 
I agree with the comment that it's more in the ear than in the gear.

I'll bet a lot of "pros" won't like that comment because it means that natural talent with a good ear can possibly prevail over the recording-school-trained concrete thinking "experts."

Learning from both worlds would be best, I suppose, but a good ear with cheap gear will always sound better than a dreadful ear on top-quality gear.
 
closer9:18 said:
I agree with the comment that it's more in the ear than in the gear.

I'll bet a lot of "pros" won't like that comment...
Click to expand...

To the contrary, any fool can buy gear. What distinguishes the real pro from the fool with a thick wallet are the skills. A real pro not only knows that to be true, but takes pride in it.
 
jslator said:
To the contrary, any fool can buy gear. What distinguishes the real pro from the fool with a thick wallet are the skills. A real pro not only knows that to be true, but takes pride in it.
Click to expand...

Agreed. In recording, as in any other field, there are always those who have the wherewithal to buy the best--but that doesn't always translate into pro results. I've seen lousy musicians with state of the art gear, lousy photographers with expensive cameras, and I've heard lackluster productions from studios where you might think the gear would make golden records. I've also seen amazing photos done with toy cameras and I've heard musicians pull magic out of gear thats cheaper than beginner stuff. The proof is always in the pudding.

Now, when you have a person who has the skills AND the great gear--thats pretty hard to beat.
 
Cool, we're on philosophy now. In passing, I'll say all of the above are right, you can make great recordings with cheap gear if you are good. But you asked about the Behringer's pres. You can do a lot better, especially for mission critical tracks like vocals and acoustic instruments. However, be advised that good pres cost a lot of money, and excellent pres are wicked expensive. If I were you, I'd keep the mixer for stuff where you need a lot of channels, and invest in one middle level preamp, such as a Grace Design 101 or an FMR audio RNP. Down the road, when you have the money, and the expertise to use it, consider a high end pre.-Richie
 
I recently went from a small Bear-injure mixer to an M-audio DMP3. If your budget doesn't allow one of the other pres mentioned above it might be worth a look. The DMP3 is on the low end of the preamp scale price-wise, but it was an improvement for me. Rounder and more musical sounding. The Behringer was a little cold and harsh by comparison. The difference is subtle, but it is an improvement.
 
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