comments on behringer mixers with preamp

  • Thread starter Thread starter SheHadTheJack
  • Start date Start date
if a mixer has XLR mic inputs then those inputs are the mic PREAMPS,
so your behringer mixer will have preamps, no need to buy external ones,

BUT

i totally dislike behringer products, not cause its cool to diss them but cause 85% of the berrie products i used were total crap

so if you're real serious about recording and are gonna work with it for years and years i suggest you get a different brand, buy something second hand, an old soundcraft will be (in my opinion) ten times better than any new behringer mixer, i've only seen one brand in my life where the buttons just fall off the equipment....even on 5-year old units !!!!!!!!!! so avoid it

i repeat: !!!!!!
 
Ok, i will consider buying used...
But i think my question was more like: is there a difference in quality between buying a mixer and a preamp or buying a mixer with a preamp.
 
If you don't need the extra capability that a mixer will give you then I'd go for a stand alone preamp (assuming you only need 1 or 2 channels).

A mixer is a good way of getting lots of preamps for not much money, the preamps in cheap mixers aren't great though.

How many channels do you need and what's your budget?
 
Bonnie Prince Billy - nice

My budget is 100-250 dollars.
i would like to have 6-8 channels.
 
SheHadTheJack said:
Bonnie Prince Billy - nice

My budget is 100-250 dollars.
i would like to have 6-8 channels.
Click to expand...
With that requirement for channels and the relatively low budget it looks like a mixer would be best for you.

The yamaha MG series are pretty decent for the money.

The MG12/4 has 6 mic ins and is around $200.

http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--YAMMG124

If you wanted more mic ins the MG 16/4 has 10 pres but you'd have to up your budget to around $280.

earworm's suggestion of hunting around for a used soundcraft or Mackie is a good one as well.
 
I've had 3 behri mixers and every single one has a problem, from a dead channel to won't even turn on. Their QC is terrible, especially on their mixers. I've had both the old MX and new UB mixers, and although the UB pre's sound much better, they don't seem to have fixed the reliablity issues. The Yamaha MG's are much better and for about the same price.
 
flip side

reshp1 said:
I've had 3 behri mixers and every single one has a problem, from a dead channel to won't even turn on. Their QC is terrible, especially on their mixers. I've had both the old MX and new UB mixers, and although the UB pre's sound much better, they don't seem to have fixed the reliablity issues. The Yamaha MG's are much better and for about the same price.
Click to expand...

I have no doubts that eveything you read about Behringer quality is true but there are always 2 sides to every story. I have been using a UB802 mixer for about 2 years and it is still functional with all the knobs and everything. The pre amps are pretty quiet. Truth is, I bought it, because it was cheap! Truth is I have 4 pieces of Behri gear and that was my reason for buying all of them! (ok, ok I'm cheap!)

My advice is... if you can afford better you'll probably be glad in the long run that you bought better. After all I've read about Behri products, I'm just waiting for the stuff to start breaking down. Having confidence in your gear is a big plus!

It sounds like Behri products might be a gamble. I've read a lot of complaints about poor quality.

Now in answer to your actual question, if you need 6 to 8 inputs, you will definitely need a mixer unless you can up your budget significantly. If you need EQ and routing for FX or even built in FX then a mixer might be the way to go.
The mixers offer some benefits but from what I've read on this forum, there is a trade off in the quality of the sound.
Good luck!
 
SheHadTheJack said:
Bonnie Prince Billy - nice

My budget is 100-250 dollars.
i would like to have 6-8 channels.
Click to expand...

i love bonnie prince billy, but if i may ask an unrelated topic - why the bonnie prince billy comment?
 
Kasey said:
i love bonnie prince billy, but if i may ask an unrelated topic - why the bonnie prince billy comment?
Click to expand...
He was referring to my avatar, a pic of BPB (from the cover of 'master and everyone').
 
Like SheHadTheJack, I'm looking at upgrading to a half-decent mixer and have looked at Behringer. Some Peeps mention Soundcraft. Has anyone tried the E-12, or am I just as well getting a Behringer or Mackie? We just need one for our 2-man band and some light home multitracking and video stuff. Here's the link. Please advise: http://www.proaudiosuperstore.com/Soundcraft-E-12.html
Thanks in advance.
Ken
 
1980Slingerland said:
... I'm looking at upgrading to a half-decent mixer and have looked at Behringer............

Ken
Click to expand...

That statement is an oxymoron!

"Ugrading to a Behringer"!!??


LOL, that's funny! :p
 
Upgrading from what?

A coupla' toothpicks and a chicken wire?

HA HA HA! ! !
 
Try spending a little more and get a Mackie Onyx 1220. Great preamps and EQ section. You won't regret it. E-bay has a Dutch Auction on the 1220 right now.
 
Ditto that...

Your budget is just not realistic for any mixer you'd want to spend much time with. If you only have a couple hundred to spend, then look for a used mixer - but I expect ebay will eat up that and more as you pay for shipping.

You haven't mentioned why you need 6 - 8 channels. Unless you're trying to record a band or multiple musicians, you may not need that at all. And you can get pretty nice sound in that price range if you pick up an M-Audio DMP3 preamp. It's among the best of the entry level preamps and gives you two channels for a total cost under $200.

I started with a Mackie mixer and my computer; I found that even with all the tricks I could think of, I never used more than three channels at once and almost always it was just one or two.

It's way different if you're trying to separate out members of a band, but in that event your budget is an order or two of magnitude off anyhow. So think about keeping it simple with a decent, quiet preamp.
 
I know everyone diss's Beringer but I've had a MX3282 mixer for about a year now and so far No Problems.. I know there not the cream of the crop but it seems to give me good bang for the buck ..
 
tunemaker said:
I know everyone diss's Beringer but I've had a MX3282 mixer for about a year now and so far No Problems.. I know there not the cream of the crop but it seems to give me good bang for the buck ..
Click to expand...

Have you used any other mixer other than your Miss3282? :o ;)
 
I've owned an MX series mixer and I own the DDX3216 and I wish I'd saved my money. It's my experience that people who uphold behringer as a good investment "in the recording industry" are sadly misguided and likewise misguiding others. I too bought with the mindset that I could get "more for my money" by going the Behringer route. I wish I could turn back time and kick myself in the head. I bought my DDX when they were $999 without an expansion card. I should've saved and saved and saved some more. My recordings sound like they were tracked and mixed in a toilet and I know it's the behringer. I'll be smarter next time around. Do yourself a favor and be smarter the first time. You won't regret it.
 
My UB802 has served me well, and is super quiet as long as I send a strong signal to it, (and don't ask it to boost). I route my bass, guitars and vox through it for tweaking just before going into the 4-track.
 
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