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Stephen,
before going into any more details, let me state that a) I do not (nor
did I ever) own any of the super-cheap Behringer devices (like the small
UB mixers) and b) I am not a professional musician, which means my gear
(Behringer or not) does neither get the constant use nor the intense
on-the-road abuse which is common for all you professionals out there.
That being said, I had been a content Behringer customer since I first
got the MX2642 shortly after it was released (must've been something
like early '96). Since then, I have acquired a MX2200 Composer, a
DSP2024 Virtualizer, a MX2642A, two patchbays, a PEQ2000 analogue
parametric EQ, a DSP1400P Ultramizer dynamics processor, a DX3216
console complete with ADAT interface, a ADA8000 lightpipe ADA, a
HA4700XL headphone preamp and of course a FCB1010.
I once experienced a major failure - the DDX3216 failed to boot about
three days after I got it. Fortunately, I could get it replaced within
two days and in time for a live performance - no hassles since then.
Apart from that, the devices wear mechanically, and they most probably
do faster than their professional counterparts. Again from my personal
viewpoint, I offer the following calculation: when shopping for a
digital mixer, I might either take (in about the same feature range)
either a Behringer for a price x or a comparable Tascam (or Yamaha, if
you prefer) for a price 3*x. Then, my Behringer might fail after two
years of use, upon which I get the same model for the price 0.7*x,
until, after two more years, getting the follow-up product for price x
but with enhanced features. For me, as a non-professional user, this is
the better bargain.
Sound-quality-wise, there is nothing to complain about the devices which
I use. I heard horror stories about the aforementioned small UB mixers,
both with regard to reliability and sound quality, but this is not true
for my gear. Strange as it sounds, I actually do prefer the micpres of
my MX2642A to my Mackie 1202 (at least for my microphones, which are not
exactly Telefunken- or Schoeps-made).
As for stealing other companies' ideas: true, but basically, that is the
way the world we live in works. If you don't like it, you can always
jump down a high-rise. (warning: don't try this at home!)
Finally, Behringer has really revoluted the music gear market,
especially in their earlier days. I first became aware of Behringer when
they released their first Composer. This was a time when you could
either get a fairly decent compressor (say dbx) for the price of a
bigger DAW of today, or a compressor from a more musician-oriented
company (say Alesis) for the price of an acceptable guitar, which was
crap. Behringer was the first company to build compressors at a price
of, say, a SM58 with mic stand, and exceeding the quality of the Alesis
and competing with the dbx.
The result: the Alesises have dropped in price to the Behringer niveau
and risen in quality, and a dbx can today be had for one and a half
Behringers.
So, even when bashing Behringer, do not cut off the hand which in a way
ensures that you stay able to feed yourself ;-)
Aftermath: I understand it is easy to blame a manufacturer for what he
is doing, even when you are fast to accept the benefits. A small UB
series mixer costs about 10% of a Mackie 1202 (German prices). If you
decide to go for the Behringer instead of the Mackie to allow yourself
to vastly improve your malt whiskey collection, it seems strange to me
to blame Behringer for your drinking problem. If on the other hand you
get a Behringer in roughly the same price range (say, a console for $300
instead of a competitor's product with similair feature set for $400),
my personal experiences suggest that you won't have any reason to
complain about design or quality problems you wouldn't have had to face
if you had stayed away from Behringer.
And of course: anything about reliability or manufacturing quality in
this message is based solely on my personal experience. I treat my gear
extremely well. Anything related to sound quality or feature sets also
based on my personal experience, which, as I might say, is more
professional.
Thanks for listening, again - deeper discussion of the subject best via
private mail.
Rainer
-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: S V G [mailto:vsyevolod@yahoo.com]
Gesendet: Freitag, 14. Januar 2005 18:42
An: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
Betreff: Aunti Behringer
<<<If you want any more details, please contact me offlist to avoid
anti-behringer rants...
Rainer>>>
Dude, as one of the more outspoken anti-Behringer people on this
list, I would love to hear any information in opposition to my own
experience and word-of-mouth tales from friends in the electronic repair
business. Don't take offense if others trash Behringer, some of that is
well deserved. We all benefit from the back-and-forth that naturally
comes about when differing views are held. As somebody once said, "Take
your work seriously and yourself lightly".
Stephen
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