Subject:Behringer and Mackie Mixers

Posted by: DjXSoundz

Date:2/24/2002 3:53:40 PM

Basicly i'm looking for a cheap mixer. I want 6-12 channels , and some good mic preampes and it cant be noisey. thanks.

so far i've found behringer mixers........they seem to be cheap to be good but i've herd some good things about them too

also i 've heard (and seen)the mackies. they seem to be very expensive though, for a cheap guy (@350 for a 12 channel mixer)are the XDR mic preamps really that good on a Shure Beta 58A mic?

if anybody knows could u drop a message here or email me.......thanks

i've also seen nady systems mixer looks identaical do berenger too.

Subject:RE: Behringer and Mackie Mixers

Reply by: Rednroll

Date:2/25/2002 9:24:10 PM

The Mackie is hands down the better mixer over the behringer when matching channel for channel. Mackie was the first to come out with an afordable analog board which had some decent Mic Pre's. I like my Behringer headphone amp too, but that doesn't get recorded to tape...or hard disk by that matter. I had a Yamaha MX-12 that I used for a cheap solution once, and it wasn't too bad and ran around $350. I noticed the noise of the pre's, once I moved to a better digital board though, I only used that board to monitor through though for sub-mixes, so that noise never got recorded either.

Subject:RE: Behringer and Mackie Mixers

Reply by: MacMoney

Date:2/26/2002 7:21:37 AM

Mackie !!!!

George Ware

Subject:RE: Behringer and Mackie Mixers

Reply by: billybk

Date:2/26/2002 8:39:15 AM

I have never used a Behringer. I have had my Mackie 1402 VLZ-Pro
for a couple of years now. It replaced an old Tascam M-30 mixer
that I had bought back in the 80's. I noticed the difference in the
quality of the design and the much lower noise floor immediately

Billy Buck

Subject:RE: Behringer and Mackie Mixers

Reply by: rraud

Date:2/27/2002 12:39:13 PM

Get a Mackie. They sound good and are robust. They also have a built-in power supply.., I believe the Behringer uses an external power supply, aka: "wall wart" or "line lump".

Subject:RE: Behringer and Mackie Mixers

Reply by: ljackson

Date:2/27/2002 4:09:02 PM

Without a doubt, Mackie is the better of the two, and worth every penny. The word "robust" is almost an understatement when describing them. I compared the various Behringer models (along with Nady and Spirit) to the 1202-VLZ Pro for my home mixer, and thankfully I was told by the family accountant (she who balances the checkbook) that we could afford the Mackie. It's built so much better than any of the cheaper alternatives. If you can't afford one now, save up for one.

If you absolutely have to have a mixer now and still can't afford the Mackie, then figure out the minimum number of channels you'll need (cut it close) and then go out and get the absolute cheapest thing you can find with no more than your minimum. Start saving for the Mackie immediately afterwards.

Another word of advice: you can sometimes get the Mackie cheaper if you go to a local retailer than you can online. I got a good price on mine from Speir Music here in Garland, TX. Most online places will charge you the MSRP of $399 unless you call and haggle with them (which defeats the purpose of online sales), and megaplaces like Mars aren't much better. You *might* be able to finagle a better price from Brook Mays or Full Compass if you call them. E-mail might work with places like Bayview Pro Audio. Look locally first, though - you may find the best deal in your own backyard.

Subject:RE: Behringer and Mackie Mixers

Reply by: Chienworks

Date:2/27/2002 5:14:06 PM

I know it's $100 to $150 more, but look into the Mackie 1402 over the 1202 if you can. It has two more input channels, better gain control, more EQ bands, groups, real aux sends, and actual sliders on each input/output instead of just a rotary knob. I got one for a local church from a local retailer for about $425. Overall, you can do about twice as much with it as you can with the 1202.

Subject:RE: Behringer and Mackie Mixers

Reply by: Geoff_Wood

Date:3/4/2002 2:33:16 AM

Make sure you get the VLZ-Pro as opposed to the previous model VLZ. The mic pres are much better.

And don' get the 1202, lash out a little and get the next bigger one. I got the 1202 and now regret only having the 4 mic preamps.

geoff

Subject:RE: Behringer and Mackie Mixers

Reply by: ljackson

Date:3/15/2002 6:41:56 PM

I would have loved to get the 1402VLZ Pro, but I had to push the outer limits of my budget just to get the 1202VLZ Pro. Anything more was a deal breaker, even at "just" $100-$150 more. The money just wasn't there and wouldn't be any time in the forseeable future. :-(

Still, the point is made - the Mackie is the unit of choice, regardless of which one you get.

Subject:RE: Behringer and Mackie Mixers

Reply by: Igneous

Date:3/21/2002 2:16:00 PM

Well, I agree with the majority, that the Mackie is the one.....IF......you want to spend that kind of money right now. From the original post, I understood that price was very important. If that is the case, I recommend another value Pre-Amp/Mixer, and that is the Peavey RQ200 Six Channel. Take a look and do some research. At $199 I don't think it can be beat. I'm very happy with it so far (2 months).
Good Luck

Subject:RE: Behringer and Mackie Mixers

Reply by: europa

Date:3/21/2002 5:49:11 PM

I've just replaced a behringer 16 channel eurorack desk with a Tascam DM-24 digital board. I was actually very fond of the behringer and for simplicity and easy of use it was neat. They do seem too cheap to be true but I have been told that it is because they do R&D the way the Japanese auto industry did in the 70s - let others do it and then bring out a comparable product at a lower price. That might be unfair but that's what I've heard and it would explain how they can deliver so many budget products of reasonable quality.

Anyway if budget really is an issue, for the money I think behringer have it....in the functional range the Mackie is a better product. But at the budget level that led me to buy the Behringer in the first place it was not the desk that was the limiting factor in terms of noise and so on.
Horses for courses as they say.

Subject:RE: Behringer and Mackie Mixers

Reply by: Weka

Date:3/21/2002 8:06:05 PM

If it needs any further re-inforcement (sic): I bought a Mackie 1202 and a 24.8 eight years ago. The power supply for the 24.8 is bolted under the house where it's been running (apart from during the odd thunder storm) for 8 years - through the extremes of the NZ climate. The 1202 has never been turned off. Both have been used 6 days a week during that time - and heavily at that. Apart from a master volume control and a couple of buttons being replaced (once), it's never let me down. The most reliable product I've ever encountered in 20 years in the game! (apart from Sound Forge of course)
Get a Mackie.
Cheers
Siabadar