Re: [Harp-L] Behringer UB802 - any opinions?

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

G wrote:
>  I'm thinking of getting the Behringer Eurorack UB802
mixer to use with my harp gear - just wondering if anyone 
has experience with it, and if so, what did you think of it?

I own the predecessor model, the Behringer MX 802A.  It's a very simple
mixer with the right trimmings: two decent mic preamps with switchable
phantom power, two aux sends with stereo returns, plenty of inputs and
outputs for the price, which is quite low -- this mixer sells for well
under $100 US new.  The unit produces audible hiss when every control in
the signal path is pushed to the max, but no sensible user would ever do
that, and in normal operating ranges the sound is neutral.  Build
quality seems very good.

The UB series preamps are supposed to be a step up from the MX series. 
The MX series preamps are based on a Mackie design -- in fact, when I
was considering a Mackie 1202 for the preamps, a knowledgeable sales
person told me not to buy, because I was likely to find little or no
difference between the pramps on the Mackie and the preamps on the
Behringer. Considering that the Behringer is about 1/3 the price of a
Mackie, that's a pretty good deal.

Some users on harmonycentral.com have complained about channels on their
Behringers going dead -- I haven't had that problem, but my mixer has
almost never left my studio.

In short, if you're looking for a small mixer with usable preamps, the
Behringers offer good value for money. If you have the opportunity to
compare, you might want to listen to it side by side with a comparable
model from Yamaha -- that will give you an idea of what the extra money
can give you.  In particular, put a large-diaphragm condensor mic
through the preamps, and listen to the output. 

Regards, Richard Hunter
hunterharp.com