Behringer pedals?

[M-1 Fan]

I have a keyboard amp that was made by Behringer and it's a great value. I also have one of those little four channel mixers by Behringer and it's going strong after six years of steady used. I just ordered one of those Behringer Acoustic Simulator pedals based on the reviews of others on HC. Behringer is great in my book.

[pipedwho]

Originally posted by L6Sguy 'friends dont let friends choose the wrong tool for the job' would be the saying of a smarter friend. there are many applications where behringer gear is the right tool for the job. gigging stombox for Slipknot-wannabe's? no. use for your band's first televised appearance? no. part of sonic-freakout board for homebody noisemaker? perfect. somebody who's got their gigging board at their rehearsal space, and still needs an fx box or two at home for practice or just to f around with? why the {censored} not. to be used at a house party where god-knows-who could be doing god-knows-what near the band's area while all substance-fueled insanity rages, including that of band members? sounds smarter than using that 1977 big muff that is your pride and joy. and nobody would know anyways. oh yeah, most people wouldn't ever know, would they? right tool for the job, people. choose wisely (and that doesnt mean choose behringer, it means exactly what it says).

+1, this is very true.

And regarding the other post with the 'whatever helps you sleep at night' comment:

[georges]

Guitarist magazine has a review of them and a 10min sound clip of the majority of them. I'll try rip it for you.


Guitarist Magazine behringer soundbytes:

http://s64.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=12GXQLLYDQIYU15FA1AKGZ5PQP

Sorry bout the large file, but its nearly 8mins

[saxcop]

I have the preamp booster. Best money I ever spent. I use it as a boost on solos. Or to mactch the volume switching between clean and crunch patches. fantastic value for what it does.

[Simon Moon]

I just got the tremolo for Christmas yesterday. It sounds pretty good to me, I haven't noticed a volume drop like the TR-2 is supposed to have. The knobs feel realy cheap and easily breakable. The battery cover is a PITA to get off. Other than that, it was definitely worth the $20 my brother paid for it.

[boxhollow]

Originally posted by saxcop I have the preamp booster. Best money I ever spent. I use it as a boost on solos. Or to mactch the volume switching between clean and crunch patches. fantastic value for what it does.

 

 

I too have the pre amp booster, and use it for solos. It sounds pretty damn good. I don't think it would handle a whole lot of abuse, but I don't generally kick the {censored} out of my pedals anyway, and it was only like 20 or 30 bucks. Good little pedal for cheap.

[ChrisGansz]

Originally posted by pipedwho +1, this is very true. And regarding the other post with the 'whatever helps you sleep at night' comment:

+1 also. Great for a bedroom rocker or home recording studio applications on the cheap. I have the acoustic simulator and it works great for me. Other ppl that I know curse them because they expect the box to do it's application while driving a high gain amp or lead channel:rolleyes:. Then the orphaned stomp boxes come to me!. Sometimes it takes a little intelligence and twiddling to make these units work. No Merlin the Magician here. More like Peabody and Sherman!

[jTreu]

i recorded some clips of the vp1 phaser small stone knock off

www.soundclick.com/jasonehrentreu

[ChrisGansz]

Originally posted by jchrist That seems to be your number 1 problem (at least I've read that statement a million times). Get over it! If you don't like the gear, don't buy it, and that'll be fine. Most gear are copies. I can't count the number of clones of a Tubescreamer, Fender and Gibson Guitars, Fender amps, aso. Name a piece of gear, that isn't copied at least once, even copied by some of "the big and smart companies with a RD-department". Even my old Marshall amp is a Fender Bassman clone (no, it's not built using better components than Fenders), and I really don't care.

Exactly. There are several factors involved with midi controllers, etc. that makes the functionability easy to blame IMHO. I personally believe that midi applications are much more sensitive than the normal applications of, say, a typical stomp box. From my experience, gear that doesn't have the right grounding or a lack of surge protection usually bite the bullet and cause symptomatic problems similar to what this forumite is experiencing. Also, continuous overdriving through a more sensitive mic channel can cause a lack of functionability. In other words, maybe the finger pointing award should go to the user rather than the manufacturer. I personally have heard a lot of good things about Behringer products. Try before buying!

[Save The Pine Weasel]

Based on the Behringer gear I've owned, Behringer isn't at the top of my list for new purchases.

I had a V-Amp 2, and still have a UB802 mixer.

I replaced the V-Amp with a Yamaha DG stomp. The Yamaha sounds better and is more reliable.

I don't use the mixer enough to have serious complaints about it other than the lack of a power switch. If I were buying over, I'd get a Yamaha or Peavey simply for that.

[L6Sguy]

Originally posted by No Soul I collect Japanese lawsuit guitars, so youre talking to the wrong person. Behringer stuff is not even remotely close to being the same thing.

well ok, i'm glad we are on the same page as far as some things go and no, i wasnt comparing Behry pedal knockoffs to MIJ git knockoffs in general, but rather just the practice of 'give the people what they want', or at least some of it.

really, nobody ever wants for a burger the way its done at McDonalds. if you served something like that at a bar-b-q, you'd be removed from the grille, and likely teased by your friends for years. however, McD's has sold 17 bajillion burgers, as sometimes they are just the right product for a certain need (long highway treks with no time for long breaks immediately comes to mind). it doesnt mean McD serves good or bad food, it is what it is, and nothing more, nothing less.

[St. Andrew]

i got the $30 wah. its not bad actually and sturider than i thought it would be.

[L6Sguy]

Originally posted by Osmosis ....but the failure rate on their gear is much higher than average....

 

 

link?

 

 

as for taking Behry stuff to a gig, i stated earlier that my position was 'the right tool for the job.' some jobs (beer-fueled biker parties) dont deserve the 'best' gear, and would likely not be appreciated. home practicing, in an apartment with 2 very young kids (read: very low volumes required), by somebody who is more concerned with actual practicing rather than 'tone' and all the bs that comes with that. busking in train stations. for somebody less concerned with 'rock' and more concerned with noise-making (a sort of large population), who still plays in his living room.

 

to posit that these instances require 'better' and more expensive gear is a sign of some detachment from reality, imho.

[timmy210]

Hm, the reviews are making me think twice about these . I still think the acoustic sim and wah could be kool.

[L6Sguy]

Originally posted by HMCMedic .... I don't think they would last long in the clubs as they are plastic.....

my sometimes-bandmate has been gigging Dano minis for years. never a prob, and he's a non-graceful guy with big feet and clunky shoes. myself, i've gigged plenty with various plastic boxes on occasion, never a single issue. i dont see where plastic is all that fragile


can somebody please provide pics of plastic pedals that have been crushed under the weight of a 160lb emo wuss who was not abusing said pedal?

[L6Sguy]

Originally posted by timmy210 Hm, the reviews are making me think twice about these . I still think the acoustic sim and wah could be kool.

it'd make sense that trying a piece of gear would figure into the process somewhere

[timmy210]

True, trip to GC it is!

[L6Sguy]

Originally posted by timmy210 True, trip to GC it is!

smart man

[jchrist]

The sad thing is, that most people are dissing the pedals, even before trying one.

Why?......

1. because Behringer is THE number 1 brand to hate. The big, bad wolf in the gear industry. I've heard the phrase "I don't care about brand, as long as it isn't Behringer" a gazillion times, and I don't work in a music shop.

2. they are cheap - Yep, low street-value.

3. they are cheap, they must be using {censored}ty components... - Well, open your Boss box and take a look - it aint exactly military grade parts, right?. It's partly correct, the box is plastic, but components are the same grade as the ones you'll see inside your computer.

4. their RD-department is a Xerox. Well, most stomp boxes aren't exactly revolutionary, and many circuit designs are public domain. If your goal is to build a cheap stomp box, why start inventing something new? Boss did exactly the same, their SD1 shares a lot of it's design with a Tubescreamer.

5. They shamelessly copied the looks of a Boss stomp box. Well, compare the size of a Boss box with an old Ibanez box, and they are very close in size and layout - quite amazing, isn't it?

6. they sound like {censored}! Well, I could name a lot of stomp boxes, and even more guitar players, with exactly that kind of sound. If the originals aren't that good, then don't expect miracles from a clone.

7. they are not clones, it's digital modelling - well, not the ones I've seen. Some friends of mine have bought some of the stomp boxes, and they sure look like analog circuits.

I'm not affiliated with Behringer in any way, and I don't own a lot of Behringer gear (in fact only 2 pieces, a TO100 stomp box and a cable tester), but I know a lot of people with Behringer gear (even the studio, where I'm doing some session work from time to time). A lot of people here would be better off with their head outside thier ass, and be just a little bit open-minded.

[Osmosis]

OK, here's the thing.

I know a lot of pedals have similar circuit designs, and could be considered "copies" of other pedals. Heck, there must be a thousand tube screamer clones out these days.

The problem with behringer, is that *every* product that they make is a "ripoff" (maybe one or two exceptions)...and not only are they copying the circuit design, they also shamelessly clone the aesthetics. Look at the V-amp...then look at the POD...and once they've sufficiently copied the look, they cut every possible corner in the manufacturing process and then undercut the price of whoever they're copying (who most likely has to charge more to make up for R&D costs).

The simple fact is, behringer's build quality is low...very low. You can't deny this! It's the whole basis of their business plan! I don't have a link to any actual statistics, but reading reviews of their gear will show lots of people having problems with their stuff.

*Maybe* this stuff is "ok" if you only play in your bedroom, and the only thing that will happen if your gear fails is your mom will be thankful for a while 'cause she doesn't have to listen to you rock out in your room for a while...but for use in any application where the gear actually has to be trusted to work, behringer is a bad choice.

So, in conclusion, if you're a kid who can only afford a behringer pedal 'cause your allowance is too low, and you only play in your bedroom, then behringer might be for you.

If you're a professional who depends on their gear to be reliable, or even just someone who likes to have "nice stuff", look elsewhere.

[bgmacaw]

Originally posted by Osmosis Look at the V-amp...then look at the POD...

They are very similar in sound but the VAmp has LED position markers, a significant user interface improvement over the dial position guesswork with the POD.

Originally posted by Osmosis The simple fact is, behringer's build quality is low...very low. You can't deny this! It's the whole basis of their business plan! I don't have a link to any actual statistics, but reading reviews of their gear will show lots of people having problems with their stuff.

"The simple fact is, [Gibson's/Boss'/Vox's/Fender's] build quality is low...very low. You can't deny this! It's the whole basis of their business plan! I don't have a link to any actual statistics, but reading reviews of their gear will show lots of people having problems with their stuff."

You can insert just about any gear manufacturer into that paragraph and be accurate when you base your statement on Internet reviews.

I don't think their gear is perfect but neither is it as bad as snobby corksniffers want to imply that it is either. Any mass produced gear is going to have its share of lemons no matter what the brand name.

My take is that Behringer is the new DOD or Squier. Gear that people feel like it's cool to bash.

[joecool1963]

I am getting ready to buy several of these and creating a pedal board for me to use for practice at church at home for occassional use. I just got a Boss BD2, so I am adding several of these Behringers. I dont have {censored} load to drop on pedals. I have a Pod-XT live, so this is just an opportunity for me to play around with a pedal board setup.

Like was stated, pick the right tool for the job. I dont need a $800 pedal board to take to band practice...

This discussion really is not different than "why would you use an Epiphone Elite vs. a Gibson Standard" Simple. Great guitar, solid performace, meets my needs. Costs less. I'm sure the pedals will do me just nicely.

Review forthcoming once they arrive. If they suck, they'll go back. My days of purchasing anything based on a brand label are done. It's a factor that MAY REFLECT perceived quality, nothing more. If the tool does the job for less money, great!

[Dom Rocco]

My theory on quality of everything in life is go for the best you care to afford.

If a 20 dollar pedal is all you care to afford, go for it. If its all you "can" afford you should probabaly rethink your spending habits, or save up for the average componets.

Personally, i look at the most expensive, (boutique) The average, (Boss) and the cheap. (behringer) and aim for the middle, or Boss style/cost.


The money spent from the cheapest, to the middle of the pack stuff will give you greatest return on your investment.

The money spent on the middle of the pack stuff to the "best" is a very small return in quaility/functionality.

[pipedwho]

Originally posted by jchrist The sad thing is, that most people are dissing the pedals, even before trying one. Why?...... 1. because Behringer is THE number 1 brand to hate. The big, bad wolf in the gear industry. I've heard the phrase "I don't care about brand, as long as it isn't Behringer" a gazillion times, and I don't work in a music shop. 2. they are cheap - Yep, low street-value. 3. they are cheap, they must be using {censored}ty components... - Well, open your Boss box and take a look - it aint exactly military grade parts, right?. It's partly correct, the box is plastic, but components are the same grade as the ones you'll see inside your computer. 4. their RD-department is a Xerox. Well, most stomp boxes aren't exactly revolutionary, and many circuit designs are public domain. If your goal is to build a cheap stomp box, why start inventing something new? Boss did exactly the same, their SD1 shares a lot of it's design with a Tubescreamer. 5. They shamelessly copied the looks of a Boss stomp box. Well, compare the size of a Boss box with an old Ibanez box, and they are very close in size and layout - quite amazing, isn't it? 6. they sound like {censored}! Well, I could name a lot of stomp boxes, and even more guitar players, with exactly that kind of sound. If the originals aren't that good, then don't expect miracles from a clone. 7. they are not clones, it's digital modelling - well, not the ones I've seen. Some friends of mine have bought some of the stomp boxes, and they sure look like analog circuits. I'm not affiliated with Behringer in any way, and I don't own a lot of Behringer gear (in fact only 2 pieces, a TO100 stomp box and a cable tester), but I know a lot of people with Behringer gear (even the studio, where I'm doing some session work from time to time). A lot of people here would be better off with their head outside thier ass, and be just a little bit open-minded.

+1, it's the truth

-1, and the truth hurts

[L6Sguy]

Originally posted by Osmosis OK, here's the thing. I know a lot of pedals have similar circuit designs, and could be considered "copies" of other pedals. Heck, there must be a thousand tube screamer clones out these days. The problem with behringer, is that *every* product that they make is a "ripoff" (maybe one or two exceptions)...and not only are they copying the circuit design, they also shamelessly clone the aesthetics. Look at the V-amp...then look at the POD...and once they've sufficiently copied the look, they cut every possible corner in the manufacturing process and then undercut the price of whoever they're copying (who most likely has to charge more to make up for R&D costs). The simple fact is, behringer's build quality is low...very low. You can't deny this! It's the whole basis of their business plan! I don't have a link to any actual statistics, but reading reviews of their gear will show lots of people having problems with their stuff. *Maybe* this stuff is "ok" if you only play in your bedroom, and the only thing that will happen if your gear fails is your mom will be thankful for a while 'cause she doesn't have to listen to you rock out in your room for a while...but for use in any application where the gear actually has to be trusted to work, behringer is a bad choice. So, in conclusion, if you're a kid who can only afford a behringer pedal 'cause your allowance is too low, and you only play in your bedroom, then behringer might be for you. If you're a professional who depends on their gear to be reliable, or even just someone who likes to have "nice stuff", look elsewhere.

i agree with the principles of most of what you stated, although i think the demographic includes more than little kids, and that issues of reliability are still in question, or at least the ratio of good/bad units as opposed to other major players in the field.

as far as the stolen ideas go, Behringer seems to be held to a higher standard than many, many others, and if it comes down solely to legal mumbo jumbo, than the 'stolen' thing is kinda null & void. is Jackson (Charvel, ESP, Anderson, Suhr, BC Rich, Gibson, Yamaha, Ibanez, EB, etc etc etc) a company to be viewed the same as Behringer because they 'stole' the strat idea? whether they use better/worse parts, or better/worse labor & QC shouldnt really matter. actually, if they use better parts/QC/labor, one could make the case that they are going further to hide their theft. but i dont think that is how its viewed, so perhaps somebody could explain this part to me