Members BlueStrat Posted November 13, 2011 Members Share Posted November 13, 2011 So, I tried one of those little Behringer powered mixer dealies. The reviews I read on them were favorable, so I took one out of the music store on approval and used it for my solo gig last night. And I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. Let me say I didn't expect a lot since it was about 200 dollars. I just need a small powered mixer on occasion when the house doesn't have one. So I looked at this one- 180 watts, 5 channels, perfect for a solo or duo. I run it through two passive boxes, cabinets with 10" 250 watt Eminence speakers and 400 watt horns. Right away, I was impressed by the tonal quality. Better than my Kustom 8 channel dual power amp 300 watt powered mixer. And it's very user friendly- just volume, FX and a high and a low control for each channel. XLR and 1/4" inputs on each. It has a quite nice 7 band graphic EQ. And it has 99 preset digital FX, with lots of reverbs and flange, chorus, delay, etc. that don't sound cheesy. I really like that it is rack mountable too, and doesn't weigh a ton. Downside is it's a single amp model, so no running a monitor, but I never do anyway with the solo or duo. I put one speaker behind us and that's all we need. I only had to turn the amp up to 1/2 and the channels up to 1/3 for VOX and 1/4 for guitar as well. Speaking of that, last night I had to let a lady use the mic to make announcement. She held the mic away from her face (typical) and I had to crank it up. Since she was in front of the speaker, I thought I'd see if I could make it feed back. Nope! It has this ultra low noise technology that squelches feedback automatically. All in all, for a small, cheap amp, it exceeded my expectations. Reliability remains to be seen, but if it lasts for a few years, I'll get my money out of it. All in all, I give it a 9 out of 10. Great little powered mixer for a solo or duo playing small to medium venues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OneThing Posted November 13, 2011 Members Share Posted November 13, 2011 That's good to know. Thank you for the review. I don't know why, but I usually walk past Behringer gear. I suppose it's because they tend to copy other manufacturers and I go with the original. Well, maybe that and my only experience with their gear was some speakers that did not sound good. I'm making a mental note about this mixer though. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members richardmac Posted November 13, 2011 Members Share Posted November 13, 2011 I had a B mixer once. It was inexpensive, small, and considerably noisier than my Yamaha 12 ch, but it was inexpensive. The rap on B is that the stuff has a high failure rate. I know people who use the stuff all the time and have had good luck with it. Because of its reputation, if I were to use it as my primary mixer and/or amp, I'd want to bring a backup. I'd also want to buy the extended warranty on it. But that's just my opinion. It's funny - a company gets a rep for bad quality assurance based primarily on anecdotal evidence from a very small percentage of users who are very vocal on the Internet. I have no idea whether their QA is any better or worse than, say, JBL. We just sort of go with what we know. I don't have a backup for my Yamaha combo mixer. Or rather I do but I rarely bring it. I ought to pick one of these B's up and toss it in the car as a backup for my primary system. I don't have the disposable income right now, though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted November 13, 2011 Author Members Share Posted November 13, 2011 I had a B mixer once. It was inexpensive, small, and considerably noisier than my Yamaha 12 ch, but it was inexpensive. The rap on B is that the stuff has a high failure rate. I know people who use the stuff all the time and have had good luck with it. Because of its reputation, if I were to use it as my primary mixer and/or amp, I'd want to bring a backup. I'd also want to buy the extended warranty on it. But that's just my opinion. It's funny - a company gets a rep for bad quality assurance based primarily on anecdotal evidence from a very small percentage of users who are very vocal on the Internet. I have no idea whether their QA is any better or worse than, say, JBL. We just sort of go with what we know. I don't have a backup for my Yamaha combo mixer. Or rather I do but I rarely bring it. I ought to pick one of these B's up and toss it in the car as a backup for my primary system. I don't have the disposable income right now, though... Actually, they seemed to have stepped up to the noise issues they used to have. It's a really quiet unit, and that's what the reviews all said too. Here's some reviews that made me pull the trigger after I tried it out: http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-PMP518M-Ultra-Compact-180-Watt-5-Channel/dp/B00117WZIG The bad reviews I read on it were from guys who seemed like they were trying to use it beyond it's capabilities- micing horn sections in large bands, band rehearsals, etc. It's only 180 watts max, so it isn't meant for large applications. If it pukes on me, well, I spent 200 bucks to learn a lesson. But my local music store where I got it will replace it or offer replacement value on something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members richardmac Posted November 13, 2011 Members Share Posted November 13, 2011 Did you get the extended warranty? I'd be a little concerned about it crapping out on a gig - do you have a backup? Then again, I don't usually carry a backup combo mixer either. But I should. 180 watts is a lot more than people realize, for a small gig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted November 13, 2011 Author Members Share Posted November 13, 2011 Did you get the extended warranty? I'd be a little concerned about it crapping out on a gig - do you have a backup? Then again, I don't usually carry a backup combo mixer either. But I should. 180 watts is a lot more than people realize, for a small gig. I always have a backup. On acoustic gigs, I bring an extra guitar. Extra mic, extra cables, and I keep a power amp and small board in the car. I'm probably over cautious, but I've had equipment failure at the worst time- the so-called "good stuff," too. I never buy extended warranties- the store I trade with honors 1 yeasr warranty, and if it fails after that, well, it will have paid for itself at least a half dozen times or more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members richardmac Posted November 13, 2011 Members Share Posted November 13, 2011 If a mixer hasn't crapped out in a year you're probably fine. That sounds like a really good store. Must be a mom and pop shop? The ones around me only carry crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members modulusman Posted November 13, 2011 Members Share Posted November 13, 2011 Go read the reviews at musicians friend. Only 3 out of 5 stars. Typical behringer problems cheaply made and a High failure rate. But it does sound better than your Kustom. That isn't saying much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stunningbabe Posted November 14, 2011 Members Share Posted November 14, 2011 Congrats on your Behringer. I have only pleasant experience to share about their products. None failed on me. I have been using them for more than 8 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted November 14, 2011 Members Share Posted November 14, 2011 Behringer gets dogged by self-proclaimed "experts", but there sure are a lot of folks earning (at least part of) their livings w/ Behringer gear. My experience has only been w/ a few pedals and Behringer's SM-58 clone, but all worked great and the girl I gave the mic to is still using it a few X a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members modulusman Posted November 14, 2011 Members Share Posted November 14, 2011 Behringer gets dogged by self-proclaimed "experts", but there sure are a lot of folks earning (at least part of) their livings w/ Behringer gear.My experience has only been w/ a few pedals and Behringer's SM-58 clone, but all worked great and the girl I gave the mic to is still using it a few X a week. wonder if that mic will still be working 20 years from now. I have a shure 58 that I bought used in 1990. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ProToneThinline Posted November 14, 2011 Members Share Posted November 14, 2011 wonder if that mic will still be working 20 years from now. I have a shure 58 that I bought used in 1990. Does it really matter all that much? Those mics are like $20. If it fails after a few years, just go but another one........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members modulusman Posted November 14, 2011 Members Share Posted November 14, 2011 Does it really matter all that much? Those mics are like $20. If it fails after a few years, just go but another one........ This kind of thinking is why the landfills are overflowing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ProToneThinline Posted November 14, 2011 Members Share Posted November 14, 2011 This kind of thinking is why the landfills are overflowing. Feel free to dispose of it however you see fit. My point was that it's an inexpensive mic, and if it lasts a year you would have gotten your money's worth. BYW, min'e still going strong after over 3 years of steady gigging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted November 15, 2011 Members Share Posted November 15, 2011 wonder if that mic will still be working 20 years from now. I have a shure 58 that I bought used in 1990. Don't know...and neither do you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tomm Williams Posted November 15, 2011 Members Share Posted November 15, 2011 Behringer makes products for a specific market, nobody is fooled into believing they are true "pro-level" products. Still doesn't mean that for a given application and budget, it's not a reasonable choice. Speakers and mics will have a much greater result on the end-sound than the amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted November 15, 2011 Author Members Share Posted November 15, 2011 Go read the reviews at musicians friend. Only 3 out of 5 stars. Typical behringer problems cheaply made and a High failure rate. But it does sound better than your Kustom. That isn't saying much. I did read those reviews. Most of them were from guys trying to use it for an application it wasn't intended for. But, yeah, I know, It didn't cost me 20 K so it's {censored}. By the way, do you really think I don't know what sounds good- or for that matter, that you can hear how my stuff sounds all the way from Bozeman? Really, what you or anyone else not writing me a check or stuffing the tip jar thinks about it is irrelevant. They keep hiring me, they keep telling me it sounds good, I keep getting paid and making decent tips, so I guess I don't see the problem. I let other people sit in on my gear and I think they sound good too when I'm out front listening. Seriously, here's the thing: I play 2 venues that have no sound system, and the occasional private party. I will use this thing maybe once a month for 3 hours a a time. It will never be turned up more than half way, and never have more than two mics and two acoustic guitars plugged into it. If it lasts for one gig, it will pay for itself. If it lasts for a year, I will have made 12x-14x my investment back. That's for less than 40 hours use on it on a year. I don't need it to be expensive and have a lot of bells and whistles. That's why I didn't want to spend a lot of money. If I was gigging with it every weekend, I'd have sprung for something a bit more expensive and versatile. The idea that you have to buy top quality gear to sound good is simply not true. I recorded a few songs, the title cut of my last CD included, with a Mexican strat, a Korean LP knockoff and a solid state Chinese Fender Princeton 112 Plus amp. I've never been told it sounds like ass. The idea that I should spring for expensive gear when I'm only making $200-300 a month with it is ludicrous. The other acoustic gigs (and half the band gigs, for that matter) all have sound provided. But hey, if what I buy gives you heartburn, well...Maalox, baby! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members modulusman Posted November 15, 2011 Members Share Posted November 15, 2011 I did read those reviews. Most of them were from guys trying to use it for an application it wasn't intended for. But, yeah, I know, It didn't cost me 20 K so it's {censored}. By the way, do you really think I don't know what sounds good- or for that matter, that you can hear how my stuff sounds all the way from Bozeman? Really, what you or anyone else not writing me a check or stuffing the tip jar thinks about it is irrelevant. They keep hiring me, they keep telling me it sounds good, I keep getting paid and making decent tips, so I guess I don't see the problem. I let other people sit in on my gear and I think they sound good too when I'm out front listening. Seriously, here's the thing: I play 2 venues that have no sound system, and the occasional private party. I will use this thing maybe once a month for 3 hours a a time. It will never be turned up more than half way, and never have more than two mics and two acoustic guitars plugged into it. If it lasts for one gig, it will pay for itself. If it lasts for a year, I will have made 12x-14x my investment back. That's for less than 40 hours use on it on a year. I don't need it to be expensive and have a lot of bells and whistles. That's why I didn't want to spend a lot of money. If I was gigging with it every weekend, I'd have sprung for something a bit more expensive and versatile. The idea that you have to buy top quality gear to sound good is simply not true. I recorded a few songs, the title cut of my last CD included, with a Mexican strat, a Korean LP knockoff and a solid state Chinese Fender Princeton 112 Plus amp. I've never been told it sounds like ass. The idea that I should spring for expensive gear when I'm only making $200-300 a month with it is ludicrous. The other acoustic gigs (and half the band gigs, for that matter) all have sound provided. But hey, if what I buy gives you heartburn, well...Maalox, baby! Well Peavey makes mixers with pretty much the same features for about the same money. http://www.peavey.com/products/proaudio/mixers/pvi/ except that it comes built into a wooden rack and has a 5 year warranty. It is also an american owned company that didn't make its reputation stealing other peoples designs unlike doucheinger. BTW was your recording done on cheap POS recording gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TIMKEYS Posted November 15, 2011 Members Share Posted November 15, 2011 Well Peavey makes mixers with pretty much the same features for about the same money. http://www.peavey.com/products/proaudio/mixers/pvi/ except that it comes built into a wooden rack and has a 5 year warranty. It is also an american owned company that didn't make its reputation stealing other peoples designs unlike doucheinger. BTW was your recording done on cheap POS recording gear. It doesnt matter ,, it sounds great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted November 15, 2011 Author Members Share Posted November 15, 2011 Well Peavey makes mixers with pretty much the same features for about the same money. http://www.peavey.com/products/proaudio/mixers/pvi/ except that it comes built into a wooden rack and has a 5 year warranty. It is also an american owned company that didn't make its reputation stealing other peoples designs unlike doucheinger. BTW was your recording done on cheap POS recording gear. All my CDs were recorded on Mackie board/hard drive recording system. Probably a POS in your world. And if you think Peavey doesn't use Chinese or Mexican circuit boards and components, I've got a bridge to sell you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members modulusman Posted November 15, 2011 Members Share Posted November 15, 2011 All my CDs were recorded on Mackie board/hard drive recording system. Probably a POS in your world. And if you think Peavey doesn't use Chinese or Mexican circuit boards and components, I've got a bridge to sell you. Well that is a fact of life because too many short-sighted musicians based there purchases on price. I would rather see my money go to an AMERICAN owned company instead. Enjoy your new toy. A word of advice you better spend another $100.00 on a rack if you want it to keep working. And if the store offer the extended warranty ditto. Not such a good deal now is it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted November 15, 2011 Members Share Posted November 15, 2011 Well that is a fact of life because too many short-sighted musicians based there purchases on price. I would rather see my money go to an AMERICAN owned company instead. Enjoy your new toy. A word of advice you better spend another $100.00 on a rack if you want it to keep working. And if the store offer the extended warranty ditto. Not such a good deal now is it. Apparently, this self-appointed "expert" never bothered to read Lots of self-appointed "experts" over in the Live Sound & Production Forum I'm afraid, but there's also people over who actual are worth talking to... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted November 15, 2011 Author Members Share Posted November 15, 2011 Well that is a fact of life because too many short-sighted musicians based there purchases on price. I would rather see my money go to an AMERICAN owned company instead. Enjoy your new toy. A word of advice you better spend another $100.00 on a rack if you want it to keep working. And if the store offer the extended warranty ditto. Not such a good deal now is it. I'll give your unsolicited advice all the consideration it deserves. And again, the idea of an "American -owned" company is pretty much a thing of the past. Oh, the corporate headquarters might be here, but even Harley is manufacturing overseas now. My Ford, built by an " American-owned company', is built in Canada. My Nissan is built in Kentucky. Go figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members modulusman Posted November 15, 2011 Members Share Posted November 15, 2011 Apparently, this self-appointed "expert" never bothered to read Lots of self-appointed "experts" over in the Live Sound & Production Forum I'm afraid, but there's also people over who actual are worth talking to... Well we never see you posting over there because you know even less than me." Mr Carvin is the best gear out there.":rolleyes: I actually like Pat and think we have alot in common. Were close to the same age, both of us have worked as carpenters and we are fairly close regionally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members modulusman Posted November 15, 2011 Members Share Posted November 15, 2011 I'll give your unsolicited advice all the consideration it deserves. And again, the idea of an "American -owned" company is pretty much a thing of the past. Oh, the corporate headquarters might be here, but even Harley is manufacturing overseas now. My Ford, built by an " American-owned company', is built in Canada. My Nissan is built in Kentucky. Go figure. All true but at the end of the day the profits wind up in Mississippi instead of Germany. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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