Advice required regarding stage mixer

Riaan-Combrink

Hi guys.

Over the weekend my stage mixer (Behringer Eurorack 1832FX-Pro) died on start-up. A reputable instrument repair company I was recommended to looked at it on Saturday morning and diagnosed that the internal PSU was stuffed. According to the shop, Behringer PSUs are almost impossible to come by, and their advice was essentially throw it away and get a new mixer. Another shop said the PSU can be ordered from either JHB or overseas, but will definitely take a while. This is the exact mixer I have at the moment:
http://www.muz.co.za/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=108_288_215&products_id=3971

As a gigging musician over season period this is obviously a massive blow. I have seven gigs lined up over the next fortnight, and am thus seriously considering buying a new mixer. I have in any event been previously advised here on GFSA to get rid of the Behringer :-[.

Thing is, it does exactly what I need. No more, no less. Has 16 input channels (of which 6 have XLR/mic slots), an onboard 9-band graphic EQ in addition to the normal 3-band on each channel, onboard vocal effects, a dedicated monitor output with its own fader, a separate fader for the additional aux s/r, and , for me importantly, dedicated FX and monitor controls for each separate channel [and also other gimmicky functions like a surround effect, voice canceller, feedback detection, etc that I've never bothered with). For my the EQ is important, as I don't have a separate EQ unit. I also use the vocal effects (which are adequate, although I have a separate unit for vox FX too).

What I get as a replacement must thus at least have similar specs, but hopefully with better quality and after sales support than I've been told by all the anti-Beri guys.

I need to have something in hand by Friday, and I'm scared of buying something under pressure and regretting later that I didn't get X or Y. We are a duo with two vox, one guitar and trax via a laptop. So that is the immediate need (although one likes to have some channels spare for growth or failure). The Beri also predates the mixers that now have USB connections - I'd like to get one that does with a view to some simple home recording.

I've done a lot of searching of the online stores, but there are so many makes - Mackie, A & H, Alesis, Samson, American Audio, etc etc. With reference to my above specs/needs, is anyone willing to venture a manufacturer/model that I can try to have a look at? I'm gonna hit the stores on Tuesday, but it would be nice to have some ideas before the salesmen bamboozle me with tech-talk I won't understand. I'm saving to upgrade speakers, so I can't blow a bundle on this - could I get something reasonable in the R 3000 - R 5000 range? These are some of what I've seen:

http://orangemusic.co.za/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=180

http://www.thesoundshop.co.za/c6/Mixing-Consoles.aspx

http://www.soundtrader.co.za/cgi-bin/soundtrader/search.pl?cat:Mixers

http://www.maxmusic.co.za/category.aspx?categoryID=144

http://www.muz.co.za/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=108_288_215

http://www.soundz.co.za/c31/Studio-Mixers.aspx

This Alesis looks a pretty nice deal - although it seems more geared to recording, I assume it will be OK for stage use?
http://www.soundtrader.co.za/cgi-bin/soundtrader/search.pl?id:1245398306

Any thoughts on these Yamahas?
http://www.soundtrader.co.za/cgi-bin/soundtrader/search.pl?id:1250004907

And this Samson?
http://www.muz.co.za/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=108_288_215&products_id=3518

I'd be very grateful for any advice/input that anyone may have :-\

Thanks!

AlanRatcliffe

The Behringers are usually copies of the Mackie and sometimes the Alesis desks. I've used both and been really happy with them - good sounding and reliable. Ten years of service and still going strong when I sold each of them (CDee has my Alesis Studio 12R). The downside is they are more expensive. Because of price I won't mention the Allen and Heath stuff either. ? The Alesis you pointed out is a USB model, designed more for home use (only has 4 mic pres anyway).

The Yamaha MGs have nice features and quality for the money, but backup on the Yamaha electronic stuff has long been a bit shaky - especially if you are in Cape Town. However, Bernie at Proteknik in Claremont will work on the out of guarantee Yamaha stuff.

All the others I kind of lump together - Behringer, Samson, Phonic. They work OK for the price, but I wouldn't rely on them.

Heath

Before writing off the behringer , give proaudio a call , www.proaudio.co.za . They may well have the behringer psu . I have bought psus for some of the behringer mixers i have had over the years *the pins seem to break easisly* . Iirc they are the local agents .

Keira-WitherKay

hi ya Riaan C........ ok i'm gonna be the devils advocate now..............

why replace your desk with a more expensive model...............

sounds like you just wanna upgrade to another make of the same thing...........and was happy with the old one till it died

and yes i understand that the anti behringer crowd voice their opinion...... but i have travelled the world as a pro muso and find behringer gear in most gigging bands setups.and i mean full time pro's .........sure they not the best of the best .... but think of it like being a construction worker and taking your BMW to work to load your workers into for the day .........you take the bakkie.......

so yeah behringer is fabulous value for money ..and believe me i too went through the whole gear thing i owned a 16 channel mackie ...... beautiful desk which one year after a function while i was loading the car got stolen............

get a top end mixer for the studio............ but for live gigs........ especially if you like me a muso who does gigs in different venues ..constantly travelling and loading in rain /hail and snow even one soon realises that the quality difference of the mackie vs the behringer mixer mostly will not be heard on a live stage....in functions and bars....... with a huge 10 KW system maybe and definitely in the studio........... will the mackie rule.........

but i know a list the length of my arm (and i have long arms )of full time pro muso's who can afford better mixers but stick to behringer cos if the get beer thrown over em or dropped or stolen you spend a few grand and simply buy a new one.....

they so cheap they pay for themselves sometimes in one gig ....or maybe a weeks gigs at most ........ so if it dies chuck it and buy another ...... cos they truly do not die regularly...... and yeah "sh*t happens' replace it and go back to making money ..it's just a biz expense....

and the truth is for the money the features these days on a behringer are fabulous....and the lesser quality of components are not audible "LIVE"

it took me years to work out that the live rig unless you a full on sound company.... needn't be top end as long as it's an acceptable quality level and offers you the features..........

but we all know that if you performing at the "keg and whatever" and use a behringer 1604 YOU WILL sound great ..even the effects are totally usable and you will have the features ...... so why spend the extra cash for a Mackie 1604......

thats just the industry propoganda ........ trying to make you spend your hard earned cash on more gear you don't need.....try get around that

and remember being a pro muso is a biz....... so if you can spend less and keep your overheads down....you raise your returns.(profit) and if still get the same gigs .... stick to the behringer why upgrade,., since you obviously getting the gigs.... and you not even looking for added features........

strange you had your behringer die on you ......since almost every muso i know who uses behringer for pro gigs .....few if any ever have a behringer mixer go faulty ........... unless they been christened by beer or dropped.....

in all honesty i don't like their amps but their mixers ...prob cos they copy top end models are truly up to live use...........

and like i found........ when you play the "Bigger festivals ect ect ...... the sound is laid on by a sound company........ even yesterday i did a mini festival and my sound was done with top end gear ....... and with a sound engineer .....all at the venues expense....... so your personal PA is only needed as a pro muso for your smaller pub/restaurant/function gigs....... and it's that way around the world not only in SA ....

i hope this makes sense........

good luck
Keira

hehehheeh and NO i do NOT WORK FOR BEHRINGER hehehehh but i have seen their mixers all over the world used in pro applications and successfully (we talking only the mixers now)

PeteM

I had the same problem with the PSU - the multi plug - quite fragile. BA sound in Durbs got me a replacement with 2 days.
I would try to fix the current problem and take your time finding the right mixer if you need to. In the meantime maybe you can hire/borrow a mixer for your gigs until you get a new PSU.

TomCat

Hey Riaan

YHPM

Riaan-Combrink

Hi guys.

Thanks for the solid advice! I'm following up on a few enquiries at the moment and should get sorted. Thanks again. ?