Behringer vs. Mackie

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There is a considerable price difference between Behringer and Mackie. Both look close to the same design. But is spending around 3x the money for the Mackie worth it?
 
I have heard many a horror story about Behringer mixers. The simple fact about this music game is you get what you pay for. Check out the for sale section at sweetwater.com You should be able to get a good deal on a used Mackie. You will be much better of with a used Mackie than you would with a brand new Behringer.
 
I am a producer,I have used boards like MCI,Neve and API for years,and they are the THING and what you wont to work on...GO WEST YOUNG MAN....That ben said..I had a studio for over a year with a Mackie 24 8bus..The 8bus is the best sounding of the line..I now do most of my work on a Behringer 2004,I think its called...You know 8 mic inputs...I like the sound of the pre amps a lot...I come out of the inserts and hit one of the Behringer 4 thing compressors...From there I come out balanced and go to my 2" 16 track MCI JH16 at 30ips..I will put the sound up against most any...I have had 2 Behringres,and think they sound great...You do need to know what you are doing with a cheep board,,,Not much head room and all..I THINK THE BEHRINGER SOUNDS BETTER THAN THE MACKIE..AND FOR THE MONEY...WELL....
 
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Behringer

I use a Eurorack UB1832FX. Cheap and practical. Use it so I can hear my gear (strictly hardware) all at once when composing tracks and rough out a mix. Then I use (mostly software) Digidesign 002 when I am ready to record. It is good for me, cheap and handy since I don't like to even look at my computer until I am ready to record. It comes in handy live as well and it didn't cost much money and the money I saved on the mixer went into getter other more neccessary gear.
 
I've owned both, at the same time, and the Mackie sounded tons better to me.
 
verbal said:
Anybody else? I'm looking at a Mackie 1604 VLZ Pro which is the same price as a Behringer 24+ channel eurodesk. Tough decision.
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Behringer makes some good stuff, and they make some crap. The 24 track board is good, so is the 48 track one. Behringer boards are def Mackie knockoffs. I like them.
 
I got a Mackie... one of the best decisions I've ever made. I really don't think Behringer compares.
 
Its really gonna depend on what your use is. I just use my board for making my beats. I don't use it for mixdown. I have been in studios that use the 48 track board, and the mixes are done well. The Mackie board is a good board, but for the difference in price, I don't think that the Behringer is that much inferior. The differences are subtle. I do have to admit that Behringer has absolutely NO tech support, for any of its products.
 
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i owned a beringer needless to say it sucked ass and i bought a mackie....mackie is god
 
I bought a Behringer on a friends advice (first mixer). Then went with a Mackie...no comparison. Mackie, hands down.
 
If you can afford it I'd definitely say Mackie, but I don't think the Behringer mixers are that bad. They're definitely worse, but for the price they can't be beat. I'm actually looking at Behringer right now cause I can't afford Mackie. :mad:
 
Yads said:
If you can afford it I'd definitely say Mackie, but I don't think the Behringer mixers are that bad. They're definitely worse, but for the price they can't be beat. I'm actually looking at Behringer right now cause I can't afford Mackie. :mad:
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That's kinda the spot I'm at. I have about $700 to spend and I'm a newbie. So I could afford a Mackie 1604, which is a great mixer. 16 channels is probably all I'll need right now, since I'm a newbie, but I'd probably have to upgrade eventually. Or I could get a 24+ channel Berhinger for the same price, but I'm not sure about their quality and sound. Not sure what to do.
 
just to throw in my tuppence worth.

i started off with a behringer 16 input mixer,
sold it and got a mackie 1604vlz after bowing to pressure from everyone saying that mackie kicks assssss.
got it and to be honest didnt find hardly any discernable difference between them.
sold it on and bought a behringer 2842 and a fostex 16 track sub mixer with the money from it.
use the fostex to submix drum outputs with compressors on the auxes to two channels on the behringer. the rest is filled up with my hardware synths.
i mix exclusively on the behringer desk with aux sends to hardware effects etc, tube compressors and a waldorf filter on the group outs and a stereo tube compressor and 32 band eq on the main out.
its all hardware using cubase to sequence.
i never have a problem with my work or with people saying i should be on a mackie or whatever. no one ever asks.
ive also had lots of people in to work on tracks, many of whom have mackies and no one has ever said anything bad re my mixer.
the pre amps on both are good and clean, the eqs are both effective and noise free on both as are the faders.
theres plenty of routing options on both too and both makes can take balanced inputs

once you get away from the beginner stages of making music, you will find that only results matter and no one really cares what you are using for your equipment as long as you can work it and get good results.

id get the behringer mixer, you will find that you outgrow inputs very quickly and having to upgrade is an expensive business as you loose alot on new equipment when it goes to the second hand market.
if you buy the mackie, youll get a great mixer but you'll need to change it within a year or so. if you get the behringer, youll get a great mixer also
 
beh...makes cheaper mixers. Ofocarse there will be some kind of a sacrifice...pay less for less.
A few years ago, a mackie rep showed me how durable his mixers were by standing on one with army boots. Need I say more?
btw. I own a beringer MX 802...lol....poor man's alternative
 
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