Thread: behringer UB 1832fx ANY GOOD????

I have nothing but good things to say about the UB series boards. If you take the time to learn how to properly use gain staging on those boards and you're matching impedences correctly in your signal path you will have absolutely no problem with noise and it's a very useable tool.

The pre's are decent if you're looking for something that doesn't color the sound in any way and is relatively transparent. For the money it's not a bad buy but you might want to consider a Soundcraft Compact 10 as well. MusiciansFriend is blowing them out for about the same price ($179?) and they're a bit of a better board in my opinion.

You're kidding? :roll:
When I hear people tout a board or mic pre by saying things like ...

"If you take the time to learn how to properly use gain staging on those boards and you're matching impedences correctly in your signal path you will have absolutely no problem with noise and it's a very useable tool ..... The pre's are decent if you're looking for something that doesn't color the sound in any way and is relatively transparent.
"

.... I just have to smile. There is not one modern pre amp or mixer on the market that this cannot be said about. It's kind of like saying, "Date my sister, she has a pulse". It doesn't guarantee that she doesn't smell bad or have a face that looks like a mud fence. The first question I would ask is why do you feel you need a mixer and what are you going to do with it? If you are going to track with it, don't expect to get radio friendly recordings. The second question to ask is does it sound good? The answer is NO!

For the money it's not a bad buy but you might want to consider a Soundcraft Compact 10 as well. MusiciansFriend is blowing them out for about the same price ($179?) and they're a bit of a better board in my opinion.

Well a little better in terms of build quality, QC and customer service but if you are talking about the sound, yeah a bit of an improvment but still no cigar. These small mixers really are fine for PA or monitoring DAW inputs but I would not pass a signal to a recorder through one if I had any other option.

The bottom line is...
Well Behringer. :lol:
Berhinger is the bottom line, there is hardly anything out that is as bottom line as Behringer. They cut every corner possible. And then some
They are the last and bottom option. There are a few others that suck almost as much, but Behringer has them beat too.

Originally Posted by Kurt Foster

You're kidding? :roll:
When I hear people tout a board or mic pre by saying things like ...

"If you take the time to learn how to properly use gain staging on those boards and you're matching impedences correctly in your signal path you will have absolutely no problem with noise and it's a very useable tool ..... The pre's are decent if you're looking for something that doesn't color the sound in any way and is relatively transparent.
"

.... I just have to smile. There is not one modern pre amp or mixer on the market that this cannot be said about. It's kind of like saying, "Date my sister, she has a pulse". It doesn't guarantee that she doesn't smell bad or have a face that looks like a mud fence. The first question I would ask is why do you feel you need a mixer and what are you going to do with it? If you are going to track with it, don't expect to get radio friendly recordings. The second question to ask is does it sound good? The answer is NO!

For the money it's not a bad buy but you might want to consider a Soundcraft Compact 10 as well. MusiciansFriend is blowing them out for about the same price ($179?) and they're a bit of a better board in my opinion.

Well a little better in terms of build quality, QC and customer service but if you are talking about the sound, yeah a bit of an improvment but still no cigar. These small mixers really are fine for PA or monitoring DAW inputs but I would not pass a signal to a recorder through one if I had any other option.

Then perhaps you could recommend something else in that price range that's worth mentioning, Kurt.

This is the "Budget Gear" section after all. Perhaps in your vast experience and supreme knowledge you could enlighten us all (or at least me) as to what is a better mixer in that price range.

Personally, I have a UB that I use from time to time and I'm always surprised at how useful it is for the money. But that's just me and I'm not quite as hung as you are.

I am not Kurt, but I guess I can answer that one anyway. No, there is nothing decent in that price range at all. I have found the Allen and Heath stuff acceptable, but I usually say: Nothing less than a Midas console. That said, if you are starting out you might as well pick up a Behringer. If you find out that making recordings are your bag of tea, you will be looking at huge investments in gear and the Behringer will go first.
Truth be told, Behringer IS the low end but not all Behringer products are truly bad. Some products actually work OK but I wouldn´t exactly call them great. The mixers are among the less fortunate stuff they make. They do however make a digital mixer.. a 32whatnot thingie that makes a decent quick and dirty monitoring mixer in a budget project studio. Monitoring is not recording. These are different concepts. By the way, are you completely sure you actually need a mixer?

Hey if it does the job you got it for ...... well cool !

If it doesn't or you don't like the way it sounds well that is another story

Is it the best on the market...no, however if that is not something that bothers you...well !

Some people want to car to get them form A to B.

Others want a Porsch or a Lamborghini Testerosterone.

As long as you are happy with it and it dose the job in hand...go for it !!

Originally Posted by Dr_Simon

As long as you are happy with it...

I totaly agree with you and eletro80. But I would like to add, that happy today and happy tommorrow does NOT mean a happy future. And sometimes it doesn't take long, sometimes a yearish or so. Reguardless, when you've sunk all that money in gear, and you can't get a sound worth a damn. And you were atleast expecting something, better than what it is capiable of.
Then it becomes an issue of,
"Damn, what do I do now?" :cry: :oops:
"How much money to upgrade?" :shock: :cry:
"Why didn't I think this through?" :oops:
"I need to stop going to the Budget Gear forums @ RO." :lol: :x

But being serious again. I hope it works out for you man.

I totally agree, having had my own bits of behringer kit. Although I dont have any in my critical path at present, I did find the that, when starting out the channel strip was a big step up from the pres on the D1200 / D1600 I was working with.

Saying that I know a couple of people who make their living as recording engineers who use Behringer desks as part of their live rigs and get some great results.