Behringer Eurorack MX2004

Purchased second hand, US$300. I wanted a mixer for my home studio setup with several synths, plus the requirement to record accoustic instruments.

Ita a great unit. Solid construction. Typical EQ and Aux sections. 8 XLRs with Phantom and huge range on the preamps. Makes it easy to record any type of source. Behringer clain big head room, and they are right, lots of gain is available, the mixer is suitable for a range of applications.
Great for live, and very good for project studio.
Noise floor seems very low, I've never had any audible noise with all faders right up.
Insert points for the 8 mono channels is cool.

Hardly any dislikes but one major one:
Unit has 4 stereo input pairs, thats cool. What is not cool is that you cant Aux send the stereo channels in stereo! The are summed to the auxiliary. There should be an option to send each channel to a different aux send. With out that, it makes it a compromise in the studio setup because if you use stereo effects, or record from your auxillaries, then you are faced with a reroute to the mono channels, or using the Alt outputs. The Alt outputs are almost ideal, but then you find that it means you cant mute other channels while you are using them as mute and Alt are shared on the same button.

Great construction quality
Minor thing with the design... a 20 channel mixer is quite likely to be something that you setup and leave in one place, its not tiny. But with nearly all the connectors on the top rather than at the back, it makes life messy. Its pretty minor, and i'd probably complain if they were on the back.

Its great, only one issue I mentioned above. For live its a 5 out of 5, especially being perfect for rackmount.

For a small studio its pretty good as long as you are only recording 2 channels.

Its a fantastic live sub-mixer for foldback or dropping drums to stereo.

Its also far better value for money than anything else i've tried of this size.


This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Mixer 16 channels + 2 stereo returns (20 tracks).

Not to be confused with the MX2004A.
The MX2004 is a true copy of a Mackie 1402 VLZ but with 16 slices and a 3-band EQ with a parametric.
Same look, same colors, same wiring scheme, the same components, even his ...
This console was built until 1999, when Mackie filed a complaint and won her case against Behringer. The German manufacturer has then had to change the look and manufacture of consoles (he imitated the range Mackie).
The MX2004 has inherited an A at the end. This also means that production has become more Chinese and non-German.
The sound quality was amazing on the first series (just like a 1402 except the preamp which supported a less senior levels) has declined considerably thereafter.
Behringer damage and the consumer and good for Mackie.

UTILIZATION

Full routing hyper

SOUNDS

Compared with a Mackie 1402 VLZ Pro: it's the same sound (except the preamp which is a little less flexible).
It sounds pretty hard and accurate without adding nor breath nor actual color.
The equalizer is convenient with the parametric mid. Unfortunately, on this point, we remain in the low end like the original Mackie. To be used in small doses to avoid damaging the sound.

OVERALL OPINION

Value for money unbeatable. I know of no example of a console as complete, with good sound quality in this price range.
It's perfect for live sound in a group or repeated as to start in a home studio.