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MGR/Kevin Holmes « Behringer MX602a »
Published on 10/03/03 at 15:00I bought this mixer at Guitar Center for $55 as a small solution for an incredibly small home project studio. I'm using a very nice mic (Audio Technica 3035), with the Presonus TubePRE preamp, so I didn't want to cheap out with a crummy mixer.
I was born and raised on Mackie. I've had 3 1402s, a 1604, and a couple of 1202s for various uses in my home and mobile studios.
The only reason I didn't go Mackie today was budget - but I'm not disappointed at all! (read more, my friend!!)
Every Mackie-head that I talked to told me "no way, this is a cheap board from a budget company". Finally, a friend who knew better told me otherwise.
I am amazed at the sound on this thing! The mic preamps are as good as a Mackie and it's QUIET! I'm not comparing them side to side, but I feel the same amazement I originally felt when I plugged in my first Mackie.
I admit... I was hesitant to defect from my Mackie addiction, but with all the features of a 1/2 sized 1202, this board is about one SEVENTH of the PRICE of a 1202.
If you're shopping for a good phantom power preamp, you can't touch a good one for this price.
The pots feel to be pretty good quality. They don't stick or turn very stiff-ly (stiffly?).
The external power supply is not a wall-wart, so you get the benefit of a smaller unit and still get a fairly nice non-grounded plug power supply.
Seperate control room / main mix outputs is kinda nice too.
Considering that for a mixer of this price and size, turnpots will be the standard, rather than sliders; the only other thing that really bugs me is the 3-LED meter. Oddly enough, it's pretty easy to use for referernce.
It has no XLR outputs, which kind of bugs me, but again - size and price are most likely the cause of that too.
The plastic sides bug me, but seem sturdy. As soon as I got it out of the box, I whacked it really hard against the concrete floor to see what would happen (better now than after the warranty expires). I might hesitate to take this on tour with me, but I'd not hesitate to toss it into my luggage (padded in shirts and pants) and fly it with me. It's pretty solid.
The mixer doesn't seem to be manufactured "cheaply". It just feels good. It sits level on the table and the pads keep it from sliding - just a lot more than you'd expect form something this cheap. Heck, I once owned a Radio Shack mixer that cost twice this price that was no where near as cool!
I just got done emailing a handful of Mackie-addicted buddies of mine to tell them about this board. There's no reason why this board couldn't sell for $100 or $125 if you compare to Mackie. However, Mackie is starting to appear overpriced with competition like this.
If you need a board this size and 4 inputs (2 mono mic/line and 2 stereo line) will do ya, then this is a no-brainer. I've got a couple of friends who bought a Mackie 1202 but don't need all the inputs. This would have been a GREAT solution and saved them the price of about 26 pizzas (around $330 difference in price from the Mackie).
Obviously, some people need more inputs etc - but if you are even THINKING about something this size, BUY THIS MIXER.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com
I was born and raised on Mackie. I've had 3 1402s, a 1604, and a couple of 1202s for various uses in my home and mobile studios.
The only reason I didn't go Mackie today was budget - but I'm not disappointed at all! (read more, my friend!!)
Every Mackie-head that I talked to told me "no way, this is a cheap board from a budget company". Finally, a friend who knew better told me otherwise.
I am amazed at the sound on this thing! The mic preamps are as good as a Mackie and it's QUIET! I'm not comparing them side to side, but I feel the same amazement I originally felt when I plugged in my first Mackie.
I admit... I was hesitant to defect from my Mackie addiction, but with all the features of a 1/2 sized 1202, this board is about one SEVENTH of the PRICE of a 1202.
If you're shopping for a good phantom power preamp, you can't touch a good one for this price.
The pots feel to be pretty good quality. They don't stick or turn very stiff-ly (stiffly?).
The external power supply is not a wall-wart, so you get the benefit of a smaller unit and still get a fairly nice non-grounded plug power supply.
Seperate control room / main mix outputs is kinda nice too.
Considering that for a mixer of this price and size, turnpots will be the standard, rather than sliders; the only other thing that really bugs me is the 3-LED meter. Oddly enough, it's pretty easy to use for referernce.
It has no XLR outputs, which kind of bugs me, but again - size and price are most likely the cause of that too.
The plastic sides bug me, but seem sturdy. As soon as I got it out of the box, I whacked it really hard against the concrete floor to see what would happen (better now than after the warranty expires). I might hesitate to take this on tour with me, but I'd not hesitate to toss it into my luggage (padded in shirts and pants) and fly it with me. It's pretty solid.
The mixer doesn't seem to be manufactured "cheaply". It just feels good. It sits level on the table and the pads keep it from sliding - just a lot more than you'd expect form something this cheap. Heck, I once owned a Radio Shack mixer that cost twice this price that was no where near as cool!
I just got done emailing a handful of Mackie-addicted buddies of mine to tell them about this board. There's no reason why this board couldn't sell for $100 or $125 if you compare to Mackie. However, Mackie is starting to appear overpriced with competition like this.
If you need a board this size and 4 inputs (2 mono mic/line and 2 stereo line) will do ya, then this is a no-brainer. I've got a couple of friends who bought a Mackie 1202 but don't need all the inputs. This would have been a GREAT solution and saved them the price of about 26 pizzas (around $330 difference in price from the Mackie).
Obviously, some people need more inputs etc - but if you are even THINKING about something this size, BUY THIS MIXER.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com