Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)There are products that are designed to wow us with their seemingly infinite scope of features and permutations; at the opposite extreme there are products that sacrifice functionality in order to be aesthetically pleasing. The Behringer Xenyx 802 falls into neither of these categories. It's not fancy, but it has a specific use and it just does it well.
There are several different routing options, including separate outputs for headphone monitoring, control room output, and line out. In addition, this little mixer provides phantom power to up to two microphones. The sound quality is very transparent, and you have to really jack up the gain to hear any background noise. Overall, this device creates the clean, even frequency response of solid state electronics but without the cold, brittle digitalian cast that plagues direct digital recording. I use this for recording on my computer via my Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Sound Card ( 70SB073A00000 ); I have a somewhat rare cable which converts stereo 1/4" to stereo RCA, from which point I use a Y-cable to convert to a miniplug (yes, I can hear you audiophiles groaning). Using this setup, with some simple level adjustment on the 802, I can record both my keyboard and my voice (via the AKG Perception 200 Condenser Microphone) with high fidelity. I use this setup for producing demo recordings, but other possible uses include podcasting and pulling mixer duty for a live performance in a small venue.
The on board controls are nothing special, really. The EQ would probably be useful in a pinch, but I generally gravitate toward software-based EQ and effects in lieu of hardware equivalents, if only because I have much more control when using software. I imagine dedicated hardware would probably sound much better, though. Honestly, the 802 doesn't require a degree in rocket surgery to use; an instinctive knowledge of I/O and a basic understanding of audio equipment are the (loose) prerequisites. And, if you have trouble, the manual is very informative. What's more, it takes high honors as the absolute best English translation of a manual that I have ever come across.
As far as build quality, when testing out the controls I found that the knobs felt very solid without being sticky. Unfortunately, my unit does not sit flush on the table; I am not sure if this happens often with this model or brand. Other than this, the 802 seems very well made and I get the impression that it could get kicked around my home studio a lot and still keep on working. Reviews at various online music equipment retailers confirm the above.
My sole complaint about the 802 is that it has a somewhat unconventional metering display: While most audio meters will use a row of yellow LEDs to indicate when a signal is coming close to 0.0 dB (without clipping), on the 802 the yellow LEDs light up when a signal has actually exceeded 0.0 dB and is thus already mildly distorted. This is fine on a tube amp, I suppose, but for a solid state device one would probably not want any distortion, and the color coding of the meter is a little strange given that standpoint. I am more concerned when glancing over at the mixer if I am coming close to 0 dB, and a row of yellow LEDs in the -6 dB through 0 dB range would have been a lot more useful to me.
Still, the above is a very minor issue, and overall this is a wonderful little piece of equipment. Does it come packed with ten million different capabilities and features? No, of course not. But it doesn't follow the annoying modern trend of hiding everything behind a blank exterior with three or so tiny buttons shoved off to the side and out of sight, either (are you reading this Apple and all those like you?). For basic mixing work, small-scale demo recording, podcasting, and intimate live performances, the Behringer Xenyx 802 would be a very useful addition to anyone's equipment arsenal. There's something comforting about analog knobs, something musical in exactly the way that clicking through a series of computer generated dialogs or editing patch parameters with a menu substructure and a pair of up and down buttons just isn't. The tactile sensation inspires a sort of creative mindset, if you will. Call me crazy if you like, but even if analog didn't sound better than digital (please don't get into that debate with me; if you disagree than so be it) I would probably still surround myself with analog equipment.
My recommendation is if you need something unglamorous but very capable of accomplishing its intended use, then the Behringer Xenyx 802 is definitely something you should consider. It's relatively cheap, it's high quality, and it's an overall good beginning investment.
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Behringer Xenyx 802 Premium 8-Input 2-Bus Mixer with Xenyx Mic Preamps and British EQsNeed to accommodate a vocal duo in a hurry? Got a small choir in need of a little projection? The BEHRINGER 802 mixer has everything you need to give a small multi-vocal performance a robust sound, offering plenty of versatility at a price you can afford.
A Bit of Input The 8-input, 2-bus XENYX 802 has two XENYX mic preamps with +48 V phantom power, making it possible to use two dynamic or condenser microphones. You can use the 802's effects send and return jacks to hook up to an external effects processor.
Play music between sets via the RCA CD/Tape inputs (assignable to main mix or control room/phones outputs) and record your performance to an outboard recording device via the RCA outputs.
XENYX Preamps The microphone channels feature high-end XENYX preamps that compare well with costly outboard preamps in terms of sound quality and dynamics, and boast the following features:
130 dB dynamic range for plenty of headroom
A bandwidth ranging from below 10 Hz to over 200 kHz for nuanced reproduction
Low-noise, distortion-free circuitry for a transparent signal
Perfect for most any mic, with up to 60 dB of gain and a +48 volt phantom power supply
"British EQ" The equalizers used for the XENYX series are based on the legendary circuitry of top-notch consoles made in Britain, which are renowned throughout the world for their warm and musical sound character. Even with extreme gain settings, these equalizers provide outstanding audio.
Small Wonder Weighing in at just 2.2 pounds, the XENYX 802 is the portable, practical way to turn a small performance with multiple vocalists into a sonic gem. Choirs, folk duos, coffee shops and karaoke lounges agree the XENYX 802 packs superior sound into small places.
What's in the Box Behringer 802 8-Input Mixer, Power Supply, User's Manual
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