Behringer MX2004A Eurorack Mixer

It's got the all standard functions of a standard mixer. No more no less.

I tried to use this mixer in my home recording environment, which includes Logic Audio software with EXS 24 sample player and an external midi-driven Roland JV-1010. My monitors are a pair of active Tannoy Reaveal speakers. When I A/B'd the sound through the mixer (2-Track Inputs) against the direct sound from my PC through the monitors I decided that this mixer is not a good choice. The bass frequencies come across weak and the stereo image seems to suffer. The whole sound lacks transparency and definiton. And this is only the master bus!

After about 6 months it became quite obvious why this mixer is so affordable: Some of the stereo faders started to lose one channel, pots became noisy and interruptive, buttons did not function properly. My guess is that Behringer is using cheap components all over the place, probably Chinese garbage recycled from tin cans.

I could not recommend this product for any application. Bad sound and unreliable hardware. Save your bucks and get something worth buying.

Definitely easy to use, 8 mono channels and 4 stereo channels. 2 aux's (one pre/post fade switchable). 3-band eq with swept mid. Phantom power, inserts on mono chanels. As usual, comprehensive manual. May be rack mounted. If you have any idea at all of how to use a mixer you'll have no trouble with this one, though some of the pots are a little small.

I use mine mainly for live work where I would argue that the (alleged) definciencies in pre-amp quality are not so apparent. It does get noisy on extreme input gain settings but I think that's true of most mixers, certainly those in this units price bracket. I use mine in conjunction with a rack of behringer effects (Virtualiser, Composer pro and FBQ 1502). I regularly get good comments on the quality of sound.

I've never had a problem with the unit and wouldn't feel it neccessary to take out a back-up. Most of the components (sliders, pots etc) feel like they're soldered to the main board and have a slightly flimsy feel so i guess it wouldn't take too much rough handling to damage them. I also think it's important to keep it dust free and it's a good idea to lubricate the sliders now and again to free up some of the muck and grime that gets in there. Otherwise i'm fairly happy.

Had to email them a couple of times on a variety of topics and I genrally get a reply in an acceptable time. They are a big company with (I would guess) a lot of enquiries each day, so i don't expect an instant response

Overall i'm happy with this mixer. It's the second one i've had so that should tell you something. It's not the only mixer I have but I use it more often than anything else. I bought this mixer on the basis of price/features, and you get a lot for your money at that price. should it be lost, stole or breakdown i would definitely look for another one.

It's a fairly basic mixer - easy to use. I've been using Mackie 1604 and 1402VLZ mixers, so that's my basis of comparison. The layout and operation of the 2004A is quite similar, so no learning curve to speak of. Even for an inexperienced user, it's pretty user-friendly.

The sound quality is relative to what you are using it for. I've had mine for about 6 months, and up till a couple days ago, I've used it primarily as a submixer for monitoring a rack of keyboards, synth modules, and samplers. For that application it's sounded fine - no complaints. However, when I tried to use it for recording recently, I was suprised at how bad it sounded. Tracking an electric guitar with clean tone through the board to an Adat revealed the inferior quality of the built-in pre-amps. Another reviewer described them as weak and distorted and I would have to agree.I could not get anywhere near a useable sound - even with balanced cables.

It was impossible to get enough level to the recorder with out massive distortion. Even sending the signal through a Mesa Boogie tube pre-amp and into the board would not yield a decent tone. Then I tried it through the Mackie 1402VLZ and the difference was like day and night.

I've only used mine in my studio so far. But it seems reliable and I think it would be fine to gig with - depending how you are using it.

I haven't had to deal with the company, so no comment here.

Although I've played guitar (rock, jazz, etc) for over 30 years, my current focus is synth-based ambient electronic music. As a keyboard mixer, the 2004A has been doing a fine job for me. But for recording, it wouldn't be my first choice. In general, I like Behringer equipment and have been impressed over the years with their bang for the buck value. I also have a Behringer Ultra-Curve EQ and an Ultramizer Pro, both of which are fine products (especially the Ultra-Curve). Their gear is ususally well designed, functional, good features, decent manuals, etc.
As I said, depending on your needs and usage, this could either be a good choice or not. If I had written this review before my recent experience with it, I would have rated it much higher. But based on the quality of the pre-amps for recording, I have to knock some points off.I got a really good deal on mine and I'm happy with it for specific uses. If I were in the market again, with so much available, I'd definitely be shopping around.

Easy to use as mixers go. Move Faders, tweak knobs, etc...

Quality is good at this price. Naturally, this type of mixer was designed with live use in mind. I don't use the mic pre's so I can't say much for them.

After 4 years of light use, the 2 TK to main out button quit working and I started to lose a channel in my headphones. I vacuumed all the crud the mixer had accumulated... still the same. Pushed the button about 20 times and it started to work ok again. Other than that, it's been working fine... I leave it on for weeks at a time.

Never contacted them.

I bought it when it first came out... so this is the black one, rather than the newer silver one. There's definitely way better stuff out there now.

Pretty straight forward mixer. Great manual, great features for the price.

Sub-standard sound quality. Mic pre-amps are dirty and weak. I run 8 mics into it for recording drums and the quality of the mic pre-amps was lacking. I bought a Yamaha MX12/6 to replace this thing and the diffence in contruction quality and sound quality was like night & day.

Not reliable. After about 6 months of ownership, the buttons started malfunctioning. Everything feels tinny and "plastic" and always reminds me that something may go at any time.

Never dealt with them. For the price I paid, I'd just upgrade to something better if I were you.

For the money, it's a good deal. If you are just getting started in home-based recording and don't need to impress anyone with your music or you need an inexpensive mixer for band rehearsal or a bingo hall, this is the unit to get. However, if you want any kind of quality recording or reliability, look elsewhere. Spend a few dollars more and get a Yamaha.