Behringer KX1200

120W keyboard amplifier built into a 3-way bass reflex cabinet
15" woofer, 5" midrange speaker, plus tweeter
4-channel operation with line inputs and dedicated volume controls
Effects/monitor path on all 4 channels
Additional XLR input on channel 1 for microphone connection
Tape input for line-level signals
Tape output for recording and live applications
Balanced direct output on XLR connector for easy connection to a mixing console
Main output for connection of additional power amps
Active 4-band EQ
Master volume control and stereo headphone output

I play keyboards, guitar and bass. I mainly used this amp/mini pa for keyboards. I found the EQ on the amp to be completely non musical. What's the point of having a ton of features if the amp doesn't sound good? Since it's a Behringer piece I'm sure it has all cheap components.

Eh mine worked but mine wasn't really taken out of the house much at all. I didn't really care that it worked considering it sounds like **** with keyboards.

Ton of features but it doesn't matter because it has a very non musical sound to it. I tried and tried to use the eq on it to no avail. I bought a Peavey KB4 to replace it and I'm much, much happier.

Bought this refurbished from Guitar Center in February 2007. Designed as for vocals and keyboards, it doesn't add or subtract much, so I put my vocals through a Digitech VX300 and it works very well. When I first brought this in to play with my basement band, two of the guys made several of the common anti-Behringer comments. Gradually, though, they have all come to respect it so much that they have all run their mics through it (4 total). At that level, I can be clearly heard, but the fourth channel mic has to be set pretty high to be really heard. (Hey, what do you want for $160!) Oh, and we also have the CD player plugged into it for the "new song singalongs". So five inputs and quite good performance.

No sound effects, just straight, true amplification. Each of the four channels has an "effects" knob but since I set my effect levels on my Digitech, and since the other guys don't have effects,I can't give any experiences. The eq features low, low mid, high mid and high, and are relatively effective in that respect.

Very quiet, even silent, using long mic cords and nothing else on the line. High levels of treble can add some hiss, as can multi-plugs into a power strip.

I have played guitar through it, and it sounds decent, but to get sound variation I prefer my Crate with 20 settings. Vocally, it works for everything from Marley to Collective Soul to CSN to Cream.

No problems so far, but because of general Behringer reliability comments, I got the extended warranty.

No.

After 20 years of on-and-off playing/singing solo, I joined my current group around 3 years ago, playing together once a week. The kx1200 has been a trouper. It does what it is supposed to do, nothing fancy, but we don't really need anything more. The price (low) to quality/reliability/volume (high) ratio is excellent, as comparably-powered/featured amps are often two or three times higher.

Update to my previous posting: Fixng one KX1200 problem: I found that the electrolytic capacitors can fail on noisy AC lines. Strange noises I experiences were cleaned up by replacing ALL original electrolytics with good quality ones. I hope this helps someone out. It is not an expensive fix parts-wise.

Good luck.

be careful using this amp on AC lines that have other items running. mine acted up after playing a a fall fair....a remote receptable on a pole serving several users...within minutes my amp sounded noisy. The PA amp ICs seem to hold up well under stress but not the capacitors.

I use my 2 amps through my studio line conditioner. I would not depend on them for use on stage. I prefer to use a Peavey KB4 when playing in public with it's headphone monitor feature "(great for in-ear monitoring) and other features.

My 2 KX1200's are happy to stay home and give me stereo sound to my guitars, bass, keyboards, etc.

good email support
no local service centre for me
my first one acted up 1 day after warranty
they will not share or sell schematics or even block diagrams

40+ years (see my previous posting for full details)
it's low cost and handy in the studio but is effected by any noise on AC line
I would prefer a Peavey or Roland keyboard amp

it seems to have a 50/50 reliability according to all opinons I have seen on-line (I'm not here to "bash" this product)

Built 2004, 4 channels (mono) , master vol, efx loop, headphone jack, master EQ, each channel has efx send. I needed a small powerful KEYBOARD amp. For the price this can't be beat, so its hard to find a lot wrong with this due to the 'bang for the buck ' factor. HOwever, it would be nice to have stereo inputs since most Keyboards are stereo with sometype of stereo field output on the sound of the EFX from the keyboard. So , I often use all 4 channels using my workstation and a Wavestation stereo outs to make sure I get the 'whole sound' of the keyboards. This thing is plenty loud for a small group. It is noisey. Mostly used for garage band jam.... and then sound reinforcement for practice. Didn't pay 500.00 for a 'name' unit, don't expect a lot but got plenty good enough!

I wanted the 15" for the 'big synth' sound, which it delivers, but then it also 'woofs out' on the lowend of a Rhodes sound and low B3 type sounds. As I stated earlier , it is noisey , but not obtrusively so. ... I wouldn't push this amp to distortion, like 'gimme some lovin' B3 ..... it would blow out the windows in the house. Best bet , would be to use an amp simulator as stated by someone else above. I imagine it would work very well with a ZOOM, Digitech, POD, or other simulator. Then this would be the bargain of the century? - solid output , clean sound.

Only had this for 6 mo's ....its worked very well for me so far. Have not had high-pressure gig demanding night by night performances.

This is my second Behringer product .... that doesn't mean their customer support is great..... however, 'get a grip' - how much did you pay for a brand new amplifier ?? even if it fails in a year .... SO WHAT ! ... you can buy a new amp head on E-bay and use the speakers ..... the cabs seem solid.

I'm an 'old skool' dude - 'don't get around much anymore' - played professionally long ago for more years than I care to admit with minor league success, but I still love to play rock, blues, and phunk for my own enjoyment. I've had some 'major' equipment in the past - big $'s I payed. However, now , I just need basic sound reinforcement. This amp meets the need I have for my keyboards, rack gear and workstations. I do not use this for guitar amplification , but with the right simulator it may be very good.

If stolen - probably buy another, just a good value.

Wish inputs were stereo - I could probably use 'Y' cords , but it would be nice to have right and left input for each channel with a stereo link capability like the Alesis Sumo. This shouldn't add much cost.

The amp is the right size & power output to take anywhere for PA use when I need more than a guitar amp. I have 2. I play anything from Bach to Rock on guitar and other instruments. It was made in 2002. I wanted a one piece unit so I could set up quickly for some functions rather than use a powere mixer and speakers on stands. I bought mine due to a tight budget at the time. If funds permitted I would bought a higher end product for my needs.

My 1st unit finally acted up after an outdoor concert. It started making crackling sounds and emits a tone pitch after 30 seconds warm up. If anyone knows what parts were replaced or repaired in their KX1200 I'd like to share information. I'm an electronics tech but don't have the schematic. A quick look at the circuitry showed it uses 2 LM3886T IC's for output chips. I suspect an RC ocscillation is the problem. I did put more silicone heat compound on the output chips and tightened the screw in each one against the heatsink (they were not tight).

contact me at lscoker@hotmail.com

the unit sounded very clean with my guitar, bass or keyboard. It is best to use an amp modeller/simulator for guitar to even out the sound (it is mentioned in their manual...if you don't have a manual, it can be downloaded from www.behringer.com).

My 1st XK1200 last one year before the noise problem. I got the second for a very good price because the dealer wanted to get rid of any Behringer stock (claiming both he & customers could not get service or responses from Behringer). The inside design is clean but I have not had the time to back-engineer the circuitry to come up with some mods to overcome complaints mentioned on this site. I'm willing to share info to help keep KX1200's reliable.

I have tried to contact Behringer with no results yet. It seems they've pulled out of Canada although products are still being sold. I have several Fender amps. They always provide schematics...as do other amp manufacturers. It would be handy!

I've played for well over 40 years, most of my current instruments are Fender. I wanted a pair of KX1200's for stage work but I just have one clean sounding unit and another that sounds like an old fashioned tea kettle "whistling at the boil". The LM3886T chips are supposed to be "indestructable" according to the manufacturers specs for them (Behringer mentions that).

Let's share some info and make the KX1200 a "reliable" amp! Feel free to write me.

This has all been covered in depth by other reviewers. My goal here is to pass along information I have learned the hard (and expensive) way in the reliability section, below. IMO, this amp as all of the features needed to do the job for which it was intended.

What you put in is what you get out. Like a good PA, it doesn't add to or subtract from the tone of the input signal. As such, it makes a great amp for a modeler like a POD or V-amp.

IMPORTANT: Whatever you do, DO NOT connect a cable carrying phantom power to the XLR direct (line) output of this amp. A "professional" sound crew did so to mine at a show in the Pocono's when the amp was less than one month old. The 48 volt phantom power fed directly into the power amp of the KX1200, and among other damage, smoked (yes, real smoke) the 15" driver. Other than that, the amp has been very reliable.

Behringer made good on the repair, but it took well over a month. The amp was destroyed when it was shipped back to me (a factory packaging issue, not the fault of the amp or UPS). They ended up sending me a new amp.

Great amp for what it does. Put a phantom power filter on the direct out jack, and i'd give it a 10.

i bought it last year
Enough if U use a channel mixer and multi effect processors
i wish no features on this amp
i had build a room inside the basement with lower sealing noise blocker walls, carpet but my neighbours still can hear me and I do not care
the amp does have enough power to overrun my pearl drum set

i have a ESP KH603 with humbucker 81
and a boss gt-6 mostly to simulate single coils (cause we play oldies)
the lsx400 acoustic guitar is clean
the amp of its one sucks, u have to have a gt-6 ore like this
voice sucks as well (the high is missing, but i mean this is a amp 4 keyboards)
but i tell u what, this amp rocks with a gt-6;
but sorry 4 the rating (the gt-6 is not installed ;-(
last month i tried dynacord monitoring and preamp, that was a sound i can't thell u

yes i would, but only for monitoring (bass ore drums)
never had promblems with it
ups i forgot with a mixer this amp does make a little noise like brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ore smmmmrrrrrr (but it does not matter to me, if i play i can't hear it and after playing i am deaf :-)

Never had problems, using it over n year nearly every day, so i won't rate it

I started the guitar and the drums last year and I had the idea to come up with a band
I already had the 1200 so I have to use it, I also bought a UB2442FX-PRO EURORACK 24 channel Mixer, plugged in 3 micros, 1 bass guitar Yamaha, 1 acoustic guitar Yamaha LSX-400 handcrafted, a Fender Telecaster US, a ESP/LTD KH-603 signature series, , 2x BOSS GT-6 Multi effect processor for guitar and started a band

I mean it is not the greatest thing, my phones sucks und anyway we are roox but I promise u if u are using this thing for practising, what else do u need and who can beat that price?
And the really good thing on this amp is, if u are on stage then u can use it as a monitoring for bass ore drum player

The next thing I gonna do is, to run it with a AKG
DRUM-MIC-SET

i rank it as a 10 bcause of the price the power the really good sound if a the boss gt-6 multi effect processor 4 guitars, that u can use it as monitoring ore also if u have a bithday party and u wanna sing and play accustic

Bought this Behringer KX-1200 from Musician's Friend in January 2005. The unit features 120 watts, 1x15" woofer, 1x5" mid and a horn tweeter. each of the four channels has one 1/4" input, and Channel 1 has an XLR mic input (can only use the 1/4" or XLR, not both at once). There are also a variety of input/output options, including: XLR balanced line out, "main" line level out (1/4"), effects loop and a pair of stereo RCA input/outpus. The only jack on the front panel is a 1/4" headphone terminal.

Controls include a master volume and 4-band EQ. As well, each channel has a gain control and an FX/monitor level control. This allows you to control the "wet" level of the effects unit patched into the effects loop, OR you can use it to control the level of each channel going into a monitor amp (using the output of the effects loop only).

I purchased this to use as an all-in-one for bass and PA. Although I was able to get a pretty good EQ setup for my bass (bass, high-mid and highs at 3 o'clock on the dials, and low-mid all the way off), the tone would definitely benefit from some sort of outboard pre-amp! As for PA use, I ran my laptop (MP3's) into one of the 1/4" channel inputs and set the amp's EQ flat (12 o'clock on all pots). I had as good a canned music sound as I have ever gotten from a guitar, bass or keyboard amp! In fact, all frequency responses were very smooth AND the clarity rivaled that of a good PA system. Mids and highs were clear and distinct, and the bass thumped nicely without getting overly muddy.

Plenty of headroom for most gigs for both bass and PA use. Not quite as much volume as a dedicated bass amp for my bass guitar, but a decent bass pre-amp should cure that.

The only real shortcoming is the lack of EQ on each channel. To use it for both bass and PA at the same time, you would, once again, need to add a bass pre-amp.

As noted above, GREAT PA sound and a good bass sound. For use as an all-in-one generic amp, this thing does a great job! The amp maintains excellent sound at high volume settings (channel gain and main volume) with little or no distortion. I have yet to set the channel gain and the main volume controls above 12 o'clock (halfway) for the bass, as halfway up has been plenty of volume for rehearsals. That being said, one shortcoming of the KX-1200 is the white noise generated by each channel and the main amp. Although the noise is relatively low in live settings (imperceptible once you start playing or pop in a CD), it is probably enough to keep this from being a legitimate recording amp for keys or bass.

The 4-band EQ is definitely set up for vocals and PA work. If using this primarily for keys or PA, you should be very happy with the EQ voicing.

Can't give much of an opinion on its long-term durability. I've had the unit for two weeks. However, I can update some info noted in other reviews. Apparently, Behringer was paying attention to the complaints of poor packaging. MF is currently shipping the unit in a "box packed in a box". Yep, the foam corners are still breaking and falling into the bottom of the inner carton. However, the four corrugated layers did a nice job of protecting the amp in transit. No nicks, dings or scars.

I also read several reviews decrying blown power sections. To test this on my unit, I left the amp on overnight a few times to see if the power section would have any blowouts. As well, I drove the amp at stage volume (OK, a small stage) for a couple of hours at practice. No problems at all. In their defense, I've had great luck with the other couple of Behringer items that I've owned. However, due to the variety of problems experienced by other reviewers, I'll sure be careful to have other options available in case I do have an issue.

I've had no contact with Behringer. They do, however, have a pretty nice web page. In fact, this was where I found out that the KX-1200 was being discontinued in 2005 (thus the deep discount from MF, $200 down from $300). Looks like they will be dropping the current line and replacing it with a NICE LOOKING new line of keyboard amps after NAMM. The new line will look considerably more modern (they are shorter and have the rounded front of the Peavey BAM, Ampeg PortaBass and Warwick bass combos).

I've purchase three Behringer items from MF, and had great success with all three. As well, I've always had great success with MF any time I have a problem with an item.

As noted, I'm using the KX-1200 as both a PA and a bass amp. After several years with a full-stack Peavey bass amp and a full rack-mounted PA, I found it was time to reduce my gear load. At the time of purchase, my primary interest was in a Carvin unit of the same type (can't remember the model, but it's the green combo with 3 channels and 100 watts). Unfortunately, the Carvin was exactly twice as much as the Behringer. I've gotta admit, so far I've been very pleased with the Behringer and the $200 still in my pocket. For those of you with a small garage band, this amp can handle inputs from four different instruments or mics. At $200, I could see this being a very efficient and cost effective way to amplify an entire band during rehearsals! For an Avereage Joe weekend gigger, like myself, it carries plenty of options and volume for almost any small or medium gig. Assuming that it holds up under regular use, this should be the last general duty amp I'll ever need.

have two. (originally for stereo, but turned out to be one for a spare) both made in 2002. good features, good sound. wish it had reverb.

keys- digital grand and B3, clean sound.

the pits. Have two- one for a backup. (one is always in the shop- for months at a time) and handled by no one but me. not abused.
usually blows the power chip.

non-existant

been playing for 40 years. own Korg SG1, Ensoniq Mirage, Baby B3 module, if had the $$, I'd have bought a Roland. They're great when they work. Wish they had reverb.

Because the KX1200 is a mono amp, I had to eventually invest in a second one to suit my stereo needs. The auxillary tape input did a decent job of emulating a psuedo stereo image with particular devices, but the mono speakers did not allow wide enough bandwidth for stereo effects to shine IMHO. In addition, the effects loop is also mono and can dampen stereo effects.

Warts aside, the interface is very practical and the numerous in/outs make both of my KX1200s suited for a variety of my personal applications, e.g., amplifying a Boss DR-5 drum machine/sequencer, Tonelab SE, Tonelab desktop modeler, a cheap Casio CTK-411 Keyboard, an acoustic/electric guitar, and, perhaps one day, my voice(?!).

I always keep the EQ on both of my KX1200s flat and use the channel inputs for my various instruments. There is a slight bit of coloration in comparison to other audio reproduction devices in my home. More specifically, the highs are cut and bass is boosted.

Out of my two KX1200s, the oldest one sounds best to me. The newer one seems to have a less resonant bass response and audibly buzzes at higher volumes.

Being a solo home musican for the most part, I have rarely cranked either up to a "gig volume". The few times I have done so, it has been essential to balance the individual channel volumes with the global output levels. Otherwise, the tone becomes very shrill and loses definition with amp modelers or boomy with keyboards and drum machines.

The older KX1200 has survived infrequent voyages to jam sessions and a move between residences in the same town. Otherwise, it has spent the majority of its life nestled next to its evil twin in my practice room.

I refer to my newer KX1200 as its "evil twin" because it seems to have been manufactured in an alternate universe (or sweatshop) where power switches are installed backwards and quality standards have taken a slight dive. If you read the other reviews, consistency in production standards is definitely not Behringer's strongest suit.

I included a little message about the noise on my newer KX1200 with my warranty registration. Though they were somewhat helpful back when the memory battery in my V-AMP2 died, I am not optimistic about receiveing a response this time.

I have looked into other compact PA options with mulit-leveled, full-range speakers and the KX1200 definitely has the best cost to feature ratio on the current market. Still, it would be nice to have a single KX1200 that could produce true stereo sounds ... and more consistent manufacturing standards in the various Behringer production centers throughout Germany and the third world ... but we only get what we pay for, right?