Behringer ADA8000

[stevesound]

Hiya,
about to buy a Behringer ADA8000, it's 8 preamps with an ADAT out for 255Euros, which is astonishingly good value I think!
So anyone care to share their opinions on Behringer gear??
Any problems with intergration into a Pro Tools system (ADAT issues)?


Thanks
Steve

[DJ Insomaniac]

Most people don't like Behringer products, but my personal experience has been fairly positive.

[JFreak]

behringer gear is CRAP. it will be better for you to buy an alesis ai-3 (which is a line-level a/d/a converter) and a good analog console with direct outs, for example any soundcraft or mackie unit. and for that price you should think about buying a presonus digimax lt (which also has its issues but is far better than the behringer).

[pk_hat]

Where 90210 should be chiming in any second now. He has a Pavlovian reaction when the word Behringer is in the thread's subject line.

I would do a search if I were you, the Behringer bashing discussions have nearly outweighed the "which monitors should I buy?" and "can I run PT without the hardware attached?" topics. Whatever "Where" says about them, I have to admit I'm right there with him. I've had a horrible Behringer experience in the past and now I know better. IMO, it comes down to this.

1- you're starting out, you're on a tight budget, you just need to get the job done and not looking for audio perfection. You realise there's better gear but right now, you don't care, you just want to record music (which is admirable in many ways). In such a case - get the Behringer and consider it part of the learning process.

2-you've been doing this a while, perhaps you're never been quite satisfied with the preamps you've used in the past. You could wait, save some money and get something decent that sounds good and won't break within a year or two (which the B will, trust me), but you think to yourself that it can't be that bad, you just want it now. My advice would be, don't fall for it. It won't sound any better than the 002R pres and if you simply need more inputs, you're better off getting a Focusrite Octopre, Presonus Digimax, whatever. Put in on your credit card if you have to.

I really don't care that Behringer rips off schematics from other companies who make similar products, that has nothing to do with anything regarding quality. The point is, the parts used and their quality control is just plain awful.

[JFreak]

get the Behringer and consider it part of the learning process.

one can always do that, but it is still effectively the same as saying "your money goes wasted on crap". of course it is more sophisticated to call it a learning process - and after all, one learns the most of one's own mistakes - but it is as sophisticated to call it a crap that is not worth buying.

it all comes down to one's needs: if you really NEED something right now and cannot afford for a better piece, then, by all means, buy what you need. BUT if you can wait for a while, it will be more beneficial to buy such a unit you can use for a long time and not for one particular project that you want to call a "learning process".

i personally have headaches every time someone talks about behringer units, and wouldn't recommend anything below presonus digimax LT as a preamp/AD-converter. but i understand if something must get done with a minimal budget. that's a whole another story. but if something is bought for a long-term use, then i'd say it is wise to stay away from behringer anything.

[s.d. finley]

My exp w/ B gear is both positive and negative, mostlly on the negitive side. The Powerplay pro is a fantastic headphone amp for $99. The preamp and FX unit i have used were TOTAL crap. That being said, i would be wary about the pres on that unit until i could hear it for myself.

PK, there is a thread here that where eats crow concerning Bgear, i think he said he liked the DI box or something to that effect.

Also, dont forget the Focusrite OctaPre it has adat too. I use a DA7 w/ a adat card for my extra pres.

rock

sdf

[where02190]

Where 90210 should be chiming in any second now. He has a Pavlovian reaction when the word Behringer is in the thread's subject line.

Hmmm....seems you've taken over that role.

IMHO (which I believe is what the poster is inquiring of all of us) you'd be far better to save your money for something of decent quality, unless you know absolutely for certain you will never have any more money to spend on this than the cost of teh Behringer.

A search will indeed give you ample reading, mostly negative, on this device.

[pk_hat]

Hmmm....seems you've taken over that role.

Hmmm...no, not quite yet.

Whatever.

[antiphase]

All I can say (as I said before), is that I really didn't want to go with the ADA, but ended up doing so due to lack of funds. I was surprised that "my" unit is still working great. Already did a few different blind tests vs. the 002r pre's and the ADA's. I did this test a few months ago and sent my results to some other which they couldn't tell the difference either. I was lucky I guess to get a good working device.............. and that's one of the drags with using behringer equipment. It pretty much is "like a box of chocolates". But for you foo's out there that had a bad experience with an ADA8000.......... sux to be u!

[hotstuff]

Hi I´ve got one its working fine, the pre´s are crap but the line ins work ok you just need an external mixer with direct outs and your set to go. A budget setup, but bear in mind the Alesis A13 costs 299€ in Germany (Musicstore, Thomann etc...) no pre´s but a better budget option.