A quick review
OK, so it arrived, and as promised I’ve done a quick review… you can read it here:
MIC 200 review
Hope someone finds it useful.
Mark
mark, check your url, it don’t work for me
Maaszy
EDIT hmmm now it does. /EDIT
Mark,
Appreciate the review, especially since we’re looking for a mic and preamp that will work better with my wife’s voice than the SM58 going straight into our Behringer mixer.
Have been reading a lot of reviews, really liked the sound that someone got using the Behringer b2 mic with the Behringer Mic 2200 preamp.
Excuse my ignorance, but what is the VALVE thing you are talking about concerning the preamp?
He is referring to the tube. A lot of folks are changing those out for a better quality “brand” tube. I changed out with Sovtek 12ax7 and got a better warmth from my Mic 100. It is a starved plate so I assume the 200 would be as easy as the 100.
Chopper
Excuse my ignorance, but what is the VALVE thing you are talking about concerning the preamp?
Ooops. I forgot. On this continent it's a "thermionic valve", and elsewhere it's a "vacuum tube".
Mark
Ooops. I forgot. On this continent it's a "thermionic valve", and elsewhere it's a "vacuum tube".
Mark
Thanks for the review, Mark!
I still say that low plate voltages just don’t quite do it. I am certain that the preamp will prove useful (I’d like ot hear what it does on electric guitars), and I am certain that it is light years ahead of what used to be available a number of years ago at such a price (um, there wasn’t anything), but to really get a valve sound, esp. for voice, high voltage is the way to go! Just MHO! YMMV! 
my vote goes to the Studio Projects VTB-1 - very impressed with mine
review
-but the berry one uses a similar valve/tube so who knows - might be just as good.
Maaszy
On this continent it's a "thermionic valve", and elsewhere it's a "vacuum tube".
I will add that to my list:
Trucks-Lorries
Friend-Mate
Tube-Valve
I will add that to my list:
Trucks-Lorries
Friend-Mate
Tube-Valve
I will add that to my list:
methinks you could make a long list with a bit of research, watch out - some can really get you into trouble - fanny springs to mind! LOL
Maaszy
methinks you could make a long list with a bit of research, watch out - some can really get you into trouble - fanny springs to mind! LOL
Maaszy
My opiniom, 35 years experience, but still my opinion:
1) just because it has tubes doesn’t make it better.
2) your soundcraft preamps are way better than this preamp
3) a Studio Projects or Presonus Blue Tube preamp sound better and are in the same general price range.
4) Behringer products feature “bells and whistles” not solid features that are actually useful.
5) Everything that anyone I know that Behringer made broke or stopped performing correctly just about the time the warranty was up.
Check Out TapeOP.com for knowledegeable folk that will give you solid advise before you purchase gear. There are some serious professional audio engineers with many years real world experience who hang with the “young turks” going to school to become professional audio engineers.
I’m not putting the nTrack forrum down 'cause, well heck I’ve hung around here for a couple of years. Just suggesting a place to ask about hardware or software independant stuff. They even accept my fetish for nTrack. I could afford a more expensive DAW app, I jus LIKE NTRACK. I think it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread because it does what it’s supposed to do with any BS getting in the way. That IS my definition of a professional tool. Not a swiss army knife program that bogs you down with extra features and a non-intuitive GUI.
KUDOS to FLAVIO once again !!!
4) Behringer products feature "bells and whistles" not solid features that are actually useful.
5) Everything that anyone I know that Behringer made broke or stopped performing correctly just about the time the warranty was up.
I don't want to get into a long debate but this is just garbage. Behringer stuff is cheap, but comes from similar factories in china to everything else at similar price points. Why should a studio projects pre-amp made by 797 audio be any different to any other gear made in the same/similar factory? I have a fair bit of berry gear and nothing has ever packed up yet. s**t happens and nothing lasts for ever, but so far I have no complaints. I had a DOA compressor which was swapped, but that could just have been bounced in transit. Very respected reviewers often give berry gear the thumbs up as value for money *and* good performance. The mic100 pre-amp was reviewed by sound-on-sound mag and was certainly not described as poor.
Maaszy
5) Everything that anyone I know that Behringer made broke or stopped performing correctly just about the time the warranty was up.
I don't want to get into a long debate but this is just garbage. Behringer stuff is cheap, but comes from similar factories in china to everything else at similar price points. Why should a studio projects pre-amp made by 797 audio be any different to any other gear made in the same/similar factory? I have a fair bit of berry gear and nothing has ever packed up yet. s**t happens and nothing lasts for ever, but so far I have no complaints. I had a DOA compressor which was swapped, but that could just have been bounced in transit. Very respected reviewers often give berry gear the thumbs up as value for money *and* good performance. The mic100 pre-amp was reviewed by sound-on-sound mag and was certainly not described as poor.
Maaszy
Great Mazzy.
Would you like to buy my 1 year old Behringer UB2442FX then?
It has a few issues like jacks not working anymore and bad faders, despite the fact that it was meticulously kept and never, ever moved.
No to mention the Berry’s thin metallic sounding effects and shrill preamps. (I will admit that they are quiet.) If you can’t hear a difference, then fine, I’m not gonna argue.
That Soundcraft he has contains preamps that are most likely even better than my Mackie 24x8, Im sure the EQ is…
When my Berry was new I was quite happy with it.
Maybe you even remember when I posted how nice it was and others (who have since left this forum) waned me about the very same thing and advised me to return it during my 30 day GC no questions aked guarranty.
I am a pragmatist, bro.
If it works it’s good, if not, well…
Really not trying to cause a big deal.
Trying to save someone grief later on down the road.
Be happy.
Be yourself.
Be real.
That’s all that matters…
I am a pragmatist, bro.
If it works it's good, if not, well
me too. The point I was trying to make was:
buy berry - made in china
buy studio projects - made in china
buy alesis monitors - made in china
buy a dell computer, um, made in china
all recent purchases by me.
I just don't think that brand has much to do with it these days. Everything at a certain price point comes from the same factories.
I *would* like to A/B the mic100/200 against my VTB-1 though and see what if any is the difference. I almost need a second mic-pre. Might get a mic 100 - theyre cheap enough.
Maaszy
If it works it's good, if not, well
me too. The point I was trying to make was:
buy berry - made in china
buy studio projects - made in china
buy alesis monitors - made in china
buy a dell computer, um, made in china
all recent purchases by me.
I just don't think that brand has much to do with it these days. Everything at a certain price point comes from the same factories.
I *would* like to A/B the mic100/200 against my VTB-1 though and see what if any is the difference. I almost need a second mic-pre. Might get a mic 100 - theyre cheap enough.
Maaszy
Studio Projects or Presonus Blue Tube preamp sound better and are in the same general price range.
They arent in the same price range.
I have the Behringer Mic 200, i like it alot, it sounds great, especially so considering the price.
I do think the Studioprojects VTB-1 sounds better though (i have one of those too), its not something i can put my finger on, just sounds better...or maybe i just WANT it to sound better considering i spent 3 times as much on it.
If you dont have a big budget or you want to save some money, the behringer is a great option, because in terms of quality, youre not gonna be missing much.
Deadfingers, i dont think you should lump all behringer gear in the same pile...youve just had a bad experience, it remains a good preamp for the money, i dont think anyone claims its the best around, but considering its near the cheapest you can get, its very good.
They arent in the same price range.
I have the Behringer Mic 200, i like it alot, it sounds great, especially so considering the price.
I do think the Studioprojects VTB-1 sounds better though (i have one of those too), its not something i can put my finger on, just sounds better...or maybe i just WANT it to sound better considering i spent 3 times as much on it.
If you dont have a big budget or you want to save some money, the behringer is a great option, because in terms of quality, youre not gonna be missing much.
Deadfingers, i dont think you should lump all behringer gear in the same pile...youve just had a bad experience, it remains a good preamp for the money, i dont think anyone claims its the best around, but considering its near the cheapest you can get, its very good.
Maz,
I understand.
Think of it this way.
All GM products are made in similar factories.
Not all GM products are made to the same quality.
Parts spec’d etc can have a profound impact on quality. Much more than “where it was built”. Berry cuts cost on more than just R&D. If a throw a way mixer (or preamp) is what someone is looking for, then fine.
I have “cheap” equipment from all the way back to the '50s (like my 1954 Fender Champion Lap Steel), but guess what? It still works fine.
To me, that is the "acid test"
Let’s agree to disagree, ok?
Jow,
Your point is well taken on at least two things.
1) since I’m used to spending onwwards of $500.00 per channel of outboard preamps, I saw them as similar price range. I retract that point as you are correct from a hobbyist’s standpoint. I’m not trying to be elitist. But at the same time the reviewer is using a soundcraft desk. These start at $6k without metering. Why is he using a berry pre…
I’m just plain confused on that point.
;^)
2) the mics are sure a lot more durable than their electronics. A lot of my freinds had similar problems. When I complain to GC about the mixer, they showed me a PILE of Berry stuff returned under warranty waiting to go back. He said that’s why I should have gotten the extended warranty.
not good…
I really don’t want to come off as anti Berry, but if one is buying cheap gear beacuse it’s all one can afford, the last thing one needs is to have to replace it.
All I can say is : Caveat Emptor.
Thanks for being so civil about expressing your beliefs, bro
This dude probably has a Soundcraft Spirit Mixer. They are nice little consoles. Good price too. Don’t know about the mic pres…I do see your point though, IF he does have a Ghost, why in the world would you stick a $100.00 pre in front of it!
TG
There are so many interesting aspects to this discussion. Berry has quality control problems, and it is nearly impossible to find a 50 dollar preamp that will sound as good as a 500 or 1000 dollar one. That said, one of my favorite threads over at tape op was started by a guy who used every bit of Berry gear he could lay his hands on to record some stuff, and said that it came out sounding quite good. On another thread a fellow tried out one of the inexpensive berry mixer’s preamps on distorted guitar tracks, and claimed that he got a very cool sound. I have a little berry mixer - it’s what I started with - so I tried that too. I don’t have a lot to compare it with, an old ampex preamp, my Bellari “modded” mp105, a studio master board, a sunn/fender board, an Art (which is a lot like the berry), but for cheap preamps the berry mixer did indeed do interesting things with the distorted guitar. And with the right mic it sounds pretty good for my voice. Sometimes good enough to impress my friends.
No question that they won’t sound like a Neve, but then sometimes what’s needed is it to sound like a berry - and I can’t afford any of the Neve clones out there. We are soooo lucky to have that level of quality at that price point.
HOWEVER, I still say that a bellari mp 105 off ebay for 40 bucks, with the op amps swapped out and the tube replaced (or even with out those mods) sounds like a real tube preamp. FWIW.
Deadfingers, I lurk over at tapeop, but n-Track is home, I don’t know anything compared to most of those guys, and it’s just so comfortable here. 
Why would you say that they “put up with” your use of n-Track? Tape op published a very favorable review of n-T a couple of years ago.
TomS –
I absolutely agree that it’s the engineeer, not the gear that makes great recordings. My main point was that with a Soundcraft Desk - Berry is a definite step down… and if you have bad jacks and noisy faders, it really can ruin that once in a lifetime take when the signal disappears or makes noise instead of it.
When you consider items like Bellari gear, the Berry seems less and less like a deal, correct?
If one is handy with a soldering iron, one can get Neve quality pres for under $500.00 per channel. $299.00 last time I ordered a couple from Seventh Circle. The Jensen type twin servo pres were just under $500.00. That’s an awful lot of quality for the money.
But they are just a box of parts when you get them, so if you are the slightest bit intimidated by this, you proabably shouldn’t try it. Better pay a little extra and have them do it for you. You have to wait to as each one is assembled when you order it, too.
Mind you, it won’t have pretty lights, or sexy VU’s, Those really don’t make it sound better though. I need good sound, not bells and whistles.
Q:
Why would you say that they “put up with” your use of n-Track? Tape op published a very favorable review of n-T a couple of years ago–
A:
As you say they do feel like we do about N.
I was just trying to emphasise that there is a lot of friendliness and openess there, not at all snobby. Lurking there will raise the awareness of any recordist. Not only gear, but technique.
Highly recomended!!!
Later
Bill~~~
Flippin’ 'ek. I was just trying to be helpful.
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| But at the same time the reviewer is using a soundcraft desk. These start at $6k without metering |
Hmmm…
My mixer
Mine cost me £50 when my church upgraded. It has a couple of noisy jacks/controls.
I had £40 and no more to spend on toys. My budget is tight. OK? I wanted a preamp to get a few variations to my sound and I could afford this one, or wait for several months and try another.
Oh and “he” and the “reviewer” is a hobbyist who thinks he gets pretty good results with what he has (mainly budget gear). Would you agree Tom? You’ve heard it.
Mark