What's on the Behringer photocopier this year?

Last year Behringer amused everyone at NAMM by releasing a huge range of guitar pedals that were comically similar to Boss and Electro Harmonix pedals. Boss sued, and Behringer redesigned the pedals to look less like the 'originals'. Electro Harmonix don't have such effective lawyers, so the models inspired by them stayed the same. This year, Behringer have introduced a huge new range of mixers called XENYX, which feature "The new XENYX Mic Preamp", digital i/o (USB) and "neo-classic British EQ". I'm sure there's no connection with Mackie's range of mixers called ONYX, which feature "our new flagship Onyx mic preamps", digital i/o (Firewire) and "a 'neo classic' 3- and 4-band design based on classic "British EQ" circuitry". Of course, Behringer and Mackie have history.


Comments:
Minor Behringer lackey: "But sir, we can't possibly do this again? After all, Mackie creamed us last time!"

My Behringer: "Ah, our customers and the general public are very very stupid. They won't possibly notice. Now, bring me the secret plans from last night's raid on Mackie HQ, schnell!! There's a trade show coming.."

Minor Behringer lackey: "...you do know Mackie have a booth next t..."
 
well it doesn't have digital i/o so the only buzz-words they've copied is "british EQ", and the crappy name, so it would seem the only copycats are in the marketing department.
 
... also the mixer itself looks just like the Mackie.

I assume they've done some sort of costing - money they make by copying other manufacturers vs cost of lawsuits from other manufacturers - and have calculated they'll still come out on top.
 
... also the mixer itself looks just like the Mackie.

I assume they've done some sort of costing - money they make by copying other manufacturers vs cost of lawsuits from other manufacturers - and have calculated they'll still come out on top.
 
"Select XENYX mixers come with a USB/Audio Interface for direct plug & play connectivity to your Windows® or Mac® computer."

Hmmm, I guess they do have Digital I/O on the better models...

I have to say this for Behringer, they manage to make some decent kit at a low-low price. I wouldn't record my Magnum Opus on it, but for a dude's first Mixer, he could do worse. Compare the Behinger $409 MSRP for the 24 input mixer to $1,000 for the Onyx 16 track.

Now all I have to do is get the image of a bunch of 14 year old Burmeese children soldering these together out of my head, and I'd think about buying one.

"The unprecedented number of new products is a sound testimony of BEHRINGER’s success in establishing its wholly-owned, full-fledged R&D and manufacturing base in China since 2001."

Does Behringer ever worry that someday they'll capture the market and have noone left to copy their ideas from?

With all that said, many of the established designs they take off on are not particularily quality to begin with. Companies like Boss still manufacture in China, and source their parts as cheaply as possible. In my experience Behringer products are of comparable quality AND reliability. That's more of a sad commentary on their competitors than praise for the pirates....
 
yes it comes with digital in/out... external usb soundcard. Same 2in/2out they give away with their midi controllers now as well.
Check out their website, they pretty much tell you the whole thing ;)
 
It's like shopping at Wal-Mart. You don't want to do it, but what else are you going to do if you don't have money? We've all been there (well, most of us). It's too bad that when I see "Behringer" I throw up in my mouth a little...

Here's something to ponder: What's better, a brand new Behringer mixer or a used Mackie? If you don't have money but want to boycott Behringer, maybe you should buy used gear. I should have been doing that all along...
 
Spot the diference:

Yamaha
http://tinyurl.com/b3wef

Behringer:
http://www.behringer.com/FCV100/index.cfm?lang=ENG

D.
 
I should gather up both companies for a Puget Sound battle royale.

Mackie is in Woodinville, WA and Behringer has offices in Edmonds, WA it would be great!
 
The FCC just fined these jokers $1 million. Maybe they just forgot to get their stuff approved for RFI?

http://beradio.com/currents/radio_currents_022006/
 
Jim Marshalls first Amp, the JTM45 was a 100% copy of Fenders Bassman - still it's a completely different sounding device. Has the world senn Jim Marshall or Ken Bran beeing bashed because of this?

Anyway, it would be interesting to know of what exactly are those claims
concerning Behringers alleged copyism
are founded on. Is it because the Behringer stuff looks similar to their competitors products from outside or is because of the same circuit design INSIDE? Because the latter is what really matters, not the look-a-like thing. So did they really open up the housings of these guitar pedals and did a thorough analysis of their specs and circuitry? I'd bet a nickel they did not.
 
you can actually take a top shot picture of the Behringer Xenyx 2442 and Mackie's 1642Vlz3 (along with SEVERAL other copied models)and take the images into photoshop laying them on top of one another and almost every knob lines up exactly. the Xenyx is a replica. nothing more than a cheaply made copy of a real piece of gear. all Behringer stuff is made in a large chinese plant with the cheapest materials by young chinese workers that actually live bunched together in dorms that reside across the street from the DAMN FACTORY! (see youtube). Uli Behringer is a thief whom takes advantage of intelectual property rights and preys on companies in hopes that the do not whip out the big gun lawyers and sue. the bitter portion of it is that he DENIES all of it and claims the designs as his own. The sad part is is also preys on the unknowing budget buying public, taking there hard earned money in exchange for some "get me by for now i hope" quality gear.
I say do it right.. or dont do it at all.

I REFUSE to purchase anything behringer and leave those products on the shelf at my local music store for the morons who dont know better.. by the way the same people buying behringer are likely the same people producing GARBAGE music that waters down everything you hear from underground to mainstream . and it will continue to happen until the word TIMELESS music means NOTHING ever again. or are we already there?
Death to Uli Behringer.. even Bill gates isnt this bad
 
And to the guy that made the comment about Jim marshall copying the fender bassman.. YES! Behringer Copies EVERYTHING it can about other companies products, from out side to INSIDE as well.

here is some text taken from an interview with the owner of Aphex(makers of the famous Aurel Exciter) full interview here and trust me its WORTH reading![url]http://fernould.club.fr/Aphexvo.html[/url]

quoted by Marvin CAESAR, CEO of APHEX:
"Can you tell us about Mr Behringer, who copied your products without licence ?

He was found guilty by the German Federal Court in 1992, he was copying exactly the Type B Aural Exciter, Type D, and then Type F. He copied so exactly those products, same face blade, used the same arguments in his brochures, and so then we started pursuits in 1987. And he put on so many arguments to the Court that it took until 1992 to find him finally guilty. In the meantime, he kept on using and using our technology. Then the next product he copied was the 612, a noise gate, and he copied everything so exactly, but from an earlier version, that he even copied the mistakes we had made ! But he was hard to argue we didn't have a patent on the 612, but we went to Court because he had copied our manual, page for page, illustration for illustration. So we could show the Court exactly what he did, and were able to bother him for the copyright. He's an unbelievable thief, and then he says that he developed all this on his own, so people think he's a good engineer, but all he is is a copist. Each product is a copy.

Did he copy products from other manufacturers ?

Among others dbx, Bristow, Rockon, Mackie. He comes out with a console exactly like the Eight-Bus. So he's a very dangerous person. And it's not allowed in America to form a cooperation to go in trial against a manufacturer. It's a problem because I play with rules above the table, he plays with rules under the table : he has no morality, he laughs, he makes a mockery of business ethics, and it makes me crazy because I could go home and I could sleep, the problem is what he's doing is confusing the market by telling them "Oh, that product is perfect, it works great", but when you analyse the product it's a bad copy. But he's that kind to make great advertising : that's easy for him, because he has no engineering expense. So that's why each one of the products we do now must have patents.
"we developed a special tube circuit, which uses a low-voltage tube : this circuit is also patent-protected, because one of the problems we have is to come out with products that have patents. The 105 for example has logic assistance, new gear, patent-protected : so Mr Behringer doesn't copy it !"
 
Yes well, if we no longer have good paying jobs in this economy or the next, then we will be forced into buying used gear only, and or God forbid Behringer products!!! E'eeeew'!!!
But Like we said before, Mackie mixers and everybody has to come down on their prices, otherwise, this music business will not survive long. Are we surviving now ??? Thank you to the record labels!!!
I know now especially, and for years now, studios are going out of business left and right. At around 10 a week, at that rate the music gear manufactures' can't even sell their products on eBay for a .99 cent starting bid, and how do "we musicians'" also afford the shipping price as well?!?
Wow' what a world we live in when we are forced to buy Behringer and or used gear on eBay??? dreadful.....dreadful.
 
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