[LAU] USB MIDI controller

[Ralf Mardorf]

On Sun, 11 Dec 2016 22:29:53 +0100, Georg Krause wrote:
>+1 for the bfc2k.
>
>> but it's a Behringer...  
>
>It is. But in this case its not a big point, because there are no audio
>quality issues or something like that.

Behringer audio quality usually is superb. I'm going to buy a new audio
device and most likely I will _not_ buy a Behringer, assuming Focusrite
or Presonus devices could be used without proprietary software, for
usage with Linux and iOS. It might be, that in this domain Behringer
offers better access, then Focusrite and Presonus do.

I own a lot of audio gear from Behringer and other vendors.
Behringer device's service durability is a PITA, at least, but this is
for sure, switching power supply capacitors will fail, because usually
they are undersized by voltage, an engineered failure point, it has
nothing to do with the capacitor myth. Build quality is a PITA,
sometimes you have to send gear back, directly after it was delivered.
Repairing Behringer gear is a PITA, since getting access to the boards
and after repair assembling the device is time consuming and annoying.
It's not just opening, repairing and closing. And most annoying,
handling most of the times renders gear useless. I own devices with
superb audio quality and superb effect algorithms, but quasi don't use
them, because when being creative, pushing button D, then A + C,
waiting until LED 3 slowly flashes and after that pushing button B,
before you could change a value by a stiff dial wheel is a no-go. Let
alone that you need to read the manual each time you want to use such a
device. Potentiometers, faders and knobs don't last for long. When they
claim, that Alps is used, than seemingly substandard goods from Alps.
The only reason to buy Behringer is the price, because I can't repeat
often enough, the audio quality of the hardware, as well as of the
software is very good, excepted of their _most_ cheapest mixers, but
even their still very cheap mixers have got a very good sound quality.

If I don't suffer from a shortage of money, I most of the times decided
against Behringer. Very seldom I decided to buy a Behringer device,
when money wasn't an issue.

In short, I'm not against Behringer, if I suffer from a shortage of
money and need something, Behringer IMO is a very good choice. Just be
aware, that you can't hand down Behringer gear to your grandchildren
and it might fail in the worst possible moment, something that happens
less often for expensive gear from other vendors. But then remember,
sometimes repairing gear could be done in a few minutes, while for
Behringer gear you most likely need a few hours to open and close the
device.

Regards,
Ralf