Extensive compressor reviews and FAQ

Behringer MDX1600: I have to be honest and say this two-channel rack unit was a lot better than I expected. The sound quality is very clear and fairly low noise, there is no rolloff of highs or lows, and the compression action is pretty decent and versatile. Even the limiter, though not super effective, has no pop/click artifacts that I noticed. The only thing really bad about this unit is the expander/gate, which chatters like a chilly skeleton. The "Dynamic Enhancer" function is actually a really good feature, essentially copied from the Aphex Expressor's HFX function. It dynamically un-compresses high frequencies in proportion to the overall compression, which allows a brighter, more articulate sound.
 
People sometimes complain about Behringer gear having poor/flimsy construction quality. I examined the inside of this unit, and it is not nearly as badly-made as their BLE100, and in fact is exactly the same quality as most other "budget-priced" studio gear. As long as you don't drop it, it will work just as well --and sound just as good-- as comps that cost a lot more. For what it's worth, I have seen claims that the older non-"Pro" Behringer comps were actually built better than the current "Pro" models.
 

 
 
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