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Reviews For: Behringer MIC-2200

Category: Audio Accessories for Transmitter & Receiver

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Review Summary For : Behringer MIC-2200
Reviews: 8MSRP: $130
Description:
2-Channel TUBE Microphone PreAmp/Line driver/DI Box
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.behringer.com/MIC2200/index.cfm?lang=ENG
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0084.5
SV2BWM Rating: 2021-12-08
Fantastic audio! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
A 2-channel microphone preamp with the 12AX7 tube, and lots of audio adjustments to shape your mic's audio to any transceiver. One channel goes to HF and the other goes to VHF/UHF with no RF problems, plus one mic goes to two rigs with a simple JIB/Y audio splitter with separate audio adjustments. Good job done! 73...
N8SDR Rating: 2013-10-06
Clean cheap pre-amp with potential Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Nice pre-amp / with phantom voltage as well.

I replaced an Art Tube preamp with the MIC2200 after facing unstable and distorted audio at times along with occasional RF.

MIC2200 has been stable, clean and RF free.

If you looking for a pre-amp with phantom voltage options, and the ability to offer some limited EQ-ing and has a nice adjustable lo cut for amateur radio use then the MIC2200 should be given a good look into.

Chain here consists of:

Microphone-Sterling Audio ST51
Behringer -MIC2200 Preamp
Behringer -DEQ2496 Ultra Curve Pro
Home brew Impedance matching with isolation transformer into Flex 3000

KD8LCD

KI6USW Rating: 2010-10-24
Cheap but effective Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
As a background, I used to have a small home recording studio (small; but not cheap). Mic preamps used for recording are best when they are getting real ~240v to charge the preamp tubes. They are really expensive and dictate a high price for the quality they provide.

The Behringer preamp is not one of those. It uses TUBE EMULATION to simulate a 'tube' sound. But it does deliver a very decent quality - well worth the money spent. Unless you want to spend in excess of $800 for a real studio preamp, this is the next best thing.

I run this preamp with a MXL V-88 large capsule condenser mic with truly excellent results. I don't ask for compliments when TXing; but I always get them. Most say that I sound like a commercial broacast station. The mic I use is the reason; but it would still be impossible for a lesser preamp. This is the entry level preamp; anything less is getting much less in quality.

The preamp is not without a caveat. Sometimes one of the channels in this two channel preamp will quit working without indication or notice. If you read enough reviews on this product, it happens a percentage of the time.

For $110; you just can't beat it.
Provided your mic is a decent mic (MXL-2003a/V-88 or better)
M0JMO Rating: 2009-08-21
Not just a Pre-Amp Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
After reading some reviews and speaking to another ham, I was going to pull the trigger on a Behringer Xenyx 802 mixer to interface a decent microphone to my Icom IC-7000, however this caught my eye and from reading the other reviews here, I thought I'd get this instead.

I've got a few good and not so good observations so far.

Good:
Not just a pre-amp... It has a very useful adjustable high-pass filter and a one-band parametric EQ which gives you full adjustment of frequency, bandwidth and level, allowing you to either notch out, reduce or increase a frequency or up to 2 octaves.

Easy to make your voice sound great on the air!

It has 2 channels, so you can also feed the audio back from your radio into the 2nd channel and use the same features to tailor the audio before feeding it to an amplifier for speakers or headphones.

It is really easy to use!

It looks great.


Not so good:
The tube apparently doesn't do much, and is lit by 3 orange LEDs that fade up when you turn it on, which is a bit cheesy.

If you try to take the rack mount brackets off the sides, you're left with a view of circuit board.

It gets kinda warm.


I use it with an Audio Technica AT2010 Mic and interface it to my Icom IC-7000 by using an XLR to Phono cable, and I've soldered a female RCA to pins 11 (signal) and 2 (ground) on the 13 Pin Accessory plug.

I PTT using a home brew hand switch connected to the RJ-45.

Sounds great :)
330AT112 Rating: 2009-04-20
1 Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought one used and I am impressed with performance.I use it with Kenwood TS450SAT.Many years I used MC60 only,than I bought Inrad 2,1khz filters (455+8830)and I think,that my audio was flat with higher frequencies.I bought a cheap Nady SP1(Shure clone mic) and Behringer DSP110 comp/gate/limiter/FB destroyer.I think DSP110 is not top sound quality component.But parametric equalizer in MIC2200 can resolve this issue.I also use a line level transformer,between TRX and mic section,because I had strong hum,from my antenna system ground.My radio reports are excelent even with inrad 2,1khz TX wide range. Voice is stronger,more present,clear and better for DX.Setting optimal voice with so many parameters is not so simple.Internet sites about ESSB got big help.
KC7OV Rating: 2009-03-13
Great unit for the price Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
It replaced the ART VP3 unit I was using and what a difference!The other posts cover everything else as far as details.
KG6YV Rating: 2008-10-16
Superb, great sound. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
First, I must say I read the other review previously posted on this stereo preamp and agree 100% with the comments (no redundancy needed). To add to this
1. The tube does add a bit of that warmth often referred to as the Bin Crosby sound by my fellow hams. BTW, I am using Marshall MXL mics with my unit and they are by no means "warm".
2. For SSB the parametric EQ is perfect because it is basically a "sliding"/variable width boost control. I set mine for ~2300hz and pump in 10DB. Voila, you get the presence boost for better articulation.

Great pre-amp, stereo/2channel capability allows me to set up and EQ two mics independently for two rigs.
VE7RF Rating: 2006-03-03
Superb.... very clean ! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I don't have a lot of experience with large numbers of pre-amps... so bear with me.

I have owned the MIC-2200 for several yrs now.

IF you listen to the raw audio coming directly out of the MIC-2200 with good headphones (Like Senheiser HD-280's).... and use a good mic (like my RE-27.. or a good condenser)... you jaw is gonna drop ! It's very clean... and uncoloured.. which suits me fine... as I have lot's of downstream processor's to add harmonix, EQ, reverb, etc.

The MIC-2200 is RFI bulletproof... never a problem... even with mic cable, stuffed overtop my 2 kw linear. Has the usual 48 v phantom pwr, phase reversal, LINE or MIC inputs.... and also a one band, analog, parametric EQ.

I was thinking of a new Aphex 207-D pre-amp.. just to fool with... but alas, it has NO line inputs.

I use the left channel of my MIC-2200 on TX.(mic input)... and the right ch on RX (line input).

Now, here's the kicker. I use the built in one band analog EQ to do a 10db cut, 1.7 octaves wide, at 300 hz. (TX). This removes the offending 'bad' part of my voice... before it gets into the main processing chain. If I shut it off... and just add one more band of parametric EQ to my DEQ-2496... or my DSP-1124 EQ..... I flat out can't get the same tonal quality I'm after... close... but something is not there. It may be a phase delay thing, not sure. In any event, till I see another pre-amp with a built in one band analog EQ ... I'm sticking with the MIC-2200.... it's squaeky clen.

### If the 12AX7 is adding something... I don't know. This is a hybrid circuit. The MIC-2200 uses a pair of conjugate, Class A transistors for the pre-amp... the tube just adds any tube effect.

### Now here's the other kicker. The MIC-200 , when in LINE INPUT mode, can be used as a level translator. IE: convert +4dbu levels to -10dbv... and vice versa !...slick..and works well. The line outputs from my 1000-D+ MK-V, all are down in level. They are 150 mv.... 6db down from the typ 330 mv consumer level (-10dbv). No problem... just crank the level on the MIC-2200 output (it goes from -20db to +20db). I also use the one band par EQ on the right ch on RX... to compensate for some RX defects.

### The mic input is XLR only. The line input is TRS. In cases where one is tapping RX audio directly from the analog product detector in a yaesu MK-V.... the resulting audio is not line level... but only a meager 2-4 mv..... and needs to be fed UNbalanced,into the XLR input of a MIC-2200 to boost it up to line level.. to drive a sreo amp/and or further RX audio processing... like EQ/harmonix, etc.

All in all, a superb, clean box... dirt cheap.. very reliable... I may well get a 2nd one... as I don't see anything readily available, that will replace it.

later..... Jim VE7RF