Behringer ADA8200 Ultragain 4-stars Reviews

Solid

Difficult to say anything about this kit that has not been said before, but I'll give you my opinion.

It's great in a multitude of roles. Extending an interface with more physical inputs. Breaking out more outputs from a DAW into a analog desk. Works well. Currently I have it set up like this to sum mixes with my ZED r16 (I have no firewire on my current PC - Inputs are going via ADAT also to a UMC 1820...all works beautifully).

As an input device, it's also easy to use and solid. The MIDAS preamps on this updated model are clean, quiet crisp. The box is almost worth it for these alone. It would be nice to have some further options, like to split phantom between groups of 5 inputs. Possibly an impedance switch per channel. But for this money, I'm not complaining.... also considering my current application is outputting at line level.

There's a reason why this kit is almost a standard, even in quite professional environment, and this new version with better preamps is just even better.

good price/performance

The features this unit has are great. DA usually cannot be found on other even much more expensive mic-pres. So very good for mix returns + clock sync over ADAT (no need for BNC cables although they can be used also)

Noise floor could be better if you are hooking more then 4 units in a recording system since noise floor really builds up when you open gain to usable levels on dynamic mics. It is better with condensers which are usually louder and you need less gain there. But it is perfectly usable with only one or two units. I am using 6 of these + 2 others for an inexpensive 64 ch recording rig - which is really great for the price. Just have in mind that noise floor buildup (not noticeable on other 2 units that I have - yes they are a bit pricier)

There is a lack of individual phantom power which is not really that big of a problem. And it would be nice if there were some gain level indicators.

Just one more thing if you are using more than one unit in a rack - inputs are in the front to accommodate for outputs on the back - so when inserting cables there is a bit of a problem to reach for a gain knob. Use a larger rack with space between units for that.

Other than that the unit is really perfect and easy to use.

well worth the money.

nice expansion, reliable ie, no drop outs, great to have control of all the inputs from the front. works very well with a fca 1616, the only con i can give this unit is that if only 1 optical cable is used between this and an external interface, it allow the expansion to become clock source" master", if the same cable is reversed, ie from output interface to input ada8200 it wont sync, a second optical cable is required to go from output ada8200 to external interface to make external interface clock source"master". all in all compared to my octopre its half the price and does what it says on the tin.

good value, good looking, non expensive.

Excellent for the price

Used it in home studio for more than a year, very happy with it. Especially for this price.

Used it more recently together with the ADA8200 to record 16 tracks simultaneously for several hours consecutively, not even one glitch.

Pros :

- Loads of in/outs, very low price, enough controls on the front panel, robust, and easy to rack.

Downsides :

- The USB connector at the back does not "lock" the cable really tight, such that sometimes it disconnects for a short period of time. This is really annoying but a bit of duct tape locks it forever in place.

- Also, the markings on the front panel does not hold well.

Altogether, an excellent quality/price ratio. And you can even hope for reliability in a live situation.

Does what it says on the tin, unexpectedly well.

If you want a half decent set of pre amps without killing the bank, this is an option worth considering.

I honestly expected these pre amps to be noisier than they actually were. With all the spiel I hear about behringer using poor converters or components, I honestly couldn't tell the difference between this and the pre amps in my RME babyface. The build quality is good, and unlike some behringer products the red metal front makes it look rather cool. I tested the converters into my RME babyface and monitored the Db noise floor, and found their to be roughly 10 Db noisier than the RME mic pres. If that bothers you, then this won't deliver the exceptional specs of higher grade mic pres and converters, but if you are just using your ears, then chances are you probably won't notice too much of a difference between this and say a focusrite octopre.

Overall, it's a quality unit which has served me well so far, and I have no real negative issues with it.

It sounds and looks great, but the quality control could be improved. The switch at the back for setting the sync mode was stuck, and needed prying free before it would move freely. It's a perfect match next to the FCA1616, but it's a shame it's not supplied with a set of rack screws. At the great price, it's only a mild inconvenience though.

Remember to set the gains to the middle when connecting line sources! We were a tad confused when setting it up as the signal lights didn't come on with the gain set to zero, because they're wired post amplification, rather than before. Since the phantom power switch on the front is so large, easily pressed, and applies to all inputs, a toggle switch at the back to disable it to prevent inadvertent equipment damage would be good.

Impressed!

Extremely happy and impressed with this product.

Build quality is very good with a nice, solidly built casing. The buttons and volume pots are sturdy and the input level pots are smooth and feel sturdy.

The MIDAS preamps are an obvious highlight. Inputs are clean and noise is non-existent, even when using the line inputs.

There are numerous reviews out there that highlight sync issues with the ADA8200 and other audio interfaces but linking it up to my FCA1616 was a doddle using a single TOSLink cable. I think the main reason for this might be that the FCA1616 control panel software allows you to select which type of input is the master clock. In my case I simply set it to "Optical", set the ADA8200 to "Master" and no problems at all. No loss of sync and no timing issues with my DAW.

The only criticism I can level at this product is the level LEDs. It would have been nice to have a little more than just "Signal" and "Clip"...a full level LED, like the one on the FCA1616 inputs, would have been nice.

Highly recommend this product, especially if you own an FCA1616 and what another 8 high quality inputs.

Thoughts on the Behringer ADA8200 Ultragain

I ordered the ADA8200 to expand the I/O on my Motu 828 MkII as I have 5 synths that I like to use and don't want the hassle of plugging and unplugging them. Also it is a good way of future proofing my project studio as my needs change.

The unit itself is one rack unit high and seems sturdily made and looks good in the rack. Hooking it up to the Motu was easy, but the documentation supplied is a bit thin in content. I ended up following the setup done by the reviewer in Sound on Sound magazine, which is where I had read about the unit in the first place.

I am only using the line inputs so I can't comment on the Midas mic pre-amps but it's nice to have these for when/if I record some vox in the future. I would have preferred for there to be fewer mic inputs in order to make space round the back of the unit for the inputs. These are all located in the front with only the outputs located on the rear panel. This means I need to use a patch bay and cables in order to keep the clutter of leads at the back. I'm sure It couldn't push the cost up too far to move to a 2U unit and tuck everything away at the back, perhaps with a couple of inputs at the front as other manufacturers seems to do.

Since I've had the unit I have to confess that I have barely noticed it. I set the input levels of the analogue inputs and accessed the sound through the Motu software or as inputs 9-16 in my DAW. This is the highest recommendation I can give really - the ADA8200 just works without any fuss.