Behringer MDX1600 AUTOCOM PRO-XL - Two Channel Compressor/Limiter with Gating and De-Essing

Comments about Behringer MDX1600 AUTOCOM PRO-XL Compressor:

I find that this is a nicely built product. The faceplate is well marked and easy to read and the display LED's are very informative and helpful. Some have said this is a great entry level compressor/limiter and I guess it does okay for the job it was intended for. It is easy to use and to set up to get a nice sound output. I can however see that the amount of effect on the sound can be somewhat limited so I guess that is why some experienced users may think of it as more of an entry level product.

Comments about Behringer MDX1600 AUTOCOM PRO-XL Compressor:

Used to feed 70 volt distributed system. Brings the loud passages down and boosts the quiet passages. Now the system performs in the optimum range.

Comments about Behringer MDX1600 AUTOCOM PRO-XL Compressor:

I got this with the intent of using compression and expansion to normalize audio output levels to a consistent dynamic range across a variety of input sources, and this almost works perfectly for that purpose. The compression and expansion substantially moderate strong and weak signals, but leaves about 20% more dynamic range than I hoped for.

This shouldn't be much of a surprise for a unit that is so inexpensive. For someone not needing absolute production quality, who would certainly have a budget for some of the units that cost as much as four times more, this is a solid performer that will provide dynamic range management. If your input source tends to be pretty consistent and you just want to boost the low and compress the high signals, this would be an excellent choice.

A few specific observations:

The compression seems to be a bit less than the interface controls would suggest, which makes it difficult to over-compress a signal and unacceptably degrade the signal. Nice for beginners or less demanding needs, perhaps not as controllable as needed in professional applications.

The limiter also seems rather soft, which also prevents user error from making a signal sound wrong. Again, good for beginners and less demanding applications, probably not a good fit for professional use.

The "auto" setting on the compressor is remarkably effective, and most users will want to use this rather than try to tune the attack and release times.

Overall, this is a unit that is hard to make mistakes with. If you need something that provides acceptable performance with a minimum of potential pitfalls and high ease of use, this is a good unit. If you're getting something for a dedicated studio where you can afford fifteen minutes to perfect a single channel input, you probably need to spend a lot more money.