Behringer Xenyx Q802USB, an ideal mixer for podcasting

Getting started in the world of podcasting is very simple, but after a couple of weeks you already want to do things differently, and that's when everything gets complicated. You no longer use only your iPhone and the headphones that it brings in the box, not even your computer and a microphone. You want to have other participants, add an occasional guest, put on some music or special effects, and finally even broadcast it live. There are many alternatives, from those that do not require any investment (applications like Soundflower) to complete recording studios that are available to very few. We have settled on an intermediate option: the Behringer Xenyx Q802USB mixer. Its price, size and performance make it the most attractive option for most. We give you the details below.

A mixer available to anyone

It is easy to see the prices of these types of devices. You just need to take a tour of Amazon and you will see that there are from products whose price is suspiciously low but with unfortunate opinions on the part of users, to others that are unattainable for the majority of mortals. The Xenyx Q802USB mixer falls below the € 100 limit which I think can mark the limit that most non-professional users would mark when making an investment of this type. And yet if we read its specifications they are even higher than those of many other similar devices but with a higher price.

Obviously what we cannot ask for at this price is a build quality like that of professional tables. Plastic and a thin aluminum foil is what we will find in this mixerLet's not kid ourselves, so we will have to find a good transport bag to protect it, if we want to carry it from one place to another, something that is perfectly possible due to its size and weight, one of its advantages over other models. .

USB connection, AUX output and preamp

The Xenyx Q802USB table has some elements that differentiate it from other tables of the same price range, and that make it the most interesting of them all. First the possibility of connecting it to the USB of your computer, which will allow you to choose that interface for sound input or output. No less important is the AUX output, or rather, FX SEND as it is called in the mix, ideal for sending sound through a channel other than the main one as we will explain later. And finally its preamplifier, which will allow most dynamic microphones to work without problems (we will talk about the types of microphones in another article). You will find very few tables with these three characteristics and that are below € 100, even below € 200 I would dare to say.

Connections of all kinds

We have up to 2 connections for XLR microphones (1) with their respective preamps that go up to + 60DB of gain, more than enough for your dynamic microphone to be heard. And the best thing is that it manages to do it without adding noise. Obviously more ambient noise will appear, because the mic will pick up all the noise around you, but that will just be a matter of finding the perfect setting that allows you to get your voice to the desired level without picking up the noise from everything around you. Having two connections is ideal if you can ever record with someone in your "studio", and thus not have to share a microphone.

You also have two other inputs (2,3) to which you can connect your iPhone to add music, the iPad to connect Skype, or the sound source you want. You can also use the Stereo Aux Return (4) as a sound input if you need it.

But one of the strengths of this mixer is the FX Send, generally known as AUX Out on other consoles. This audio output is ideal for being able to record podcasts using Skype, as it allows you to choose which audio channels from the console to drift to this FX Send to send them back to Skype and independently to the main audio output of the console. What do we get out of this? That your Skype interlocutors do not go crazy with their own voices coming back to them, and that you can also add audio and other effects to your sound and send it to them also by Skype.

If the table has several inputs, it has no fewer outputs. In addition to the USB connection that allows you to send the sound to your computer through this connection, you have an output for the headphones (6), another for control with two connectors (7) and another main output with two other jack connectors (8). Even at the bottom of the table you have another RCA input (9). Of course it will not be for lack of connections.

All control in your hands

The Behringer Xenyx Q802USB console also allows you to control the sound level of each of its sources. In addition to offering you the ability to add compression to the sound of your connected microphones (10), a full equalizer allows you to adjust the levels of the four main audio inputs (11). As we said before, the console allows you to decide which channels are sent to the FX Send output (12), even at what audio level they are sent. If you want a channel not to be sent through that output, you just have to set it to zero, completely turned to the left. There is no lack of PAN controls for the microphones and the balance of the audio inputs (13).

Each of the 4 main audio inputs has an output level control for the main mix. So if your microphone has a good level but the conversation that enters from Skype to one of the main inputs arrives at a lower level, you can easily compensate it with these rotary knobs (14). You can do the same with the headphone output (15) and with the main mix that goes through the USB (16).

Ideal for beginners and experts

Surely if your job is sound editing this mixing console will be quite short, but to say that it is the ideal console for those who are starting in this world is an understatement. The Behringer Xenyx Q802USB is a mixer that, due to its performance and sound quality, is at the level of many other much more expensive professional consoles.. It is clear that when you have a «PRO» table in your hands, the Behinger looks almost like a toy, but once you use it and appreciate the result, your impression will improve a lot, especially when you know what the «PRO» table cost.

Editor's opinion