Starting this article by talking about Behringer, the manufacturer, may seem unnecessary. Anyone who has been in the industry for a while (from sound technicians and engineers to musicians with their own studio) will know our guest perfectly well. Let's be clear: Behringer is the "budget brand" of the market's successful products. Their philosophy is simple: keep a close eye on what the industry is asking for and offer attractively priced alternatives aimed squarely at success. Who hasn't used something from Behringer? Though the question should really be: why have we ever used something from Behringer? Price.

Their well-earned reputation always depends on the success of others. When someone introduces a DI box, for example, that becomes an industry standard, coveted by many but expensive, Behringer quickly strikes back with a model of similar features (though obviously "worse" in quality) with excellent value for money. Rarely do any of its products surpass, or even approach, the quality of the "copied" model (although I have to admit they sometimes surprise us with unique ideas), but the value for money makes them tremendously attractive.

And now, another question: why not a digital mixing console similar to the "standard" Yamaha established with its acclaimed 03X? Welcome to this test bench.

More than an alternative, an improvement
For years I worked with an 03X for professional reasons. I chose it as the main console for a municipal theater thanks to its wide range of possibilities: dual effects units, scene automation, extensive EQ, and so on. The main problem back then was that not everyone knew how to operate it, so they either ended up renting an analog console or I was the one who "ran" the show. Time goes by, and today a digital console like Yamaha's is no longer a stranger to many. Pretty much everyone has had to deal with one at some point (or with some similar version).

Behringer introduces the DDX3216, an automated digital mixing console tremendously similar to the ubiquitous 03X. I can say this for several reasons, the most important being its ease of use. The manufacturer, aware of how hard it is to carve out a space in the industry, knew how to wait and launch this little machine right when the fear of "going digital" had completely faded. Let's take our guest apart.

With the typical Behringer finish (gray sheet-iron chassis, with nothing out of this world in terms of finishes), the control layout is typical: motorized linear faders in 2 layers (with a pleasant real travel of 11 cm, ranging from minus infinity to +12 dB), followed by the mute and solo switches, a PAN pot with graphic indication (the Yamaha didn't have this, for example), an Auto/Rec button (new tools for studio applications) and a per-channel select button. The second section, above the channel controls, is divided into three parts: buttons for choosing the programs (processors, equalizers, automation, auxiliaries, channel layers, etc.), a monochrome LED display (with a lower resolution than its competitors, but nothing to sneeze at) and an LED bar for the overall level with a few extra features.

Next we find the mic and line inputs per channel. There are some interesting new features here. To begin with, it offers up to 12 balanced audio inputs via XLR, with a duplicate line (or unbalanced) input and an insert point. Each of these first 12 channels includes its own pad button (-20 dB) and preamp control (for both mic and line). While the 03X allowed you to view the channel level on its own LCD screen, this Behringer only offers two small LEDs located between the pad button and the gain control: one indicates signal presence and the other "clip." It would have been nice to relocate them somewhere more visible, although there is also a bank of lights next to each linear volume fader. Could it be any more graphic?

Inputs 13 to 16 are stereo line inputs. The rest of the inputs, up to 32, must go digital, through the options the manufacturer offers.

On the rear panel we find the slots for those options, the MIDI and RS-232 ports, an SMPTE input via XLR, digital word clock in and out (back to production environments), S/PDIF in and out via RCA, and the main balanced XLR outputs, monitor (jack) and 4 multiple outputs, also on jack.

To wrap up, there's the option of sending phantom power via a switch to channels 1 to 6 and/or 7 to 12, not to mention the headphone output with independent volume control or the record input/output via RCA (another interesting feature is that we can route the RCA record input to channels 15/16).

In operation
There are two kinds of tests for this console. I'll start with its ease (or not) of use. I insist that I have extensive experience with 03- and 02-type consoles and, believe me, this let me get familiar with our guest in no time. I connected an SM58 to mic input 1 and was quickly able to access everything I wanted. In a head-to-head comparison, this Behringer offers much more. For example, it includes up to 4 effects; the PAN can be viewed (as I mentioned) thanks to a clever group of LEDs around the corresponding knob; the EQ system allows A/B comparison between the modified value and the previously assigned one; and it includes an additional high-pass filter. Useful, at the very least. Assigning channels to outputs is also intuitive and effective.

The improvement in the human-machine interface is also interesting. There are six pots with switches placed just below the LCD screen. This makes it enormously easier to navigate and control all the adjustment parameters, and much faster. When needed, the control options for those pots are shown at the bottom of the screen. Intuitive.

But there's a downside to the resolution and visibility of that screen. Although its dimensions seem generous, the information displayed is always rather basic. If they had devoted a few more resources to it, they would have scored another point in its favor. Not everything is always perfect.

Neither is, for example, the lack of EQ libraries, although it does let you store your own at will. Other products come with quite a few options as standard, which are handy for starting to shape the final EQ.

There are other limitations that, to some extent, justify our guest's final price. For example, the bare-bones effects controls. The minimum is there, though admittedly the essentials.

Finally, each channel includes a gate and a compressor, unlike the compressor-only option found on other models, although there are no predefined libraries either. One thing makes up for the other.

Quality
I've already mentioned that the build quality isn't excellent, though it's on par with what we've seen from this manufacturer. A case in point is the useful PAN pot which, surrounded by the equally versatile LED ring, comes across as very fragile. I'd like to know the service life of certain components in this product.

Let's start with the preamp. It's not the best we've seen so far, but it's more than enough for this price range. With low-output microphones, you'll probably notice some noise or a certain lack of preamp gain from our guest. But with the SM58 we're testing it with, it's effective, to say the least. The same goes, for example, for the EQ system. Although it has four parametric bands, what's shown on screen may not be faithful to reality, and you'd wish for a somewhat higher level of precision. But it's still above what some of the more ambitious analog consoles offer, which is saying a lot.

The motorized volume faders respond quickly to the console's commands and to our own deliberate movements, although at times they seem to resist. Will they hold up for a significant number of sessions? Presumably yes. We just need to be as careful as possible when using them, the same care we take with any other product.

Conclusion
Without a doubt, the best thing about this type of device is how it integrates into a professional environment, beyond the features it can offer live. Although compared with other similar options this Behringer seems to be a step behind in sound quality, the truth is that it brilliantly fills the gaps left by its competitors. So much so that it's a good candidate for live applications.

Unfortunately, this time I wasn't able to integrate the DDX3216 into a studio, although the possibilities are basic but more than sufficient.

Paired with a good mic preamp, and with gear around it to make up for its (few) shortcomings, all of them surmountable, our Behringer will become a perfect ally for the most ambitious music productions.

It's easy to use and familiar to anyone who has ever worked with consoles of this type. It gathers the best of what we've seen to date and even improves on some aspects, and for its final price it's truly an investment worth considering.