Anyone looked inside new Behringer effects e.g. DM100?

[grolschie]

Some say they are improved clones of Boss pedals. However, some claim they still hear the effect when in bypass mode. These are too cheap to ignore. I wonder if they can modified to true by-pass or improved when in bypass mode? The DM100 is a Rat2/Dist+/DS1 all in one box! Any ideas?

[Dave Eason]

A review here in the UK highly rated the blues overdrive, said the others were all pretty plain and unispiring.. especially the ultra distoartion.  But the tremolo has been highly regarded - most people I ask say it performs better than the boss, and sounds a bit better.

You can't really complain for 15 GBP a go can you! Good for modding and using as the basis of your own designs.  I'm waiting for the reverb and delay, and the tuner (a "boss style" tuner for £15! ) to see how good they are.

Has anyone used the marshall echohead and reflector?  I wouldn't mind seeing what they're like, they're affordable and well built.

[Rodgre]

I bought the DM100, but I haven't opened it up yet.

I was really dissappointed with it, as well as the E-H clones they make. Yes, the bypass is horrendous, and the tone itself is pretty thin and weak compared to a "real" pedal. The Digitech Hotrod blows it away as a modeler.

The E-H pedal clones suffer the same fate with non true-bypass (it's an actuator over a typical momentary switch) and thin thin thin effect tone.

Roger

[djspank]

I have got the cs100 (compressor ) and eq700 ( EQ )  and I cant speak highly enough of them.  I havent tried the boss equivalents, but I have heard from many sources that the EQ is practically exactly the same as the Boss one.   And some people prefer the sound of the compressor over the Boss one.   I like them both and for 40 dollars AUD each they have given me a lot more options with my tone.

As for tone sucking when disengaged, I cant really say I have noticed anything but then I am not exactly trying to listen out for it.

[KaptenSpark]

I bought the behringer tuner since I didn't have one, and it was cheap. Well guess what! It was out of tune! I returned it and the people in the store knew all about it and there are a few reviews on harmony-central from people with the same problem.
Other than that, it's really slow. We'll see how the next batch will work. I'm going for the korg pedal tuner next time, it's four-five times the price, but it's so good I get all warm inside just thinking about it. 

[sfr]

I'm going for the korg pedal tuner next time, it's four-five times the price, but it's so good I get all warm inside just thinking about it. 

If I'm thinking of the same tuner, it's a real nice piece of kit; I have a friend who swears by it - it's a godsend when you're accompanying instruments where A isn't 440. 

[RaceDriver205]

I'm waiting for the reverb and delay

At my local shop they have a behringer Digital Multifx, which looks the same shape as all the other pedals.
It has a Flanger, Chorus, Tremolo, Delay, Phaser and most importantly Pitch Shifter!
Sounds crap, but the pitch shifter works, and its only $50Aus. I may get it instead of trying to get the elm-chan DSP module to work properly, and hard wire it to pitch-shifter mode.

[wordstep]

I have the DM100 and already open it.but I dont trace the schematics.
there is a ba10324a (not smd) inside

a lot SMD parts,electric bypass simillar to BOSS
I dont think make it true bypass is that hard,but after a lot of thought,I decide leave it alone.
the pcb is pretty full of parts,in my opion,no way to put it in a MXR style small box.

about the tone, the ds1 side is a RAT, and the rat side is a DS1,----AT LEAST MY BOX
so the pots really useful in RAT MODE, and can adjust a little in DS1/ds+ mode,
check the ds1/rat schrmatics,you know why.
the RAT(mark ds1 on the box) is pretty useful,compare to a RAT2, the whole shoud is a little sharp,
this happen a lot in brand new smd parts pedal--in my experience.

[MartyMart]

I've reviewed a few things here before ( search )
AM100 - Acoustic modeler - not very good and gets zero use, since I built the Boss clone !
Tremolo - FAB , very nice trem indeed
GDI-21 - pretty much as good as the sansamp
700 EQ - great, very useful and cheap graphic eq.

Plastic, bad switches and jacks so not really "gigable" but hey £15  !!

MM

[Cardboard Tube Samurai]

I have the Behringer Flanger and I am very unimpressed. It's on my "To-do list" for modification.

I also have the Behringer Vintage Tube Overdrive and can't sing it's praises highly enough. I did some recording recently with my band. I had my Epiphone SG (with Seymour Duncan JB pickup in bridge position) through the VTO and into a 50w Laney (Tube amp). With a slight amount of drive on the dirty channel, I was emulating a perfect Angus Young sound!!!

[Gilles C]

The GDI-21 was on my wish list. Either that or I'll build a GT-2 clone myself.

All that because I heard and tried a Tech 21 amp last week end...

Hilles

[idlechatterbox]

GDI-21 has such a nice emulation that I sometimes put it in front of my tube amp to make them sound even more tubey. 

I've had a couple of their pedals (blues OD and vintage trem). Like others have said, I thought they were reasonably good for the money, but I wouldn't take them along if the Stones needed a backup guitarist. I opened them up, but figured I could get better tone by making something from scratch.

I kick myself for selling my behringer Virtualizer. I only got about 20 bucks for it on ebay, and the fact is that it had amazingly good reverb(s), and a few of the other effects settings were, in retrospect, pretty dang good.

[Rob Strand]

I have confirmed the Blues Overdrive BO100 uses the same basic circuit as the Blues Driver BD-2.  That's the only one I've opened up.

I quickly A/B'ed the Boss Super Chorus CH-1 with the Behringer Ultra Chorus UC100.  I expected these to be the same given the control layout.  They did sound different but I didn't spend much time analysing what was different.  I thought the CH-1 sounded better, they were definitely similar in character.   Both are voiced with a wide band filter on the delay path, which makes them less analog sounding than other units.  If I spent more time perhaps I could adjust the controls to get a better match.  The rate knobs the the Behringer units have a wide range of speeds which makes them a little touchy.  The first time I tried the UC100 I thought it sounded a little thin the second time I thought it sounded OK.

I thought the Behringer Flanger, Phaser and Bass Limiter sounded OK.  I wouldn't class them as high-end but on average they are as good as the average effects unit.  I'd say this holds true for a good deal of the latest wave of low cost effects from Danelectro and Behringer.  If I was a young kid with a limited budget they are pretty good value and allow you to get a few more effects than you otherwise would if you were buying more costly effects.  I remember paying AU$150 for my first flanger in about 1982 - that was a lot of money then for a young kid.

[RaceDriver205]

I bought the digital multifx pedal one today. Its sweet! My DIY pitch shifter can go to hell, coz it probably wont ever work properly anyway. The pitch shifter in this thing is totally awesome!  Only $50!

[theman]

i've tried the behringer nr100 noise reducer, and compared it to a boss ns-2, and the boss is much better. the nr100 was not useable because it had this thin, fizzy distortion when using a clean tone. this was unacceptable. you don't hear it as much if you're running a noisy distorted signal, however.

i also have heard the gd121 (analog modeler), and this is a very good unit for the price ($30). it is very close to a sansamp gt-2 clone i have heard. the clone had a little more clarity and definition, while the gdi21 had a little more warmth and bass. but both were very similar. for $30, and including an xlr out, it is hard to beat.

[Ge_Whiz]

Friend of mine has the tuner and the tremolo. Tuner works fine and is accurate. Tremolo sounds great.

[MartyMart]

i also have heard the gd121 (analog modeler), and this is a very good unit for the price ($30). it is very close to a sansamp gt-2 clone i have heard. the clone had a little more clarity and definition, while the gdi21 had a little more warmth and bass. but both were very similar. for $30, and including an xlr out, it is hard to beat.

BTW : The XLR out is not useable, causes noise and a high digital "whine" when plugged in !!

..... shame 

[col]

How do you get them open? I bought 3 from Manchester Guitar show in May which were on a reduced rate, I think they were 3 for £35. I got the bass overdrive, the graphic equaliser and a limiter and all work perfectly. I tried to open them but I think the pots are glued to the knobs so i just managed to peer inside and they look like real transistors and SIL ICs. I couldn't tell if everything else was surface mount or not. The switches really are poor and you have to be careful you put them back together properly after putting a battery in or they don't work. Of the 3 I bought the graphic is easily the best and sounds fantastic as a boost, I doubt whether it will last long being booted about though.

[David]

i also have heard the gd121 (analog modeler), and this is a very good unit for the price ($30). it is very close to a sansamp gt-2 clone i have heard. the clone had a little more clarity and definition, while the gdi21 had a little more warmth and bass. but both were very similar. for $30, and including an xlr out, it is hard to beat.

BTW : The XLR out is not useable, causes noise and a high digital "whine" when plugged in !!

..... shame 

Mine doesn't.  It works fine!

[theman]

i also have heard the gd121 (analog modeler), and this is a very good unit for the price ($30). it is very close to a sansamp gt-2 clone i have heard. the clone had a little more clarity and definition, while the gdi21 had a little more warmth and bass. but both were very similar. for $30, and including an xlr out, it is hard to beat.

BTW : The XLR out is not useable, causes noise and a high digital "whine" when plugged in !!

..... shame 

must have been a bad unit you had. i plugged mine into a mic pre and then into a daw for recording, to compare it to the 1/4" output, and they sounded the same to me -- and that was under all modeling conditions. i did not hear any noise or digital whine. the gdi21 is an analog modeler, and if it's at all based on the sansamp gt-2, then there's no digital circuitry in there creating the tones -- at least none like a dsp unit.