Review: Behringer Xenyx 302 USB Mixer

I consider myself a quality hawk who likes to be flexible and do it it all on the cheap.  When I want to record great audio on the go, I don't want to limit myself to just microphones with 1/8" minijack or USB plugs.  I want to take my regular mics, but I don't want to spend a bunch of money or lug bulky gear around.  Behringer has the answer.

I've long been a fan of Behringer when it comes to audio mixers.  They have an affordable, diverse line of mixers to fit every need and budget.  Now with the rollout of their new Xenyx 302 USB mixer, I can get great studio-quality sound on the road with the microphone of my choosing.  This tiny mixer that would fit in the pocket of your cargo shorts is easy to carry around, easy to use with your laptop on the go, and priced well within the budget of even the cheapest social media pro.

This mixer appears to be first and foremost a USB interface for a professional microphone and not as much a "mixer."  You are limited to one microphone input, which can be a drag if you're doing multiple microphones.  But if your goal is recording testimonials or simple interview podcasts or other simple recordings, this is a great tagalong audio device to pack in your gear bag.  Its USB interface makes a direct, stereo input/output connection to your computer, which is preferable to connecting via a soundcard because it is sometimes prone to picking up RF interference noise.  

The USB interface is also handy because the mixer is entirely self-powered by the USB port, meaning you don't have to lug a separate power brick and cable with you.  A USB wall plug is supplied you choose to use it strictly as a standalone mixer outputting to a recording device via its analog line-out.  While it's nice to not have to carry a power brick, I wish you had an option to use separate power.  The Xenyx 302 USB is also "phantom powered," meaning it supplies a small current to condenser-style microphones that need power to work.  This phantom power is always on, and since it draws enough current all the time, it is not compatible out of the box with an iPad in the same way that other USB mixers are.  (USB mixers that are iPad compatible require the Apple Camera Connection Kit accessory which creates a USB port on the iPad from the 30-pin connector.)  Alesis makes a small USB mixer (the MultiMix 4 USB) that's more expensive than the Xenyx 302 USB, but is compatible with the iPad with its separate power source.  I'd love to see Behringer come out with some sort of "power injector" add-on that could connect a power source between the mixer and the iPad if such a thing is possible.  I wanted so badly for this to work with the iPad 2 so I could take both to go and use Garage Band for recording on the go.  No dice.

That said, my preferred way of recording on the go is on a laptop, and the Xenyx 302 USB works great that way.  It plugs in and installs itself automatically in Windows.  (I can't attest to its Mac compatibility.)  It shows up as "USB Audio Codec" and essentially becomes your second sound card.  Behringer does also make low-latency drivers available to download on its website that enhances the experience with capable sound applications.  All you really need to do is modify your sound settings in Windows to make "USB Audio Codec" your default recording device and you're ready to record.  If you want to go the opposite direction and feed sound out of your PC to the line-out fader, you could select the "USB Audio Codec" as your default playback device.

Like I said, you can use just about any good quality microphone you want with the Xenyx 302.  I have an Audio-Technica "Digital Reference" dynamic microphone that sounds great with this mixer.  I also utilize a Marshall MXL 990 condenser microphone for its richer, full-bodied vocal quality and it works perfectly.  The Xenyx 302 outputs slightly less phantom power than most mixers, so there may be microphones that don't work with it, but most should.  I love being able to take my laptop, this mixer and my best condenser mic wherever I need to go and put together a studio-quality recording set up without involving a lot of unnecessary wires.

All in all, the Behringer Xenyx 302 USB mixer is a solid piece of audio gear to add to any social media pro's multimedia toolbox.  No longer are you limited to a puny selection of USB microphones with middling quality.  You can use this with great, affordable professional XLR-jack microphones and achieve great results without the major cash expenditure.  It's also a great addition to any office if you find yourself doing voice overs for YouTube videos, client recordings, testimonials and other multimedia jobs.  It's a great mix of rugged quality, flexible use and affordable accessibility for anyone.  If you can't find one in your local area, they're now available at most online music retailers and Amazon.com.