BehringerXenyx 302USB Mixer with USB

I've been playing around with my new Behringer XENYX 302USB Mixer and so far my impressions are positive.I was nervous about buying it because there were no reviews at all, so I opened the box carefully and took out only the 302, using my own cable and on-line documentation. That way, if I had to return it, packing it back up would be easy.I use Audacity (with a single core, Pentium 4 PC running XP Pro) to record, and the program recognized the 302 (as USB codex), no problem.One thing I wanted to do is record from an iPod Touch 4G to Audacity, then play that Audacity track back and record another track against it from the iPod. I used a mono cable that is 1/4 inch on one end (plugged into the mic jack of the 302) and 1/8 inch on the other (plugged into the headphone jack of the iPod).I used an app called Chordbot to play a progression on the iPod, which was recorded through the 302 into Audacity. I didn't care that the track was mono, but if I wanted stereo, I could have used the line input on the 302 with RCA cables going to an 1/8th inch stereo plug.Once my chord progression was recorded on an Audacity track, I played that back by using an RCAs to 1/8 inch plug to connect the line input on the 302 to the headphone jack of the computer. By pushing the red button on the 302, which selects input from the USB (the computer), and the black button next to it, which sends the signal to the headphones, I could hear the Audacity track playing as I recorded a new track, this time using an app called Thumbjams on the iPod.It worked very well. No hiss or other unwanted noise present.The 302 assumes (incorrectly, in my case) that I want to hear the mic input through the earphones as I'm recording. I don't. I never monitor myself when singing or playing guitar, but listen only to the backing track.I got around this by using the pan slider on the 302, panning my live performance all the way to the right. I then removed the right earphone from my ear. I panned the sound coming from the computer all the way to the left. This way I could hear the backing track but not my voice in the headphones.My Audio Technica AT2020 microphone recorded fine--with no hiss or noise--with the 302's gain set at 12 o'clock, the mic volume maxed, and the main mix volume at about 2 o'clock.I could generate hiss with the AT2020 if I cranked the 302's gain and volume all the way up, but I can do that with most any mixing deck.I could not get as loud a hissless track using the 2020 and the 302 as I would like. A preamp is probably called for. But the signal was usable if I increased the gain a bit in Audacity after recording, or if I doubled a track.In addition to the iPod experiment, I recorded a nylon-string guitar, then recorded a vocal track against it. Used the AT2020 for both tracks. Worked fine.I have an old Radio Shack dynamic mic with a built-in TSR cable that I tried. It also recorded well, for what it is. (I sound terminally depressed when I record with this mic, so only dig it out for experiments such as this.)All in all, I'm liking the 302 and plan to use it instead of the XENYX 802/UCA202 USB interface rig I was using.WOWSERS. Important update. The USB codec that Windows installed when I first plugged in the 302 doesn't play nice with Audacity. Often when I try to play back or play back and record, there is no sound through the 302, even though I can see audio levels in Audacity.I went to the Behringer website and downloaded the ASIO 32 bit driver. Now things are great. Except. Whatever USB slot you install the driver to is taken over by the driver and can't used by any other audio codec.This means that if you unplug the 302 and plug another audio device into the same slot, it can only play--if it will--using the Behringer ASIO codec. Other slots are unaffected. It's possible to undo this by running the setup file again and choosing to uninstall the driver.I'm willing to give up a USB slot to the 302 because I'm liking it so much and will probably use it every day. YMMV.

FINALLY a studio-grade mixer for the home studio! I've tried just about every budget mixer and ALL have lacked when it came to noise. My ears were just never quite satisfied. Then I found this little beast and my quest has ended! This thing has raised the quality coming out of all of my mics including the cheap ones! And with no noise! I don't know how this thing is under $50 bucks but, hey grab them while you can! Mine arrived today and my next one is on the way for mobile setups. For the price, you just can't go wrong with this mixer!

*Update*I have now had this thing (with the GLS ES 57 mic) for 9 years, and I still use it for work. Still works like the day I got it. If it ain't broke, no need to fix or change it. The combo works great.Easily one of the best purchases I ever made.**End update**This is my first mixer. I'd been looking for a cheap way to upgrade from USB-powered mics like the Blue Snowball to something a little more professional and, of course, that requires a mixer with these kinds of hookups.Thus, I am an amateur and you'll probably get more accurate ratings out of a professional.Anyway, my pros and consPros1. This thing is way smaller than I expected. I can hold it in one hand without any difficulty and that means it doesn't take up a lot of desk space. It fits well where I put it.2. It works as intended. I use this with a GLS ES-57 mic and this mixer is powerful enough to power it and make it sound good. I have my windows volume set at 54 and the gain is up at about 60%. I have no hissing and no problems. I did a podcast with this set up today and my podcast co-host (we do it over Skype) said I sounded very clear and my voice sounded strong and good. This is a stark improvement over the Blue Snowball.3. It's plug and play. I plugged it in, it installed the drivers, and it automatically set itself as the default microphone. Easy peasy.4. I use Reaper as my audio software and Reaper recognized it immediately.5. The dials and everything was easy to understand.Cons1. You can't plug this into a USB hub (or even an AC-powered USB hub) otherwise you'll get a hiss. This needs to be plugged directly into a computer.2. This high-jacks your audio defaults in Windows. To fix it, open your Control Panel, open the Sound, and set your Playback device to your speakers to fix the problem. Your sound will come out through your speakers as intended. Since I use this as my main mic, I left it as default in the Sound settings.Overall, for the price, this is an amazing little mixer for beginners and amateurs. I know there are better options but they are also more expensive and I'm on a budget. It's a great way to get into the world of sound without spending a lot more money. If you're like me and a single person doing YouTube video voice overs or podcasts, this is perfect for a home studio set up where you only need one person. Worth every penny as long as it lasts. I'll update when/if it breaks down but until then, I do not regret this purchase.**Update 10-11-2015**I'm still using this thing every day and it still runs perfectly fine. I have graduated to ASIO4ALL drivers (which require some configuring) to make it sound a little more clear and work a little better. I can't imagine myself upgrading to anything else unless I start building a studio where I'm not the only person in it.Works great, easy to use, still runs after all this time with nary a problem. Nothing to complain about yet!