I've found the Arrakis boards can have bleedover problems and Behringers seem to have RF problems.
That being said, Behringer sounds sharper than DBX in my ears.
Well, let me say this about that.
I've spent the last 28 years live on the air 5 days a week, 4 hours a day on an Arrakis board. An SC500 for about 25 of those years, which was replaced with a MARC15. On our sister station, I do 90% of my at work production on a ARC10, which is also used live on the air on a 100,000 watt FM station about 18 hours of the day. I've also just installed another ARC10 in another on air FM live studio, and am now using an ARC8 for on air work and production of music shows on my Part 15. (this weeks Oompah Hour is the first show out of the new side of the studio).
These are all boards that get heavy, constant use. I've found them durable and easy to hook up and maintain and repair in the rare instance where someone manages to break something -- haven't been inside the MARC15 in 3 years, nor the ARC10 in 7+ years.
I will admit that you can head some "bleedthrough" now and again, especially if you have a source pumping in an audio signal far above normal. However, in all these years I've NEVER heard any bleedthrough get on the air, nor into a production recording. In all our studios the boards in the live rooms are also used for production at the same time the board is on the air (we use the air output for air, and the audition for recording production. On the MARC15 there are three output busses, we use one for on the air, one to record into the Smartcaster system, and the third to record into a production PC. ). I've NEVER heard anything bleeding into another recording or into the air. e.g. the board can have music playing in audition, while an interview is on the air from studio B, and they can be recording an interview from studio C through the third buss, all with no interference between them in the recordings or on air. It seems to me the only bleedthrough that can be detected is when listening in cue, in the headphones, etc. I cannot detect any bleedthrough even in the headphones in the board feed or air feed either. And I listen LOUD.
Now, obviously YMMV. But in 28 years and 5 different Arrakis boards I've had no issues that affect the recorded or on air product at all.
Are Arrakis borads the best? Nope. But I believe they're the best for the price, they're real radio boards instead of a recording or music board, and in 28 years of constant use I can say they're pretty darn stout.
And incidentally, reports of some IC's being "unobtanium" for the older Arrakis boards are of course inaccurate. You may have to settle for Chinese IC's, but I can gaurantee you that EVERY board you buy today is chock full of Chinese parts. I had ZERO trouble with any of these chips. AND I've also never had trouble with them "exploding due to poor grounding" as one site reports.
TIB
Behringer is up-front about this. They advise the board may experience difficulty in an RF environment.
But, who puts the board that close to the antenna? Hopefully your RF is not in the studio.
I've had good luck with all the Berhinger gear I've used. My son used them a lot in the recording process (musician). We use them for all sorts of "utility mixing" purposes at the full powers, from quick news room mixing, on the scene work. I have a small Behringer in my office at work that I bring the on air board signal in through to feed my computer for recording the morning show podcast every day. No issues in years of use. Although our transmitters are miles away 🙂
I use a Yamaha (don't remember the model off hand) for production work, voice overs, and up until last week on air work for my Part 15, and production of programs incuding the Oompah Hour. The model I have has some built in effects - reverb, etc - and compression/limiting on the mic channels (adjustable). My Part 15 transmitter is maybe 25 feet from the studio and I get no RF issues. Not that I expected to :).
TIB
Personally I love the design and operation of the Arrakis boards, I haven't had one bleedover onto the air chain but I do have one that bleeds everything into the audition channel. It is an extremely low level bleed however the AGC function in our recording software will pick it up loud and clear if used.
I've used a behringer Autocom on top of a Marti STL with no problems. The same Autocom connected to a TalkingHouse was unusuable due to the hum. I suspect if the TH was using an outdoor antenna the Behringer would run fine. Grounding all the studio gear helps significantly too.
I've used them at several stations. But I listen to Mark Osbourne. If anyone knows about Pro equipment HE does! At KISS-94 he bought two LPB Signature Series 8-pot boards. Here is the one you WANT for AM:
I bet Mark might agree...
Doug
LPB made some fantastic gear! I've got one on hold until shipping can be arranged, right now I use a BE 8S250 on air.
The board used on the AM side of the commercial station i worked for (WRSL-1520 AM) was a Vintage GATES-HARRIS but i remember it being mono with one VU meter, looked just like a Stereo Executive board. Memory is a bit fuzzy.
It wasn't the prettiest thing to look at but if one was offered to me for the price of pickup by me i would not turn it down.
Barry of BBR 1620 AM
"...right now I use a BE 8S250 on air."
One like this, Mighty?
Doug
Wouldn't this be a nice little retro console for your AM station?
They want 2 grand for that gem...
Doug
Here is one to look for! This is classic!
It's a dual-mono board. Oh, man...restored? Find a couple Collins 16" turntables like these:
Ha! Add a couple SpotMasters/TapeCasters? You got a REAL radio station! LOL!
Doug
I like vintage equipment, but the last couple of pieces pictured look like movie props for a Frankenstein movie or a perhaps something sinister...
At least one looks like it might have been in service in the last decade. The label maker tape isn't peeling!!
Nice pieces of history, it would be neat to own either or all!
"...the last couple of pieces pictured look like movie props for a Frankenstein movie or a perhaps something sinister..."
Haaaa hahaha! Yesss! Good Eeee-vening! >Chuckle<
Doug
That's the one Dugger! Works great with a build date of December 1979.
I'll eventually need to recap it at some point.
Where Wolf? Ha, watched Young Frankenstein not long ago, and they do use vintage equipment, just bigger and older, with cobwebs on. At the end of the movie, thanks are given to a collector or museum for the use of the equipment as props in the movie.
I've seen other movies, and especially old TV that uses radios for props, and often uses it improperly, as in a low band HF transmitter for police frequencies, or a receiver as a transmitter, they just put a mic in front of something like an R-398!