Behringer bought TC Electronic

[culturejam]

I had to google to find out who or what the Rippingtons were.    Then I listened/watched on YouTube for a bit. That's smoooooooth jazz.

They must pretty awesome if they can dictate to venues what kind of house gear to have.

[pickdropper]

Outside of certain guitar forums, I wonder how many people even know the designs aren't original?

Don't know. But I think that might be a side argument. Is it stealing if the people buying it have no idea? 

Lately, just about all the cheap brands have been bringing up their game, it seems.

Sure, stealing is stealing.  I am just not sure that's why most people have a low opinion of Behringer as was mentioned earlier in the thread.

[atreidesheir]

They had a bad patch in the 2000s with way below standard parts and build quality.  Killed their reputation.  The problems were real.  Even the gear that sounded pretty good was very prone to fail.  The best gear was the oldest.  IDK about the newest generation of stuff.

[culturejam]

Sure, stealing is stealing.  I am just not sure that's why most people have a low opinion of Behringer as was mentioned earlier in the thread.

It's definitely not the main reason. The copying ideas thing is a pile-on after the low quality and high rate of failure of their pedals and mixing boards.

[gordo]

For any of us trying to repair Behringer gear was a nightmare. Toss it was the standard procedure. In the past few years they've done a total about face to where my church band has dumped their Yamaha digital gear for the new Behringer stuff including personal in ear monitor consoles.  Each of us has their own 16 channel monitor board with variable eq and compression on each channel.  Amazing stuff.

[EBRAddict]

I saw the Behringer guitar pedals online, $25. At that price I have to imagine the mechanicals are complete crap.

[Willybomb]

Just in regards to the Chinese slave labour issue - I obviously can't vouch for every business using the Chinese factories, I can pass on a few stories from my uncles, one who worked for one of Australia's 2 big supermarket chains (he's worked for both at one time or another), and the other works for a major shoe label importing around 2mill shoes per yeah.

Basically, the workers live on site, or close enough, and are paid an above average wage for China. Many send the wages home to family as the food and accomodation is covered by the company. We might think its peanuts, but to them it's a substantial amount... To the point where a worker could buy a house in a year. In 5 years they could have 5 houses and retire, but in the words of one uncle, they're pissing the money up against a wall.

Having said that, you are expected to work. A shoe order was due to be shipped the next day but it couldn't be completed due to a breakdown - my uncle was there and all the labour had gone to bed while it was getting fixed. This was around 10pm. He came in the next day and there was still no one around. He asked why the order that was due to leave at 10am wasn't getting completed and he was told that it had already been shipped - the machine had been repaired at 1am, and all the workers were called I. To get the order out.

So while I can't comment on work conditions or oh&s, the pay is apparently pretty good. Either way, you wouldn't get that work ethic here!

[sonarchotic]

Just in regards to the Chinese slave labour issue - I obviously can't vouch for every business using the Chinese factories, I can pass on a few stories from my uncles, one who worked for one of Australia's 2 big supermarket chains (he's worked for both at one time or another), and the other works for a major shoe label importing around 2mill shoes per yeah.

Basically, the workers live on site, or close enough, and are paid an above average wage for China. Many send the wages home to family as the food and accomodation is covered by the company. We might think its peanuts, but to them it's a substantial amount... To the point where a worker could buy a house in a year. In 5 years they could have 5 houses and retire, but in the words of one uncle, they're pissing the money up against a wall.

Having said that, you are expected to work. A shoe order was due to be shipped the next day but it couldn't be completed due to a breakdown - my uncle was there and all the labour had gone to bed while it was getting fixed. This was around 10pm. He came in the next day and there was still no one around. He asked why the order that was due to leave at 10am wasn't getting completed and he was told that it had already been shipped - the machine had been repaired at 1am, and all the workers were called I. To get the order out.

So while I can't comment on work conditions or oh&s, the pay is apparently pretty good. Either way, you wouldn't get that work ethic here!

There's been plenty of abuse of the Chinese work force documented. I seriously doubt any claims that the workers are getting rich and waisting the money. Are the jobs better than the alternative? That's the question with most work.
  China's government keeps it's labor cost low by design and by force. We didn't lose western jobs due to any lack of work ethic. We lost them because we had been fighting for a better working environment since the start of the industrial revolution. My hope is that people are people and no one will put up with low pay and poor treatment forever. The sooner they stand up for themselves the sooner the playing field gets leveled.

[Willybomb]

I agree with you wholeheartedly.  While there are people (Goverments?  Countries?) that will do it for less with less, others will take advantage of that.  I'm just passing on the stories as I've heard them from people who are there.

Work ethic?  Probably more "No choice in the matter.  Work or dont come in tomorrow".

Either way, cheap gear.