DO NOT contact anyone on Telegram (or other service) that is pretending to be me and claiming you won something. I am not giving anything away. They are scammers trying to steal your money and data.
When doing the distance test 3:04, I would appreciate it if you had a section where you boost them to listenable loudness at all distances tested so that we can get a sense for the amount of self noise and coloration that would be introduced if we did decide to mic it from that distance.
I have the C-2s and have enjoyed using them to mic up instruments like acoustic guitar. I found they are a bit self-noisy though for spoken word. But I'm still happy to have the C-2s in my collection
I have em. I avoid using them for spokenword for the same reason, they are noisy. But they definitely have their uses....I use them for audience mics for stand-up comedy. I also imagine they'd be great on drums or any loud instrument.
The self noise on the pair I received was not acceptable for quiet passages and I sent them back one day later. I have a B-1 which is a great mic for the money.
I never even considered using them for vocal use. I purchased mine strictly for drum overheads and I've also used them for ambient mics for bands with IEMs.
Those sound amazing for $30 each. I don't think you should be looking for Behringer's secret on how they make their gear so cheap, but everyone else's secret for making their gear so expensive. Same with any super expensive prestigious products. 99% of the price tag is for the exclusivity.
Behringer gear costs so little because it is made in China. They can lower the cost even more than other companies who manufacture there because they are huge (Behringer is like a city) and do everything themselves in house. The "exclusive" (as you call it) gear made in the west has to deal with high labor costs, parts that are unusual or that sometimes have to be shipped across the world and many are rather small operations. Also some of these "exclusive" companies build gear the old way with discrete parts and hand soldering rather than SMT (surface mount technology) and wave soldering which is far less labor intensive and much less costly. Cheap modern gear made in huge quantities in China can sound pretty good but getting that last bit of quality found in really great gear can get quite expensive. For all the reasons I have mentioned and others I don't have space to type into this tiny box the cost goes up exponentially with the result being that a microphone that is without the small failings of the C2 can cost hundreds or in some cases even thousands of dollars. It not BS it's just how the world actually works.
@@7171jay most stuff is made in China now, with the company taking the lions share. Ray Bans, expensive clothes, phones, components. Example (and I know you explained it) but let's say a guitar from China is £300 and one from UK/ USA is £3000. That's a massive disparity and most of that goes to shareholders, with the product still being made "as cheap as possible".
I bought a pair of these for practically free when I worked for a local retailer. I usually use them for travel gigs and pre-production/demos when I don't want to mess with my expensive mics (usually AKG C414 or Senn 421). I actually really like them on pianos and acoustic guitars. If you know the instrument is going to be low in the mix they're more than adequate.
In my personal testing of the Behringer C-2, they've been exceptionally poor performers. Harsh, low sensitivity. You can't even rely on the low cut filter switch to act like it's actually in the position it's in. You can flip the switch to flat and still have the low-cut filter (or sometimes the pad) still engaged. So I don't even blame Mr.Podcastage for forgetting to flip the switch on the intro, because there's about a 60% chance he did flip the switch and the filter stayed engaged. You have to listen back to the audio every time. It's that bad.
Its even more crazy that I got a bunch of them for 30€ a pair a while back, very handy backup/extra mics in live use on anything where the little bit of extra harshness from these mics can be dealt with.
Your videos a VERY helpful at educating audio tech purchases! One of the only channels that go into the really specific details. I might have to get those in the future and try asmr with them. Thank you for your channel and what you do :)
Holy crap. That was awesome. We’re so used to specs and maybe 2 sound examples, that we’ve forgotten about practical tests.. great job. I’m going to pick these up because they sound good, aren’t crap and seem reliable. Oh, and they’re a steal. Nice. Thanks.
I particularly appreciate your discernment about problems in the high frequencies, which can cause many microphones to make a perfectly fine classical violin sound like a scalded cat - a detail unfortunately overlooked by many folks, including some professional producers.
As a violinist and live sound engineer I 100% agree this is the problem with most mics including the awful sm58. It's not as bad of a problem when you're listening with dome tweeters used in studio monitors, but when you have compression drivers in pa speakers things can sound really rough in part due to bad horn designs and harmonic distortions that occur around the presence peaks of certain mics. Thanks to these videos I've gotten pretty good at telling which mic is going to sound terrible in a live sound situation on certain instruments just by listening on my iPad's speakers.
@@AfferbeckBeats There are some good condenser mics that work for violin, IMO, but ribbon mics can also work well. I know at least two or three pro engineers who have used ribbons on classical violin with excellent results. I'm guessing that ribbons might be a safer choice when in doubt here.
@@AfferbeckBeats As a live sound engineer myself, the thought of having a ribbon Mic at a small folk festival venues etc fills me with dread, given how some players cannot resist tapping the mic to "..... just checking it was on"! Also, I think my bank manager would probably kill himself, and/or me! 😄
I have a pair that I inherited from my father. They rarely get used to be honest as I have much better SDCs and these do not sound very good. But they are surprisingly good for the money, I'll give them that. So if you are on a very tight budget it's great. Thing is with SDCs there are quite good options if you just step up the budget a notch. I have a pair Line Audio CM3s that I bought for $200 15 years ago, still use them all the time. Such great value. So if you can swing it, get something that will get use over the years.
I recorded my vocal for my song using 3 mics SM7B, AT2035, and C2 (using foam pop filter of course) aaaaand I ended up using the one recorded on this. I have a pretty weird voice tho, it might not be as suitable for most other singing voice. Doesn't sound like anything special raw but it's surprisingly quite flexible to edit and useable for professional use 👍
I go back and forth on this, but right now after hearing the mic comparisons and the music example, I'm firmly in the "don't by expensive microphones" frame of mind. The music recording example in particular makes it clear that a 30$ mic is more than enough to record something fit for music enjoyment. The room you're in and how you mic takes care of the rest and you should be focusing the rest of your energy on quality songwriting, arrangement and performance. Now count to five and I'll be fantasizing about the next expensive thing
Yeah, the plosives are horrendous, but when you're a decent distance away, and with a good windscreen, they aren't noticable at all. This is a great combo for two types of people; those that want to travel and do interviews on their podcast or for those wanting to record warm acoustics because it sounded fantastic.
I bought a pair of these in 07. Slapped some MOVO wind muff's on them. Also put them in Smallrig shock mounts. For field recording acoustic musicians, these have served me well. I never expected them to have held up so well all these years. They live in my camera bag permanently.
The Rode sounds nice but not $70 more nice. Same for the sE electronics and absolutely not worth $80 more. Shure are surely taking the piss. Beyerdynamic sound good but again, vs a $30 mic? Come on. Neumann sounds great but god, the Behringer punches so far above its weight it's insane. That second Neumann... I mean. Come on. Those sounded great with the acoustic. I'm tempted to get some just for that. The electrics sounded just fine. If someone on a budget needed some mics to record their work, they could do so much worse for $60 than these.
That’s definitely 30 bucks worth of microphone ;) On a more serious note, precision production has advanced to a level that makes it possible to produce actually decent kit for very little money, more than ever.
Thank you. I know you have a basic revulsion for testing the "cheap stuff" sometimes but you answered the EXACT question I wanted answered: Can I use these, with wind protection, to do overhead booming voice recording for video. The answers appears to be yes. So often the exterior noise and problems with a location far outweight the minutae of details regarding spectral emphasis etc. I can boost bass a bit in post. I can deal with a little harshness. Often high frequencies want a little "sharpness" for clarity of dialogue so these seem like a VERY reasonable investment for budget video production audio.
I've got these mikes and used them in many and situations, I've got KM 184, AKG C451 & C414 , SM 81, TLM 1o3, ... theses C2s are just incredible for the price !!! You guys can go and buy some right now !
Holy moly Behringer, what a gem of a company to make great sounding equipment so affordable for people that can't dump piles of cash on a suite of gear without being a risky no name Chinese brand. Kinda concerned of the human component put into making these so cheap but dang. Let's see, I have their 204hd asio, q502usb, q802usb mixers, a Crave synth and a tube screamer I think floating around somewhere. I would definitely consider nabbing a set of these.
I got the C-2s for stereo recording, sound amazing on anything I put them on. However, a around a week after getting them for some reason one of the 2 started having a low hissing sound making them hard to use for stereo recording. Maybe I could have prevented this by treating them with kid's gloves but, to say I did pretty much nothing to them apart from normal use, I'd say it's something to be aware of. But to be fair, I got them for £40 so only a bit dissapointed.
I got this set with another used microphone I bought many years ago. Then suddenly I needed to record stuff from my desk for things I was doing there, and they were perfect for that. I was a bit surprised to suddenly see you review them.
I have a matched pair of Rode M5s, also super-affordable. To my ears they have a bit more body and lower mids than these Behringers. I love the M5s, they're my go-to for X-Y applications. So far they've handled every situation I've thrown at them
So ... the C-2s are ... much clearer and much cheaper than their much more expensive competitors. Yes, they have a limited range of application. But most lower-priced mics are like that. I have two of them pretty much on permaplacement in a Glyn Johns arrangement on my kit, with a beautiful MT87 and a D880S. This gets me the best drum sound I've ever had (high pass filter on). I've used them on spoken word stuff, and they did the job well. I would not use them on a guitar cab/combo or on sung vocals. I have LDCMs for that (2 × Behringer C-3 & 2 × t.bone SC450). I love my C-2s where they are. 🥰
Hey I'm new here, can you recommend a mic for vocals and an acoustic guitar? There are so many options and don't understand anything about microphones any help would be greatly appreciated :3
Vocals nope no way, however for instruments this belongs in every starting out home recording kit, i've one set for the last 5 years still going so strong i added two more pairs
Thx for a nice rewiew! This mic is like “There is an art, it says, or rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. … Clearly, it is this second part, the missing, which presents the difficulties.” :)
Really impressive. I have a pair of studio projects C4- the one big difference being that the C4 have exchangeable capsules in different patterns. I’m not sure these C2 are possible to beat, pricewise, by any other company. These also come with a very sturdy case while my C4 came with just a bag.
Great video! I never seen your videos (shame!) and first thought "Ok, he will do..." but you adressed all my questions and concerns and did a great conclusion! To get it in context: I own some Neumann mics, also a pair of KM184. But I started micing drums with SM58s (because there were some), then bought (early 00s) some AKG small condensers as overheads - and it was a new world like somebody drawed back a curtain. And the invested more in mics. So ... great summary. Even if I have some great and expensive mics available - there are lots of situations where I think "what is the least expensive mic to use for this job" esp. for live situations. And for starting - as you said: These mics are a real price-value-winner. And Even if you get other mics: There will be situations, where you need additional mics. E.g. capturing the audience or ... and then you can take some "old mics you got". So no burned money. As said - great video, liked and loved, keep going!
I bought a set of these for my son's first studio setup. He's been using them as a stereo set for recording oboe and piano for auditions, and a bit of voice. When I showed him how to lightly pan the tracks, his brain exploded. While they might not be great for voice, they seem to be wonderful for wind instruments. For $60, though... heck yeah. I got him a Shure 58 since, but for acoustic instruments these are a bargain and will last him well into the time when he's ready to buy much more expensive gear.
Dude, you look good. You've either been working out or you have the early stages of a life threatening illness. If you're not working out, you'd better see your doc. But you still look great!
@@Podcastage I haven't been able to watch one of your videos in the past couple months so when I was finally able to sit down today, the change in your appearance was immediately noticeable. You look great man. Honestly, I'm stoked to hear about the walking and you taking good care of yourself. It's paying dividends. You should be proud. Oh, and thank you for all the fantastic reviews. You perform a great service for those of us who don't know much about microphones but would like to learn more. Cheers friend.
Man, first of all I am making an album of all your songs for the car!!! To be honest people in the industry are OCD about every little frequency. In a blind test for non audio people I think people won't tell them apart from the top brands. I agree the acoustic sounded sweet a little muddy on the Black & Decker guitars 🎸 I also thought they sounded even better on the speech in the untreated room which is unusual. I think they sounded better than every microphone 🎤 up to the MC930 where they were about the same. But boomed overhead indoors they could be used on broadcast TV and solve many financial problems for producers. Excellent is my final thoughts. 😮😮
It’s easy to judge what we “OCD” about when you have close to zero understanding of what professionals are looking in a condenser microphone. A good condenser has good off axis response without severe spikes and phase quirks. A poor off axis response also means worse integration with multiple mics (for example if used on a drumkit). Not to mention , Behringer C2 just sounds quite bad - and the difference is really apparent on my old iPhone.
Thanks for posting this. BTW where is the review of the Rode M5(s)? Which of the lesser expensive PCM(s) has the lower/lowest self noise? Personally I was findit hard to tell them apart until you got to the pricer stuff. What about anybody else... was it just me? Thanks again.
60 dollars for a matched pair of decent sdc´s, whats not to like, i think the only one i liked better in this video was the Neumann KM184 but this is a limited test of only voice of course. I have used the C2´s on acoustic guitar and im currently using one as a hi hat mic, it has served its purpose well. I also have the Behringer B2 Pro LDC and im currecntly using it for lead vocals recording an album and it sounds really good.
i got a pair. i like them on nylon string guitar and distance micing amps. what i find weird is they have a kind of proximity effect that seems pronounced..theres a real sweet spot, and if you move out of the zone while playing the level drops. if you take some time with placement you can get decent results similar to mxl 603..they are good value, i got mine $55 inc shipping a few months back.
Thanks for the test. well done. I must say the km184 sounds very rich, but the owner must be too. Great sound, not budget at all. I have a couple of 184s and love 'em. Maybe I can sell them and buy the Behringer c2s and then go out for dinner a couple times. They don't sound the same as the 184, but with a little low end bump it would be very comparable. (IMO) Those customers love to see the Neumann name tho'. Nothing a little sharpie can't fix right? I also have a couple of U87s. Ah, those customers. This will make a great audience mic for live situations. Fix it in the mix right?
Ive used them for live sound and broadcast a lot they work well as crowd microphones for conferences as multiple stereo pairs. Ive also used them a few times for lecturn microphones on a broadcast mix and got better results over the likes of sm57s used for the in house mix.
If I want to record everyday, travel, walk tour, RUclips that talk from behind the camera and at some distance, I want to step into record elements for game and vocal and instruments for music too, after some research, I come to this 4 setups, Sennheiser MKE 440, MKE 600, Line Audio CW4 and Deity HD-TX, the video will be record using Panasonic HC-X1500 camcorder, is this good minimal run and gun setup that deal with untreated room too? When to record in stereo and mono in my cases, music instruments and vocal all in stereo or each in mono, how about surround sound, do I need omnidirectional mic to create surround sound, or can just make a binaural setup to cover everything? Some say stereo mic not good for vocal, true? Shouldn't walk tour be surround sound, why people use directional mic for that? One RUclipsr say pencil condenser cover wider field by not cancel the sides like shotgun mic, is this mean I can use just one pencil condenser to cover all the above stereo and mono needs? Should I get both or one between MKE 600 and CW4? Does the MKE 440 stereo good enough/better and I don't need two CW4? Can the CW4 catch same/further distance voice/sound compare to MKE 600? Do I need the shotgun mic or CW4 will do to record outdoor sound for game elements? How do I record my behind the camera voice if I use the MKE 440 stereo mic facing Front when walking, attach CW4 to HD-TX facing rear or 1 CW4 front 1 CW4 back? Can I use one of the MKE 440 stereo mics as mono shotgun mic? The camcorder has an option handle with 2 XLR inputs, do I need it, can I use it as music elements recorder? Do I need 32 bits? If I just want a small XLR recorder and not going to use the wireless transmission, is HD-TX worth it? Is it suitable to just attach a pencil condenser CW4 mic to it to record singing vocal and instruments that way and a MKE 600 shotgun mic to it to record elements and sound effects for game development? Can I record both the XLR and 3.5mm jack at same time in same and different tracks? Can I use it as a high res music player so I don't need to buy another dedicated music device which function just like an audio recorder that can't record high res audio but better at organisation to play music? Any other recorder recommendations?
Thanks for the honest review, this seems like an interesting mic to try out. I want to use it for random percussion sampling, feels like a good starting point that won't break the bank for me. Thanks for the honest review it helped me a lot. I appreciate your knowledge and expertise with recording equipment! Cheers
I bought a set of C2's years ago for 20 Euros a piece, They still get used regularly for acoustic guitar. Well-placed, they sound great. For the price, they're unbeatable.
I've been eyeing up a pair of these for months, mainly cause I need a pair of overheads for my drums, did you find them any good for cymbals specifically?
I bought 4 of these used. I use them live for acoustic and percussion mics (including drumset overheads). The only issue is that the capsule occasionally has to be unscrewed and rescrewed to resolve a major ground hum. It's also really lovely as an audience or stage mic when using in ear monitors. And at $30/each, you don't have to be particularly careful with them.
Behringer can afford nearly every Instrument at every Price, becaue Uli Behringer himself has purchased a whole city where he can experiment on his newest Ideas for Instruments and build those models 24/7. If you find a Behringer Sticker in the Box, that is how you know that Uli himself built and packed your product, working longer hours than he Police in Europe would have let him
I actually own these and a pair of B5s back when I was on an extreme budget to record choirs. It's been well over 10 years since I have used either pair, but I literally just pulled out the B5s for some overheads for some drum tracking. They surprised me. I don't remember how the C2s stack up, but from many years ago, I remember liking the B5s better, but they are more expensive mics. I should pull out the C2s and try them again, but they are at a friend's house and have been for a decade or more.
A note: The lowest bass singer in the world for decades, JD Sumner, exclusively used the Shure SM 81 for singing. I've heard other bass singers use AKGs and ATs for much the same effect. SDCs can be great for professional singing applications if used correctly.
These are my drum overheads. I think they have no business being as good as they are. I paid $49 for the pair on you-know-where-azon back when I got 'em. They're a fraction the cost of my beta 98s or beta 52 and f**k if anyone can tell.
If you have the ability, you should absolutely record a sample video of these as drum overheads for the next person who is considering these for that application. That would be amazing.
Great mic. Got these for film making.. not a great idea.. does not work for booming. But it's a great set of mics.. love how spoken word sounds actually
So many comment from folks that think these mics sound good. I don't understand. These are horrible, especially on plosives and proximity. Just garbage.
I want those to record a live room. I'm a noise maker not a musician. I think this will serve my needs. Using a old cassette karaoke machine to record. Will let y'all know how it goes.🤪😵💫😁
A good test. Id say that the high end ones definitely sounded better, and in some situations, price doesn't matter, just quality, but for the average user and at that price, the C2s rock it. No doubt.
These are really for over head drums, choirs, or crowd mics. high pass and eq them to reduce harshness. Cool to see all these use cases tested though. You could really get good milage out of these if you are just getting into recording and are on a budget.
This mike is really cheap, a friend have a dozen of these, after some time an half didn’t work, on all an internal electolytic capacitor was shorted, i have replaced the capacitors and these come back, in any case i found these are too much sparkling and it is due to the cheaper electrec capsule.
they are very thin sounding... I guess it's perfect for people that want to start and record themself but they are not fun when all their sound are mixed toguether :)
This video is making me buy these. They're absolutely the perfect mics for interviews. At least I think they'll work fine on a table, being small and somewhat directional, when the subject is a bit microphone shy. Thank you. Oh, and your issues on the top end, honestly, even with my speakers, with spoken word, they sound fine.
I think the rode NT5s would be fine, but I'm a little more partial to the sE Electronics SE7's sound. But it'll be up to you which one you like the sound of more. For wind noise, I don't personally record out doors much, but I think that'll be an issue on most SDCs. You'll likely need to invest in some kind of proper windscreen to protect the mic from that like a deadcat
When Bandrew does the clap test it's fake. He's actually just smacking himself on the backside and dubbing that over the claps. The microphones are pretty good. The Behringer B5 is even better but it costs the same for one of those as it does for two of these.
DO NOT contact anyone on Telegram (or other service) that is pretending to be me and claiming you won something. I am not giving anything away. They are scammers trying to steal your money and data.
The Bahringer mics sound good, but bloody excellent for $60 a pair.
They are doing that... Thanks for the advice!
I’m absolutely shocked at how good this mic sounds for the price.
same... I may need to get one of these to record random audio on my phone xD
@@EduardoRivera-cz4od one thing about these mics is that you need phantom power
Agree. I have a home studio......and these are great. If I were doing pro work, then I'd get Rode, but for my use.....amazing bargain.
The self noise isn't acceptable at its current value, shame they can't produce something around the -14 which would be more acceptable.
When doing the distance test 3:04, I would appreciate it if you had a section where you boost them to listenable loudness at all distances tested so that we can get a sense for the amount of self noise and coloration that would be introduced if we did decide to mic it from that distance.
I have the C-2s and have enjoyed using them to mic up instruments like acoustic guitar.
I found they are a bit self-noisy though for spoken word. But I'm still happy to have the C-2s in my collection
I have em. I avoid using them for spokenword for the same reason, they are noisy. But they definitely have their uses....I use them for audience mics for stand-up comedy. I also imagine they'd be great on drums or any loud instrument.
@@JonReynoldsESQ yeah, i use them on drums all of the time, they're great for overheads but i actually really like them on a snare
The self noise on the pair I received was not acceptable for quiet passages and I sent them back one day later. I have a B-1 which is a great mic for the money.
I never even considered using them for vocal use. I purchased mine strictly for drum overheads and I've also used them for ambient mics for bands with IEMs.
@@fretkillrlives One of mine developed an annoying 60hz hum, but I just unscrewed the top, and screwed it back together and the noise is gone.
It’s awesome to see more SDCs appearing on here.
I have a set. I use them for drum overheads and for ambient mics for bands using IEMs. You can't beat them for the price.
good to hear! one of my pg81's finally broke so I might buy these for my overheads
Thanks for this comment I was thinking about using these for exactly that.
Do you use a stereo pair as ambient iem mics? Or just mono?
@divinodayacap3313 I just use a single mic mounted on the middle singer's mic stand. It works great.
@@steimystein4368 wow thats great! so like the sound is from the singer's perspective. very clever! you use the foam in that application?
I got a set of these from Sweetwater years ago on sale for 15 dollars each. Best purchase I've ever made.
So far, every SDC I have tried, of the cheap variety...sounds similar to these. Spoken word may be the most overthought application for a mic ever.
Those sound amazing for $30 each.
I don't think you should be looking for Behringer's secret on how they make their gear so cheap, but everyone else's secret for making their gear so expensive. Same with any super expensive prestigious products. 99% of the price tag is for the exclusivity.
Behringer gear costs so little because it is made in China. They can lower the cost even more than other companies who manufacture there because they are huge (Behringer is like a city) and do everything themselves in house. The "exclusive" (as you call it) gear made in the west has to deal with high labor costs, parts that are unusual or that sometimes have to be shipped across the world and many are rather small operations. Also some of these "exclusive" companies build gear the old way with discrete parts and hand soldering rather than SMT (surface mount technology) and wave soldering which is far less labor intensive and much less costly. Cheap modern gear made in huge quantities in China can sound pretty good but getting that last bit of quality found in really great gear can get quite expensive. For all the reasons I have mentioned and others I don't have space to type into this tiny box the cost goes up exponentially with the result being that a microphone that is without the small failings of the C2 can cost hundreds or in some cases even thousands of dollars. It not BS it's just how the world actually works.
@@7171jay most stuff is made in China now, with the company taking the lions share. Ray Bans, expensive clothes, phones, components. Example (and I know you explained it) but let's say a guitar from China is £300 and one from UK/ USA is £3000. That's a massive disparity and most of that goes to shareholders, with the product still being made "as cheap as possible".
I bought a pair of these for practically free when I worked for a local retailer. I usually use them for travel gigs and pre-production/demos when I don't want to mess with my expensive mics (usually AKG C414 or Senn 421).
I actually really like them on pianos and acoustic guitars. If you know the instrument is going to be low in the mix they're more than adequate.
In my personal testing of the Behringer C-2, they've been exceptionally poor performers. Harsh, low sensitivity.
You can't even rely on the low cut filter switch to act like it's actually in the position it's in. You can flip the switch to flat and still have the low-cut filter (or sometimes the pad) still engaged. So I don't even blame Mr.Podcastage for forgetting to flip the switch on the intro, because there's about a 60% chance he did flip the switch and the filter stayed engaged. You have to listen back to the audio every time. It's that bad.
Its even more crazy that I got a bunch of them for 30€ a pair a while back, very handy backup/extra mics in live use on anything where the little bit of extra harshness from these mics can be dealt with.
Your videos a VERY helpful at educating audio tech purchases!
One of the only channels that go into the really specific details.
I might have to get those in the future and try asmr with them.
Thank you for your channel and what you do :)
Holy crap.
That was awesome. We’re so used to specs and maybe 2 sound examples, that we’ve forgotten about practical tests.. great job. I’m going to pick these up because they sound good, aren’t crap and seem reliable. Oh, and they’re a steal.
Nice. Thanks.
I particularly appreciate your discernment about problems in the high frequencies, which can cause many microphones to make a perfectly fine classical violin sound like a scalded cat - a detail unfortunately overlooked by many folks, including some professional producers.
As a violinist and live sound engineer I 100% agree this is the problem with most mics including the awful sm58. It's not as bad of a problem when you're listening with dome tweeters used in studio monitors, but when you have compression drivers in pa speakers things can sound really rough in part due to bad horn designs and harmonic distortions that occur around the presence peaks of certain mics. Thanks to these videos I've gotten pretty good at telling which mic is going to sound terrible in a live sound situation on certain instruments just by listening on my iPad's speakers.
Would you use a ribbon mic for that purpose?
@@AfferbeckBeats There are some good condenser mics that work for violin, IMO, but ribbon mics can also work well. I know at least two or three pro engineers who have used ribbons on classical violin with excellent results. I'm guessing that ribbons might be a safer choice when in doubt here.
@@AfferbeckBeats As a live sound engineer myself, the thought of having a ribbon Mic at a small folk festival venues etc fills me with dread, given how some players cannot resist tapping the mic to "..... just checking it was on"! Also, I think my bank manager would probably kill himself, and/or me! 😄
The recording industry has a long, proud history of screechy violins.
I have a pair that I inherited from my father. They rarely get used to be honest as I have much better SDCs and these do not sound very good. But they are surprisingly good for the money, I'll give them that. So if you are on a very tight budget it's great.
Thing is with SDCs there are quite good options if you just step up the budget a notch. I have a pair Line Audio CM3s that I bought for $200 15 years ago, still use them all the time. Such great value. So if you can swing it, get something that will get use over the years.
The Neumann sounds beautiful I know there's a huge difference in price but it's worth it
I recorded my vocal for my song using 3 mics SM7B, AT2035, and C2 (using foam pop filter of course) aaaaand I ended up using the one recorded on this. I have a pretty weird voice tho, it might not be as suitable for most other singing voice. Doesn't sound like anything special raw but it's surprisingly quite flexible to edit and useable for professional use 👍
I go back and forth on this, but right now after hearing the mic comparisons and the music example, I'm firmly in the "don't by expensive microphones" frame of mind. The music recording example in particular makes it clear that a 30$ mic is more than enough to record something fit for music enjoyment. The room you're in and how you mic takes care of the rest and you should be focusing the rest of your energy on quality songwriting, arrangement and performance.
Now count to five and I'll be fantasizing about the next expensive thing
“Dont buy expensive mics and a 30 dlls mic is more than enough” its not going to end good, or at least will sound cheap
@@c4n0 no
Yeah, the plosives are horrendous, but when you're a decent distance away, and with a good windscreen, they aren't noticable at all. This is a great combo for two types of people; those that want to travel and do interviews on their podcast or for those wanting to record warm acoustics because it sounded fantastic.
Keep the SDCs coming; You're doing great work!
I bought a pair of these in 07. Slapped some MOVO wind muff's on them. Also put them in Smallrig shock mounts. For field recording acoustic musicians, these have served me well. I never expected them to have held up so well all these years. They live in my camera bag permanently.
The Rode sounds nice but not $70 more nice. Same for the sE electronics and absolutely not worth $80 more. Shure are surely taking the piss. Beyerdynamic sound good but again, vs a $30 mic? Come on. Neumann sounds great but god, the Behringer punches so far above its weight it's insane. That second Neumann... I mean. Come on.
Those sounded great with the acoustic. I'm tempted to get some just for that. The electrics sounded just fine. If someone on a budget needed some mics to record their work, they could do so much worse for $60 than these.
They sound amazing for cheap mics...I'm impressed.
Better than AT2020?
For a price like that, great little instrumental mic. I like it on acoustic guitar.
That’s definitely 30 bucks worth of microphone ;) On a more serious note, precision production has advanced to a level that makes it possible to produce actually decent kit for very little money, more than ever.
Thank you. I know you have a basic revulsion for testing the "cheap stuff" sometimes but you answered the EXACT question I wanted answered: Can I use these, with wind protection, to do overhead booming voice recording for video. The answers appears to be yes. So often the exterior noise and problems with a location far outweight the minutae of details regarding spectral emphasis etc. I can boost bass a bit in post. I can deal with a little harshness. Often high frequencies want a little "sharpness" for clarity of dialogue so these seem like a VERY reasonable investment for budget video production audio.
Am I to assume this would be a great microphone pair for room ambient sounds for in-ears and live stream?
I've got these mikes and used them in many and situations, I've got KM 184, AKG C451 & C414 , SM 81, TLM 1o3, ... theses C2s are just incredible for the price !!! You guys can go and buy some right now !
Holy moly Behringer, what a gem of a company to make great sounding equipment so affordable for people that can't dump piles of cash on a suite of gear without being a risky no name Chinese brand. Kinda concerned of the human component put into making these so cheap but dang. Let's see, I have their 204hd asio, q502usb, q802usb mixers, a Crave synth and a tube screamer I think floating around somewhere. I would definitely consider nabbing a set of these.
I got the C-2s for stereo recording, sound amazing on anything I put them on. However, a around a week after getting them for some reason one of the 2 started having a low hissing sound making them hard to use for stereo recording. Maybe I could have prevented this by treating them with kid's gloves but, to say I did pretty much nothing to them apart from normal use, I'd say it's something to be aware of. But to be fair, I got them for £40 so only a bit dissapointed.
Absolutely noone:
My brain: LIGHTSABER MICS
Strangely I like that guitar sound. Gives it a really cool yester-year vibe to it. It's gotten me thinking...
It's pretty decent as a hi hat or snare bottom mic.
And for the rest, sounds pretty ok.
Yeah, im curretly using one as hi hat mic.
I got this set with another used microphone I bought many years ago. Then suddenly I needed to record stuff from my desk for things I was doing there, and they were perfect for that. I was a bit surprised to suddenly see you review them.
I have a matched pair of Rode M5s, also super-affordable. To my ears they have a bit more body and lower mids than these Behringers. I love the M5s, they're my go-to for X-Y applications. So far they've handled every situation I've thrown at them
So ... the C-2s are ... much clearer and much cheaper than their much more expensive competitors. Yes, they have a limited range of application. But most lower-priced mics are like that.
I have two of them pretty much on permaplacement in a Glyn Johns arrangement on my kit, with a beautiful MT87 and a D880S. This gets me the best drum sound I've ever had (high pass filter on).
I've used them on spoken word stuff, and they did the job well. I would not use them on a guitar cab/combo or on sung vocals. I have LDCMs for that (2 × Behringer C-3 & 2 × t.bone SC450).
I love my C-2s where they are. 🥰
Not even my least favourite in this round-up. Unreasonably good performance for the price.
Hey I'm new here, can you recommend a mic for vocals and an acoustic guitar? There are so many options and don't understand anything about microphones any help would be greatly appreciated :3
Still patiently waiting for the Lauten Audio LA-320 tube condenser review 😉
Vocals nope no way, however for instruments this belongs in every starting out home recording kit, i've one set for the last 5 years still going so strong i added two more pairs
I started recording with a couple of those, more than 15 years ago. They never failed and i made great music with them.
Thx for a nice rewiew! This mic is like “There is an art, it says, or rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. … Clearly, it is this second part, the missing, which presents the difficulties.” :)
Really impressive. I have a pair of studio projects C4- the one big difference being that the C4 have exchangeable capsules in different patterns. I’m not sure these C2 are possible to beat, pricewise, by any other company. These also come with a very sturdy case while my C4 came with just a bag.
I basically bought these for the dual-mount bracket and discarded the mics... This makes me want to dig them out and double-check my ears 🤔
Great video! I never seen your videos (shame!) and first thought "Ok, he will do..." but you adressed all my questions and concerns and did a great conclusion! To get it in context: I own some Neumann mics, also a pair of KM184. But I started micing drums with SM58s (because there were some), then bought (early 00s) some AKG small condensers as overheads - and it was a new world like somebody drawed back a curtain. And the invested more in mics. So ... great summary. Even if I have some great and expensive mics available - there are lots of situations where I think "what is the least expensive mic to use for this job" esp. for live situations. And for starting - as you said: These mics are a real price-value-winner. And Even if you get other mics: There will be situations, where you need additional mics. E.g. capturing the audience or ... and then you can take some "old mics you got". So no burned money. As said - great video, liked and loved, keep going!
I have clicked the left arrow on my keyboard ~169 times to watch the box slap like it's sampled on a beat pad.
I bought a set of these for my son's first studio setup. He's been using them as a stereo set for recording oboe and piano for auditions, and a bit of voice. When I showed him how to lightly pan the tracks, his brain exploded. While they might not be great for voice, they seem to be wonderful for wind instruments. For $60, though... heck yeah. I got him a Shure 58 since, but for acoustic instruments these are a bargain and will last him well into the time when he's ready to buy much more expensive gear.
Dude, you look good. You've either been working out or you have the early stages of a life threatening illness. If you're not working out, you'd better see your doc. But you still look great!
I have been walking a few miles every single day for the two years and I started monitoring my food the last year to finally get healthier.
@@Podcastage So good to hear. As a doctor I have been unproportionally worries about you.
@@Podcastage I haven't been able to watch one of your videos in the past couple months so when I was finally able to sit down today, the change in your appearance was immediately noticeable. You look great man. Honestly, I'm stoked to hear about the walking and you taking good care of yourself. It's paying dividends. You should be proud. Oh, and thank you for all the fantastic reviews. You perform a great service for those of us who don't know much about microphones but would like to learn more. Cheers friend.
Man, first of all I am making an album of all your songs for the car!!! To be honest people in the industry are OCD about every little frequency. In a blind test for non audio people I think people won't tell them apart from the top brands. I agree the acoustic sounded sweet a little muddy on the Black & Decker guitars 🎸 I also thought they sounded even better on the speech in the untreated room which is unusual. I think they sounded better than every microphone 🎤 up to the MC930 where they were about the same. But boomed overhead indoors they could be used on broadcast TV and solve many financial problems for producers. Excellent is my final thoughts. 😮😮
It’s easy to judge what we “OCD” about when you have close to zero understanding of what professionals are looking in a condenser microphone.
A good condenser has good off axis response without severe spikes and phase quirks. A poor off axis response also means worse integration with multiple mics (for example if used on a drumkit). Not to mention , Behringer C2 just sounds quite bad - and the difference is really apparent on my old iPhone.
Thanks for posting this. BTW where is the review of the Rode M5(s)? Which of the lesser expensive PCM(s) has the lower/lowest self noise? Personally I was findit hard to tell them apart until you got to the pricer stuff. What about anybody else... was it just me? Thanks again.
Those plosives hurt my soul.
ive been looking at these for starting recording my cymbals on my kit. they look hard to beat for the price
60 dollars for a matched pair of decent sdc´s, whats not to like, i think the only one i liked better in this video was the Neumann KM184 but this is a limited test of only voice of course. I have used the C2´s on acoustic guitar and im currently using one as a hi hat mic, it has served its purpose well. I also have the Behringer B2 Pro LDC and im currecntly using it for lead vocals recording an album and it sounds really good.
Those are crap as overheads but really shine on toms! Cymbal bleed is really good manageable
Hi Brandew! Love your videos! Do you mind doing a video on Boya BY bm57 and bm58? They seem like good microphones for the price!
...and thanks for all the fish.
This is the most USEFUL review I've ever seen/heard for ANYTHING. Well done.
That is one of the kindest comments I've received. Thank you very much.
i got a pair. i like them on nylon string guitar and distance micing amps. what i find weird is they have a kind of proximity effect that seems pronounced..theres a real sweet spot, and if you move out of the zone while playing the level drops. if you take some time with placement you can get decent results similar to mxl 603..they are good value, i got mine $55 inc shipping a few months back.
Thanks for the test. well done. I must say the km184 sounds very rich, but the owner must be too. Great sound, not budget at all. I have a couple of 184s and love 'em. Maybe I can sell them and buy the Behringer c2s and then go out for dinner a couple times. They don't sound the same as the 184, but with a little low end bump it would be very comparable. (IMO) Those customers love to see the Neumann name tho'. Nothing a little sharpie can't fix right?
I also have a couple of U87s. Ah, those customers.
This will make a great audience mic for live situations. Fix it in the mix right?
Ive used them for live sound and broadcast a lot they work well as crowd microphones for conferences as multiple stereo pairs. Ive also used them a few times for lecturn microphones on a broadcast mix and got better results over the likes of sm57s used for the in house mix.
If I want to record everyday, travel, walk tour, RUclips that talk from behind the camera and at some distance, I want to step into record elements for game and vocal and instruments for music too, after some research, I come to this 4 setups, Sennheiser MKE 440, MKE 600, Line Audio CW4 and Deity HD-TX, the video will be record using Panasonic HC-X1500 camcorder, is this good minimal run and gun setup that deal with untreated room too? When to record in stereo and mono in my cases, music instruments and vocal all in stereo or each in mono, how about surround sound, do I need omnidirectional mic to create surround sound, or can just make a binaural setup to cover everything? Some say stereo mic not good for vocal, true? Shouldn't walk tour be surround sound, why people use directional mic for that? One RUclipsr say pencil condenser cover wider field by not cancel the sides like shotgun mic, is this mean I can use just one pencil condenser to cover all the above stereo and mono needs?
Should I get both or one between MKE 600 and CW4? Does the MKE 440 stereo good enough/better and I don't need two CW4? Can the CW4 catch same/further distance voice/sound compare to MKE 600? Do I need the shotgun mic or CW4 will do to record outdoor sound for game elements? How do I record my behind the camera voice if I use the MKE 440 stereo mic facing Front when walking, attach CW4 to HD-TX facing rear or 1 CW4 front 1 CW4 back? Can I use one of the MKE 440 stereo mics as mono shotgun mic? The camcorder has an option handle with 2 XLR inputs, do I need it, can I use it as music elements recorder? Do I need 32 bits?
If I just want a small XLR recorder and not going to use the wireless transmission, is HD-TX worth it? Is it suitable to just attach a pencil condenser CW4 mic to it to record singing vocal and instruments that way and a MKE 600 shotgun mic to it to record elements and sound effects for game development? Can I record both the XLR and 3.5mm jack at same time in same and different tracks? Can I use it as a high res music player so I don't need to buy another dedicated music device which function just like an audio recorder that can't record high res audio but better at organisation to play music? Any other recorder recommendations?
What about the AT 4041?
Thanks for the honest review, this seems like an interesting mic to try out.
I want to use it for random percussion sampling, feels like a good starting point that won't break the bank for me.
Thanks for the honest review it helped me a lot. I appreciate your knowledge and expertise with recording equipment! Cheers
I bought a set of C2's years ago for 20 Euros a piece, They still get used regularly for acoustic guitar. Well-placed, they sound great. For the price, they're unbeatable.
I use the C2s as drum overhead mics. They work well and I would recommend them to anyone who is on a budget.
I've been eyeing up a pair of these for months, mainly cause I need a pair of overheads for my drums, did you find them any good for cymbals specifically?
I bought 4 of these used. I use them live for acoustic and percussion mics (including drumset overheads). The only issue is that the capsule occasionally has to be unscrewed and rescrewed to resolve a major ground hum.
It's also really lovely as an audience or stage mic when using in ear monitors. And at $30/each, you don't have to be particularly careful with them.
Behringer C2, Unscrew the Capsule, cover Diaphram ports, give a Very light spray with Servisol Super 10 (switch cleaner), reduce noise by several db.
These actually sound pretty good for a budget SDC. Once again as always nice tests! Love your videos. Thanks for making and sharing it.
What's an SDC?
@@boimesa8190 Small diaphragm condenser (mic)
Behringer can afford nearly every Instrument at every Price,
becaue Uli Behringer himself has purchased a whole city
where he can experiment on his newest Ideas for Instruments
and build those models 24/7.
If you find a Behringer Sticker in the Box, that is how you know
that Uli himself built and packed your product, working longer hours
than he Police in Europe would have let him
I actually own these and a pair of B5s back when I was on an extreme budget to record choirs. It's been well over 10 years since I have used either pair, but I literally just pulled out the B5s for some overheads for some drum tracking. They surprised me. I don't remember how the C2s stack up, but from many years ago, I remember liking the B5s better, but they are more expensive mics. I should pull out the C2s and try them again, but they are at a friend's house and have been for a decade or more.
A note: The lowest bass singer in the world for decades, JD Sumner, exclusively used the Shure SM 81 for singing. I've heard other bass singers use AKGs and ATs for much the same effect. SDCs can be great for professional singing applications if used correctly.
The $900 Neuman KM184 was the first one that actually sounded noticeably better than the C2 IMHO.
These are my drum overheads. I think they have no business being as good as they are. I paid $49 for the pair on you-know-where-azon back when I got 'em. They're a fraction the cost of my beta 98s or beta 52 and f**k if anyone can tell.
Off-axis, it sounds like you're deep in a barrel. But that's not too unusual for SDC's.
I just ordered a pair through your link! I’m planning on using these as drum overheads for my solo project. Great video as always.
If you have the ability, you should absolutely record a sample video of these as drum overheads for the next person who is considering these for that application. That would be amazing.
You do great reviews; thanks!!!!
😁
Great mic. Got these for film making.. not a great idea.. does not work for booming. But it's a great set of mics.. love how spoken word sounds actually
So many comment from folks that think these mics sound good. I don't understand. These are horrible, especially on plosives and proximity. Just garbage.
Personally, I use a C-3PO.
I want those to record a live room. I'm a noise maker not a musician. I think this will serve my needs. Using a old cassette karaoke machine to record. Will let y'all know how it goes.🤪😵💫😁
A good test. Id say that the high end ones definitely sounded better, and in some situations, price doesn't matter, just quality, but for the average user and at that price, the C2s rock it. No doubt.
These are really for over head drums, choirs, or crowd mics. high pass and eq them to reduce harshness. Cool to see all these use cases tested though. You could really get good milage out of these if you are just getting into recording and are on a budget.
Geez, I cannot hear any differences between these mics. I need a pair for recording piano, Behringer C2s it is, $60, LOL to all the others.
The foam windscreen takes away some sibilances. Still sounds plenty bright though.... I'm surprised by these...
This mike is really cheap, a friend have a dozen of these, after some time an half didn’t work, on all an internal electolytic capacitor was shorted, i have replaced the capacitors and these come back, in any case i found these are too much sparkling and it is due to the cheaper electrec capsule.
I thought the mic sounded best in the untreated room, which is useful as I don’t have any treated rooms.
they are very thin sounding... I guess it's perfect for people that want to start and record themself but they are not fun when all their sound are mixed toguether :)
I listened to this through some cheap bluetooth speakers. The difference between the C-2 and the comparison mics was minimal.
This video is making me buy these. They're absolutely the perfect mics for interviews. At least I think they'll work fine on a table, being small and somewhat directional, when the subject is a bit microphone shy. Thank you. Oh, and your issues on the top end, honestly, even with my speakers, with spoken word, they sound fine.
I have a pair of Samson C02s…..They are great value…..but the Behringers are really good based on this review.
I would say all the mics are acceptable…..it’s hard to believe the price difference…..you don’t need to spend a fortune.
My C-2 literally can hearing literally Radio sound😂 worth for the price
The U87 sounds better. Brilliant, right?
The U87 is what you buy with the boss's money, not yours. 😁
So what are some good pencil condensers that are affordable for a marching band you think? Rode NT5 Pair? Outdoor air noise have been a problem
I think the rode NT5s would be fine, but I'm a little more partial to the sE Electronics SE7's sound. But it'll be up to you which one you like the sound of more. For wind noise, I don't personally record out doors much, but I think that'll be an issue on most SDCs. You'll likely need to invest in some kind of proper windscreen to protect the mic from that like a deadcat
If you were to hit a snare and compare mics on such snare l I bet you’d increase your patreons by 43% or ok just an idea I kno nothing !
I have these, and they are great for the money.
When Bandrew does the clap test it's fake. He's actually just smacking himself on the backside and dubbing that over the claps. The microphones are pretty good. The Behringer B5 is even better but it costs the same for one of those as it does for two of these.
Yah 10 year olds made them. Bahringer is it’s own sweat shop company is why their stuff is grossly cheap.
The foam windscreen seems to cut the highs a tiny bit.
ZAPHOD BEEBLEBROX????