Customer Reviews

Behringer C-1 Studio Condenser Microphone

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

This thing is killer; throw in a pop filter and some sort of stand and you have an amazingly pro setup for not much. If like me you have tried using a different type of mic (like a standard dynamic mic) to record normal accoustic sounds like voice or non-amplified instruments, this thing will be way, way better. I can't compare directly to other condenser mics but do not perceive any fundamental drawbacks with this one, which is amazing given the price.

First things first: I'm a working musician and I live in the REAL WORLD. I can't afford a $4000 Neumann but I wanted a moderately priced good quality condenser microphone. I record audio to my computer through a Behringer Xenix 1202FX mixer (which is great!) and an M-Audio Audiophile 2496 sound card. I thought it was time to give this Behringer mic a shot and, you know what?, it works like a charm! I know a Neumann may catch a fly's fart in mid air, but I'm pretty satisfied with this cheap beauty. I have recorded proof of what I say: crisp clear voice recordings, accurate reproduction of instruments. Beautiful. You can't go wrong with this one.

I Bought this Mic for a Recording Studio. In that time i had a very low budget so I only could afford these. But my surprise is that is a veeeery good Mic for recording purposes. It captures with brightness everything that goes on in the vocal room. I even tried it in my bedroom, and nearby the state put a Amusement park, and the voices, the screaming and the sounds of the machines that were not perceived by bear ear, it was recorded clearly. I totally recommend this item, specially if you have a low budget for your recording studio. If you can pay more, you could by a better-performance Condenser Mic, but for low budgets? This is the one...

[Later: The mic is indeed the Behringer C-1, but Amazon has provided it with the description belonging to the C-1U. Unlike Amazon's description, this is not a mic that comes with USB plug, phantom power, and computer connectivity. And, of course, none of the advertised "included" computer software programs is included. It's a conventional studio mic that requires connection to a regular amp / P.A. with an XLR jack and phantom power. It will NOT connect to the USB port of a computer without an expensive adapter and a preamp with phantom power. Moreover, Amazon's form thus far is denying a refund and offering only replacement--presumably for another mic just like this one! If you want the described mic, Amazon is showing it from a different vendor--at about 30 more plus S&H.]

The Behringer C-1 mic is the best condenser mic I've used for the money, its large diaphragm capable of reproducing some of the rich and deep sonorities of the costly, high-end mics at the radio station (NPR) where I occasionally work. However, Behringer makes a distinction between the C-1 and the C-1U. The description on Amazon fits the C-1U, not the C-1. So one way or another, 50% of the purchasers of this product are likely to be surprised and disappointed.

Indeed, the C-1U is a phantom-powered mic that doesn't require phantom power, which it derives from the USB port of a computer. Moreover, the mic not only saves its owner the bother of a pre-amp with phantom power but it also makes unnecessary a costly (and time-consuming) XLR to USB adapter. It's ready to go--just plug it into your laptop and start recording. (I use Sound Studio, but the included free software--Audacity--works practically as well.)

On the other hand, if the mic is a C-1 as advertised, be prepared to receive a conventional condenser mic, with an XLR connector and a phantom power requirement (found on numerous recording devices and P.A. amps or available on a neat little pre-amp sold by Amazon, the A.R.T.).

Having just returned a keyboard--the M-Audio Pro88sx--for which Amazon mistakenly provided the wrong description (for the M-Audio Pro88, not the Pro88sx), I'd be hesitant to place any bets on which mic the buyer will receive--the C-1 as advertised, or the C-1U as described. At least if you're purchasing directly from Amazon instead of a sub-vendor, you can be assured of a hassle-free return. And if the mistake is due to Amazon's description, returns are generally postage-free.

I work in film/video production, and I'm always on a lookout for a good mic to add to my gear cabinet -- and Behringer C1 is certainly one of those gems. I also teach video production and animation to high school students, where I use Behringer C1 as my go-to mic for voice-overs and any Foley sound effects. Besides Behringer C1, I also own two other relatively inexpensive condensers: a Studio Projects C1 (my favorite vocal mic, but with a price tag of about $250), and an AudioTechnica AT2020 (around $75), which I also rate highly. I find the Behringer to be equally good for most recording purposes as the other two condensers. I like to leave my Studio Projects mic in my home studio, so Behringer is my primary voice over mic when I need to set up mobile studios -- such as when working with high school youth.

In a recent audio recording session, I had a Behringer C1 plugged into one channel of a small Behringer Eurorack (now Xenyx) mixer, with the AudioTechnica AT2020 plugged into the other channel, panned hard left and right respectively, feeding the signal directly into my Macbook Pro for recording with Audacity. The event was a panel-discussion with 6 teenage participants -- the idea was that the Behringer C1 would pick up the 3 kids on the left side of the table, and the AT2020 the kids on the right side. The mics were on booms, so I would adjust their position slightly to make sure the current speaker would be on-axis. The distance between the mics and the panelists was 2-3 ft, and the room was fairly quiet. The results were incredible - both Behringer C1 and AT2020 excelled, giving incredible richness to the spoken word recordings (both male and female).

I would say that Behringer C1 would be an excellent choice for a podcaster or an independent filmmaker looking to bump up the production value of a low-budget project that relies on voice-over. In conjunction with an inexpensive Behringer Xenyx mixer, this mic works like a charm. In my opinion, Behringer C1 does sound inferior to the Studio Projects C1 for VO work, but is still an excellent value, and in my experience is comparable to AudioTechnica AT2020. I have no way of testing how well any of these mics reproduce various frequencies, but I can say that they all sound excellent, giving any voice recordings richness that I've never been able to achieve with a dynamic mic (I also own two dynamics: a Shure SM58 and the big Shure SM7b, which I don't even use for voice-over recording work anymore, just for any live PA applications). As an independent filmmaker, I still trust the Sennheiser ME66 for any location shooting, but for voice-over work my choice would be #1 Studio Projects C1, and if that's not available -- either Behringer C1 or AT2020.

All in all, great value for the money. There may be prejudices against Behringer among audio pros, but the fact is that Behringer has brought excellent equipment to users who would otherwise not be able to afford anything with similar specs. I've used Behringer products (among others) for several years, and have never experienced equipment failure. I've used the 18 channel Eurorack for the past 5 years, and my smaller 4 channel Eurorack for the past 3 years, and they are definitely quality mixers.

i noticed a few ppl down rating this superb microphone due to a listing error i did my homework and went to [...] and looked up the c-1 to be sure of the connector needed you need a xlr male on the mic end and whatever for what your connecting it to, but it seemed obvious to me that a "studio" mic would NOT be usb when it needs 48v phantom power to work right also the pictures dont show a cord at all leading me to belive a proper cord would be needed so yes the little typo needs to be fixed but to 1 star this gem is just stupid!! now for my opinion on the c-1 a little background on me, i have been playing guitar since 1985 and doing home recording almost as long my first "studio" was a boom box with a built in mic!! i have recently been building my 3rd home studio and have been around recording studios most of my life my stepdad is a recording engineer and has recommended beheringer among others for my latest project, i have recorded 4 studio albums and done many radio ads for local business's as well as having worked with the top brands of equipment including several models of the legendary
NEUMANN microphone and let me tell you this c-1 is no cheap knockoff simply put it is amazing! the sensitivity and clarity are on par with the best in the industry this thing can catch a fly's fart mid flight 10 feet away i have it plugged into a beheringer eurorack ub1202 12 track mixing console with 4 tracks equipped with 48v phantom power and interfaced to my imb thinkpad with the beheringer UCA202 U-Control Audio Interface and a set of Audio Technica ATHM40FS Precision Studio Headphones for mix monitoring and its an amazing setup for under 240.00 (not including instruments amps guitars drum machine ect) but at under 40 bones its like stealing for this mic i have paid 500 for mics that are not anywhere near this mic! if you need a high quality studio mic do your self and wallet a giant favor and buy this beauty YOU WILL BE IMPRESSED AND GLAD YOU DID!! nuff said

OK so I was VERY skeptical when I first learned of the C-1 and saw its price. Most condenser mics are in the hundreds to thousands of dollars range. With a MSRP of just $60, the C-1 is in the same price category as an average dynamic mic. Based on its price alone, one would expect this mic to be noisy and cheap sounding. However one would be VERY wrong.

Simply put, this mic is superb in every way. Its got a rich, warm sound and is VERY quiet. As other posters have said, "it can pick up a flys fart in midair" and thats pretty accurate! In fact it's only drawback is that it might be TOO sensitive for people new to audio recording. You're going to want to use this in a very quiet environment or your going to have to live with it picking up EVERYTHING - the fan on your computer, cars and people passing outside, birds singing in the trees, your nighbors lawn mower a block a way, the fridge in the other room when the compressor kicks on, etc... I'm not kidding about this - it picks up more sounds than you're probably aware are around you.

Another point to consider... this is a condenser mic and as such requires 48 volt "phantom power" which must be supplied by your mixing console or preamp. This mic * WILL * NOT * WORK * without phantom power, and not all mixing desks or preamps can supply it, so check first. If you don't have a phantom power source and just want to use it straight into your computer for recording or podcasting, then consider its sister mic, the Behringer C-1U which is an identical mic, but features a USB interface which supplies it with the required phantom power, AND eliminates the need for an external audio interface - you plug it into your computers USB port and you're all set to record or podcast.

So all things considered, this microphone is a phenomenal bargain on the scale of "you SURE that price isn't missing a zero??" Honestly - this mic SHOULD be selling for $300 or more. For amateur to professional work, you simply CANNOT go wrong with the C-1 and you will NEVER touch its quality in this price range.

I use this mic for vocal (with a pop filter), guitar, and violin recording. The reproduction is great, warm sound, beautiful accuracy. I'm surprised the price isn't somewhere in the $150-$200 range.

The Behringer C-1 microphone exceeds my expectations. I tried to yell into it and bang my guitar cords right up close to it, but I could not get it to overload or distort. There are probably reasons I should consider buying a $300 or $800 or $3000 mic for my home studio. But I can't think of any. Instead, I think I'll buy another C-1 or a C-2 pair, to record stereo.

I can only speak for using this in podcasting, but for a podcast, you don't need any more than this. It sounds really good for such a cheap price. Really, you could do much worse. Just remember, you'll need phantom power to use it. Kudos!