Behringer C-1U Condenser Microphone Cardioid

by Behringer

Product Features

• Professional large-diaphragm condenser microphone with built-in 48 kHz USB interface for unsurpassed audio quality
• Gets phantom power directly from PC USB output
• Comes with Audacity audio editor, Kristal audio engine, Podifier uploading software, and Juice and Podnova downloading software
• Maximum SPL (sound pressure level) of 136 dB
• Ideal as main and support microphone for studio and live applications

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 12 x 4 x 8 inches ; 1.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B001QXCYZY
• Item model number: C1U
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,068 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments)
  • #7 in Musical Instruments > Recording Equipment > Microphones > Condenser Microphones > Multipurpose

Product Description

Just plug in the behringer c1u microphone into your computer and start recording. the c1u is a digital home recording or podcasting enthusiast's dream come true. a professional quality condenser microphone with a built-in usb interface so you can be ready to record faster than ever, and with minimal preparation and equipment.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Crystal Clear Voice, July 28, 2010

By 

Shane W. Holloway (Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Behringer C-1U Condenser Microphone Cardioid (Electronics)

This USB mic is fantastic. Easy to use with USB, as you don't need any external hardware to get the recordings into the computer. Behringer's C-1U sound quality is fantastic, as the condenser mic only picks nearby sounds. (Within reason, of course.)

I bought the mic in conjunction with a tabletop stand, a spider mount, and a pop-filter. All of which are recommended for a recording station.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yo gotta love this, October 16, 2010

By 

drock8894 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Behringer C-1U Condenser Microphone Cardioid (Electronics)

So I bought this mic 2 weeks ago and it has amazing quality. When you first get it, it might not be as loud which may make you mad. But if you play aroud with your computer and get the right settings, its Amazing- way better than the samson's condenser mics. One little annoying thing is that the shipper is from New York, so the shipping took awhile, or maybe it was just because I really wanted it so i couldn't wait.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a bad mic for most home applications, August 28, 2011

By 

LANCE R LINDLEY "hagakure" (Yokosuka, Japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Behringer C-1U Condenser Microphone Cardioid (Electronics)

As a musician who records at home, I've owned numerous Behringer products and I've always felt they provided good quality for the price point. Behringer products don't impart "signature" sonic qualities on a signal the way pricier units do, but mine have always proved durable and efficient in a way that far exceeds the usual "get what you pay for" maxim.

The C1U is a good sounding mic for spoken voice. I agree with all other reviewers that it is quiet right out of the box and will require some tweaking within your application or in Windows to get the gain up to a good level. I honestly can't remember exactly what I did to get mine going well, seems like I just went into my Creative Labs sound control and increased the gain on the input fader (I have a Creative soundcard). A good comparison came when I had been using Skype with a friend, and I had been wearing a Plantronics wireless headphone/mic combo. The battery eventually died on the Plantronics, so I quickly switched to the C1U, which was in a nearby drawer. It was as simple and plugging it into the open USB port, waiting a few seconds for Windows to recognize it, a few seconds more for Skype to recognize it and offer it as an option, and then I was back to talking -- at which point my friend said, "Whoa! What did you do? You sound a WHOLE lot better now!" Of course, a large diaphragm condenser mic is going to sound a lot better than a little headset mic designed primarily for gaming and VOIP, but that's the whole point. This mic is cheaper than a lot of headset mics (to be fair, though, it is not wireless and does not come with speakers), but its sound is definitely a level up from that kind of setup, in particular in its ability to capture the lower frequencies. Your voice will sound much "richer" than on a tiny mic resident in a laptop, camera, or headset combo. So, if you get a desktop stand, it would be very suitable for spoken voice applications like Skype, podcasting, or narrating home videos.

I don't really recommend it for singing, though, unless you are really constrained by budget. There are intangibles when it comes to recording vocals for music, and this mic just doesn't do it for me.