Behringer C-2 Review / Test (vs. C02, SM81, KM184, U87ai)

[@Podcastage]

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.

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

The Bahringer mics sound good, but bloody excellent for $60 a pair.

[@oscarmorales-cn3hz]

They are doing that... Thanks for the advice!

[@wackomastermind64]

I’m absolutely shocked at how good this mic sounds for the price.

[@EduardoRivera-cz4od]

same... I may need to get one of these to record random audio on my phone xD

[@mikkywhalan]

@@EduardoRivera-cz4od one thing about these mics is that you need phantom power

[@joseph-ow1hf]

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.

[@Goat.Herder]

The self noise isn't acceptable at its current value, shame they can't produce something around the -14 which would be more acceptable.

[@justheathers]

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

[@JonReynoldsESQ]

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.

[@ConnorR.mp3]

@@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

[@fretkillrlives]

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.

[@steimystein4368]

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.

[@bulkvanderhuge9006]

@@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.

[@kalebgates7711]

I got a set of these from Sweetwater years ago on sale for 15 dollars each. Best purchase I've ever made.

[@chradon.]

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.

[@phenix8514]

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.

[@markowalski1]

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.

[@mattfleming2287]

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.

[@steimystein4368]

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.

[@joshplaysdrums2143]

good to hear! one of my pg81's finally broke so I might buy these for my overheads

[@1steeeez]

Thanks for this comment I was thinking about using these for exactly that.

[@divinodayacap3313]

Do you use a stereo pair as ambient iem mics? Or just mono?

[@steimystein4368]

@divinodayacap3313 I just use a single mic mounted on the middle singer's mic stand. It works great.

[@divinodayacap3313]

@@steimystein4368 wow thats great! so like the sound is from the singer's perspective. very clever! you use the foam in that application?

[@mikechmielmusic]

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.

[@Herfinnur]

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

[@c4n0]

“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

[@ScarrCrow]

@@c4n0 no

[@chradon.]

Keep the SDCs coming; You're doing great work!

[@EScott2U]

This is the most USEFUL review I've ever seen/heard for ANYTHING. Well done.

[@Podcastage]

That is one of the kindest comments I've received. Thank you very much.

[@craigbaker6382]

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.

[@brokenguillotine6988]

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.

[@Podcastage]

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.

[@williamf.9615]

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.

[@johnkasonga6634]

They sound amazing for cheap mics...I'm impressed.

[@AlaDdin199]

Better than AT2020?

[@AndyKow]

These actually sound pretty good for a budget SDC. Once again as always nice tests! Love your videos. Thanks for making and sharing it.

[@boimesa8190]

What's an SDC?

[@xucongzhan9151]

@@boimesa8190 Small diaphragm condenser (mic)

[@willemmoller6736]

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

[@b-t-b]

Strangely I like that guitar sound. Gives it a really cool yester-year vibe to it. It's gotten me thinking...

[@matthewcassette]

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

[@matthewbohne7238]

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.

[@BassBaseBerlin]

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!

[@javierqr08]

Yayyy, I asked for this review, I'm happy that you did it!!!

[@caseyholford]

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.

[@kennethbailey7105]

Still patiently waiting for the Lauten Audio LA-320 tube condenser review 😉

[@takeonevideo9726]

Just purchased using your affiliate link. Thanks for taking the time to make this video.

[@shingAMarie]

Thanks for this test. I now prefer the C2 over the CO2. I can’t believe how well it did against the Neumann u87, It even sounded more natural at least at the distance you were using it.

[@GhostOfLorelei]

Sounded more natural? What...are you listening on?

[@shingAMarie]

@@GhostOfLorelei Bose sound link revolve plus. Yes, it has a less exaggerated low end that typically shows up with those large diaphragm condenser microphones.

[@TheGamerJakas]

@@shingAMarie Behringer C2 is nowhere natural sounding. Neither is your cheap Bose soundbar. Sorry but these mics are really quite terrible especially regarding highs (off axis is terrible)

[@gaziltapig]

@@TheGamerJakas Well im listening on my studio rig with professional JBL monitors, and Im hearing a couple $30 mics kick the asses of all but the top 2 or 3...

[@shingAMarie]

@@gaziltapig the problem with audiophiles is that if it’s not expensive, they refuse to hear the goodness of it

[@SoMyungJung]

It's pretty decent as a hi hat or snare bottom mic. And for the rest, sounds pretty ok.

[@Stefan-]

Yeah, im curretly using one as hi hat mic.

[@bob-rogers]

Fun video. It's amazing how smooth the sm81 is--no wonder it's the goto mic for fiddle.

[@dkerwood1]

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.

[@rikshaw2233]

Behringer C2, Unscrew the Capsule, cover Diaphram ports, give a Very light spray with Servisol Super 10 (switch cleaner), reduce noise by several db.

[@disklamer]

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.

[@dijjidog]

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.

[@chjadam]

you are not only playing well but your assessing is brilliant as well

[@Podcastage]

That means a lot. Thank you.

[@JesterMasque]

Funny how they are now labeled as cardioid because my old C-2’s are labeled super-cardioid. They hardly have any sound from the rear though, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the new ones are just corrected with the same capsule. Great vid! These C-2’s are dope little sticks in the right situations!

[@pierce0690]

you do the best reviews! keep up the amazing work!

[@lukeromito]

I use the C2s as drum overhead mics. They work well and I would recommend them to anyone who is on a budget.

[@RorstadKATG]

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?

[@michaelfarrow4648]

You do great reviews; thanks!!!! 😁

[@Brenhere08]

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. 😮😮

[@TheGamerJakas]

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.

[@TimothyFish]

I bought these as a cheap set of audience mics at church. They were good enough that we promoted them for use as choir mics in our temporary setup.

[@markyfrencho]

Am I to assume this would be a great microphone pair for room ambient sounds for in-ears and live stream?

[@simon0yeung]

I’m sold. These are sufficiently good enough with arguably better bang for the buck.

[@warpathh]

What about the AT 4041?

[@jameskane9763]

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.

[@katbyte6lo]

This man knows how to strum guitar. Nice rhythm and as always nice review!

[@Arick_Lee]

My ears really like the sound of this microphone upclose to medium close neutral mode with the scarlet 2i2's Air Mode.

[@Podcastage]

For me I think that boost in the top end would be too much, but if it's working for you that's awesome. Happy recording Arick, thanks for sharing your insight.

[@mainquest_official]

I am scandalized. How do they make these mics so cheap? This was an amazing review! best one I have ever seen.

[@Podcastage]

Wow that is very kind of you to say. I'm not sure how they made it so cheap.

[@michaelj.4187]

exceptional value...yowzer...thanks Bandrew...sending love and peace to everyone...

[@Samguitarguy94]

Thank you for a very comprehensive and detailed review!

[@Ashadowyone]

I love the review. I am interested in hearing more of the song is there a complete version?

[@centerforpersonalpower4934]

Bought a pair, through you. They are amazing! Thanks.

[@KirbySings]

Great review my man, thanks!

[@gabrielrox777]

I love all of your videos especially the heroic music at the end! lol

[@raindogred]

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.

[@TSGEnt]

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?

[@cdwizzerd]

ive been looking at these for starting recording my cymbals on my kit. they look hard to beat for the price

[@nowavevermeer8569]

very interesting review as always , and thanks for all the fish

[@YBNegative]

The windscreen makes quite an improvement to my ears in my particular headphones.

[@fear3ck]

Those are crap as overheads but really shine on toms! Cymbal bleed is really good manageable

[@knowyourjoe8826]

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.

[@dighawaii1]

I have clicked the left arrow on my keyboard ~169 times to watch the box slap like it's sampled on a beat pad.

[@thegreatsiberianitch]

Theres a few comparisons for these on drum overheads, the mids and highs sound very comparable to high dollar mics and in a full band mix the differences would vanish. Their flaw is that they're rolled off on the low end but you usually can cut that on a drum overheads with no issues and the lack of lows could easily be made up for by a mono kit mic, less kick phase issues that way as well. They're cheap so you can buy 2 or 3 sets to have back ups. A solid choice for drum overhead mics...

[@Podcastage]

Thank you very much for the insight. Great thoughts.

[@instrumentenfreak]

I've had 2 pairs of them and both stopped working after like 1 year in my home studio. Sound quality was good and the price is crazy low. I can't imagine how many people have to work basically for free to make this possible.

[@doublebass]

I have a couple of c02's I've had for 20 years I use as drum overheads. Some.of the cheap stuff sounds great. I've also gotten good results with a cheap zoom h2

[@AverageBlud]

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!

[@briandipierro8865]

I love pencil condensors. I would love a set of C-2's but I love the single MXL 603S I found at the pawn shop for $40

[@ernestfoss]

I liked the Samson, I am thinking, The Neuman at the end colorized the sound the most, but it is probably because about the application of volume, amps, and types of instruments.

[@michiellombaers3198]

I've tried the C-2 against the KM-184 on a grand piano and the difference then is way more outspoken than with spoken word.

[@FarisAF]

I think I have to get this into my collection

[@myronmosley2167]

I use the C2 matching pair all the time. You can’t beat it for the price.

[@mossiegee4674]

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

[@AdmiralSP]

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

[@elruso7524]

Hi! Could you do a compilation of all the music test for all the mics you have been testing over time?

[@rangersmith4652]

Hard to fault these little guys at their price. I'm going to pick up a pair to serve as back-ups or secondaries to my Lewitts.

[@DJPLAYNICE]

Appreciate the upload 🤙🏼

[@OTOss8]

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.

[@AySeres]

I have Behringer C-4, my first stereo pair. Looks the same, just dark color :) Paid 25 EUR for a new pair, several years ago.

[@AadidevSooknananNXS]

Do a video explaining mic specs please!

[@ehinostroza]

Hi! Where did you get the calibration response files? I saw the graph @1:42... or is just a factory provided guessing?

[@Podcastage]

Yeah that's just factory provided information. The accuracy of them...who knows...but that's what they provide as the response of what the mic should sound like.

[@ernestfoss]

The high- end presence frequencies were reduced. The windscreen makes a difference, t reminded me of compression.

[@crakkajac7856]

I cracked up laughed at the ending there, "Big ol' thumbs downnnn."🤣

[@ineedadrinktoo]

I listened to this through some cheap bluetooth speakers. The difference between the C-2 and the comparison mics was minimal.

[@DGAMINGDE]

Absolutely noone: My brain: LIGHTSABER MICS

[@TheMcmansilla]

inches, miles, football stadium, guns, what are those units????

[@erbro]

This is incredible to me. Only the over $500 a piece mikes sound better through the youtube compression.

[@jamespowers8826]

I have had a pair of these for years, but have never been happy with them on acoustic guitar.

[@MattiaRaggiDrum]

want to use it on my drum kit for the cymbals, is it a good choice? thanks

[@mexidraw]

Aside from that, have you already reviewed a Behringer sound mixer?

[@TheCatGoesRawrMusik]

Is it just me or is it a beast on accoustic guitar for that price?

[@techmed-rainer]

Danke! 60 USD for an SDC stereo pair - astounding. I found it best and usable when boomed for spoken word. I could barely stand to the electric guitar sound, thoug. Imho, it's only usable for some very specific genre there. Acoustic guitar just sounded flat and lifeless. BUT - it's 30 USD per mic and provides some useful accessories in basic quality. So yes, to get started with stereo recording, it's fine. We have to ignore any ethical aspects, though ...

[@Podcastage]

I agree that boomed for spoken word worked better than I was expecting. On the MOPFP, I was quite pleased with how it turned out. And yeah, we have to consider the ethical side of things with these mics and a lot at this price point. Thank you again for the support Rainer.

[@Farathus]

O.O I'm in the process of building a setup to record audio from Audience and Speakers in a meeting environment for online streaming with audience members about 6-15ft from the microphones. These sound like they would be an amazing fit.. especially at that price! One mic for the Audience and one for the speakers.

[@darkphotographer]

got a pair of C4 , they sound grate use them as over for drums , or as room mics when recording live show , or when i want to record something stereo , will like to get a second pair at some point maiby i will get the c2

[@javanmonroe6064]

besides your stated issues with the mics for singing, would these be suitable for simultaneous use, one effeted and one not? It would be a lot cheaper and more space efficient than just getting a second nt1-a

[@NetvoTV]

If I want to record everyday, travel, walk tour, KZbin 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 KZbinr 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?

[@woodandwandco]

They're okay, but they're a bit flat on the bottom end, and you will need a de-esser to mask the peaks on those Cs.

[@woodandwandco]

The Neumanns sound amazing, and if I win the lottery, hey, I might grab a matched pair. But I honestly think the flat, tinny, overall lacking qualities of the C-2s are a good compromise for $60. You can make them sound better with some good EQing.

[@mjrausch]

What microphone has a pad that slopes down without a pop!? I don’t think that exists!?

[@mjlearnslife]

What can you say with Behringer EMC8000.

[@chinmeysway]

I mean are any small d cond mics ever darker / not harsh in the high end? I have top dollar AKGs and they’re fine (still treble boosted to some degree),but I think SDC design must lend itself to this and it’s unclear that they’re ever necessary. EQing harsh highs out doesn’t work so great. Even if the mics are made in Austria

[@meistudiony]

What 500 series rack chassis are you rockin' in that untreated room?

[@ScottGrammer]

Off-axis, it sounds like you're deep in a barrel. But that's not too unusual for SDC's.