Behringer C2 Studio Condenser Pencil Mic - Excellent Budget Condenser

A great little mic and even better at the ridiculously low price that it has been selling at on Amazon UK. I have no idea how they can sell two mics with windshields, a stereo bar and a solid plastic case for £32 when it sounds like this.
I like this mic a lot and use it on the go whenever I don't need to use a lavalier mic. I really like it for its top end clarity which allows your voice to cut through background noise really easily.
Traditionally, pencil mics are used for acoustic instruments or drums because of their top response, but I like this one for spoken voice!!
www.amazon.co.uk/Behringer-C-...

[@iancraig]

All I can say is fantastic value! If you’re on a tight budget, these mics are great. Not the best, but do a terrific job at the price of £16 each. It just doesn’t get much cheaper than that. Oh ..... and throw in a nice carrying box, stereo bar two clips and foamies.

[@lucfwsimbtmm1712]

Thank you for this complete and excellent video on Behringer C2 mic. You helped me in my choice ! Friendly from france

[@iancraig]

Glad that it helped you.

[@ambolapi]

Perfect test ever! Thanks a lot Sir!

[@iancraig]

Thank you Ainul.

[@RavirajaShetty]

A great illustration...Thank you...

[@BillRayDrums]

I just bought a pair of these for use as overheads for drums. I'm absolutely floored by the quality of these mics for the price. And your brick wall, I love it!

[@luismanrique133]

Excellent video, I was looking for some sound test that was on the street and this was the only one, greetings from Argentina

[@iancraig]

Hola Luis. Me gusta mucho hacer las peliculas!! Thank you. Gracias.

[@alexhlushko69]

Thank You for excellent test !!!

[@paulo_f_moraes]

Excelent video! A lot of good information about this microphone. Thanks for the video!

[@iancraig]

Thank you Paulo.

[@KevinMuldoon]

Great video Ian. I'm surprised at how good these sound for the price. Appreciate you showing every aspect of the mics. Keep up the good work :)

[@iancraig]

Thanks Kevin.

[@alantuttphotography]

Loved how you demonstrated the polar pattern. The specs on these aren't much different from single mics costing $250.

[@iancraig]

They’re pretty good, Alan. I also often use a Behringer B5 which has a better noise figure and inter changeable heads. In fact, it’s pretty good in my naff front room with a super cardioid head. C2 though was a terrific bargain. Not sure what they retail at now, but I was really impressed with the value for money. B5 - kzbin.info/www/bejne/baaUlaGlo7CYbaM

[@jackeckhart386]

Thanks a lot, Sr!! Very honest review.

[@iancraig]

My pleasure!

[@robertoalvarezguitar]

Excelente video, justo lo q buscaba antes de decidirme a comprarlos

[@iancraig]

Gracias Roberto. Me alegro de que lo hayas disfrutado. Ian.

[@SayaAmirulSyamim]

just what I was looking for , ty sir

[@iancraig]

They are terrific value for money.

[@mihailandrei1100]

Excellent test!!!!

[@iancraig]

Thank you Mihail. Much appreciated.

[@startingQB]

Thanks you. This video helped me make a decision.

[@Daniel-hc6hr]

Sir your voice is really nice for narrations

[@originalfallinggirl]

Thank you so much!

[@WORTHITORNOT]

Nice sounding microphone, still impressed with the tiny recorder.

[@iancraig]

The Tascam DR10 that I also use is even smaller, Andre. I normally use one or the other to avoid wires because I don’t like the internal sound of any of my cameras. kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGK1mqN4jLNsmck

[@ScottWinters]

Nice review! Looking to purchase a set. Have you tried them in an overhead boom setup?

[@iancraig]

I have Scott. They work really well.

[@thebusinessfirm9862]

G'day Ian, nice review mate. Appreciate the detail with which you create these videos. How would you describe this mic compared to the RODE M5? Cheers. Steve.

[@iancraig]

The rode M5 has more ‘beef’ in its sound imo. I really like the M5 because it’s so versatile. Can be used as a phantom powered mic or on its own battery straight i to the camera if you like. It works well. I did a test of portable mic solutions recently and I included the M5 because of its battery power. It was blowing a gale so I wasn’t expecting much from it but on the test, I think it came out best, even with just a foamie on it!

[@RA-el6zj]

@@iancraig The M5 has it's own battery? Interesting, first time i read that!

[@iancraig]

R A ... sorry, I’ve muddled it up with the M3 condenser mic. Too many numbers!

[@c.serena1808]

@@iancraig Hello. So did you try the M5 to compare?

[@iancraig]

No. I don’t have an m5. As I said, I muddled it up with the m3.

[@rossfromsa]

Short and to the point. Nice. Which wind shield are you using on the outdoor test?

[@iancraig]

It’s a Movo ballistic nylon windshield. Funny thing before I made the video out there, it was quite windy and when I started, the wind disappeared. So it was a bit ott in the end!

[@baroquer]

Not an expert asking: is it possible to connect/use C-2 on a PC via the USB? _(which adaptor?)_

[@TheRealFarzin]

Hi Ian, Thank you for the review. I also saw that people asked about overhead boom setup for these mics, which you confirmed the mics would work for dialogue or voice recording from overhead. So is it safe to say these mics can be used as a shotgun mic? Thank you again. Cheers

[@iancraig]

They’re not true shotgun mics because they don’t have rejection slits. They are cardioids which means they pick up a fairly wide radius on the front. Real shotguns are narrower in pickup but can sound different in tone as well.

[@TheRealFarzin]

@@iancraig Thank you Ian for your prompt reply and advice. I would like to ask, if I were going to get a shotgun mic (mostly to be used on boom pole), what would be your recmmendation in similar price range or somethng decent but not too expensive. Kindest regards

[@iancraig]

The Rode NTG4 is a nice shotgun for the price. Or the Sennheiser MKE600. Go too much cheaper and they don’t really sound that great and you end up replacing them! TBH, indoors, a good pencil mic is a great option. Again though, you get what you pay for. The higher priced ones tend to sound better and have less self noise. Lewitt make two excellent pencil mics. The cheaper one is good for the money. The more expensive one is great. (340) In an untreated room, dynamic mics can be brilliant. (And cheap) They do need good preamps to drive them or a Fethead to boost the output. In my small box room videos, I use an Electrovoice dynamic. Not cheap but there are some cracking cheap mics out there. To get a ‘taste’ of dynamics, there is the Behringer xm8500, I think it’s called. Silly money but sounds good. Also the Shure sm57 for speech is useful at around £90. There are many options, but beware of true shotguns indoors. They tend to pick up reflections on the side that interfere with the front and so the sound of the mkc can be altered. Indoors, a super cardioid or cardioid mic would be fine, either a dynamic or small pencil mic.

[@TheRealFarzin]

@@iancraig I am really grateful for your help and advice. I do have a Behringer XM8500 and use it with a Tascam DR60D MK2 but problem with dynamic mics is that you have to be really close to them and they can’t be used for overhead mic on a boom pole. I will have a look at your suggested mics. Meanwhile Behringer C2 is really amazing or perhaps my ears are not that sensitive. Thank you again 🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@julioce99]

Gracias 👍🏼🇨🇴

[@iancraig]

De nada Julio.

[@TheVefIt]

Tell me, did you process the audio files in any way after recording? Because if you didn't, the self-noise levels of thess microphones are just amazing. I just listened to a Samson C02 test(very symilar mic, in the same price range) and the samsom C02 sounds just as noce but seem to have this really obnoxious self noise...

[@iancraig]

I don’t think that I did Felipe. I normalised everything. If you’re talking about voiceover, then that was an NT1a which is amazingly quiet. I do use a Fethead which means that my gain is set extraordinarily low which is a real bonus for cheaper preamps. I find the C02 pretty quiet tbh. I know that on one of my mic videos, I accidentally had a noisegate switched at a very low level, but as far as the mic self noise goes when I was talking, the gate had no effect which is why I didn’t notice until much later after I made the video. I don’t think it was switched in on this one. Self noise is hard to assess in many cases because so much depends on the preamp and the gain level plus the volume of your voice and closeness of the mic. You’ve probably seen it, but Curtis Judd makes excellent reviews and he tested the Samson with also, proper noise tests. I don’t think the Samson was too bad in that respect. The most common criticism of the Behringer is the treble. Some don’t like its sharpness up there. For me it seems to work well. Probably because I often mumble in embarrassment on camera!! ; j Edit; I had a quick listen to my video and did one thing ... I cut the volume of the clicks when I used its switch before normalising otherwise, you might have been blown away with the clicks. Generally, I keep the gain as low as I can but the ‘field’ and test recordings were done with a Triton Fethead into a Saramonic portable recorder. If I plug direct into my camera, then hiss is a problem, but it’s not the mic. Noise levels for the C2 is quoted at -75dB so it’s not too bad as long as your gain isn’t hyped so that preamp noise is added to the mic noise. I like the C2 actually but noise isn’t a particular issue with it. More commonly, people don’t like the treble. The problem with noise is that once you focus on it, it’s one of those things that never go away with all mics when you’re not speaking. If I had been quiet for a few seconds, you might have been more aware!,

[@TheVefIt]

Thank you! I did se the Samson C02 test Curtis did. It sounded great, it was a couple of other videos I've seen that had the self noise. Thank you very much!

[@RA-el6zj]

So which would you guys recommend for recording piano? C2 or C02?

[@ww1www]

Thanks for the great review. I might pick up a pair. Where is the RF interference coming in? The mic or the recorder/wireless device you plugged it into?

[@iancraig]

I don’t know. I had a listen and couldn’t hear it!

[@ww1www]

@@iancraigI hear it a lot, but it is most pronounced around 2:08 and when you are in the garden in front of that shack. Perhaps RF, sounds more like a groundloop or similar. Is it coming from the Saramonic recorder?

[@iancraig]

I don’t know. I can hear traffic noise. I must be going deaf.

[@TAussieG]

Would you reccomend these in a studio, because I don't like having microphones super close to my mouth.

[@iancraig]

To be honest, in a studio, a B5 might be better. Less edgy and less self noise, plus a choice of two capsules. For booming, two seriously good mics (but relatively expensive) are the SE Electronics SE8 or the Oktava MK012. Once you have them, then you know that your audio remains pretty good. If I don’t want a mic to show, I ‘undersling’ a Rode NT1. (It even works in a box room) The NT1a is cheaper. Funnily enough, although these mics are designed as studio close up mics, their inherent low self noise and cardioid polar pattern makes them work quite well when lowered just below the camera picture, angled up at your mouth. The back end is then looking at the carpet and behind you is shielded by your body. That actually works pretty well and you get a nice, full bodied sound. Even a cheap t.bone 400 works extremely well like this and that one is a super-cardioid.

[@johnpetersson2385]

Hi thanks for the vid. Can I hang them from the ceiling infront of three or four people to record them live? /John

[@iancraig]

Yes. They are cardioids and would work fine. Also take a look at the B5. Lower noise and a bit lower self noise which allows a touch more gain.

[@johnpetersson2385]

@@iancraig Ok thanks!

[@gertvanpeet3120]

Good for churches! Gives some room to move, and sensitive enough for kids voices!

[@AhuiCruz]

What's your windscreen? I have a pair of the C2 but I have a cheap not so effective windscreen

[@iancraig]

It was 5 years ago now, but I think it was a Movo ballistic nylon windshield. A bit big to look at on this mic, but just one I had handy at the time.

[@hamitcampos4989]

Wow for only 55 bucks from Sweet Water this pair of mics is pretty respectable. What were you useing them with?

[@iancraig]

A Saramonic portable recorder.

[@hamitcampos4989]

Ah like on the B-5 vid.

[@iancraig]

No Hamit, I used a Zoom H4n in the B5 video so there was a lead attached to the microphone. Generally, I use the Saramonic portable when out and about because it supplies 48v phantom power with no wires to worry about. Indoors, I use the Zoom or a Tascam DR60e preamp. Both supplu phantom power and are really quiet.

[@RA-el6zj]

Anyone know how the C2's compare to Samson C02's?

[@iancraig]

I would love to know the answer to that as well. The C02 self noise isn’t brilliant imo.

[@matangox]

I heard these pecil mics are better for inside dialogue than shotguns. Is that true?

[@iancraig]

Yes. The thing with shotguns is that they work by rejecting signals that enter through the side slots which causes some frequencies to get nulled. If wall reflections containing your voice get in as well as your voice from the front, it can alter the tone of the mic on your voice. Parts of the front signal get annulled by side reflections so frequencies in effect, go missing! If you get a shotgun close though, this isn’t such a problem really.

[@pigsfromagun4050]

Would these work good for cajons thanks.

[@iancraig]

It might do. I'm not sure TBH because of the spl. For a cajon, the mic needs to be able to take high pressure levels for the attack but also be pretty detailed because of the variations of sounds you can get from the cajon. If the capsule is overloaded, you'll just get distortion on every 'hit'. I might be inclined to use a dynamic or a specialist drum mic designed to take high spl. Even a Shure sm58 might capture it well. A lot depends on how close you want to mic the cajon. Being a retired musician, I'm well aware of this because on solo oboe recordings, I could send mics into peaking on loud notes so the mic had to be moved back.

[@pigsfromagun4050]

@@iancraig ok thanks Ian appreciate it.

[@pigsfromagun4050]

@@iancraig ment top ask I'm looking at the superlux hi 10 aswell for cajon, would that be better option Ian?I don't really know alot about condenser mics but want to get a new one .

[@iancraig]

Check the specs and compare the spl figures. If you like the sound of both mics, go for the high spl so that you have less chance of clipping on attacks. Have you considered a Rode NT1a? I’ll get back after I check spl for it. Superb mic with extreme detailed sound. If it doesn’t peak, it would give an incredibly detailed sound. My favourite is Rode NT1 with the NT1a close behind.

[@iancraig]

OK, just checked specs. The Behringers go to 140dB spl and Rode NT1a goes 137dB spl. So the Behringer will take 3dB more so it looks like it would be OK. In which case, consider the B5. Even better than the C2. The B5 is more refined and has less self noise. Two capsules. (Omni and cardioid) Spl of 140dB. That sounds really good. I have used two of them for piano recordings in the past.

[@MrHamit64]

What did you record the clips with?

[@iancraig]

A Saramonic portable recorder bolted directly onto the mic.

[@hamitcampos4989]

Ah I see. I've never heard of those. Do you happen to have anythign Zoom on hand? Or do you know anyone that does? I'm looking into the C-2s but I don't know what they'd really sound like. Because for instance like I just said before I've never heard that recorder you just meantioned so can't judge fully. Until I've heard them on a Zoom H4N pro at the verry least. I have an H6.

[@iancraig]

Yes, Hamit. I have a Zoom H1n and a Zoom H4n. In all honesty, I think the differences in sound between recorders is pretty minimal. The mic has far more influence on the sound, unless the recorder is shocking! The C2 is a nice mic, but it has a sharper top end than some. This puts some people off, but when I’m not reviewing the mic, in post, I use the frequency response graph to EQ the sound to a ‘theoritical’ flat. That takes a bit of the top end sting away. I didn’t do it for this video though. Another one I really like and has less of a sting and a lower self noise is the Behringer B5. It offers a cardioid and an omni head and is indeed, pretty quiet. I’ll do a review of it next week because it is a slightly better mic I think. Well worth considering the extra that you lay for it. Noise is at 78dB for the cardioid head and 76dB for the omni. That’s pretty good for a pencil mic and is noticeably quieter in use.

[@hamitcampos4989]

What did you mean about the top end of the C-2? is it too bright for some? or too dark? This B5 mike though. ah well I'd better look it up to see how much it is in US$. But are you saying you can take the capsels off it and make it omni? Because if that's the case and 1 can get 2 of them then those are the ones to go fore than. To do omni stuff. By the way I do have a mike. I have the Audio-Technica AT-8022. It's great. But it's 1 of those 1 point stereo things. I do love it's immige but I wana do stuff like ORTF or hell just for fun spread the mics appart as wide as my head. You obviously can't do stuff like that with an 8022. Also it only hears up to 15 KHZ. I wana get everything. well if you either wana make a vid with the C-2s using the H4N and just record street noise or you wana email me an mp3 or something just to hear them. But following what you said about the recorder not making much of a difference well they aren't all that shabby.

[@iancraig]

You’re quite right about recorders, Hamit. Most sound pretty good. In fact, I did a video using a very cheap thing a week or so ago just to prove that even a voice dictator could work with editing skills. Some find the C2 a bit too treble laden. Also lacking in deep bass. The bass thing is pretty typical of most pencil mics. They tend to roll away more than a studio condenser mic. The B5 is a little bit smoother in the treble and also quieter as far as self noise goes. Then again, it costs more but personally, I think I prefer it myself. I think they only sell them singly though not as a stereo pair. Not certain about that. It comes with two heads. A cardioid and an omni head. You just unscrew them and the polar characteristics of the mic changes. That’s really handy for ambient stuff. Just change over to omni and it is sensitive all round. Generally, I use the cardioid head to isolate speech and use the H4n built in mics for ambience in stereo. Sometimes, I mix the stereo ambient sound with cardioid speech tracks. That way, you can control how loud the background is a bit more. I also like the wide ‘spread’ that the stereo ambience gives. Try the H5 built in mics. They’re pretty good on the H4n. I’ll post a video on the B5 next week. Already done two videos this week! I will also be doing a video comparing a few pencil mics.... In fact, I just posted a video on the AT2020, where I used the B5 boomed at the start when I’m holding the AT2020. Not ideal because it was about two to three feet away, but might give you an idea of its sound. Soon to come, a comparison bideoof Behringer C2 and B5, ISK Little Gem, Red5 Audio RV4 and a Citrionic Cheapo mic. All perfectly good mics. In my opinion, the B5 is possibly the nicest, but having heard the ISK today, I like that one too although it has more self noise.