Behringer C2 Vs Behringer B5 - Both Great Budget Pencil Mics!!

The two Behringer mics, the C2 and B5 perform amazingly well; especially when you consider the price of them. The B5 in particular is very impressive, both in sound and lack of self noise. In fact, my favourite cheap pencil mic.
The Behringer C2 comes in a box of two and a stereo bar which makes it great for taking ambience. It has a slightly stronger top end so in my opinion, it does particularly well at that. I would hesitate to use it for drum cymbals with that top edge.
The Behringer B5 has a more subtle sound and so works nicely with speech. It shows immediately in my video. It comes with two capsules and the mono one is really good for capturing groups of people evenly.
Both brilliant buys and well worth trying.

[@iancraig]

Affiliate links: Behringer C2 - amzn.to/3uFT2WB Behringer B5 - amzn.to/3jDgqhe

[@apislapis]

In both self noise tests listen carefully and you can hear the nearby clock telling the time for Trumpton (well almost, pinch of salt time). I do like your reviews of relatively inexpensive gear demonstrating that for not much outlay you can get pretty good results. Nice work Ian.

[@iancraig]

That clock is always sitting there and I forget all about it! It’s used as a timer for piano lessons and I get so preoccupied setting up mic and lights, let alone the camera, that the clock gets completely forgotten about and I find out about it in post..... Mics can be so sensitive, that they pick it up better than my ears in the room. With the cheap hear, you can actually get really good results. It’s easier with quieter more expensive stuff unless you record in a bathroom, but I think most people tend to go towards the cheaper end.

[@drewmorg.]

The B-5 was magnificent. Makes me wonder why anyone uses ANYTHING else for podcasts/livestreaming. This is what people should be buying !!

[@donaldthompson7766]

It's because Michael Jackson used a sm7b once.

[@rocvan8190]

You make a remake of this comparison, nice. Now I can hear better the quality of both mics, I appreciate that.

[@iancraig]

The first one was made some time ago, when I was frightened to speak into a mic! 😉

[@tonyweidencamp9974]

thank you, thank you for this review, been looking for someone to show justice to these microphones so I can actually decided what to get.

[@alexriesenbeck]

Excellent quick review & comparison of these budget microphones. Thanks for the great videos!

[@iancraig]

Thank you Cubilas.

[@Chemysterium]

It is great that you returned to the C-2. Based on your previous review, I got a pair of them for compact dialogue recording kit. For the price of 990 CZK (about 34 GBP) for pair of them, stero bar and hard case, nothing can beat them.

[@iancraig]

They are indeed a great buy. I made the first version some time ago when I was scared to speak into a mic! Beringer do make some great gear in all honesty.

[@yassineelidrissi0000]

Thanks

[@DavidPowellAU]

Thank you! You present in such an approachable, unassuming way, but clearly also bring so much experience and practical sense to this game! Wonder if you have pointers for my need. I'm driven by low budget concerns but still need to get something adequate. That said, we're not talking about hi-fi because it's a Zoom broadcast with its own limitations. Your mention of the omnidirectional option had me wondering whether I should be heading on that front, or to stick with a kind of wide cardioid. My 'use case' is to gather enough pipe organ and congregational sound from our church to give those sounds presence to our shut-ins using Zoom (the video-conferencing setup so many chose during COVID lockdown). At present, I've borrowed an old pulpit condenser mic by Audio-Technica and put it on a vase stand in the aisle (alongside a pew so as not to impede passage). It faces the organ which is at the back of the church, maybe 20 m back from it so that it's got a chance to hear the pipes in balance. It needs pretty high gain on our sound desk to bring the signal to life. The marking says about 60 - but anyway, it's close to maximum on the gain knob. It's fed through the sound desk on a bus that bypasses the church speakers but gets mixed in as a 'group' in the desk's matrix before that is output as the sound source to Zoom. Perhaps the ideal would be to have a number of mics for these 'ambient sound' purposes, but if we're looking at a single one, what do you think would make a good choice to substitute for the pulpit mic? We actually *want* to hear some chat and congregational voices - it's not about pure capture of the organ, although naturally it'd be good if that were healthily audible. I imagine I'd want something that maintains sensitivity at distance without great cost on the 'self-noise' scale. To a point, I'm willing to compromise audiophile quality for affordability.

[@iancraig]

Thanks David. I try to keep it really simple because I know that many people think that it’s some kind of special magical thing with audio, when really it’s not. It’s best not to over complicate things so there’s less to go wrong. Blimey, that’s a difficult one! You want to capture the organ as well as congregation in a very reverb laden space. Is the organ not behind the altar? If you want to use one microphone, I think I would use a cardioid. Omnis do sound very natural, but in a reverb laden environment, they need to be very close because they will pick up on it. Cardioids will still pick up the congregation. Also, how loud is the organ? They can produce one heck of a lot of sound so could drown the congregation out! It might be an idea to record a few Sundays with the mic different distances from the organ. I’d aim at the organ and let the congregation filter in and find the best distance to get a good mix. Ideally, I’d want a mic on the organ and another on the congregation so you could ‘balance’ it to an extent. Each sound will always ‘bleed’ into the other. I would consider a large diaphragm cardioid mic actually. You’ll get a beautiful deep bass from it for the organ which might not show so well on these pencil mics. It’s amazing just how good some of the budget large diaphragms are. Also, in order to avoid individuals singing in the congregation, I would try lifting the mic and ‘hanging’ it from a beam in space. I have done this in theatres, where I just used the cable to hold the mic in space up above. That way, you avoid individual sounds from single people in the audience who might sing louder than the others! Again, one mic dangled above the congregation and another close to the organ would sound really good as long as you are going through a mixer to balance them. Organs are very hard to record nicely because the church will also have a natural ‘pitch’ that might sound louder than the others. Especially in the bass. You need to listen out for that! It would just make the sound ‘one note’ sounding and muddy. Recording in church is a very complex thing because of the reverb. I once did an ‘oboe’ recital in a church for Radio 4 with a harpsichord, and the engineer ended up putting the mics right down on the strings of the harpsichord and right on the bell of my oboe, in order to reduce reverb, only to add the amount he wanted later in post!! Of course having the mic so close to the instruments meant mechanical noises started to appear but he got it in the end. Took him ages!

[@DavidPowellAU]

​@@iancraig Thanks for such a prompt and fulsome answer! Yes, the organ is at the back of the church and, while I know what you mean about reverb in churches, ours is a farirly straightforward arrangement. No transepts to speak of, just a big barn inside (albeit of sandstone). Your comments about the voices do make sense, and inside I know that we really could use an extra mic devoted to voices - and far enough from any single voice to allow a blend. I hadn't really bothered with the idea of a large diaphragm mic - largely because other people were speaking of their tendency to favour warmth and depth at the expense of an even frequency response. But you've given a good reason to look at them - especially if they're not a budget killer. Yes, I've seen elevation promoted as a good thing for recording an organ. Could also allow one to move in closer and diminish the chat from entering congregants. One interesting point with the mic I'm presently using. On one occasion, to arrive at a gain setting, I was forgoing my ears and just relying to begin with on the signal level LED. I had a pencil holding open a note (A440 I think) on the trumpet stop. *No* amount of gain would elicit a response! Then I changed to another nearby trumpet pipe (same rank, and to my *ears*, same relative loudness). Bingo! Bright green! To my thinking, the mic was far enough back to capture all this fairly evenly. What was going on? Maybe the building frequency thing your'e talking about? There was a whole set of pipes that provoked either 'all' or 'nothing' on the level indicator - despite being in the same frequency (pitch) area. There might have been a *slight* effect of 'sides' - a pipe's most immediate pitch neighbour is actually on the other slide of central. But it didn't explain everything. I think my main need re the organ is to have a mic or mics that offer plenty of clean signal at distance, given that the mixed room sound is 'part of the instrument' in some ways. I don't seem to have reverb issues at present. That's a relief, because we'd have no chance to do what your audio engineer did for your oboe, your harpsichord and Radio 4! Anyway, mustn't hog a forum devoted to comparing two pencil condensers! I've learnt a lot here, regardless!

[@iancraig]

No problem with comments David. I’m always happy to try and help. The issue with the trumpet sound is exactly that. Certain frequencies will get boosted and others cut. Possibly harmonics of the ‘a’ 440 will also be lower in volume. That’s where distance can affect what you record. Perhaps try recording a chromatic scale and listen for volume differences on the recording? When you find a relatively weaker note, turn or move the mic slightly. Sometimes, it can be a small amount, or there is a reflecting surface close by that nuts out the original sound. A great budget large diaphragm condenser is the mxl990. It has a pretty clean sound and it will capture the organ pedal notes. Those are the notes that a pencil mic may not be as good at. The 990 also goes up a long way for good harmonic response. For good organ sound, you need very good harmonic response from the mic so that you really capture the nuances of each pipe. As you know, they all can sound slightly different and a large diaphragm would be good at differentiating them, rather than reproducing mostly fundamental sounds. The organ is an amazing sounding instrument and if you capture that ‘vibrancy’ of air moving with all those harmonics, it’s magical on recordings. I would suggest two mxl990’s, even better, just for organ in stereo, or mono organ and mono congregation. Ideally, two condensers for organ. One on upper range the other on lower range. Two pencils for congregation as a crossed stereo pair. Then the congregation will sound more ‘airy’. The pencils up high pointing at congregation, preferably with organ behind them. (So they reject it) Then mix for the amount of organ/congregation that you want. Let the reverb take care of itself and use your ears to work out placement. You would get lovely recordings that way on quite a small budget as far as recording gear goes. The mxl990 isn’t the quietest of mics, but self noise won’t be an issue in a church with organ. Organs make hiss anyway when they’re not playing!

[@DavidPowellAU]

@@iancraig A very overdue thanks for this extensive piece of thoughtful advice! It seems to make sense. One thing is that pipes within a rank are often arranged symmetrically, so that semi-tone neighbours for the deepest pipes will actually be on the outside edges. I think the overall concept in the pipe organ is to evenly distribute upper and lower range spatially. So perhaps a simple crossed stereo pair again (as for the congregation, but differently positioned) might be the best approach. Thank you again! Happy New Year!

[@iancraig]

And Happy New Year to you David. Recording an organ well is a minefield. Not only the range and harmonic content of the instrument itself, but also the acoustic of the room it’s in!

[@davidsillars3181]

Nice review. The C2s really are a bargain, and with a stereo bar! I got the Rode M5s in a deal and I'm very happy with them. Also not made in big bad C! I think pencil mics are one of those things you don't know you need till you get them. Cheers, be well.

[@ardiyanto.t]

Hi, what do you think C2s vs rode m5? Im on the middle of it.. many thanks

[@davidsillars3181]

@@ardiyanto.t I don't have the C2s but it seems the reviews are good. I like M5s on guitar as a stereo pair but I don't know if they're in anyway better than the C2s.

[@Kmmc2011]

Great review and really helpful! I've subscribed

[@iancraig]

Thank you. I’m really close to 3000 now which has surprised me!

[@Kmmc2011]

@@iancraig I'm not surprised at all - it was a pleasure to watch, and I appreciated the production quality as well. You come across as a great person too :D I only had one question after watching and that was wondering what audio interface you're using because these mics sound fantastic

[@iancraig]

I have a few, but I 'think' I might have used a Tascam drive, which is a digital recorder. Very good for the price as well.

[@Kmmc2011]

@@iancraig thank you!!

[@aawave]

Hello Ian. I've fiddled with audio production and now I want have a try at recording. I'm looking for my first mic - for recording vocals (both male and female) and electric guitar, possibly also acoustic. I'm mainly looking at small diaphragm cardioid condensers. My research suggests these microphones should have wide, neutral frequency response with comparatively good noise rejection, thanks to the cardioid polar pattern (my room is untreated). Would you agree this type of microphone is the way to go for me, or would you suggest something else? Behringer C2 and Behringer SB 78A are the cheapest options in the category and they both seem good enough for my needs. Between the two, which one would you recommend for me? Are there other mic models you think I should look into? Regards, O

[@iancraig]

Hi. The Behringer b5 is a nice, cheap one. The Avantone pencil mic is nice sounding. (The red mic) Also, one that really surprised me for the price was the t.bone sc140. All sound slightly different but good mics, as the Sontronics is.

[@khanabadoshfilms3162]

Thanks for the review Ian, my C2 is coming today and I am super excited to use the pair for my first feature length fiction film. For the exterior, I couldn't afford much and might have to go with my Boya BY PVM 1000. I don't know whether you have reviewed it or not but I need a little help from you in this regard. I have been testing this shotgun and am hearing some strange low noise (i don't know what should I call it, it's not hissing, it's more like a very low intermittent buzz). I am using it with zoom h4n with 48v phantom power. May it be due to a cheap xlr connector? I have already ordered Amazon basic xlr cable. Let me check it with that. Kindly help me in this regard. Well, I am Vikram Kumar from India. Thanks in advance!

[@iancraig]

Thanks Khanabadosh. Low level noises can be due to cable problems. Also having a computer close by if you’re not using a good cable. Sometimes, the phantom power supply not only supplies 48 volts but a buzz as well! Cheap phantom power supplies can do this.

[@rikshaw2233]

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

[@naelurie]

Thats a lightsaber sir

[@KTHKUHNKK]

Very very nice review on those mics you always do great work. Keith Kuhn

[@iancraig]

Thanks Keith. They’re just a bit of fun for me to make tbh.

[@KTHKUHNKK]

@@iancraig Hello Ian What does tbh mean?

[@iancraig]

To be honest

[@KTHKUHNKK]

@@iancraig Thank you I never would have realized it meant to be honest. You rock Ian

[@MrJoeGooch]

Hi Ian. Have you tried a Samson C02? Just wondering how it compares? Cheers👍

[@iancraig]

I haven’t tried one, mainly because on all of the reviews I’ve seen, it has quite high self noise which has put me off tbh.

[@MrJoeGooch]

@@iancraig I've heard that from a few reviews but on listening to some on headphones it doesn't seem that noticeable unless you crank up the gain. I may get one to try out. I'll let you know! Cheers

[@MrJoeGooch]

@@iancraig Do any of the pencil condensers you own, have a thin enough shaft (ooer!) to fit directly into the XLR port of a digital recorder? I know the Samson C02 does, and can fit directly into a zoom H5 xlr port, for example, which is one reason I'm considering getting one. Cheers Ian

[@iancraig]

I’m not sure to be honest because the gap on recorders isn’t the same. If you mean the Saramonic recorder I might still have one and could try it.

[@MrJoeGooch]

@@iancraig I'm looking to connect a pencil mic directly to the XVIVE P1 phantom power supply and then I have a Tascam DR10X which can plug directly into the output xlr of the P1. I would think a Samson C02 could fit most xlr recorders ports, if it can fit directly into a Zoom H5's?