sE8 vs Behringer C2 on Drum Overheads

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NOTE only raw overheads used in this video. No processing or close mics.
I know this is an unfair comparison but I thought it would be interesting. Se's sound fantastic. However the C2's are still great when using a multi mic set up where you can supplement the low end with close mics.

[@david54780]

new mics definitely sound better imo, more low end and not as bright (in a good way) but those behringers are insane for the price. good comparison

[@DonalBowens]

Summed up perfectly. Thanks for the feedback 😁

[@CormacTunstead]

The sE8's definitely sound warmer & have more body to them. But the C-2s sound nice & bright too & amazing for the price range also! Awesome comparison mate! 😊👌🏻

[@DonalBowens]

Totally agree. Thanks Cormac 🤝😁

[@fearless3geclipse]

Great video. You can definitely hear the differences. Thank you

[@thegreatsiberianitch]

Those se8s sound awesome in that they catch the whole kit, or say if you needed to record an acoustic guitar or a piano, probly even a vocal, very nice all around. The c2s though, i wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone who needed drum overheads. As a part of a full kit mic up the value of the c2s seems unrivaled even by newer "budget" mics of the past few years. And your drumming is sick!!

[@DonalBowens]

Totally agree with everything you’ve said here. Thanks for watching and the kind words 🙏

[@marcelosiqueiira]

I downloaded the audio from your video and separated the audio from the C2 and the sE8. I did an equalization on the C2 to be close to the sE8, and it was very similar. I attenuated the 4000hz frequency by -4 db approximately from C2, and added more sub-bass.

[@DonalBowens]

Nice experiment. Thanks for sharing

[@megafunkyfingers3314]

Coming from a studio point of view, we use 2 very good kits, and can deffo say this, the bit yall are missing here is this, The behringers if mic'ing a whole kit up, dare i say it are better, much better ! when you mic the rest of the kit up you will get that warmth and frequency from the other mics that you say the SEs have, but when you want to add in a nice toppy glassyness from the over heads the behringer's are perfect, the Se8s in the mix with the rest of the kit mic's will sound more muddy compared to the behringer's. its the extended HI's we are after here not the bottom end, and the behringer's give exactly that. perfect, So remember this..... you can take off some treble and hi end from your cymbals and snare in the mix with the behringer's if needed, but you cant add the hi end in the mix using the SE's because it wont be there ! ! ! there are more than a few things behringer have got right, and these are somewhere near the top, non of this undervaluing them with " they are good for the price" crap, its not because they are cheap ! but its because they are very good at doing the job they were designed to do, nothing to do with the price, the fact they are cheap is a bonus. now on saying that, if you want to use just them for the whole kit with no other mics on the kit then ok the SEs will be better for obvious reasons.

[@nicoladamicodrummer]

Thank you!!! Very interesting

[@mack_solo]

The lesson from this for me, is to place C-2 closer to the drums (or bass'y sound sources in general). As for the crash cymbals i am not exclusively sold on sE8... Only you could tell which one is closer to the original sound, but what was "better"? Hmmm... i don't know, this would be highly depend on musical context, IMO. Overall I think it was a huge win for C-2 in terms value - this NOT a 10x worse mic if looking just at the price. Good comparo, short and to the point. Thank you for sharing!

[@DonalBowens]

Great synopsis there Mack. Well said!

[@32446]

This is awesome man! Good job man keep up the great work 👍🏼👍🏼

[@DonalBowens]

Thanks Will 😁

[@jadonchacon]

The sE8s definitely sound better but the C-2s aren’t bad by any means, I use the the C-2s myself when I use acoustic cymbals on my kit and they’re fantastic for the price. Awesome video.

[@DonalBowens]

Completely agree 😁 Thanks

[@JohnnyOskam]

I like the C2s better. Warm overhead mics don't work well for a mix.

[@DonalBowens]

Depends on what sound you’re after. But great point, the C2’s having a more thin and bright sound work great with everything close miked. Absolutely!

[@Hepnotical]

Sure, that’s true…. on Opposite Day!

[@feast2938]

The Behringers are pretty good, with a bit of EQ and post they can hold up. I've found that the more pricey microphones demand less work to make sit right, this depends on the room as well of course. The more expensive ones on paper, should last longer and take a beating in a studio environment over years of daily/weekly uses. I'd use the Behringers for larger live shows where the drums need a bit of overhead, and I don't want to take the nice mics out. I have a set of C2's for making demos, they often make the Final Cut as I usually try to get the drums sounding as best they can for building songs around.

[@gerardozaragoza4055]

I really liked both mics, I think that the c-2 make the snare sound fantastic but the sE8s feel tighter by providing a warmer sound. Perhaps the c-2 can work wonders exclusively as overheads and in combination with darker sounding mics like the 57s and such

[@DonalBowens]

Exactly the C-2's really shine as overheads in a fully close miked set up. They leave loads of room for the close mics.

[@RyoCanCan]

The behringers seem right up my alley, going to use them in an e-kit with low volume cymbals. At least they'd be a good starting point :D

[@DonalBowens]

They’re great 😁

[@BillRayDrums]

Wow, looks like I just bought some Behringer c2s for live stuff!

[@BillRayDrums]

OK two weeks in, I've been recording with them in the studio, and they're surprisingly awesome.

[@cassio_zambotto]

Those sE8's will soon be the new standard for sdc's, they sound so KM84-ish for a small fraction of the price, what an amazing mic! Said that, c-2's must be an industrial mistake, it's the price of a good burger, there's some gear that are just too good for its price, like c-2's or superlux hd681.

[@DonalBowens]

100% agree

[@klqst]

Those C2 are great. The Se8 on the other hand, to me, is a different beast. The wider range is one thing, another is the dynamics and the resolusion. To me the diffrence is that with the Se8 you hear the tone of each drum, the dominant tone AND the resonant tones. Much the samt with the cymbals. More complex and vibrant with the Se8. Yet. I look to the C2 for overheads myself. The price! =)

[@DonalBowens]

Perfect summary 🙏

[@acecomet]

I prefer the c2 sound . Great video

[@braintube76]

I'll choose the C-2's.

[@carlosdima]

Los sE8 sin duda son increíbles, tienen un rango más completo que los c-2, pero si tienes tus tambores microfoneados por completo, los C-2 vienen bien para los tonos brillantes como los platillos.

[@DonalBowens]

I agree! Both great tools 😁

[@pezictusfish]

From my laptop speakers and cheap earbuds, both sound great :P

[@gastonjabaly]

I have the c2 i was super impressed by them for the price they are great but...... They have a weird peak arround 4 o 5 k and high emphasis that makes everything a little too shrill nothing that can't be taked with eq and they are greate micing guitar cabs and snares but the se have a more controlable top end i think

[@atgred]

To the se2’s I would add top end eq. And to the C2’s I would add bottom end eq.

[@boobo3763]

In this I actually favor the Behringers... More of a "freakish" edgier sound. Perhaps it's just what I'm familiar with... Ha!

[@DonalBowens]

That’s the fun part of music and recording man. Sometimes the cheapest gear gets the result you want 😁

[@sadeau]

se8 sounds better, but not 10x better. C-2 excellent for budget recording setup.

[@DonalBowens]

100% agree. C-2’s are sick 😁

[@atishep]

Dude, I love how your drum sounds! Killer tom tones.🤘 Did you use muffling on the snare?

[@daxdarcen1719]

Killer sounds! What drums and drum heads do u use sir?

[@DonalBowens]

Thanks man, Tama Superstar Hyperdrive 10x6.5, 12x7, 16x14, 22x20 Pearl Sensitone Phosphor Bronze 14x6.5 I use remo drum heads. I’m using coated emperors and p77 on snare. Think I’ve a p3 on kick here.

[@shortymcsteve]

sE8’s sound way better, much more low end that you expect from drums. But I’m wondering, where did you find the c2’s for £40? I’d pick them up for that price but they seem more expensive now.

[@DonalBowens]

Yeah they were that price on thomann at the time of this video. Insane deal 😁 they’re a bit more expensive now

[@kaede_jing]

Hi, which one do you think sound closer to the actual sound of the drum?

[@DonalBowens]

I would say the se8's. They capture the low end that the c2's miss

[@redentorverallo2063]

How to set it up?

[@JaeilJi]

I was just wondering the sounds of mics but inspired by your drumming lol thanks

[@serioushobbies9682]

sE more warm and nice harmonic

[@sergiobolognesi401]

I think the SE8 gives a lot more life to the recording, apart from the low end. They're kind of more "fresh" and "breathy" in the mid to high register. In the SE8 parts of the video it really seems to be there, to listen to the real sound of the drums. With the behringer it sounds a little bit more in a paper box to me... But for the price, Jesus...

[@sergiobolognesi401]

Thanks a lot for the comparison. Great job and good sounding kit!

[@DonalBowens]

@@sergiobolognesi401 Thanks for sharing Sergio 🙏

[@KlitasRecords]

C2 wins. You dont need any low end to capture cymbals