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

Today i review probably the most affordable small diaphragm condensers on the market, the Behringer C2's. These cost $60 for a pair, so essentially $30/each. The sound is surprisingly good for that price, but it's not without it's flaws. On some sound sources the bass and low mids can get out of hand, and the treble boost is a bit artificial and harsh. If you're able to work around these issues, for $30/each, I think they're pretty good.

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00:00 - Intro
00:24 - Setup
00:44 - What’s in the Box
01:08 - Build Quality / Walkthrough
01:38 - Specifications
02:03 - High Pass Filter Off
02:27 - Polar Pattern Test (Tone / Rotation)
02:45 - Plosive Test
03:04 - Distance Test / Proximity Effect Test
03:24 - Background Noise Test
03:44 - Untreated Room Test
04:05 - A Few Mic Position Tests
04:32 - Shock Rejection Test
04:55 - Mic Resonance Tap Test
05:16 - Windscreen Tone Test
05:50 - High Pass Filter Test
06:15 - 10dB Pad Test
06:38 - Intro to Comparison
07:06 - Samson C02 Comparison
07:29 - Rode M5 Comparison
07:57 - sE Electronics sE7 Comparison
08:23 - Shure SM81 Comparison
08:58 - Beyerdynamic MC930 Comparison
09:31 - Neumann KM185 Comparison
10:16 - Neumann U87 Ai Comparison
10:57 - Music Test
12:46 - Pros & Cons
14:21 - Overall Thoughts
17:11 - Recommendation
18:23 - Outro

#Budget #SDC #MicReview

NOTE (FULL DISCLOSURE): If you purchase an item using an affiliate link, it provides me a small referral fee. As an associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info check my FAQ page links below.

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[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.

[wackomastermind]

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

[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.

[AR-bjet]

It’s awesome to see more SDCs appearing on here.

[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

[kalebgates]

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

[markowalski]

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.

[mattfleming]

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.

[phenix]

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.

[RubensASMR]

Your videos a VERY helpful at educating audio tech purchases!
One of the only channels that go into the really specific details.

I might have to get those in the future and try asmr with them.






Thank you for your channel and what you do :)

[Alexandra-Rex]

I got this set with another used microphone I bought many years ago. Then suddenly I needed to record stuff from my desk for things I was doing there, and they were perfect for that. I was a bit surprised to suddenly see you review them.

[tiburd]

I particularly appreciate your discernment about problems in the high frequencies, which can cause many microphones to make a perfectly fine classical violin sound like a scalded cat - a detail unfortunately overlooked by many folks, including some professional producers.

[steimystein]

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.

[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

[chradon.]

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

[EScottU]

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

[ChrisArlesMusic]

I've got these mikes and used them in many and situations, I've got KM 184, AKG C451 & C414, SM 81, TLM 1o3, ... theses C2s are just incredible for the price !!! You guys can go and buy some right now !

[henrikpetersson]

I have a pair that I inherited from my father. They rarely get used to be honest as I have much better SDCs and these do not sound very good. But they are surprisingly good for the money, I'll give them that. So if you are on a very tight budget it's great.
Thing is with SDCs there are quite good options if you just step up the budget a notch. I have a pair Line Audio CM3s that I bought for $200 15 years ago, still use them all the time. Such great value. So if you can swing it, get something that will get use over the years.

[brokenguillotine]

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.