Behringer microphones

Behringer make a range of budget microphones which are popular with home musicians and offer good value for money. Unfortunately their naming scheme is not that clear and it can be hard to know what you’re buying, and how the products relate to each other. This article is not supposed to compare Behringer microphones with other manufacturers, but just to help you understand the Behringer range when choosing a microphone.

Behringer doesn’t publish full information on all its microphones, so I’ve had to do a little digging. Firstly the products are split into several ranges:

• B series – true condenser microphones
• C series – electret condenser microphones
• T series – vacuum tube condenser microphones
• XM series – dynamic microphones

The XM series dynamic microphones are good for live vocal use and can also lend themselves to drums. The T series is aimed at people who are already familiar with condenser microphones and who want a valve (vacuum tube) sound.

This just leaves the B and C series which seem similar in appearance and on paper. So what’s the difference between them? Is one more expensive or better than the other? Well, in general the B series is superior since they have true condenser capsules rather than the electret capsules of the C series, but It’s not quite that simple as there’s no direct mapping between the products in the B series and C series.

Behringer don’t themselves say that the C series have electret capsules, so I had to rely on third-party sources such as recordinghacks.com.

If you’re a beginner, chances are you might not recognise all of the terms I’ve used in this table, so here’s a glossary.

• Large diaphragm – A microphone with a capsule of at least 20mm in diameter. Often used for vocals and other close-up work.
• Small diaphragm – A microphone with a capsule of less than 20mm in diameter. Often used for instruments, drum overheads or choirs.
• Condenser – A type of microphone capsule which is based around a capacitor. In this article I use condenser to mean a true condenser.
• Electret – A sub-type of condenser microphone with an electret capsule which is lower in cost and quality, and usually has a harsher sound and more noise.
• Cardioid – A microphone that picks up sound from in front in a cardioid pattern
• Omni – A microphone that picks up sound from all around in an omnidirectional pattern
• Figure-8 – A microphone that picks up sound from in front and behind, but not from the sides in a bidirectional figure of eight pattern
• Multi-pattern – A microphone whose pattern can be changed either by setting a switch or changing the head

In my opinion, it is best to avoid the electret C-series unless you are on a very tight budget. They sound tinnier and have worse noise characteristics. However the C-2 is actually a decent microphone when used carefully and for the price, it is hard to beat. The C-1 and C-3 attract poor reviews and the C-4 holds no compelling advantage over the C-2. Based on my personal experience I am happy to recommend any of the B series.

If you want some recommendations of a particular type of microphone for a particular job, then look no further!

Finally, let’s have a look at the complete specifications of all the microphones in the B and C series. Some of these criteria are self-explanatory but others are more obscure. In some cases, I’ve put an arrow ↑↓ next to the category to mean “higher is better” or “lower is better”. Be careful to check for the minus signs! The blank fields are where Behringer declined to provide the information. The C-1 and C-3 have a reputation for being noisy microphones and their self noise specs are notably absent…

Model	B-1	B-2	B-5	C-1	C-2	C-3	C-4
Image
Frequency Hz	20Hz-20kHz	20Hz-20kHz		40Hz-20kHz	20Hz-20kHz	40Hz-18kHz	20Hz-20kHz
Sensitivity dBV ↑	-34	-36	-38	-33	-41	-40	-38
Pattern	Cardioid	Cardioid Omni Figure-8	Cardioid Omni	Cardioid	Cardioid	Cardioid Omni Figure-8	Cardioid
Type	Condenser	Condenser	Condenser	Electret	Electret	Electret	Electret
Impedance Ω	50	100	70	100	75	350	75
Max SPL dB ↑	138	138	140	136	140	142	136
Self noise dB(A) ↓	13	17	16		19	23
Weight g	461	550	90	420	90	420	60
Diaphragm mm	25	25	18	16	16	16	16
Signal to noise ratio dB ↑	81	77	78		75
Width mm	58	56	20	54	20	54	23
Length mm	174	210	120	180	94	180	94

Of course, numbers only tell you so much and ultimately it comes down to what sounds best for your purposes to your ears. I often test out new microphones and techniques and you might these articles useful or interesting:

• Side by side comparison of choral recording techniques – XY vs AB
• Multi-microphone test
• Recording in 5.1 surround
• Behringer C-2 vs C-4
• Other articles in the Audio category