Behringer C1U Studio Condenser Microphone with USB
Posted on November 05th, 2011 in Behringer
Product Description
Recording and Podcasting Never Had It So Good!The C-1U is a digital home recording or podcasting enthusiast’s dream come true. This professional quality condenser microphone is identical to the acclaimed BEHRINGER C-1 mic with one awesome difference: it has a built-in USB interface so you can be ready to record faster than ever, and with minimal preparation and equipment. Just plug it into your computer and start recording!What is a USB Condenser Microphone?The prim… More >>
Behringer C1U Studio Condenser Microphone with USB
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July 1st, 2010
I bought the Behringer Studio Condenser C-1U microphone to improve the quality of my home music recording efforts without going to the expense and complication of adding a pre-amp box. The selling point for me was the USB connection which is powered by phantom power directly from the computer.
The mic arrived a month ago (great customer service from Blue Aran) and it has taken me a longish time to achieve acceptable results. The main problem (which I discovered is not unique to me) is that the mic is on the quiet side. To produce the flat, quality sound I was hoping for requires all relevant computer settings to be turned up to the maximum. In the course of doing so, I ran into problems with my Realtek Audio Manager. It is quite possible that the resulting glitches are due to my particular system components, but the fact remains that for me it was not quite the “plug and play” experience that was promised. I have e-mailed Behringer customer support a couple of days ago and have not yet received a response, so I cannot comment on that. One point I would like clarified is that the LED light indicating that phantom power is being received is always green on the mic (I have tried it in 8 different USB ports on 2 different computers) whereas the documentation says it should be blue. Whether this indicates insufficient power from the USB port is something I would be interested in knowing.
On the plus side, this is a very solid and good-looking piece of gear, heavy and substantial in feel and offering the kind of convenience and low-cost solution I was looking for. It came with an adapter (but you still need to buy a mic stand) and a software CD. There is Juice software for podcasting, Kristal and Audacity for recording and editing. These last two are free software. Kristal’s last version (dating back to June 2004) is still available for free download online but it’s handy to have it on CD. As for Audacity, I prefer to use the latest version directly from Sourceforge.
The best advice I can offer to anyone who is encountering similar issues to mine with the C-1U is to resist the temptation to shout or play into it at close range, as condenser mics are very sensitive to such assaults. Five to six inches away is the recommended distance otherwise you get distortion. What finally worked for me was to separate the input jacks in the Control Panel, Audio Manager (I’m running Windows Vista Home Premium), turn the microphone (input) volume to the maximum in Audacity (having given Audacity control of the mic), and respect the 5-6 inch distance for both guitar and voice. I then apply amplification and/or normalization to the resulting recorded sound wave. My research indicates that the problem of the low sound is common to other condenser mics of the USB variety, and I have seen suggestions that Vista is not very user-friendly in that respect. With my current set-up, I am happy with the sound I am getting, there is no hiss and I love the ease of the USB connection. The three stars rating reflects all the hoops I had to jump through to get acceptable results.
Behringer C1U Studio Condenser Microphone with USB
Rating: 3 / 5
July 1st, 2010
The Behringer C-1U feels like a nice solid piece of kit, but beware!
I’ve spent several hours trying to get this mic to record at an adequate volume. As an IT technician, I usually like a challenge but I give up on this one. The mic does pick up, but I have to shout right into it and even then the recording level is way too low.
And I’m not alone – a Google search of ‘C-1U too quiet’ will reveal a lot of people posting in forums with the same issue. Behringer technical support have been responsive, but after following their many suggestions (download a special driver, fiddle with various Windows XP settings, fiddle with Audacity settings) they have drawn a blank too. Their last email said “It seems that this microphone does not have the volume you are looking for. I might try suggesting using a different mic connected to a mixer which has a preamp.”
I think they are probably right – a decent condenser mic just doesn’t get enough power through USB. Yet a couple of reviews on YouTube show the C-1U working quite well.
So just be warned… and get ready for lots of shouting, both into the mic and at Behringer support
Rating: 1 / 5