Behringer C1 - will I regret it!

[Whaleblue]

I know there are lots of discussions around sub $150/$100 (equates pretty much to pounds in most cases!) mics, but I wonder if I'm going to regret the C1 I have picked up as a new starter to home recording.

Bottom line is I'm happy to pay up to £200 (MXL 2003a (£195), Audio Technica AT2020 (£90) etc etc ??) if it means I won't be wanting something different in 6-12 months.

My understanding is that a condenser is best for what I need - to record acoustic guitar (>90% of use) and vocal (<10% of use). I'm a relative beginner on the guitar and I'm into home recording partly because I'm finding it fun, but largely to get good feedback on how I'm doing. My pride and joy is a beautiful Taylor 512CE which is for light strumming and fingerstyle, and a Simon and Patrick SP6 for more full on strumming along to pop/rock.

I'm going to be using a Presonus Audiobox 22VSL and a laptop (Vaio with i5, reasonably recent).

 

[kip4]

You get what you pay for.
I started out with the C1 and it still gets used occasionally but I quickly wanted to upgrade.
Its a very (bright) mic lots of top end.
You may be better with a matched pair of mxl 603s for recording that taylor (buy secondhand for better value)

The problem with bright mics is they pick up lots of sibbilance (Ssss sounds) and it quickly becomes wearing on the ears on playback.
If i where you I'd do some more research you may get better advice posting in the mic section of the forum.
Just my 2 pence.

 

[kip4]

also check out the acoustic guitar recording Stickie at the top of the list in the recording techniques part of the forum .

 

[grimtraveller]

Bottom line is I'm happy to pay up to £200 (MXL 2003a (£195), Audio Technica AT2020 (£90) etc etc ??) if it means I won't be wanting something different in 6-12 months.

In addition to what Kip4 said, bear in mind that even if you had an expensive high end top of the line mic, in 6 months, you still might feel like adding to your arsenal because your heart is stolen by another. I hope not, though !

 

[kip4]

Have you got G.A.S again Grim?

 

[moresound]

If I don't purchase new/used gear at least every other week I get withdraws!
<---= ... I start to look like this guy!!

 

[Whaleblue]

You get what you pay for.

True up to a point. The 2003a is compared favourably to the Neumann U87.... I bought the C1 from Amazon where it had loads of reviews saying how wonderful it was for the money (£35) - all the usual "as good as mics 3 times the price" blurb!. I've only managed to test it briefly through a cheapish Alesis Multimix 4 USB AI. I decided to return that when I had major issues getting a mic level low enough into Audacity on Windows 7 - but that's another story.

I'm now awaiting delivery of the 22VSL so can't test any further, and reading forum posts about many Behringer products being cheap and cheerful (not rubbish, but not long termers!).

I guess I'm wondering if a £100-£200 mic would be wasted on me/the 22VSL/my PC and DAW? Not looking for a confidence boost here - just considered opinion as to whether the outlay is worth it for me right now.

And, yes, I too like shiny new things

 

[kip4]

Forget the bells and whistles and shiney things.
To be honest 100/200 squid for a mic is not a lot. I dont think youd regret spending more if you could afford it. Why not save up and buy something like a shure sm7b (£325 ish ). Should serve you well on guitar and vocal dutys

The presonus looks like it might have enough gain to drive the mic too.

Or like i say buy secondhand and get better value for money.
Mics are expensive here especialy compared to north america where you can buy the same thing for a third of the price as a general rule.
Moresound is just a jammy git. but knowlegable one at that.

I really need to learn to spell.

 

[Whaleblue]

Forget the bells and whistles and shiney things...

Indeed. I think what I'l do is keep the C1 for now and write the 35 quid off somewhere down the line when I work out what I really need.

Thanks for the pointer to the sticky thread in the recording section - looks interesting. I shall spread my wings and venture forth from the newbie forum...

 

[grimtraveller]

Welcome to grimtraveller's world of warped economics !

Have you got G.A.S again Grim?

It's funny you should ask that. I generally tend to be anti GAS, but of course everyone acquires gear. But I was thinking to myself last week that at the present moment, I have everything that I need. I was thinking about getting a bass sans amp back in Feb, but I don't have a problem recording bass and I had my shitty acoustic bass guitar pick up "seen to" and came up with an intriguing sound for it with the aid of a crummy Line 6 spider amp with a bit of the chorus setting, so I demurred.
Technicians that fix amps, headphone sockets and set up instruments are more likely to be the ones getting my limited cash in the next few years !

and write the 35 quid off somewhere down the line....

I mentioned it in a thread a few weeks back, but I don't live in the land of losses and resale value. My concept is that of "Dead money", that is, once I've bought an item, that's it. It's bought, I own it and the money is dead, gone, like petrol or pineapple juice or a galaxy. Should said item be sold at some point in the future, then whatever I get for it is a bonus because I didn't buy it in the first place to make money back on it at some unspecified point in the future.
Free market genius !

And now to tie the two posts together..........

Ironically, in Feb I sold a load of gear on Ebay that I wasn't really using anymore to fund a piece that I know I will use for a long time to come.