Are Behringer XM2000S mics any good?

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timandjes

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Anybody got any experience using these mic? They are advertized as, "dedicated vocal & instrument mics for studio & live performance." I'd appreciate any info anyone has on the quality of recordings they're capable of.
 
Well, I was a little apprehnsive about them and I am not a big Behringer fan, but we just got a few of these at my church. They really stand out in a mix, not as bassy and smooth as a 58 for voice. I am going to get some, I don't know if I would use them on instruments, but for an aggressive upper-mid and fairly piercing highs (not too shrill) they seem like a decent mic for $20 or whatever they are now. Beware the quality control though...

Pete
 
Thanks for the info. I read some user comments on the vendor's websight that said the user was happy with them as a vocal mic for male voices but they didn't sound as good on the higher female voices. I'm considering them for some of my band's male singers to be used both for recording and live performances. I have an SM58 & an SM57 the ladies can use but these were much more price friendly than buying more 57's & 58's.... If it's true they'll work well as a male vocal mic.... I'll be happy... I hope so..
 
My local theatre group bought a couple to send out with their little Yamaha EMX vocal system on hire jobs.
I tried them out for myself and thought they were one of the most dull and lifeless mics I'd ever used. I put them in the same league as Radio Shack!
I'm not Behringer bashing here. I own some of their gear and am quite happy with it.

Mark
 
i think they work extremely well as a snare mic... and pretty well on guitar amps.. but as for vocals, i think the behringer xm8500 is the cheapy of choice for vocals, i've heard a lot of guys say they prefer it to the 58 for live vocals
 
I stepped out on a limb and bought these mics, (knowing I could return them if I wasn't satisfied). I had one of my male singers sing into a track with the XM2000S, then sing the song over again into another track with a Shure SM58. Then I played back listening to both @ the same time, then turning one up & the other all the way down, then vice versa..... The sound is identical.

I then mixed down adjusting the faders in different parts of the song so that at times only the SM58 is being used, then other parts where only the XM2000S is being used, then parts where both are used. I can't even tell which mic is being used because the sound is exactly the same.

That's great news for me..... being on a budget. These XM2000S' are only about $29 each, and most of the internet sights, (American Musical, ZZounds) have a special where you get 3 for $59. Plus, they come in a hard plastic case with paded foam inside. The Shure comes in a non-paded disposable cardboard box.

I haven't tried these as instrument mics or on higher pitch female vocals yet but I can say on my bands male vocals, these pretty much produce a mirror image in sound to the SM 58's.

Overall.... Very Satisfied.....
 
timandjes said:
The sound is identical.
Click to expand...

I don't agree. I was one of the first to chime in on these, and I think they are way better than your average $20-$30 mic, but as far as the sound, IMHO they aren't even close to identical. That doesn't make them bad, just different. If I had the choice and the cash I would vote 57 or 58 hands down.

Pete
 
hhhhmmmm.... My ears relayed a sound so similar I couldn't tell the two apart. But, I would assume it would be quite possible that if someone else did the same test on their recording equipment, the results could be different, having the sound characteristics of the other pieces of their equipment coming into play.

Also, I used a light chamber effect on the whole mix @ mix down which could hide any minor tone variations on the two vocal tracks. Even still, while I was listening and setting the eq's, pans, and faders before mix down with no effects added yet, I couldn't destinguish between which mic was used on which track.

From a quality of recording standpoint and used along with the other pieces of my equipment, there's no difference I could hear in the two. If I need more mics in the future, I'll be a return customer for the XM2000S'. However,.... I probably won't need anymore because for $40 less than the price of one Shure SM58, I got 3 XM's. :)

Shure makes GREAT mics... I have an SM58 & an SM57. They're awesome... But now I know I can get these XM's which also have great sound for far less money... a STRONG selling point for me... :)
 
:cool:

It's all good. Like I said previously, I will own afew of these (always need a loaner) and I particularly endorse the ones I have used, but when you have two people who you mix all the time singing side by side on them, they just sound different that's all. However, all of the ones I used happen to sound very similar to eachother, which is more than people can usually say of Behringer gear.

Peace out,

Pete
 
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