Behringer B1 Opinions

  • Thread starter Thread starter stetto
  • Start date Start date
stetto

stetto

Left Unattended
Since I've already ordered this mic the question may seem redundant, but I'd like to get some input as to what I may be in for as far as sound quality, versatility, etc...The B1 will be used in a basement home studio, minimal (as in none) soundproofing, mostly on accoustic guitar and vox (my nasally baritone and a friend's very clear soprano). I'm not working towards CD quality, more demo-quality presentations of jingles and contract songwriting. I have an SM58 that is clean enough but seems to miss clarity in certain feq ranges. I'm recording through a Mackie 1202VLZ onto an ADAT XT.

These user reviews were included at the site where I purchased the mic (all gave 5 stars), but then they're trying to sell a mic, now aren't they...


"This mic is very durable to say the least. The sound quality is rich and dreamy without being muffled or flat. It has great response for both high and low tones, and brings out unsurpassed clarity in all ranges. I may not be a professional vocalist, but hey, this thing certainly makes me sound like one!"
-----------------------------------------------------
"I recently purchased a Studio Projects C1, which had been compared to the Neumann U87 and was said to sound almost identical. The C1 sounds great, but I had kept wondering about the Behringer B1 and finally had an opportunity to try one today. It was great! It sounded EXACTLY like the SP C1 but at about half the price! It also sounds very similar to my Sennheiser MD421 and my Groove Tubes AM62. All four of those mics blow away an ADK A51 on my voice which is a Bass/Baritone voice. The ADK really needed a bass roll off switch. The Studio Projects mic also sounded great on my wife's soprano voice and I'm sure the B1 will sound the same. The C1 sounded great on a sax and I believe the B1 will sound the same. I don't believe you can beat the B1 for the money and will have to really put down some big bucks to beat it much at all."
-----------------------------------------------------
"I was blown away by the clarity and quietness of this mic. Like everyone else in the reviews is saying, you won't be disappointed in this mic for the price!"
-----------------------------------------------------
"I had huge doubts about Behringer products when I first read about them. One of my friends who has been working in the music business for years told me to try them out. Not much to lose as they're all so cheap. I got the B1 and MIC100 preamp. And it totally blew me away. The sound was so clear and warm. I've done many recordings and people I give them to listen to cannot believe the price of my equipment. Few weeks ago I got a Behringer mixer and an equalizer and multi-effect processor are on order. All by the same company. My advice, Behringer is for you if you want good quality but don't have much budget! B1 will be in my mic collection for a while."


As you can see, these were rather compelling, considering that I didn't have an opportunity to audition one. There were 18 reviews in all, ALL of them giving this mic 5 stars out of 5. I'm a newbie to large diaphragm mics, though I had some experience with high end studio mics long long ago. The few reviews I've seen on this site were less than raves, hence my query...

I don't so much want your opinion as to whether I'll be disappointed or not as much as what gear/microphones this one may make me hungry for in the future...Thanks for any input you might have to give.
 
stetto said:
I don't so much want your opinion as to whether I'll be disappointed or not as much as what gear/microphones this one may make me hungry for in the future...Thanks for any input you might have to give.
Click to expand...


Well . . . all I know is that after I heard one, it made me hungry for another microphone right away.
 
Where are those reviews from? My thought is that if you've never heard a higher class mic, the B1 would probably sound pretty decent - as is the case with a lot of the lower end LD condensers IMO. I own a Studio Projects B1 and am pleased with it and actually like it better than the Ber B1 I tried. Neither of these mics are top notch on vocals, but every mic has it's place.

Since you mentioned that you're not really looking for the CD quality (which I presume to mean professional) sound, why not go for it. It could very well serve it's purpose in your basement.
 
http://music.misupply.com/Behringer-B1Large-Condenser-Microphone-i31383.music?t=4

I actually ordered this one before reading up on opinions of the SP B1 on this board, but from those reviews I figured there wasn't much difference. I own a number of Behringer products and have had excellent experience with them.

I'm going to find out how it sounds anyway, as it should be delivered tomorrow. I actually would like a higher end mic eventually, I remember being very impressed with the AKG 414 many years ago. There are getting to be so many options out there as far as mics go, but it's difficult to make a choice without a hands-on audition of the selection spectrum, and opinions are like brain cells, everyone has at least one...

I'll have to post my own opinions after I've given the B1 a run-through (as opposed to a running-through... :rolleyes: )
 
"Well . . . all I know is that after I heard one, it made me hungry for another microphone right away." quote from chessrock
Nailed me, thanks!
 
This mic is very durable to say the least. The sound quality is rich and dreamy without being muffled or flat. It has great response for both high and low tones, and brings out unsurpassed clarity in all ranges. I may not be a professional vocalist, but hey, this thing certainly makes me sound like one!"
-----------------------------------------------------
"I recently purchased a Studio Projects C1, which had been compared to the Neumann U87 and was said to sound almost identical. The C1 sounds great, but I had kept wondering about the Behringer B1 and finally had an opportunity to try one today. It was great! It sounded EXACTLY like the SP C1 but at about half the price!

So, the Sp C1 sounds exactly like a U87 which sounds exactly like a Behringer B1?

This guy was seriously high on something that costs more than a C1 or a B1...

Glad he saved so much $$$, I would not have wanted him to have to try those mics straight and sober.
 
i use the behringer b1...its not too bad...it gets the job done. i use it for rapping mainly
 
"Well . . . all I know is that after I heard one, it made me hungry for another microphone right away."
Click to expand...
--Collective review by chessrock, Big Kenny, acorec...

Well, good for the grin, anyway...I know I'm inviting myself to a slamfest, but could you guys be a little more elaborate in your praise of the B1? Is it that bad, or just that adequate, useful for something other than stirring the wife's bath beads?...

Warble & distortedrumble, I appreciate your non-condemnation, but could you let me in on any outboard gear/pre setup you've used to maximize the cheap LD mic experience?
 
There's nothing wrong with coming to this board for opinions on a given mic. And in fact, people are very likely to get much better answers when they use specific brands and models.

Sometimes, though, I have to wonder about people's timing.

Timing is crucial. You see, if you're looking for opinions on said microphone or piece of gear, wouldn't it be more appropriate to ask for those opinions before purchasing, rather than after? It would seem to make more sense.

:D :D
 
Stetto, don't get too worried about people's negative opinions. The Beh B1 was the second mic I ever bought (first was an audix om-2). I knew nothing about mics, and I bought it based strictly on one friend's reference (turns out he had never even heard the mic). Right after I placed the order online, I realized that maybe I should have researched more. I looked on a bunch of forums, and people tore the mic to pieces and said I had wasted my money.
Then I got it in the mail (and a SP VTB-1 pre as well). Originally, I was amazed at how much more accurately it seemed to capture vocals and acoustic guitar than my audix (not to knock that mic, cause I freaking love it). I used the mic and a few others I borrowed to make a demo of my band. I had never recorded before, and I mixed it all myself on computer speakers. If I had posted this strategy in one of these forums, a bunch of people would have said I was wasting my time, and that I should have saved up more money before wasting it on a piece of crap like a Behringer mic.
Well, I handed my demo out to a ton of places, and now my band is playing regularly and actually making money to buy nicer gear. I have also had people approach me about my demo, and ask how I got some of my sounds, and a few folks have asked if I would record them.
Why do I say all this? To pat myself on the back? No. To say the B1 will do fine for you. If your music is good enough, you will succeed (define that however you will). These forums are helpful, but beware of asses that jump on newbies and tell them they need much more expensive equipment. You don't! I would much rather listen to Neutral Milk Hotel than any top 40 hit anyday. Nice equipment and good engineering skills will capture your sound more accurately, but a portable boom box/tape player with a mic can change the world of music just as easily.
OK, I'm done venting now. I'm not trying to attack you folks with a lot of great gear and experience. I'm just tired of gear sluts.
 
pdadda said:
Stetto, don't get too worried about people's negative opinions. The Beh B1 was the second mic I ever bought (first was an audix om-2). I knew nothing about mics, and I bought it based strictly on one friend's reference (turns out he had never even heard the mic). Right after I placed the order online, I realized that maybe I should have researched more. I looked on a bunch of forums, and people tore the mic to pieces and said I had wasted my money.
Then I got it in the mail (and a SP VTB-1 pre as well). Originally, I was amazed at how much more accurately it seemed to capture vocals and acoustic guitar than my audix (not to knock that mic, cause I freaking love it). I used the mic and a few others I borrowed to make a demo of my band. I had never recorded before, and I mixed it all myself on computer speakers. If I had posted this strategy in one of these forums, a bunch of people would have said I was wasting my time, and that I should have saved up more money before wasting it on a piece of crap like a Behringer mic.
Well, I handed my demo out to a ton of places, and now my band is playing regularly and actually making money to buy nicer gear. I have also had people approach me about my demo, and ask how I got some of my sounds, and a few folks have asked if I would record them.
Why do I say all this? To pat myself on the back? No. To say the B1 will do fine for you. If your music is good enough, you will succeed (define that however you will). These forums are helpful, but beware of asses that jump on newbies and tell them they need much more expensive equipment. You don't! I would much rather listen to Neutral Milk Hotel than any top 40 hit anyday. Nice equipment and good engineering skills will capture your sound more accurately, but a portable boom box/tape player with a mic can change the world of music just as easily.
OK, I'm done venting now. I'm not trying to attack you folks with a lot of great gear and experience. I'm just tired of gear sluts.
Click to expand...

Agreed.

Maybe a studio projects B1 at the same price will sound a bit better on your voice or your guitar or whatever you mike with it, maybe it won't. Chances are the difference is going to be minimal to your ears either way. Sometimes I think we get caught up in buying a piece of gear that will make our vocals or something sound .02% better than what we've got with our current gear - is it really worth spending a hundred (or much more) bucks for that kind of improvement? I'm sure you'll be happy with your B1. Let us know how it works for you after you try it out.

Having said that. . .I'm going to go research some mikes and see if I can get a better vocal sound, lol. Damn, I'm a victim.

-Brian
 
Pdadda, I appreciate the assessment, but please don't get the idea that I don't want negative input; I absolutely want negative input if it's objective and sincere, instead of because it's NOT a Sennheiser or an AKG or whatever.

You're right guys, I'll likely enjoy the heck out of this mic once I find it's sweetspots and appetites for embellishment (eq, t-60, whathaveyou). I was hoping that some with practical experience with the mic might give me a heads up as to how demanding the mic may be of my time, ie. dialing in a good eq, compression, etc.

I started this thread with the disclaimer that I already knew the subject may be looked at as redundant, since the mic is coming to me whether I want it or not. That doesn't stop me from wanting to know as much about it as I can, and if I can pry some of the ups and downs I'll be facing outta you guys, I'll be ahead of the game. It'll be a year or so before I'll be able to invest in a microphone, so I need to make the most of this one until then.

Brian, I wish I'd have done a little more research, as I may have gotten an SP B1. I will let y'all know the Behringer turns out for me.
 
Running my SP-B1 though a SP VTB-1 and am pleased with the results I'm getting/have gotten. The VTB-1 is fun to play around with with it's "tube".
 
Yeah, I didn't mean to give the impression that the B1 is the greatest mic in the world. It is a bit harsh on higher notes (I don't think it captures high falsetto very well). But I have been able to EQ things to get them how I like them.
 
I just notice that mics like this sound awesome when your recording them but when you let them out on their own they sound thin.

I now that ive had experience with alot of higher end mics, i can barely stand to use the C1 anymore. With a few voices it works pretty good though.

Id definately use a U87 over a C1, which probably means they dont really sound identical.

Now the BERRY B1 ive never tried, but im sure once you upgrade you will see its not much of a mic. I have 2 SP B3's and i think ive used one of them twice since i bought them a year ago, but i would still probably chose a B1/B3 over a Berry B1.

Ive also get these two SP VTB-1's that i hardly ever use. Maybe ill pull them out and give them another chance.

Wrd,

Danny
 
I have done quite a few tests recently with the SP B1 and a Berry B1,

My initial finding was that the important midrange seemed very similar on both mics but that the high end on the SP was smoother.

I then set up my system so that I could do the test Blind with the wifey doing the switching and then guess what, it was not possible for me to seperate them.

So I can surmise thus:-

A-- the mics are pretty similar

B-- my ears are Fuc**d and I cannot hear shit.

What I do know is that anyone who reckons the SP pisses all over the Berry is talking out of their arse.

As a matter of interest I prefer to use the SP but thats another story
 
Wow Dot, that was about as objective as I could have asked for, I guess...I didn't listen to all of the tracks, just the B1s and a few others...

I noticed that the Behringer had clarity and shimmer over the SP, but for overall tone the SP was quite a bit warmer...The Behringer was thin, but clean and with some sidechain could be all dressed up...I can understand some of you guys' reluctance to use it on a soprano (one of my best vocalists is a soprano... :( )

I did listen to a couple of the higher-end mics, some of them really added body, some of them, well, nah...

Now I can't get this guitar lick outta my head!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top