Behringer B5 condensor mic - Loud vocals sound somewhat distorted

[CoolRabi]

Hi, I am currently testing recording for the first time with a condensor microphone, namely the Behringer B5. I record with my focusrite 18i20 and plug in the Behringer with an XLR cable into channel 1 with phantom voltage turned on. The signal is far away from clipping (~+-0.3 digital amplitude), however, I noticed at some point, when singing with high volume and a distance of ~20-40 cm the vocals can sound distorted afterwards. It appears as if the mic itself was saturating in some way that is different from simple hard clipping. I did not find a detailed description of this phenomenon online but could deduce that apparently this is to be expected at some point from a condensor mic.

I am explaining this because I wanted to make sure I am not making a stupid simple mistake. My DAW is Reaper and I add zero effects to the test track. All I do is record simple "Ahh"s at different volumes and pitches to see whether the signal sounds distorted or not. So this is to be expected? Any way I can achieve larger volumes without distorting?

 

[TalismanRich]

CR, when you say you are far from clipping, what level are you actually hitting? +/.3 from 0? First, you need to determine if it's the microphone distorting, or your recording setup. How close are you to the mic? Back off a bit, around 6-8 inches is fine. Set your level. You should be peaking at least 8 or 10dBFS below 0 on your meters for your loudest points. Also make sure you aren't lighting up the peak light on the Focusrite. Listen for the distortion, and zoom in on the peaks. What do they look like?

There are a couple of things that you see with digital clipping. The first is a simple flat topped peak. The more severe effect is when the signal is so overdriven that it inverts. It shows up as a crackling sound. This was from a cell phone that completely overdrove the input. I've seen the same thing with a couple of other devices, so it's not uncommon. The first arrow points to a flat topped peak. The others are where the AD converter seems to invert the signal. If you are getting those types of peaks, you will hear them immediately. Turn it down and you should be fine.

It's possible to have a defective microphone, but in my experience, they are fairly rare with "name brands". Maybe after going though these steps, you can post a bit of audio (just attach an MP3) and we can listen.

 

[rob aylestone]

Yep - second the mp3. The trouble is it is very hard to explain sound in words. Try recording much lower in level. maybe peaks hitting the -20dB mark, no higher. See of that distorts.

 

[ecc83]

Very unlikely to be wrong but it might be worth checking that the open circuit phantom voltage is about 48V?

Dave.