Behringer B5 mic

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The Behringer B5 is an astoundingly similar microphone to the Studio Projects mic. In fact, I believe the B5 is simply a re-badged SP C4, made in the same factory, etc.

AE
 
Yes, it seems it's from the same factory, but there are at least a couple of optical differences. Unfortunately, I don't own either mic, so I can't say anything specific.
 
Audio Eng,

Would you care to elaborate or share the source of your info re the origins of the Behri mics?

:cool:
 
Yes I got 2 a couple of weeks ago and was hoping to put some sample recordings on my web site for u guys to download but have been a bit busy since they arrived.

I have so far only used them on Hi-Hat at live gigs and can confirm that a least to my ears they work fine in this app (much better than any Dyno that I have heard and also better than my NT3's).

Regarding the self noise they seem pretty quiet to me and seem to be on par with the Rode NT3's and way quieter than the ECM8000 (which I also own).

I suspect that they are not just rebadged products (using the B1 and B2 as a guide) but this is only a guess.

Tony
 
ausrock said:
Audio Eng,

Would you care to elaborate or share the source of your info re the origins of the Behri mics?

:cool:
Click to expand...
The Behringer B5's sure do look a lot like the 797 Audio/Studio Projects C4's. I'd like to know which Chinese factory is making the Behringer B5 mics too?
 
This is why I tend to stay out of the microphone forum. Nearly every thread turns into some kind of stupid drama about chinese mics or studio projects mics.
I don't give a shit where a mic is made as long as it gets the job done for the right price.
Wilkee- are your self noise observations based only on live experiences? I would think it hard to judge in a situation with lots of noise already (clubs/bars). Just curious
Carry on ..........
 
Wireneck said:
This is why I tend to stay out of the microphone forum. Nearly every thread turns into some kind of stupid drama about chinese mics or studio projects mics.
I don't give a shit where a mic is made as long as it gets the job done for the right price.
Click to expand...
That's because most of the threads posted on this mic forum (like this thread) are about cheap Chinese made mics. But, asking questions like "where a mic is made" doesn't have to turn into a stupid drama... if fact, most of the time the thread only turns into a stupid drama after someone makes a stupid drama comment like yours. If you don't give a shit where a mic is made that's ok with me, but I'd like too know.

Carry on..............
 
To my knowledge the Behringer B1, B2 and B5 Mics are made by 797Audio (where the SP mics are made, too), and the ECM8000 is made by Tenlux, possibly some of their dynamics and the new low end condenser C1 as well.

That said the Behringer B1 doesn't sound like the SP B1. If you take a close look at pictures of the Behringer B5 and the SP C4, you'll find that there are minor differences in looks. The specs are pretty similar, though. But then again specs don't mean much, usually.
 
<<If you take a close look at pictures of the Behringer B5 and the SP C4, you'll find that there are minor differences in looks. >>


yes, and something even as "trivial" looking as a difference in the grill could affect pickup pattern, frequency response, internal resonance, etc. many mic manufacturers spend a lot of money fine-tuning the grill.

that's why i'm never one to judge a book by its cover. looks can definitely be deceiving.


wade
 
mrface2112 said:
<<If you take a close look at pictures of the Behringer B5 and the SP C4, you'll find that there are minor differences in looks. >>


yes, and something even as "trivial" looking as a difference in the grill could affect pickup pattern, frequency response, internal resonance, etc. many mic manufacturers spend a lot of money fine-tuning the grill.

that's why i'm never one to judge a book by its cover. looks can definitely be deceiving.


wade
Click to expand...
Very good point, and a perfect example is the Shure SM57 and SM58 grills... same mic, different grills, different sound.

Another example (but not as good) is the Marshall MXL603S and MXL990.. same diaphragm, different body and grill... different sound (But, I'm not sure if they both use the same electronics or not).
 
i was going to use the sm57/58 as an example, but i'm not sure how many folks can really, truly hear a difference between the two, so i didn't.......but yes, exactly. i can, but i'm the only one in my band who can (1 out of 5). of course, those guys prolly couldn't hear the difference between a grapefruit and a pickle. :p


wade
 
I can hear the difference too... but, I have a feeling many if not most people on this mic forum can't. Oh, and I loved your "grapefruit and a pickle"... I about died LOL. :)
 
mrface2112 said:
i was going to use the sm57/58 as an example, but i'm not sure how many folks can really, truly hear a difference between the two, so i didn't.......but yes, exactly. i can, but i'm the only one in my band who can (1 out of 5). of course, those guys prolly couldn't hear the difference between a grapefruit and a pickle. :p


wade
Click to expand...

Hmmm, to me grapefruit has a slightly warmer bass frequency response. I think the mogami edition helps improve matters. The top end is quite smooth, but not exaggerated. The pickle however cuts out the middles a bit and puts "sheen" on the top end. However, both being made by the same company and based on the same electronics, they do sound quite similar. I'd recommend testing them out before you choose which one you want :D
 
the grapefruit reminds me kinda of the BLUE Ball. the pickle on the otherhand, reminds me kind of an ELAM 251.......

and did you say you needed to make sure i found the one that was ripe for the job? :p (groan)


wade
 
Awfully seedy (:D) jokes, but you get to the stem (:D) of the matter. It's funny how we ORRANGE (arrange :D) the sentences to fit the plums (puns :D). Ok those were awful. I'm sorry, please forgive me :(
 
Another question on the mic forum, lost in a morass of ignorant conjecture. (And I don't use "ignorant" here pejoratively.) Apparently only one respondant has actually touched one physically (wilkee) and then only used live rather than in studio. We could use some responses from folks who actually have used one to record, and maybe post a clip.

Others continue the pure conjecture that it is a C4 clone. Here's a novel idea: someone with a C4 could dissemble it and shoot a pic of the PC board and post. Someone with a B5 could do the same. Then we could see how similar or different they are, at least component-wise. Or maybe Alan Hyatt would care to respond - I'm sure he or Brent have had the B5 apart. :)
 
crazydoc said:
Or maybe Alan Hyatt would care to respond - I'm sure he or Brent have had the B5 apart. :)
Click to expand...
Well, every time this comes up I point two facts: the grilles are different and do "sound" different, and the frequency plots are different. But yeah, I was kind of hoping Alan would have popped in and gave us the low-down by now. Sooner or latter someone who has both will open them up and tell whether they copied the entire circuit or not. But, even if they did copy it, they're still going to sound different for the reasons I just mentioned.
 
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Without wanting to elaborate, most of us know why Alan and to some degree Harvey are reluctant to post here.
 
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