Behringer ECM8000 vs Behringer C-3 - first post so please be kind!

C

Cieran

New member
Hey all,

Been a member here for a few days now and have had a good look around the forums and stickies - it seems like an excellent resource and everyone seems really friendly. Finally built up the courage to ask a question so here goes.....

I'm a relative beginner at home recording but I own a couple of mics and I have a reasonable grip on the difference in types/ patterns etc... So far I own a Samson G-Track large condensor usb mic and a pretty cheap dynamic unidirectional one. I am now looking to get another mic mainly for recording acoustic guitar/ other instrumentation and have narrowed it down to the following 2 options:

1. Behringer ECM8000 omnidirectional electret condenser - read some excellent feedback on this forum about them, or....
2. Behringer C-3 16mm large dual-diaphragm multi pattern (cardiod, omnidirectional, figure 8) condenser - also read some good reviews on the web about these.

Both of these are pretty much the same price here in the UK - only £2-3 difference, so I am after the best quality one out of the two. Alternatively if I can stretch my money by £20 I can afford to get a Samson C03 which has the same features as the Behringer C-3 but with a 19mm large condenser.

Any help, advice, suggestions or feeback is welcome!

Thanks
 
I wouldn't choose the ECM8000. It's a fine mic for a lot of things, but it's omni. And a bit noisy for quieter sources.

I'd get a cardio such as the C3.

But there are a lot of other possibilities too. Even a CAD GXL1200 is only 50 $ at Amazon these days. Or a T.bone EM700 pair is also a good choice and only 48 ?.
 
I would not choose the ecm8000 either.
It is the only microphone I have ever returned. (I bought 2)
they were noisey
 
Yo Cieran! Welcome to the board. Mostly, I agree with the above. All I would add is that I don't think the omni pattern is the reason for the noise. Self noise is an issue with all ultra-small diaphragm condensers, even really good ones. Add to that the fact that we are talking about cheap mics. I bet that $800 or-so Earthworks makes a hell of a lot less noise than an ECM8000. People will tell you that omnis can pick up a lot of ambient (background) noise and room reflections, and that is true. However, this is compensated for quite a bit by the fact that omnis don't produce proximity effect, (boosting bass when closer to the source). This makes them far less susceptible to the low frequency "boom" produced by acoustics (some more than others- also affected by the strings and how you play). This means you can put an omni closer and *turn down the gain*. This will, however, reveal enhanced pick noise, finger squeaking, and noisy breathing, so you need a guitarist who is *quiet* and has good technique. A quiet room helps a lot. When you turn down the gain on an ECM8000, it tends to reveal its sometimes unacceptable self-noise floor. If I had to record an acoustic, and you offered me a choice of those two mics, I'd grab the multi-pattern large diaphragm in a heartbeat. The ECM8000 works better for me on percussion, especially small stuff, like tambourine, shakers, and triangle. Good Luck.-Richie
 
Thanks for all the replies guys.

I suspected that it was probably best to go for the large multi-pattern Behringer C-3 over the ECM8000. Will the 16mm diaphragm be large enough to record vocals and acoustic guitar? I've noticed that the Samson C03 (£20 more) has identical multi-pattern options but with a 19mm diaphragm. Both of these have dual capsule designs. What would you recommend out of the two?

Behringer C-3
or
Samson C03

I am guessing the general concensus would be to go for the Samson because of Behringer's reputation for quality control.

As always any advice or suggestions are welcome....
 
Actually, Behringer and Samson have very similar reputations. They both produce very cheap, reverse-engineered products in China. As far as diaphragm size, large diaphragms are usually about 1" (25.4mm) and small diaphragms about half that. 16mm would fall into the category of a "medium size" diaphragm mic, which isn't necessarily a bad compromise. Don't focus too much on the Behringer brand name. Any condenser mic in that price range is likely to have similar issues.-Richie
 
Thanks for the info Richie - useful to know.

Think i will go for the Behringer as money is tight, but I am having trouble sourcing them here in the UK at the moment. I have emailed about a half dozen companies and none of them can give me a ETA for a new Behringer delivery. Will hold out for a few more weeks but if i'm still having difficulty I will probably go for the Samson.

Thanks once again. Good to know there is a forum full of people willing to help.
 
Hi. The Samson C03 and the Behringer C3 are identical mics from the same factory, just badged differently. Their quality can be a bit sus. I bought a Behringer C3 a while back and its output was way way down, unuseable even with my mixer mic volume flat out, and its replacenment wasn't much better so I gave up on them. But if you want to risk it the best deal on them is at bluearan.co.uk, Google will get them for you.

Good luck !!!!!
 
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