Behringer B-1

The price of the Behringer B1 is what makes it so appealing to the people that make music on a budget. These are the type of deals that we cant wait to get our hands on because they are so cheap. But let me tell you that when you purchase a mic that is this cheap you are going to get sub par quality when recording. You just really cant expect to purchased a Large Diaphragm Cardioid Condensor mic like the B1 that is less than 100 dollars and I have even seen used ones go for 40 bucks, and expect to get some great home studio recording quality. Honestly I have seen better mics come with cheap bundles deals like the mbox bundles and such. Way back when, I remember purchasing a karaoke mic from Radio Shack about 15 years ago, that is exactly what this mic reminds me off. They make it look really nice by putting it in a fancy case when you buy it but really it’s a low grade mic that you should only buy if you truly cant afford a decent condensor mic.


OVERALL OPINION

Its very easy to use and set up, but like I said don’t let the fancy case fool you. The Behringer B1 comes in like a fancy brief case type of a case and it looks like its serious business but its really less than average and I say save up your money for something worth it. I havent had a good experience with this mic and I havent heard any one else who had one either. If you use this mic, you will end up selling it less than a year later for a better one. Once you get a better on you will hear a major difference in the quality of your music.

I'm a part-time DJ for a couple of local clubs. I'm not professional nor do I intend to be but it's a great hobby. I play guitar somewhat but other than that I enjoy mixing it up more.

This condenser microphone only cost about $89 and at least in this case, I'll have to admit that you get what you pay for. It did come with a decent hard-case that was padded well.

The mike does work pretty decently if you're not making a professional quality recording. The trick with this particular model is to only use the -10db setting and always use the foam shield that comes with it. Otherwise, you will pick up every little background noise even the smallest that most mikes wouldn't catch.

I've not been happy with it for recording instruments as it seems a bit flat, not picking up the full tones for some reason. It does pretty decently with vocals though. The only vocalist that didn't record well with the Behringer was one woman who had one of those breathy type of voices. The mike unfortunately caught every little inhale/exhale so that she sounded quite wheezy.

I am on my second one of this model because the first model went berserk after only a year of use. I was recording and all of a sudden it just began making these popping noises and then a hissing noise and it died. I thought it was because I had dropped the case (even though well padded) because condenser mikes are rather known for being delicate. I've since heard of the same poor durability from others so I no longer think that is what happened.

Overall, I guess the Behringer B-1 will do okay for the home studio but for anything else, it's better to pay more to get something that will do the job satisfactorily.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com