Today I am testing out the USB version of I microphone I have already tested. Today I am testing out the Behringer C-1u USB Microphone.
If you are interested in this microphone, it will set you back $60 on Amazon.
What's In the Box
- Microphone
- Microphone Stand Mount
- 5/8" to 3/8" Mic Stand Adapter
- USB Cable
- Driver CD & Podcasting / Audio Editing Software
- Documentation
Performance / Features
The build quality is pretty good. It has an all metal body and a metal grill, but it does not feel like high quality metal. The USB cable is your standard rubber cable, so there's nothing special there, and the microphone stand mount is made of a cheap plastic. Lastly, there is a light on the front that turns green to indicate that it is plugged in and receiving power.
This microphone has a 16mm condenser microphone capsule and provides a frequency response of 40Hz - 16kHz (40Hz - 20kHz for the XLR version). It provided a decent sound in every situation we put it through; vocals, electric guitar, and acoustic guitar. There weren't any frequencies that stuck out as harsh, and it didn't sound like any freq's were missing.
The C-1u also has a Cardioid polar pattern. We heard quite a significant drop off as we got farther away from the microphone. However, as we moved around the microphone, it still tended to pick up a bit of noise around the sides and back. The microphone did perform well with eliminating the background noise of the keyboard.
Pros
- Decent sound
- Good at eliminating background noise
- Plug & Play
- Cheap
Con
- Poorly built microphone mount
- Difficult to trouble shoot
- Low output volume
Conclusion
This is nothing more than a decent, middle of the road microphone. It sounds decent in every situation, but that's about it. It will not provide top of the line audio, but it will get you recorded for youtube. I did find that it had a relatively low output volume (had to set at 75% input gain to get decent volume). This can lead to issues with hiss/buzz, so if that's a concern of yours, this microphone is not for you.
This microphone is basically for anyone who is just looking for a super easy, plug and play microphone to get audio that's good enough for chatting and voice overs. It is not for people who want to make professional videos/music or people who want to eventually upgrade their microphone with additional gear.
If you have any additional questions about this headset, leave them in the comments on this site or on the youtube channel, and I will try to reply ASAP.
Buy it on Amazon (US): http://amzn.to/25ENGHa
Buy it on Amazon (UK): http://amzn.to/1oAn4oV
