Does a Behringer C-1 condenser mic need a preamp ?

O

OliverPractice

Guest
I'm not a producer I wanna use it to practice rapping and singing. When I want to record a real song I'll go to a studio. Basicaly I'm not building a studio at all cause ...... I am not a producer. Here is the mic I wanna get, and my question is if I need phantom power for it or can I just buy it and use it like it is.

MIC
Amazon.com: Behringer C-1 Studio Condenser Microphone: Musical Instruments



if I need phantom power should I order this

Amazon.com: Behringer PS400 Ultra-Compact Phantom Power Supply: Musical Instruments


is +12 / +48 V enough, this here says +36 to +52V http://www.behringer.com/assets/c-1_p0226_m_en.pdf



please help me quick so I can order it and start killin shit. Takes a few days to ship.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The mic needs phantom power (48volt) to function .
Yes that PS400 will suply phantom power , but you will still need a preamp for the mic , and then the signal will be to high for a laptop input .

You need to buy an audio interface , that will power the mic and accept the high signal level that "pro" standard equipment uses .
 
Yep. Preamps don't automatically equal phantom power, even though the majority of them do provide it.
 
Foggy said:
The mic needs phantom power (48volt) to function .
Yes that PS400 will suply phantom power , but you will still need a preamp for the mic , and then the signal will be to high for a laptop input .

You need to buy an audio interface , that will power the mic and accept the high signal level that "pro" standard equipment uses .
Click to expand...

I got an computer if that makes a difference, from laptop.

So how much more does that cost ?


If significantly more I'll just get an dinamic mic again, something for 100 $. It's jsut rpactice even though I'd still like to get an realistic sound os I can judge myself and not think I sound bad cause the audio quality is low.

In the end I'll pay to record in a real studio anyways however I don't wanna get a shock when I go there thinking it would make an difference. Like if I don't really like myself on a dinamic mic at home thinking oh it'll sound good in the studio. But we live just 1 life, let's have some fun. Scared money sucks. What's more fun then living towards your dream. Nothing. I only care bout being a successfull musician anyways.
 
Well you can pick up an audio interface used for next to nothing .... seem to be plenty of mbox2pro .... IDK which model is which or the one to get .
There are also plenty of budget mics out there too (wouldn't advise to buy used IMHO) .

Do keep in mind that an audio interface will not only improve the recording quality , it will also improve the audio reproduction too (things will sound "clearer" on your set-up) .
 
johnny feyd said:
Every Mic needs a preamp..
Click to expand...

My old shure48 didn't have a preamp I just stuck the cable into the computer and the sound was loud.

Foggy said:
Well you can pick up an audio interface used for next to nothing .... seem to be plenty of mbox2pro .... IDK which model is which or the one to get .
There are also plenty of budget mics out there too (wouldn't advise to buy used IMHO) .

Do keep in mind that an audio interface will not only improve the recording quality , it will also improve the audio reproduction too (things will sound "clearer" on your set-up) .
Click to expand...


Great advice. Thank you buddy. Now I'm tired I'll check for used interface. I agree a used mic could easily be damaged, don't wanna buy one that dies or starts being noisy after 2-3 months.

Give me some advice on speakers and sound card ? They are pretty cheap too and could make a great difference. I got a firend who is a computer nerd so he can easily tell me what is the best for a certain price. Should I get a better sound card and speakers as in will it help me practice and generaly understand music better ?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
OliverPractice said:
My old shure48 didn't have a preamp I just stuck the cable into the computer and the sound was loud.
Click to expand...

Well, there is a preamp in the computer's mic input. It's just that it's probably worth about two bucks, whereas the really good preamps cost thousands of dollars. While a preamps fundamental functionality is amplifying the mic's level to line level, they also affect how it sounds.

is this an interface ?Amazon.com: Behringer UCA202 Audio Interface: Musical Instruments
Click to expand...

Yep. About as cheap as it gets, so don't expect miracles out of it.

can I just get the microphone, phantom power and this interface, is that all ?

Do I need to use programs for the interface or is it simple ?
Click to expand...

That's about it. You don't really need any "programs for the interface" - they can come with some kind of control panel software to set 'em up, but I doubt anything this simple would need even that. You'll obviously need a program to record in.
 
krushing said:
Well, there is a preamp in the computer's mic input. It's just that it's probably worth about two bucks, whereas the really good preamps cost thousands of dollars. While a preamps fundamental functionality is amplifying the mic's level to line level, they also affect how it sounds.



Yep. About as cheap as it gets, so don't expect miracles out of it.



That's about it. You don't really need any "programs for the interface" - they can come with some kind of control panel software to set 'em up, but I doubt anything this simple would need even that. You'll obviously need a program to record in.
Click to expand...


Thanks bro.

Is this "set up" going to make me sound worse then I realisticaly do sound quality wise ?

In any case it's for practice before going to studios.
 
OliverPractice said:
Thanks bro.

Is this "set up" going to make me sound worse then I realisticaly do sound quality wise ?

In any case it's for practice before going to studios.
Click to expand...

I think it's perfectly OK for practice. Even the really low-end stuff (which is, after all, what we're talking about here) tends to sound fairly decent these days - I've found that with high(er)-end gear it's often much easier to get your stuff to sound good from the get-go, whereas the cheapo stuff ends up requiring lots of more tweaking afterwards to get it sounding acceptable. But especially in vocal recording, there are always a number of factors that affect it. Order of importance: 1) performance 2) space 3) mic 4) preamp 5) converters (imo).
 
krushing said:
I think it's perfectly OK for practice. Even the really low-end stuff (which is, after all, what we're talking about here) tends to sound fairly decent these days - I've found that with high(er)-end gear it's often much easier to get your stuff to sound good from the get-go, whereas the cheapo stuff ends up requiring lots of more tweaking afterwards to get it sounding acceptable. But especially in vocal recording, there are always a number of factors that affect it. Order of importance: 1) performance 2) space 3) mic 4) preamp 5) converters (imo).
Click to expand...


what can I do to my room to improve the sound, does plastering the walls with egg shell cartoons do it ?
 
OliverPractice said:
what can I do to my room to improve the sound, does plastering the walls with egg shell cartoons do it ?
Click to expand...

The only thing egg shell cartons will do is that they kind of look like a certain brand of acoustic foam; their actual acoustic characteristics are more or less useless. You would need proper acoustic treatment - lots of bass traps and (real) acoustic foam and the knowledge of where to put 'em up. However, as this can quickly get expensive, you can just use a bunch of heavy blankets and mattresses to build a "ghetto booth".

See the Studio Design/Acoustics forum, lots of threads on treating rooms.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top