jcstites

So I finally bought a Zoom H4. I was holding out for the h2, but just couldn't wait any longer. I love pretty much everything about it so far. The mics on it sound way better than expected.

I am curious if a set of condenser mics through the xlr inputs would sound better. My budget is really small for these though. I found some Behringer c2 condensers for $50 a pair. I am no expert when it comes to recording stuff, so I have no idea how good or bad these are.

Here are the mics in question - Behringer C2 Condenser Microphone from zZounds.com

They seem to have a pretty flat frequency response, so I could EQ it in soundforge or cubase. The manual has the frequency response bottom of the last page (http://cachepe.zzounds.com/media/C-2...d3fb776697.pdf)

Would these sound any better than the ones in the h4? I know the h4 has phantom power, but how much would a preamp help?

Please help a "n00b" :) Thanks!

gchun

I think it depends on the application. Those built-in mics sound pretty good. I find when recording ensembles, mics sound better placed high, which is a bit more challenging with built-in mics. You can't see the meters if the unit is place high. If you get a one-point stereo mic, you can position them higher and have the recorder lower (closer) to operate it and see the meters. A couple of one-point stereo mics are:

1. Audio Technica AT 825

2. Rode NT4

Compared to two single mics, one-point stereo mics are easier to use because positioning is faster. With two single mics, placement can take more time, with the possibility of phasing issues if placed incorrectly. However, the two single mics give you more positioning options.

Hope this helps.

Garry