Behringer ECM8000 Ultra-Linear Measurement Condenser Microphone

I feel compelled to leave this review here, after reading another one that I think missed the point. I've uploaded some images of this microphone and hope they resolve any confusion about what is included with this excellent microphone - and what isn't included. The ECM8000 is a phantom-powered condenser microphone that is intended for room correction applications, as well as recording acoustic instruments and vocals. It is suited to the Behringer DEQ2496 UltraCurve equaliser. It can also be used as a decent, low noise, general purpose recording microphone for instruments and voice in a studio environment. It comes without a lead, but uses a standard 3 pin XLR microphone cable. The ECM8000 is made from aluminium and feels heavy and robust in-hand, at 120g. It is the same width as an XLR plug at its widest point, then thins down from halfway along the length to the "business end", with slots around a small hole that protects the capsule. The ECM8000 comes in a cardboard box, protecting a cardboard sleeve, over a thick, hinged, padded ABS case that contains the microphone. A mic-stand clip with adapter for the 2 main thread sizes and a foam pop-shield are also included. It needs external power, from 15v (as provided by the DEQ2496) up to the 48v standard for phantom-powered condenser mics. It is suitable for use with most audio interfaces available today that provide phantom power to the microphone. The ECM8000 microphone works superbly in its intended use for room equalisation with the DEQ2496, but it can also compete in recording instruments with other condenser mics costing many times more than this cheap gem. The ECM8000 has a ruler-flat response from 15Hz to 20KHz, impedance of 600 Ohms and sensitivity of -60db. It is omnidirectional, so it picks up room ambience with its decent high frequency response. The sound is clear, bright and detailed. I have found myself using it in preference to some of my other condensers and can't quite believe how they can manufacture something like this for the price. Thoroughly recommended!

Real pleased with this mic ,

Feels solid and well built for the money. Only a generic calibration file available to use with Windows apps hence 4 stars.

This microphone is ideal for setting up the frequency response of a room in conjunction with the Behringer DEQ2496. I was recently asked to improve 'the sound' of a large church hall with a new PA that wasn't coming up to expectation. Using this Microphone and the DEQ2496 I soon identified the resonant frequencies and flattened them out. The ECM8000 won't win any awards for recording but as a setup tool it is ideally suited for the job. Like anything it pays to read the specifications before buying!

primary function (for me) - room measurement mic. this item beats a ruler any day. my room measures 23 mics across and 38 mics long. i do worry that i might not be using it correctly as it says something about plugging it into the computer - that can't be right? anyway, this item looks great (all silvery, smooth and with curves) and is much cheaper than the ones that cost more.

This microphone is ideal for measuring and analyzing rooms and loudspeaker responses. As a microphone it can also be used for various recording situations; on drums, acoustic guitar and ambience. This is a condenser microphone and needs phantom power to work. Arrived in a quality case, clip and adapter for mic stand.

I directly compared the ECM8000 with a number of other measurement microphones from iSemCon, Earthworks and DBX using dual-channel FFT analysis, and was amazed at how flat both the frequency and phase response of this cheap microphone were: frequency response flat from 20Hz-20kHz within +/-1dB. It outperformed the DBX considerably. I have since bought another three of these for sound system alignment and tuning.

Perfect product for someone like myself who was treating their new home music studio space. I was able to capture my rooms frequency response, so perfect for this job!