# Behringer ECM8000 Mic



## Peter De Smidt

So I've finally gotten Room EQ Wizard to work. Basically, I had to switch computers. The first one I tried, the one conveniently located of course, has on-board Nvidia audio. While having line in/out, I simply couldn't get it to work with REW. Thus, I had to lug my computer down from upstairs. It has on-board Creative Audigy sound, and it seems to be working ok with REW. Whew! So far, I've been using my older Radioshack SPL meter with Sonny's calibration file. My question is, how much better would using a Behringer ECM8000 mic be? I'm not against going this route, but it does involve a fair expense, as one needs a phantom power pre-amp, a mike cable.... Would I have to get my mic invidually calibrated, or would Sonny's calibration file for it produce respectable results? Basically, what, if any, are the benefits of a mic setup over using the RS SPL meter's mic? Man, I hope my FBD comes soon. My room has a huge peak at 40hz.


----------



## brucek

*Re: Behringer ecm8000 mike*



> Would I have to get my mic individually calibrated, or would Sonny's calibration file for it produce respectable results?


My search on the internet revealed calibration files from various sources that were extremely close. Close enough that I simply use Sonnies ecm8000 cal file. The ecm8000 is quite accurate and you won't find the discrepancies that are widely reported with RS meter. I can't back up that discrepancy, but there it is.




> as one needs a phantom power pre-amp, a mike cable....


Well, you don't really need a cable. I never use mine....









brucek


----------



## Wayne A. Pflughaupt

*Re: Behringer ecm8000 mike*



> My question is, how much better would using a Behringer ECM8000 mic be?


  If you want to plot full-range response for the mains, it would be a worthwhile investement. However, if all you’re worried about is the subs, the RS meter with the appropriate calibration file works just fine.

Regards,
Wayne


----------



## fibreKid

*Re: Behringer ecm8000 mike*

:nerd: Okay Bruce, Can you get that 802 on a tripod? 
Nice picture, I would have never thought of that.:T


----------



## tonyptony

*Re: Behringer ecm8000 mike*



brucek said:


> My search on the internet revealed calibration files from various sources that were extremely close. Close enough that I simply use Sonnies ecm8000 cal file. The ecm8000 is quite accurate and you won't find the discrepancies that are widely reported with RS meter. I can't back up that discrepancy, but there it is.


brucek, I've looked at this cal file, and one I use for the Ignuz plugin for my Squeezebox, and finally the sample response curve for the ECM8000 on the Behringer website ( http://www.behringerdownload.de/ECM8000/ECM8000_C_Specs.pdf ). Sonnie's file is down 3dB at 20Hz and 9dB at 20KHz (if I'm reading it right). The cal file I have for Ignuz, comparatively, is down only .1dB and 4dB at those frequencies - which is much more in keeping with the spec curve provided by Behringer. I have no doubt that Sonnie's numbers are real, but it makes me wonder about how much variability there really is for this mic.


----------



## brucek

*Re: Behringer ecm8000 mike*



> it makes me wonder about how much variability there really is for this mic


Yeah, good question. Who knows. We're just making the assumption that most decent microphone elements are fairly close.

We do know that when we did a large group purchase of the Galaxy CM-140 SPL meter, that they were extremely close between each meter (because Sonnie laboriously checked each one). That was encouraging.

We didn't do comparisons with ECM8000's though. The calibration file we supply on the site is there if people want it. If they want an accurate microphone they need to have their own mic done professionally.

The graph on the Behringer site only goes down to 60Hz, so it's not much of a template to make any conclusions about.

The only thing we really know is that Sonnie's ECM is accurate.....:huh:

brucek


----------



## tonyptony

*Re: Behringer ecm8000 mike*



brucek said:


> If they want an accurate microphone they need to have their own mic done professionally.


Agree completely. I've been poking around here and have seen some posts which refer to other posts that talk about places to get mics calibrated, but can't seem to track down the actual posts that have the indicated info.


----------



## tonyptony

*Re: Behringer ecm8000 mike*

Found it!


----------



## brucek

*Re: Behringer ecm8000 mike*



> places to get mics calibrated, but can't seem to track down


Here's where Sonnie had his ECM8000 calibrated. It's definitely the real deal.

brucek


----------



## tonyptony

*Re: Behringer ecm8000 mike*



brucek said:


> Here's where Sonnie had his ECM8000 calibrated. It's definitely the real deal.
> 
> brucek


Great! Thanks a lot. I saw this post

http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...alibration.html?highlight=ECM8000+calibration

and thought he had it done in MN.


----------



## brucek

*Re: Behringer ecm8000 mike*

He originally had it done there, but then decided to have it done professionally by a lab......


----------



## subadrew

I had to use this to get it to work via USB with any computer. Nice little piece of hardware.

I use this as a calibration file. I have compared it to a RadioShack meter and they are dead on. I know apples and oranges but I thought I would try to help.


----------



## angpoa

great :T


----------



## HDJK

subadrew said:


> I had to use this to get it to work via USB with any computer. Nice little piece of hardware.
> 
> I use this as a calibration file. I have compared it to a RadioShack meter and they are dead on. I know apples and oranges but I thought I would try to help.


Thanks, I was looking for a cal file foe the ecm8000 :T


----------



## inspired

I've just purchased a pair of Behringer ECM-8000's that I will eventually have calibrated, but would like to download "Sonny's (Sonnie's?) calibration file" for some immediate measurements.

I've used the search function and can't seem to locate the Behringer ECM-8000 calibration file that I've seen mentioned in several threads here.

Where can I find it?


----------



## Rantanplan

Maybe this can help you !

http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/spl-meters-mics-calibration-sound-cards/19652-ecm8000-cal-file.html
:T


----------



## AudioSavant

Does anyone know the actual response curve of these mics, and what was the comparrision basis ? i.e., B&K etc. ?
The outer carton of the mic shows a very flat curve, the inner wrapper shows a useable curve from about 200Hz to 2K, at least that is flat...As +5dB or more at 3K is useless unless you are compensating for it. and if you are compensating, at what polar response! Flat to 2K is really all you need in most instances, but I would want to have
a flat curve to below 20Hz.
THnak you


----------



## EarlK

AudioSavant said:


> Does anyone know the actual response curve of these mics, ,,,,,,,,,



*Variations between ECM8000 microphones*. Picture is from  *here ! *










:sn:


----------



## AudioSavant

There must be something out there for under $200 THAT GIVES A FLATTER CURVE FROM 20hz TO AT LEAST 2K.
Anyone have any experience with other condensor mics, type 1 or 2, that don't have variations of up to 6dB
at the lower end? To buy an ECM 8000, which apparently comes with one printed curve on the box, that seems to be coppied off another:dontknow: mic, then spending more money to supposedely calibrate the mic...is not advised. To get a flat response ,with an appropriate polar chart is what should be used. If you want to see where issues are in a room, where most times, they are in the first few octaves, you will need a mic that is ruller flat. based on all the posts here, and from the very limited information on the Behringer website, it seems the ECM 8000 isn't intended for precision acoustical testing, but [fell] into this role, based on theorethical design requirements.

Anyone have a suggestion for a better mic, before getting into the B&K stratosphere ?
Thanks :huh:


----------



## Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Why do you feel that a calibration file (that compensates for the mic’s deviations from flat) loaded into a measurement platform like REW is not sufficient?

Regards,
Wayne


----------



## SAC

I am curious as to why one would feel a response to only 2kHz is valuable and something to which to aspire...


----------

