Blue Mics! ...Voice Your Opinion Please

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DrummerGW

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I am looking at some vocal mics and am wondering what do you guys think of the BLUE Baby Bottle? (How does this mic hold up to other mics in the $400 price range when it comes to recording pop vocals, rock vocals, R&B vocals, and acoustic guitar/piano ?

Thank You for all and any advise given,
G.P.
 
I think the Baby Bottle is a pretty good mic (has a pretty dark sound) but I also think there are a lot better options around that price range, such as the Avantone cv-12 or Sennheiser MK4.
 
I don't think you can go wrong with a Baby Bottle.
I have the Bluebird which is essentially the same mic.
 
I don't think you can go wrong with a Baby Bottle.
I have the Bluebird which is essentially the same mic.

My Bluebird is more and more becoming my main go-to mic for pop male/female vocals. I've even used it a few times on V/O radio spots... Great little mic :)
 
My Bluebird is more and more becoming my main go-to mic for pop male/female vocals. I've even used it a few times on V/O radio spots... Great little mic :)

Yeah, I've heard some great things about the Bluebird and even the cheaper one (the Spark, right?)!
 
The Bluebird is a loud mic and to me it didn’t sound great on anything. Even with the gain on my pre (True P-Solo) set very low it would distort.
 
I don't think you can go wrong with a Baby Bottle.
I have the Bluebird which is essentially the same mic.

whoa, jim... essentially the same mic?

baby bottle is very dark sounding, almost like a dark ribbon. not a great vocal mic in many cases but can be tweaked in the mix to add presence, certainly a warm and musical mic though.

the bluebird is very different sounding - also not super bright but much brighter than a baby bottle, and the bluebird is definitively NOT a vocal mic although like any mic it can be used for that fine with good engineering skills. the bluebird is a very cool mic on many instruments though.

but it's so different from the baby bottle other than in looks.

anyway, my 2 cents worth:

blue mics are fantastic but like any expensive brand that also has entry level products you have to consider that there is only so much magic they can put into their cheaper choices.

the cheapo blue spark is a cool recording vocal mic - bright but in a nice way (not in an apex 435 kinda cheap chinese way LoL), a little bass shy, in other words ideal for many vocals. I own and use one.

bluebird I found great on many instruments but not great on most vocals.

baby bottle is very lacking in high treble but is certainly a warm and musical mic that can make some voice and some instruments larger than life. but not my first choice for pop vocals. just as my ribbon mics aren't my first choice for pop vocals. depends on style of music etc though of course.

the new reaktor is a terrific mic for vocals and some things from what I've been reading.

I own a blue kiwi which is a quite expensive ($1200? $1800? I don't remember now) vocal mic and is quite exceptional. on some vocals, particularly pop female, it can be the best microphone around even when I bring it to a studio that has great studio vocal mics to offer. It's very definitely not flat at all, hyped in the highs, presence and bass somehow yet magically delicious LoL. would be terrible on a violin or some instruments though...

the blue bottle (like $10,000 or something crazy like that last I checked) is an incredible tour de force of pro microphone technology with interchangeable capsules and so on.

They have some incredible pro level products, just amazing, like the one I own. however their entry level stuff (snowball, their usb mics etc), are cool yet not particularly reminiscent of the sound you get from their pricey models of course.

They always are cool looking and well built mics though. the more you pay, the more vibe you get.

for all around mics though the best bets are still cad m177 or m179 and similar mics from other brands (mxl 2003a for example is close to interchangeable with m177 yet not quite identical sounding).

I think blue mics are terrific but, aside from the blue spark which is a steal at $200 for a versatile mic that happens to work well on many vocals and looks uber cool, the bottom one of their mics I would entertain for serious purchase is the baby bottle if you want a warm dark-ish mic that's really well made and nice looking. I'd skip the bluebird (get a cad m179 instead or similar competitor) and their less expensive models for the most part unless you really want their looks.

the new reaktor seems really cool, and up from there into kiwi, mouse, bottle rocket, and so on you can get into some fantastic mics but you're knocking down $1000 to $2000 per mic each time at that point.
 
My Bluebird is more and more becoming my main go-to mic for pop male/female vocals. I've even used it a few times on V/O radio spots... Great little mic :)

well there ya go - as I said some people get great results from the bluebird. depends on your ears, engineering skills, etc.

everything in our business is a matter of opinion, experience, taste and perspective.

So if I came down hard on the bluebird then it's just from my own perspective as I have cheaper mics from other companies that sound similar yet are more versatile. It doesn't mean that hte bluebird isn't better at some things to some other people :-)

cheers
 
for all around mics though the best bets are still cad m177 or m179 and similar mics from other brands

I am glad SOMEONE on this site agrees with me that the m179 isn't a bad mic. I ordered one and they're already making fun of it :D I've heard they're quite useful!
 
Always nice to hear alternative opinions, dkelley.
However, I'll offer you a Sound on Sound review which I had read some time ago.
I always look for their reviews before buying a mic.
BLUE Bluebird
I'm not suggesting that you are wrong.
Only that there are other points of view and I did enjoy yours..
 
Love my Baby Bottle on acoustic instruments, guitar, mando, banjo, dobro. Good fiddle, and vocal mic as well. I think you get alot of nice tones, for little bit of money (especially used).
 
Love my Baby Bottle on acoustic instruments, guitar, mando, banjo, dobro. Good fiddle, and vocal mic as well. I think you get alot of nice tones, for little bit of money (especially used).



Way to go AcousticOverdub! ;)
 
Should be great Jim ..... just get in there real close with the microphone while recording.
 
The Blue Baby Bottle, along with the Studio Projects CS series, are THEE two best LDC vocal microphones I ever tried (male hi-bari) for under $500. And they give the higher $$ LDC's under a grand a run for the money too.

Usual suspects tried include AT4050/4040, MXL V69 & 2003A, Rode NTK/NT1, Shure KSM32, and the new Sennheiser LDC (very nice BTW).

But...

If I HAD to choose between the Baby Bottle or the CS, would go for the CS in a heartbeat (more neutral).
Especially if recording other singers and/or acoustic guitar.

Chris

P.S. Down the road, may get both-possibly the Sennie too!:0
 
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