Bluebird Mic - any recommendations?

[jonathansorensen]

$197 new, great deal, Let us know if it works for you....!!!!!!!! Can't have enough mics .....

I'll definitely get back with a review. I'm not in tracking phase so I'll have to wait til and track and mix some stuff. That's usually when I really find out if I like the mic.

JS

I had a friend and fellow Taxi member email me about wishing he had one of my "expensive" mics. Just as a trial, on the next song I tracked lead vocals on, I put this mic up next to a Shure SM 58, same distance, about 12 inches off , and recorded a lead vocal scratch on two tracks. I mixed the song twice, same instrument mix, same effects, slightly different EQ, muteing one of the scratch vocal takes. I emailed the two mixes to my friend and asked him to tell me which mix had the SM58 vocal. He picked it out, but he felt a lot better about his current vocal mic.... The current group of "inexpensive" mics and recording equipment is getting pretty friggin' good compared to what was available 10 or 15 years ago.... You should be able to get great results with either the SM7 or the Blue mic..... I want a SM7.....I AM JEALOUS..........LOL ...... Hope you get lots of forwards, and placements......!!!!!!

Yes I'm really happy with the SM7. I track tons of vocals through it. If you remember a submission for a NY ad agency for a mother's day advertisement, I had a forward on that with a song done entirely through the SM7 and the Gauge ECM-87 on the female vocal. I'll keep you posted in the future. Thanks for the positive thoughts!

JS

[jonathansorensen]

I was looking for a vocal mic for myself. I've been using the SM7 alot and it's phenomenal but there's a denseness and grittiness that's great for my heavier stuff, for blues, etc. but the singer songwriter stuff with really light airy vocals hasn't been what I wanted. The SM7 works beautifully with my greatriver pre but I have the A-designs pacifica as well and I wanted a mic that doesn't get in the way of what it can do. All that said, even though I've treated my "room", it's bloody noisy by any professional studio standards so I'm going to have to take the blue into the vocal booth and get back to everyone.

BTW, while I have your attention, it sounds like this is your area of expertise . . .what do you think of the MA-200. I haven't been able to use it in my current environment.

JS

Why didnt you say this in the beginning?

What I would do is find the nearest mic rental place and rent several mics from top of the line to bottom.

Find which one works best and buy it. If it is a really great match for your voice then it might be worth saving up for it if it is expensive.

that sounds like fun . . . what a business to be in.

JS

[mojobone]

I had a friend and fellow Taxi member email me about wishing he had one of my "expensive" mics. Just as a trial, on the next song I tracked lead vocals on, I put this mic up next to a Shure SM 58, same distance, about 12 inches off , and recorded a lead vocal scratch on two tracks. I mixed the song twice, same instrument mix, same effects, slightly different EQ, muteing one of the scratch vocal takes. I emailed the two mixes to my friend and asked him to tell me which mix had the SM58 vocal. He picked it out, but he felt a lot better about his current vocal mic.... The current group of "inexpensive" mics and recording equipment is getting pretty friggin' good compared to what was available 10 or 15 years ago.... You should be able to get great results with either the SM7 or the Blue mic..... I want a SM7.....I AM JEALOUS..........LOL ...... Hope you get lots of forwards, and placements......!!!!!!

Sorry, all that tells me is it was someone with untrained ears listening to a bad mix.

Seriously, this does not tell us anything. Mics are a tool. They get used as needed. Very rarely does a good engineer reach for a sm57 on a vocal unless it calls for it. And I would estimate that would be 10% of the time. Most of the time any good engineer will reach for his most expensive mic, or one of them.

If that was not true then a C12 would not go for $5000 to $10,000. Certainly there is not parts worth that much in that mic. The mic simply sounds awesome! If you use one for period of time then you will know.

No little shoot out can determine that.

Yeah, I think we've identified the basic disconnect/difference in recording philosophy between Dwayne and myself. I don't automatically reach for the most expensive mic; I listen to what I'm getting from the singer and the space and try to choose something I know from experience should enhance the vocal in the context of the mix or what the mix will be. I'm in the Mazz camp of, "it's the ear, not the gear." Look at it one way, and mics of similar type, construction and diaphragm diameter all sound pretty similar, but looked at the other way, the same mic with a different preamp can make all the difference in the world. It's macro vs. micro, in other words. You have to consider the source, the room and the whole signal chain; it all makes some difference, and the more gain involved, the more difference.

I've never experienced a studio situation where money was no object, so I have to believe I can get 'close enough for rock'n'roll' with lesser gear. Yes, better is better, and more expensive usually is better, but there comes a point of diminishing returns, where the next increment in increased quality might double the item's price, so I get to learn stuff like how to make a Rode NT5 sound (almost) like a Neumann KM185. (+3dB shelving at 8kHz, heh) I ain't against using pricier microphones, I do so in other people's studios on a fairly regular basis, but at home, I have less than a dozen mics, only one of which cost over a hundred clams, and guess what; it's my stage mic. I don't think most people could tell that from listening to my mixes. Having said all that, I wouldn't reach for an SM57 for a vocal either, unless the singer was Henry Rollins or Sufjan Stevens.

[Dwayne Russell]

Yeah, I think we've identified that I don't automatically reach for the most expensive mic; .....

I believe that you dont.

Im telling you what pros do. They listen too, but 90% of the time they dont reach for a SM57. They do sometimes. But only sometimes.

I've worked in Ocean Way, Studio Ultimo, Cherakee, Lion Share, CBS, RCA and about 30 other top studios for years. I'm just telling you what I saw and see the best of the best do.

I'm sure that s different than what you do.

[gtrmann]

I had a friend and fellow Taxi member email me about wishing he had one of my "expensive" mics. Just as a trial, on the next song I tracked lead vocals on, I put this mic up next to a Shure SM 58, same distance, about 12 inches off , and recorded a lead vocal scratch on two tracks. I mixed the song twice, same instrument mix, same effects, slightly different EQ, muteing one of the scratch vocal takes. I emailed the two mixes to my friend and asked him to tell me which mix had the SM58 vocal. He picked it out, but he felt a lot better about his current vocal mic.... The current group of "inexpensive" mics and recording equipment is getting pretty friggin' good compared to what was available 10 or 15 years ago.... You should be able to get great results with either the SM7 or the Blue mic..... I want a SM7.....I AM JEALOUS..........LOL ...... Hope you get lots of forwards, and placements......!!!!!!

Sorry, all that tells me is it was someone with untrained ears listening to a bad mix.

Seriously, this does not tell us anything. Mics are a tool. They get used as needed. Very rarely does a good engineer reach for a sm57 on a vocal unless it calls for it. And I would estimate that would be 10% of the time. Most of the time any good engineer will reach for his most expensive mic, or one of them.

If that was not true then a C12 would not go for $5000 to $10,000. Certainly there is not parts worth that much in that mic. The mic simply sounds awesome! If you use one for period of time then you will know.

No little shoot out can determine that.

Yeah, I think we've identified the basic disconnect/difference in recording philosophy between Dwayne and myself. I don't automatically reach for the most expensive mic; I listen to what I'm getting from the singer and the space and try to choose something I know from experience should enhance the vocal in the context of the mix or what the mix will be. I'm in the Mazz camp of, "it's the ear, not the gear." Look at it one way, and mics of similar type, construction and diaphragm diameter all sound pretty similar, but looked at the other way, the same mic with a different preamp can make all the difference in the world. It's macro vs. micro, in other words. You have to consider the source, the room and the whole signal chain; it all makes some difference, and the more gain involved, the more difference.

I've never experienced a studio situation where money was no object, so I have to believe I can get 'close enough for rock'n'roll' with lesser gear. Yes, better is better, and more expensive usually is better, but there comes a point of diminishing returns, where the next increment in increased quality might double the item's price, so I get to learn stuff like how to make a Rode NT5 sound (almost) like a Neumann KM185. (+3dB shelving at 8kHz, heh) I ain't against using pricier microphones, I do so in other people's studios on a fairly regular basis, but at home, I have less than a dozen mics, only one of which cost over a hundred clams, and guess what; it's my stage mic. I don't think most people could tell that from listening to my mixes. Having said all that, I wouldn't reach for an SM57 for a vocal either, unless the singer was Henry Rollins or Sufjan Stevens.

Thanks Mojobone..... What I was trying to say to Jonathan was

There have been many, many, many hit records that had the lead vocal cut with a SM58 ( not a 57 ). Plenty of people have made lots of money with a mic that was good enough to get the job done. I wanted my friend to hear the difference between a $100.00 mic and a $3000.00 dollar mic. I wanted to hear the difference myself also, I worked real hard to make the 58 sound as good as possible. He heard the difference, but the lead vocal still worked, and sounded good enough in the mix to get the job done..... What is the budget of the person hiring you...... Do you pull out the big guns for a client paying pennies....???

[Dwayne Russell]

Do you pull out the big guns for a client paying pennies....???

Pennies? I use the good stuff for low paying customers, yes. You said yourself you had to work hard to make a 57 work. So if they pay low you dont want to have to do that.

[gtrmann]

Do you pull out the big guns for a client paying pennies....???

Pennies? I use the good stuff for low paying customers, yes. You said yourself you had to work hard to make a 57 work. So if they pay low you dont want to have to do that.

Hey Dwayne,
Did you notice we both joined this forum right about the same time...... I guess we are going to have to end this as we differ in our opinions.... Good luck to you, hope you get a lot of forwards and placements ...!!!!

[Dwayne Russell]

Do you pull out the big guns for a client paying pennies....???

Pennies? I use the good stuff for low paying customers, yes. You said yourself you had to work hard to make a 57 work. So if they pay low you dont want to have to do that.

Hey Dwayne,
Did you notice we both joined this forum right about the same time...... I guess we are going to have to end this as we differ in our opinions.... Good luck to you, hope you get a lot of forwards and placements ...!!!!

No problem. But it's like your saying goobye forever or something. Im not going anywhere. Are you?

I dont mind disagreeing. Do you? See you on the next post somewhere.

PS: I get allot of PM's about what equipment to use. Apparently people like what I say. But I value others opinions too. Not too old to learn.

[gtrmann]

Thanks Dwayne, I'm not saying goodbye forever, I'm not going anywhere, just though it was time to end this, This is someone else's topic, I wanted to bow out.....I don't mind disagreeing.... "See you on the next post somewhere."

[Dwayne Russell]

Thanks Dwayne, I'm not saying goodbye forever, I'm not going anywhere, just though it was time to end this, This is someone else's topic, I wanted to bow out.....I don't mind disagreeing.... "See you on the next post somewhere."

Cool....see ya!