BLUE BlueBird Cardioid Studio Condenser Microphone

zZounds' Take on BLUE BlueBird Cardioid Studio Condenser Microphone

With a distinctive design that recalls the Baby Bottle microphone, and a clear, well-rounded sound equally well-suited to vocals and instruments, Blue Microphones' Bluebird gets rave reviews from professional engineers who describe it as open, warm, round...and best of all, underpriced. While the similarly-shaped Baby Bottle from Blue has a very up-front, present sound that's tailored to vocals, the Bluebird is designed to be much more versatile, with an even-handed response throughout the midrange and a decidedly airy top end.

This Bird Sings On Vocals -- And More

Patterned after the popular Baby Bottle, the Bluebird is part of Blue's "Essential" line of mid-priced microphones. The outer dimensions and general body shape appear identical to the Baby Bottle; however, the two mics have some key differences. Aside from its periwinkle-blue body in place of the Baby Bottle's black, the Bluebird is the clear winner when it comes to flexibility in the studio. Where the Baby Bottle has an aggressive mid-to-upper range that can preclude its effectiveness at capturing softer or more nuanced performances, the 'Bird sings well on delicate acoustic instruments. Try it on acoustic guitar, about 8 inches from where the neck joins the body -- or position it 2 feet above the bridge of a violin or viola. Perhaps most valuable to artists and engineers, the Bluebird is a hit for its ability to capture warm and natural vocals without the "hyped" high-mids often found in cheaply-made condensers. An ideal choice for home-studio tracking, the Bluebird's tighter-than-usual cardioid pattern works to provide a focused sound on vocals, especially when paired up with a back baffle like SE Electronics' Reflexion Filter.

Pro BLUE Quality for a Project-Studio Price

Although its price is within reach for any home recordist, the Bluebird's build quality is indicative of Blue's more expensive offerings. Blue has borrowed from many of its famous application-specific designs to create this mic. Satin nickel plating gives the mic a solid, hefty feeling immediately apparent when you hold it in your hand. A closer look at the specs reveal a rigorous attention to detail not found in other mics of this price range: low self-noise of under 7.5 dB thanks to the transformerless Class-A discrete amplifier circuit, and a thin gold-sputtered Mylar diaphragm for an impressively sensitive response of 27 mV/Pa. And all professional mics should, the Bluebird comes in a snazzy wooden box, complete with Blue's specially-designed Birdcage shock mount and BirdNest pop filter. Just add a microphone stand and cable, and you're ready to track some serious vocals -- or just about anything else.

Features:

- Tight cardioid pickup pattern well-suited to vocals
- Accurate midrange and extended highs make an excellent general-purpose large-diaphragm condenser
- Unmistakable Blue body design
- Specially-designed BirdCage shock mount
- Distinctive BirdNest metal mesh pop filter

About Blue Microphones

BLUE, Baltic Latvian Universal Electronics, has been committed to developing specialized mics for a variety of instruments and environmental circumstances. With the Bluebird, they have developed a mic that works for a variety of applications, especially capturing smooth, buttery vocal tracks.

Manufacturer's Description for BLUE BlueBird Cardioid Studio Condenser Microphone

With its unique look and highly versatile performance, the Bluebird has been designed to deliver the same high-quality, no-compromise audio that Blue users have come to expect. The Bluebird is a large-diaphragm cardioid condenser, utilizing Blue's renowned microphone technology and Class-A discrete circuit.

In a departure from its normally application-specific designs, Blue engineered the Bluebird to be as versatile as possible, with applications ranging from vocals to electric and acoustic guitars, close-miking of drums, drum overheads, percussion, piano, horns, strings, and any other application where crystal-clear sound quality and detail is of the utmost concern. In addition to the microphone itself, the Bluebird also includes a specially designed shockmount - The BirdCage, and a metal mesh pop filter - the BirdNest. So no matter what your sound, the complete Bluebird package offers today's musician a top-notch recording experience at an outstanding price - all in one nest. zZounds is an authorized dealer of BLUE products.

Specifications- Acoustical Operating Principal: Pressure Gradient
- Directional Pattern: Cardioid
- Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz
- Sensitivity (1kHz into 2.5k ohm): 27mV/Pa
- Rated Impedance: 50 ohm
- Rated Load Impedance: Not less than 1k ohms
- Noise Level A-weighted (IEC 651): Not more than 7.5dB
- Max Output (1% THD into 2.5k ohm): 12dBV = 3.1V
- Max SPL (0.5% THD into 2.5k ohm): 138dB
- Dynamic Range (2.5k ohm load): 130dB
- Supply Voltage (IEC 268-15): +48V phantom power (+35V min.)
- Current Draw (typical ai +48V): 1.8mA

Dimensions and Weight in Packaging

with Free Blue Icicle XLR to USB Converter

Shipping Weight: 5 lbs

Base Item

Shipping Weight: 4 lbs

Shipping Dimensions: 16 x 13 x 5 in