Blue Baby Bottle SL Cardioid Condenser Microphone

No longer available at zZounds
Blue Microphones added a high-pass filter and -20 dB pad to their popular Baby Bottle mic. Capture warmth and presence with this large-diaphragm condenser!

Modeled after Blue's famous Bottle microphone, but at a much more palatable price, the Blue Baby Bottle SL takes the quality and style that Blue is known for and boils it down into one truly versatile large-diaphragm cardioid condenser.

"Versatile" means this Baby is a "do-it-all" microphone. Yes, the Baby Bottle SL delivers a killer up-front character that's fantastic on lead vocals. But thanks to its neutral, accurate top end, the Baby Bottle is also your secret weapon for miking up hard-to-capture instruments like violins, flutes, and even 12-string guitars. The "SL" model adds a switchable low-pass filter and -20dB pad to help you control the sound, and as you'd expect from a name like Blue, the Baby Bottle comes in a gorgeous wooden box, with its own custom shock mount.

Enhance the Vocal Midrange

Condenser mics with an overly-bright, hyped high end can make vocals and voiceover sound too strident -- and they can make violins and flutes sound downright harsh. Have you ever found yourself leaning on a de-esser to round the edge off a hissy vocal? Go for a more natural sound with the smoother, softer, slightly darker top end of the Baby Bottle condenser. Thanks to a gentle high-frequency roll-off that starts around 5-6 kHz, the Baby captures less air, allowing the midrange -- where the "real" sound of the source lives -- to come to the forefront. The Baby Bottle delivers an up-front, present sound that enhances the "meat" of vocals without hyping the highs.

This Baby Shines on Guitar Amps and More

read more Natural, neutral sound is the name of the game with the Baby Bottle microphone. If your source sounds nice in real life, then the Blue Baby Bottle can "bottle" that sound, taking a very accurate snapshot of midrange-heavy sources like electric guitar amps, strings, and saxophones. The Baby Bottle's detailed midrange makes it a great choice for miking up guitar cabinets: just angle the capsule toward the center of the cone to pick up more highs, or toward the edge of the speaker to capture more low end. Truly a "do-everything" microphone, the Baby Bottle is a useful tool for capturing the midrange intricacies of sources like acoustic bass, 12-string guitar, or delicate vocals. If you record a lot of different sources, you'll want to try this mic on all of them.

Control the Rumble

With the 100 Hz high-pass filter added to the "SL" model, the Baby Bottle now makes cutting unwanted rumble out of your recordings as easy as flipping a switch. Reducing unneeded low-end in your mix is an essential part of leaving those frequencies open for instruments that need them, like bass and drums. The Baby Bottle SL also includes a 20dB pad, so if your source is overly loud you can cut 20 decibels immediately without adjusting your preamp.

Blue's the Name, Transparent is the Game

The Baby Bottle may say "Blue," but its sound is uncolored. From the gold-sputtered single-membrane large-diaphragm capsule, to the class A discrete electronics and transformerless output, Blue Microphones selected each and every part of this solid-state condenser microphone to deliver minimal coloration. In the real world, all this means you get a microphone with remarkably low self-noise and remarkably high output. If you find that the preamps on your audio interface get noticeably noisy as you crank them up, try this microphone on for size -- you'll love how the Baby Bottle's hot signal lets you capture a clean sound without driving your preamp gain as hard.

Features:

- Solid-state large-diaphragm condenser
- Fixed cardioid pickup pattern
- Detailed midrange and smooth, neutral top end
- Very accurate, uncolored sound with low self-noise
- 20 Hz - 20 kHz frequency response
- Discrete Class-A circuitry with transformerless output
- 100 Hz switchable high-pass filter
- Switchable -20dB pad
- Excellent multi-purpose mic on vocals and midrange-heavy instruments
- Includes wooden box, and custom shock mount

With its neutral, accurate top end and rich midrange presence, the Baby Bottle is truly a "go-to" microphone for vocals and guitar amps -- not to mention tough-to-record sources like violins, flutes and saxophone. And with its stunning Blue styling, this Baby looks like it costs twice as much as it does. Add some versatility to your mic collection with this remarkably accurate microphone.
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- Transducer Type: Condenser, Pressure Gradient
- Polar Pattern: Cardioid
- Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
- Sensitivity: 39.8 mV/Pa at 1 kHz (1 pa = 94 dB SPL)
- Output Impedance: 50 ohm
- Rate Load Impedance: not less than 1k ohm
- Maximum SPL: 134dB SPL (1k, THD 0.5%)
- S/N Ratio: 83.2 dB-A
- Noise Level: 10.8 dB
- Dynamic Range: 123.2 dB
- Power Requirements: +48V DC Phantom Power
- Weight: 410g
- Dimensions: 222.5mm x 51.5mm
- HPF: 100Hz, 12dB per octave
- PAD: -20dB
- Included Accessories: Wooden Storage Box, Custom shockmount

For support or warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer:
Phone: 818-879-5200

Blue Baby Bottle SL Cardioid Condenser

The Blue Baby Bottle SL is a cardioid condenser microphone that delivers classic sound and incredible versatility. With a richly present midrange, smooth top end, and neutral bottom, Baby Bottle SL is reminiscent of the world's finest vintage microphones. Featuring a high-pass filter and -20dB pad, Baby Bottle SL excels at adding a rich, classic vibe to nearly any sound source.

BEHIND THE MIC

Building on the success of the original Baby Bottle, the SL model features refined sonics, a streamlined build and versatile switches to capture the true character of your voice and bring classic mojo to acoustic guitars and other instruments. Baby Bottle SL is designed from top to bottom to inspire unforgettable performances.

INSIDE THE SOUND

The soul and swagger of Baby Bottle SL all starts with Blue's proprietary, hand-tuned capsule. The robust, gold-sputtered Mylar diaphragm features a machined brass backplate design that creates the signature warmth and presence Baby Bottle SL is known for. And custom Class-A discreet circuitry makes it the quietest mic in its class.

FLIP THE SWITCH

Baby Bottle SL features a switchable 100 Hz high-pass filter and -20dB pad to keep your sound pure regardless of vocal type, instrument or environment. Whether recording belting vocalists, loud guitar amps, drums and brass or capturing delicate vocals, strings or piano, Baby Bottle SL has the versatility to capture timeless tracks.

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Blue's Essential Series brings distinct tonal characteristics to your studio, allowing you to pair each voice and instrument with its perfect microphone counterpart. Check out each mic to build a mic locker any studio would envy.
- Spark SL: Detailed, transparent sound
- Bluebird SL: Modern, crystal-clear sound
- Baby Bottle SL: Classic warmth and presence
- Hummingbird: Extended highs with 180-degree pivoting head

Features:

- Warm, classic sonic signature that flatters an array of voices and instruments
- High output with richly detailed frequency response
- High-pass filter and -20dB pad for ultimate versatility
- Works great with home studio USB audio interfaces

Reviewers gave this product an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars. (2 ratings)
Submitted July 10, 2017 by Robert B in Roosevelt, NY

"My Blue Baby Bottle SL Cardioid Condenser"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
What else can I say except I'm having no issues with my purchase of my Blue Baby Bottle SL Cardioid Condenser microphone. It performs just fine in and around my sound studio. Would purchase a second and a third one in good time and do recommend to both friends in the industry and other new and up coming music producers alike. A great microphone and great value.
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