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As a music producer I was very familiar with Blue, their Microphones and the Blue Bottle Tube microphones. I was also familiar with their £3,215.00 price tag which was a little too rich for my blood! You can imagine how ecstatic I got then when I answered the door to be confronted with this amazing microphone, all boxed up, with my name on it awaiting review. The Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System is at least 3 times more expensive than my most expensive microphone so I was very keen to get this out and to start using it right away to see if it was really worth it's weight in gold.
The first thing to note here is that the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System is huge in comparison to any of my other microphones. It is 14.75" long and 4" wide. It comes housed in a very large, sturdy looking, blue flight case that holds the microphone body, the B6 capsule, the tube based power supply, some keys so you can lock the flight case and the custom cable you will need to connect the microphone to the power supply. The Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System comes in a striking Blue colour and let me tell you, I have never seen so many people impressed with a piece of equipment before. Various artists and bands coming through the studio were asking how much it cost and were generally overly flattering about how amazing this piece of gear looked in my studio. So, before anything else I must congratulate Blue on an excellent piece of design work. Think of this microphone aesthetically (if you will) as the equivalent of a Bentley, whenever someone comes into contact with it they a) know it's expensive and b) are fascinated by it's beauty.
People might be fooled into thinking that BLUE is called this because all of their microphones are coloured Blue. Not quite. BLUE stands for Baltic Latvian Universal Electronics and is the brainchild of Skipper Wise. However, that being said though, the majority of these microphones are Blue with one in five being either red, yellow or green. What is also crazy to note is that Blue actually manufacture everything that is used in their microphones themselves down to the screws that hold it all together! For me this is impressive stuff and really helps to begin to justify the hefty price tag this Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System has - that is even before you hear it, which in itself justifies it's price tag many times over.
Unpacking
As previously stated, the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System is HUGE. 14.75" long, is approximately 4-5lbs in weight and stands tall and proud when placed on any microphone stand. The included power supply is even more impressive (and heavy), has a big dial on the front and looks like it would be perfectly at home on a alien spacecraft. The first thing I did was open the bad boy up to see what was inside. What hit me was an overly neat setup with very quality parts throughout, lets go back to the car analogy here; in comparison to other vintage systems I have looked at the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System is a Rolls Royce while the others are a run of the mill Ford.
The power supply on this review unit was designed for one microphone and had no polar pattern switching capabilities. It does have one big dial on the front though that allows you to increase or decrease the B+ Voltage. Optimized for 60V (0 on the dial) you can step this up to 90V (+ on the dial), or down to 34V (- on the dial). Changing this setting changes the sound of the microphone quite drastically and is great for setting the sensitivity requirement for your particular scenario. Imagine if you will that the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System was used as a room mic. You will want to have this at 34V so that it doesn't peak when the drummer is whacking the crap out of his kit. For vocals however you might want 60V and for soft spoken words, whack the dial up to 90V. It is also worth noting that there are a bunch of settings in between this which allow you to set this according to you scenario.
Due to this being a Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System, you guessed it, it needs to warm up for a good few minutes before you can start using it so that the tube circuitry warms up accordingly. When you power the thing on, the first thing it does is turns on the heater. Once the cathode is heated you need to wait a further three minutes before usage can commence. BLUE manufacture a multitude of different, lollypop shaped capsules for use with this microphone system. This review unit came with the B6 cardioid (dual backplate, like an AKG CK 12) but also available are:
Manufacturers Blurb:
In Use
Blatantly extremely excited by this point, I had unpacked the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System, I had set it up with an sE Electronics Reflexion Filter behind it and I had waited patiently for the thing to warm up and be ready and then my test was off. Before I go into detail I just want to let you know that I have used the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System in hundreds of sessions of varying genres. In fact, after trying the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System just once ALL of my other microphones were retired (well almost - still using overheads and close up mics like SM57s). It really is that good. From the moment you hear something come through this you appreciate the beauty, design and quality of this microphone. One of my first uses was as a room Mic on a drumkit and let me tell you, the quality coming through this one microphone was better than many peoples drum productions are fully completed, with just one microphone and no effects. If ever you've asked yourself, what is the difference between my productions and some more recognized producer and the answer is simple. Quality gear. The minute you use this you will be able to hear what this will do for your future productions and respective career.
The Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System with the B6 capsule sounds so good. It has a lovely rounded sound, with great bass response and presence with equally good treble range and presence. As it's a tube mic it adds warmth kind of like a tube guitar amp does and, in a way, will help to de-digitalize many recordings by falsifying the warmth of tape.
My main uses for this were as a room mic for drums (my drum mixes never sounded so big and warm) and primarily for vocals which is where the microphone comes into it's own again. However, this is not to say this is all the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System can be used for. I used it on acoustic guitar, double basses and a bunch of other acoustic and percussive instruments and every single one of them sounded great. Manipulating such a quality sound source made my production output quality fly up the ranks. Whereas previously I was able to make a good input source sound excellent, here I had an excellent sound source and could tweak it to sound amazing.
If you put the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System in front of a great vocalist it's extra brightness helps to give a vocal sheen that just isn't available through a plugin. Another thing worth noting is how loud the output of the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System was, it needed the gain set on my preamps to about a quarter to get it blasting through the speakers where as a comparison mic would need that same gain to be set at three quarters.
In Summary
Well let me start by saying that yesterday I boxed up the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System and set up a UPS collection to take it back to BLUE. I must admit that this microphone was so damn good that this made me cry a little, not literally but on the inside. After using the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System on Pop bands all the way up to Death Metal bands. I even used it for the production of my first ever sample pack, I just couldn't imagine life without it. Imagine it, if you will, as if your girlfriend or wife that you love to bits were to leave you. How you would feel? That's right, gutted. Well I was going through that exact same feeling, hurt and sadness sending the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System back to BLUE.
Yes the price tag is hefty but honestly it is worth the investment. Something like this won't go down in value and in fact might be worth more the longer you hold onto it. The three grand or so it will cost you to own one will be quickly recouped once the community starts hearing the extra quality output coming from your studio as a result of the purchase of this. Sadly for me now my saving up begins for my own purchase of one of these Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System's because seriously, I really cannot do without it now I have experienced it. It would be like giving me a 60" HD TV for a month and then expecting me to go back to my 17" LCD at the end of it. Sure they both work but one just offers greater quality and overall experience than the other.
Plus as music producer there really is no bigger fashion statement than this. If you are ever in a studio that has a Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System then you know you are in safe hands. If you are lucky enough to be in a studio that uses two Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System's as overheads then sit back and enjoy your recording because it is likely to come out great. Turns out that the old adage is true, you really do get what you pay for in life, invest in a high end microphone like this and it will make you more money back because of the increased quality of your work.
Sobs. I miss you Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System.
Pros
£3,474.99
Buy Now Link:
Blue Microphones Bottle
REVIEWER RATING:
97%
The first thing to note here is that the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System is huge in comparison to any of my other microphones. It is 14.75" long and 4" wide. It comes housed in a very large, sturdy looking, blue flight case that holds the microphone body, the B6 capsule, the tube based power supply, some keys so you can lock the flight case and the custom cable you will need to connect the microphone to the power supply. The Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System comes in a striking Blue colour and let me tell you, I have never seen so many people impressed with a piece of equipment before. Various artists and bands coming through the studio were asking how much it cost and were generally overly flattering about how amazing this piece of gear looked in my studio. So, before anything else I must congratulate Blue on an excellent piece of design work. Think of this microphone aesthetically (if you will) as the equivalent of a Bentley, whenever someone comes into contact with it they a) know it's expensive and b) are fascinated by it's beauty.
People might be fooled into thinking that BLUE is called this because all of their microphones are coloured Blue. Not quite. BLUE stands for Baltic Latvian Universal Electronics and is the brainchild of Skipper Wise. However, that being said though, the majority of these microphones are Blue with one in five being either red, yellow or green. What is also crazy to note is that Blue actually manufacture everything that is used in their microphones themselves down to the screws that hold it all together! For me this is impressive stuff and really helps to begin to justify the hefty price tag this Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System has - that is even before you hear it, which in itself justifies it's price tag many times over.
Unpacking
As previously stated, the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System is HUGE. 14.75" long, is approximately 4-5lbs in weight and stands tall and proud when placed on any microphone stand. The included power supply is even more impressive (and heavy), has a big dial on the front and looks like it would be perfectly at home on a alien spacecraft. The first thing I did was open the bad boy up to see what was inside. What hit me was an overly neat setup with very quality parts throughout, lets go back to the car analogy here; in comparison to other vintage systems I have looked at the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System is a Rolls Royce while the others are a run of the mill Ford.
The power supply on this review unit was designed for one microphone and had no polar pattern switching capabilities. It does have one big dial on the front though that allows you to increase or decrease the B+ Voltage. Optimized for 60V (0 on the dial) you can step this up to 90V (+ on the dial), or down to 34V (- on the dial). Changing this setting changes the sound of the microphone quite drastically and is great for setting the sensitivity requirement for your particular scenario. Imagine if you will that the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System was used as a room mic. You will want to have this at 34V so that it doesn't peak when the drummer is whacking the crap out of his kit. For vocals however you might want 60V and for soft spoken words, whack the dial up to 90V. It is also worth noting that there are a bunch of settings in between this which allow you to set this according to you scenario.
Due to this being a Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System, you guessed it, it needs to warm up for a good few minutes before you can start using it so that the tube circuitry warms up accordingly. When you power the thing on, the first thing it does is turns on the heater. Once the cathode is heated you need to wait a further three minutes before usage can commence. BLUE manufacture a multitude of different, lollypop shaped capsules for use with this microphone system. This review unit came with the B6 cardioid (dual backplate, like an AKG CK 12) but also available are:
- the B7 cardioid (single backplate, like a Neumann M7);
- the B5 pressure omni;
- the B4 Perspex sphere pressure omni (like used on the Neumann M50);
- the B3 midsize cardioid;
- B0 bright by itself;
Manufacturers Blurb:
The Bottle is Blue’s flagship recording tool and its highest achievement in quality and innovation. The Bottle combines low noise and superb transient response integrated with a system of interchangeable capsules, the Bottle Caps. In an instant, the bayonet-mounted Bottle Caps can be exchanged to provide different tonal characteristics and pickup patterns while the included power supply remains on. The Class A discrete amplifier circuit of the Bottle is a thoroughly modern homage to the past, with a design utilizing a single hand-selected EF86 pentode vacuum tube in triode mode. The Bottle is the definition of craftsmanship, with hand-assembled custom components found throughout. With eight different Bottle Caps to choose from, the Bottle provides the ultimate recording experience for any application.
In Use
Blatantly extremely excited by this point, I had unpacked the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System, I had set it up with an sE Electronics Reflexion Filter behind it and I had waited patiently for the thing to warm up and be ready and then my test was off. Before I go into detail I just want to let you know that I have used the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System in hundreds of sessions of varying genres. In fact, after trying the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System just once ALL of my other microphones were retired (well almost - still using overheads and close up mics like SM57s). It really is that good. From the moment you hear something come through this you appreciate the beauty, design and quality of this microphone. One of my first uses was as a room Mic on a drumkit and let me tell you, the quality coming through this one microphone was better than many peoples drum productions are fully completed, with just one microphone and no effects. If ever you've asked yourself, what is the difference between my productions and some more recognized producer and the answer is simple. Quality gear. The minute you use this you will be able to hear what this will do for your future productions and respective career.
The Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System with the B6 capsule sounds so good. It has a lovely rounded sound, with great bass response and presence with equally good treble range and presence. As it's a tube mic it adds warmth kind of like a tube guitar amp does and, in a way, will help to de-digitalize many recordings by falsifying the warmth of tape.
My main uses for this were as a room mic for drums (my drum mixes never sounded so big and warm) and primarily for vocals which is where the microphone comes into it's own again. However, this is not to say this is all the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System can be used for. I used it on acoustic guitar, double basses and a bunch of other acoustic and percussive instruments and every single one of them sounded great. Manipulating such a quality sound source made my production output quality fly up the ranks. Whereas previously I was able to make a good input source sound excellent, here I had an excellent sound source and could tweak it to sound amazing.
If you put the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System in front of a great vocalist it's extra brightness helps to give a vocal sheen that just isn't available through a plugin. Another thing worth noting is how loud the output of the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System was, it needed the gain set on my preamps to about a quarter to get it blasting through the speakers where as a comparison mic would need that same gain to be set at three quarters.
In Summary
Well let me start by saying that yesterday I boxed up the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System and set up a UPS collection to take it back to BLUE. I must admit that this microphone was so damn good that this made me cry a little, not literally but on the inside. After using the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System on Pop bands all the way up to Death Metal bands. I even used it for the production of my first ever sample pack, I just couldn't imagine life without it. Imagine it, if you will, as if your girlfriend or wife that you love to bits were to leave you. How you would feel? That's right, gutted. Well I was going through that exact same feeling, hurt and sadness sending the Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System back to BLUE.
Yes the price tag is hefty but honestly it is worth the investment. Something like this won't go down in value and in fact might be worth more the longer you hold onto it. The three grand or so it will cost you to own one will be quickly recouped once the community starts hearing the extra quality output coming from your studio as a result of the purchase of this. Sadly for me now my saving up begins for my own purchase of one of these Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System's because seriously, I really cannot do without it now I have experienced it. It would be like giving me a 60" HD TV for a month and then expecting me to go back to my 17" LCD at the end of it. Sure they both work but one just offers greater quality and overall experience than the other.
Plus as music producer there really is no bigger fashion statement than this. If you are ever in a studio that has a Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System then you know you are in safe hands. If you are lucky enough to be in a studio that uses two Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System's as overheads then sit back and enjoy your recording because it is likely to come out great. Turns out that the old adage is true, you really do get what you pay for in life, invest in a high end microphone like this and it will make you more money back because of the increased quality of your work.
Sobs. I miss you Blue Bottle Tube Microphone System.
Pros
- Looks amazing
- Sounds better than any other mic I have yet to try
- Quality of workmanship and finish is excellent
- A Microphone fashion statement if ever there was one
- Price makes it out of reach for many
£3,474.99
Buy Now Link:
Blue Microphones Bottle
REVIEWER RATING:
97%
