Which BLUE mic to fatten vocals?

Resonater · 11th February 2006

I know a female vocalist who has access to getting Blue equipment at a great price. She's looking for a mic that has lots of warmth, depth and dimension, silky highs, etc. Does anyone here know which Blue mics she should be looking at? I don't think she has access to getting the REAL expensive ones, but most others are probably attainable. Any info would be appreciated!

jomo1234 · 11th February 2006

The REAL expensive one is the Blue Bottle and perhaps The Cactus, which are both tube mics and probably the ones you should try...below that is the Kiwi, which is a FET mic, and also very nice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Resonater

I know a female vocalist who has access to getting Blue equipment at a great price. She's looking for a mic that has lots of warmth, depth and dimension, silky highs, etc. Does anyone here know which Blue mics she should be looking at? I don't think she has access to getting the REAL expensive ones, but most others are probably attainable. Any info would be appreciated!

ozraves · 11th February 2006

I'd also add the Blue Mouse to this list as it seems to click on some female vocalists.

b3beater · 11th February 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by jomo1234

The REAL expensive one is the Blue Bottle and perhaps The Cactus, which are both tube mics and probably the ones you should try...below that is the Kiwi, which is a FET mic, and also very nice.

I've owned the cactus and the kiwi and i have to say that they are some of the nicest sounding mics out there and most certainly the best in that price range. where most people spending in that range reach for a U87 your cash would be far better spend on a cactus. i've performed A/B test recording with those two and each time the cactus was a much better sounding mic

AB3 · 11th February 2006

I would ask Dave Pearlman to put a little blue on his mic and go for that. Only $1500. He might charge extra for the blue paint. I like it much better than the Kiwi. The Kiwi was ok. Just wasn't killer on anything. Was fine on a lot of things. You should probably make sure you get a high end mod for the Pearlman if you do not want too much high end on the female voice. (I also find a nice fat foam windscreen does the trick real well.

IMHO

Telecastr · 11th February 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by jomo1234

The REAL expensive one is the Blue Bottle and perhaps The Cactus, which are both tube mics and probably the ones you should try...below that is the Kiwi, which is a FET mic, and also very nice.

Atticus is selling a BLUE Cactus in classifieds section. Check it out

DAWgEAR · 11th February 2006

I've used the Kiwi, Cactus, Blueberry, Dragonfly, and Baby.

For vocals, I love the Kiwi. Excluding the Big Bottle which I have no experience with, I think it is the best value among the Blue mics. It is a very nice sounding mic. Slightly scooped in the mids with quite a bit of low and high end. The low mids, however are not super thick. It is definitely a bright mic, but the presence bump is subtle.

The Cactus is full bodied enough and silky smooth, but darkish. It excels on acoustic guitar in Omni, but I haven't liked it better than other mics on much else.

When you say "lots of warmth, depth and dimension, silky highs, etc", the Cactus does come to mind. But it is a mic with a strong personality that you might really like or really dislike on a particular singer. Definitely try before you buy.

Someone compared the Cactus to a U87 ... to me they are like apples and oranges. Maybe a U47? The Kiwi could possibly substitute for a U87, but in some ways it is opposite to the U87: the 87 has more solid mids and less down below and up top. The Kiwi, as I mentioned is thinner in the mids, with more extension down below and up top. More transparency and less punch than an 87.

For some reason, the Baby Bottle on vocals reminds me of Natalie Merchant.

Ruudman · 11th February 2006

Love the Cactus. Kinda' dark sometimes, but takes eq very well.

ruudman

PROAUDIOCHICAGO · 11th February 2006

The Mouse.

Had a big time producer sell us back his M149 and got a Mouse. Hasen't taken it down in a year. Even used it on the new AVANT album. He was searching for the perfect mic for a female artisit and fell in love with it, he even has a vintage U47.

Matt

rolo · 11th February 2006

hope this helps... i just bought a RED (by BLUE) type B body with their B7 (u47) capsule. i bought it on a whim, not expecting much, understanding that i could return it (minus a restock fee) if i did not like it... I was REALLY impressed!!!! what a great full bodied sound. the B7 cap was rich, and the vocals i tracked with it jumped out. another plus is that BLUE has a ton of different capsules you can buy to get a different sound, caps like the c12 and RCA emulations. it's a great choice for anyone.

slobbermonster · 11th February 2006

Get THE Bottle and never look back. I've got the Cactus, a pair of Bottles, and a pair of Baby Bottles. The bottle with a b6 or b7 is great on most females

Doublehelix · 12th February 2006

Get the Bottle all the way! Awesome beyond belief!

11th February 2006	#1
Resonater Lives for gear Joined: May 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 865 Thread Starter	Which BLUE mic to fatten vocals? I know a female vocalist who has access to getting Blue equipment at a great price. She's looking for a mic that has lots of warmth, depth and dimension, silky highs, etc. Does anyone here know which Blue mics she should be looking at? I don't think she has access to getting the REAL expensive ones, but most others are probably attainable. Any info would be appreciated! __________________ The Resonater

11th February 2006	#7
DAWgEAR Lives for gear Joined: Jul 2004 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,174	I've used the Kiwi, Cactus, Blueberry, Dragonfly, and Baby. For vocals, I love the Kiwi. Excluding the Big Bottle which I have no experience with, I think it is the best value among the Blue mics. It is a very nice sounding mic. Slightly scooped in the mids with quite a bit of low and high end. The low mids, however are not super thick. It is definitely a bright mic, but the presence bump is subtle. The Cactus is full bodied enough and silky smooth, but darkish. It excels on acoustic guitar in Omni, but I haven't liked it better than other mics on much else. When you say "lots of warmth, depth and dimension, silky highs, etc", the Cactus does come to mind. But it is a mic with a strong personality that you might really like or really dislike on a particular singer. Definitely try before you buy. Someone compared the Cactus to a U87 ... to me they are like apples and oranges. Maybe a U47? The Kiwi could possibly substitute for a U87, but in some ways it is opposite to the U87: the 87 has more solid mids and less down below and up top. The Kiwi, as I mentioned is thinner in the mids, with more extension down below and up top. More transparency and less punch than an 87. For some reason, the Baby Bottle on vocals reminds me of Natalie Merchant. __________________ " the wrist of the listener will always turn up the volume for you more effectively than any brick wall compression ever could." -- Stav from Mixing With Your Mind

11th February 2006	#10
rolo Lives for gear Joined: Apr 2005 Location: Texas by way of Neptune Posts: 2,433	red type b + b7 = love!!!! hope this helps... i just bought a RED (by BLUE) type B body with their B7 (u47) capsule. i bought it on a whim, not expecting much, understanding that i could return it (minus a restock fee) if i did not like it... I was REALLY impressed!!!! what a great full bodied sound. the B7 cap was rich, and the vocals i tracked with it jumped out. another plus is that BLUE has a ton of different capsules you can buy to get a different sound, caps like the c12 and RCA emulations. it's a great choice for anyone.

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11th February 2006	#3
ozraves Lives for gear Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,124	I'd also add the Blue Mouse to this list as it seems to click on some female vocalists.

11th February 2006	#5
AB3 Lives for gear Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 3,620	I would ask Dave Pearlman to put a little blue on his mic and go for that. Only $1500. He might charge extra for the blue paint. I like it much better than the Kiwi. The Kiwi was ok. Just wasn't killer on anything. Was fine on a lot of things. You should probably make sure you get a high end mod for the Pearlman if you do not want too much high end on the female voice. (I also find a nice fat foam windscreen does the trick real well. IMHO

11th February 2006	#8
Ruudman Lives for gear Joined: Mar 2003 Location: Norway Posts: 3,086	Love the Cactus. Kinda' dark sometimes, but takes eq very well. ruudman

11th February 2006	#9
PROAUDIOCHICAGO Gear interested Joined: Jan 2006 Location: Chicago Posts: 20	The Mouse. Had a big time producer sell us back his M149 and got a Mouse. Hasen't taken it down in a year. Even used it on the new AVANT album. He was searching for the perfect mic for a female artisit and fell in love with it, he even has a vintage U47. Matt

11th February 2006	#11
slobbermonster Gear maniac Joined: Nov 2004 Posts: 163	Get THE Bottle and never look back. I've got the Cactus, a pair of Bottles, and a pair of Baby Bottles. The bottle with a b6 or b7 is great on most females

12th February 2006	#12
Doublehelix Lives for gear Joined: Jan 2004 Location: USA Posts: 1,016	Get the Bottle all the way! Awesome beyond belief!