Korby KAT 4 or Blue Bottle ???

[xj32]

OK I have no vintage U##'s or any C-12's but still want a high end mic which could come close,

I am very intrigued by the Korby...

...but am wondering about the Blue Bottle.

If one got a Bottle with the stock b6 capsule and 3 extras they would be close to the same price.

Which would be a better choice in quality and investment. Blue is an older more established company with a track record, yet Korby seems to be getting great press here.

PV

[xj32]

Ok after I posted this I saw a similar thread about a year ago saying the Korby was the better of the two...

...would that still be the popular opinion ? and why do folks not warm up to the bottle ?

I am really looking for the 47 sound (who isn't) and the KAT 4 seems to be the most versatile, yet like I said the bottle uses classic recreation capsules as well.

PV

[mwagener]

We've had the Korby in for testing during some of the workshops and IMO it's a great sounding, well built system. Korby also offers fine tuning of the capsule to your liking, so if you wanted a 67 capsule with a bit more top end, they can do that for you. And they are really nice people

Havent' heard the bottle yet, so no comments there.

[xj32]

Thanks Michael,

This mic is so tempting to save for.

Have you found a favorite head of the 4?


PV

[RoundBadge]

I have a KAt-4 too,great solid package..the 67 head is my overall fav..although i use a real 47 when I need a 47 sound..just nothing like the real dealstike

[mwagener]

Originally Posted by xj32

Thanks Michael,

This mic is so tempting to save for.

Have you found a favorite head of the 4?


PV

The 67 is great for femal vocals and the 251 sounds very nice on male vocals

[True North]

OK, the PAT answer is to try and get both and test them side by side and amongst other mics. I am not trying to cop out here, but if you are spending that kind of dough try it out first. I did a fairly extensive mic shootout on this site which you can search under Mega Mic Shootout. We tested over 20 mics in blind listening tests. I liked the concept of the Korby and I really wanted it to perform over the others we were testing. The mics on their own sounded great but when I put them head to head they didn't make the top of my list nor anyone elses that did the listening tests.

Much like Roundbadge my fave capsule was the U67. We tried to get a Blue Bottle for testing but unfortunately they were out of stock. For the money you are willing to spend on a Kat 4 you can probably get a couple of REALLY nice mics as well. I wouldn't get too caught up in the coolness of the system (I was captivated). Hook up with a good retailer who will work with you on sending you mics to test out and ALWAYS listen to the mic in the context of others in order to get proper perspective. Whenever possible also try and do blind listening tests. In the end you may like the Korby's but listen first.

Good Luck

[RoundBadge]

And also remember the Kat 4 sytsem is tunable..
I had my 67 cap matched to an old 67 I love..they sound the same now.. and work for stereo stuff perfectlythumbsup

[Doublehelix]

I am not familiar with the Korby system, but please don't ever rule out the Blue Bottle. It is an AMAZING mic. Amazing in every way.

[GYang]

Like them both equally, Bottle is great mic and various capsules offer different flavors.
In my case KAT4 covers many needs, with tweakability, it could be more versatile, but IMO no system is better, they are indeed in same boat

[Etnier]

I'll chime in as a long-term Bottle owner, with B6 and B7 capsules. I have loved this mic since purchase, and the support from B.L.U.E. has been nothing short of stellar. Can't speak comparatively as regards the Korby, however.

One very nice thing about the B.L.U.E. is the availability of the Red Type B (& A*?) bodies, which permit use of more than one Bottle capsule in-session at the same time. The B mic body is B.L.U.E. quality all the way, class-A phantom powered and very reasonable in price. It's neat to be able to maximize the investment at low cost ($450.00 w/shockmount and cable, shipped). Plus these bodies are much more compact than the Bottle (its one weakness IMHO), which can be useful at times.

I found this interesting-
http://www.vintagemicrophone.com/JSh...peB_review.pdf

*I'm not sure if the "A" (tube) variant ever went into production.

[Gregg Sartiano]

Short-term, I don't think either would be an investment $$$-wise. I've seen folks on craigslist L.A. and GS classifieds trying to dump them (Bottle and Korby mics) -- not cheap, but reasonably priced. It's a hard sell -- I mean, for that $$$, a lot of people will spend the extra $1k (or so) to get EXACTLY what they want & brand new.

In 10 years, who knows which one will be the more 'vintage?' If they both sound great (I know the KAT 4 does), I think it'll have more to do with which artists and producers swear by them -- you know, the Jimmy Page/Supro amp effect.

People who with more money than sense who wanna throw $$$ at a studio tend to buy the most expensive mic (or pre, or guitar, etc.) at Guitar Center when they put together their studios and this would be...the BLUE Bottle. I bet there are a few of 'em out there, waiting to acquire "vintage-ness..."

You know the type -- some people spend months on the internet debating, and some go directly to GC with the credit card. The latter will never purchase a boutique piece.

[Etnier]

I didn't use the word 'investment' in the way you took it.
I just meant: as long as I paid all this $$$ for a pair of capsules, it's nice to be able to use them both now.