BeesNeez Oliver - Keen to get your opinions on it

[anguswoodhead]

Anyone bought a BeesNeez Oliver?
Keen to get your opinions on it.

Studio Series - Oliver - K47C Style Tube Mic - BeesNeez Microphones on-line shopping

[anguswoodhead]

[prontold]

Hmmm, I wonder why there hasn't been any publicity on this mic. Would be interested to hear opinions as I am considering saving up to eventually get a beesneez tube mic.

[anguswoodhead]

When I spoke to Ben he mentioned that the Oliver has similarities in sound to the Arabella. (All Australian made etc too.)
So I'm amazed they're not selling a truck load of them.
Maybe they are but not to Gearslutz members.

[Drewstead]

I’ve owned an Oliver for a few days now and as nobody else seems to have one….here are my thoughts on it.

It has a very lush, slightly smokey sound and seems to suit softer vocals really well. It has very forward mids and so far everything I’ve recorded on it has needed some sort of cut in the midrange, but it takes eq very well and sounds very smooth after processing.

I actually bought it for voiceover work but it’s just too smooth a sound for VO. I’d take various Neumann’s or an SM7B over it any day for speech.

Overall though it’s sounding great on vocals so far and looks very nice up in the studio (the colour looks much nicer in the flesh than it does on the website pic).

I’m hoping to try it out on another vocalist and maybe acoustic guitar early next week so if there’s time I’ll put some samples together.

[Veronica Sneesby]

Originally Posted by prontold

Hmmm, I wonder why there hasn't been any publicity on this mic. Would be interested to hear opinions as I am considering saving up to eventually get a beesneez tube mic.

Hi, the Oliver has only just had its official release on the New Product Forum. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Cheers
Veronica

[prontold]

Originally Posted by Drewstead

I’ve owned an Oliver for a few days now and as nobody else seems to have one….here are my thoughts on it.

It has a very lush, slightly smokey sound and seems to suit softer vocals really well. It has very forward mids and so far everything I’ve recorded on it has needed some sort of cut in the midrange, but it takes eq very well and sounds very smooth after processing.

I actually bought it for voiceover work but it’s just too smooth a sound for VO. I’d take various Neumann’s or an SM7B over it any day for speech.

Overall though it’s sounding great on vocals so far and looks very nice up in the studio (the colour looks much nicer in the flesh than it does on the website pic).

I’m hoping to try it out on another vocalist and maybe acoustic guitar early next week so if there’s time I’ll put some samples together.

Samples would be really great! Hope you make em

[tallpaul]

i got one yesterday. build quality looks good of mic. power supply, so so.
left it on all night and tested it this morning. stock RME ff400 pre. had a quick shuffle through the different patterns and recorded various takes changing position, pitch and volume of vocal. then tried on just cardiod with a vocal in a sparse mix. good mid-range which is what i was hoping for with my voice. forward and takes reverb well. the highs are a concern in as much as they need eqing. there is a harshness. i expected rolled off highs. i'll try variation of pattern settings before making a final verdict as well as addressing the mic off axis. it could also be the quality of tube or power supply. its a mid-price range mic.

[tallpaul]

the harshness is dominating my time which is a shame as i want to be enjoying the mid- range. will try further surgery with eq. i've tried mixing up the polar patterns with cardiod mixed with a varying degrees of omni. i can get rid of the harshness that way but then the mid range suffers. i want to like this mic after the time it took to get here (christmas, bad weather, poor couriers, etc). i'll persevere...

[tallpaul]

not for me...oh well!

[anguswoodhead]

I would try a decent mic pre first - maybe a Neve etc...

[tallpaul]

i would expect a mic that is described by the manufacturer as having natural highs to not be this harsh through RME pres. i am disappointed. in this price range, this microphone seems to be aimed at the market where people do not have a selection of expensive pre amps to try. the RME pres are not the best, granted, but have proven to be perfectly adequate with other microphones. maybe i was just expecting too much from them when paired from a tube mic. or maybe i was expecting a $999 microphone to sound better than it is actually possible for the money. looking at the PSU. the budget power cable and generic no brand connectors, it is obvious that this is a budget microphone as far as power supply is concerned. the shock absorber/cradle works well but i only used the spring clamp twice, once to mount the mic and once to take it out. the locking nut to attach the mount to the mic stand feels weak. i've tightened many locking devices in my life and can feel the difference, especially in the last little turn to get it to lock.i would say that all the parts except the mic are mass made by other manufacturers. i didn't open either the mic or power supply to check component quality. the mic has a component spec on the beesneez website, albeit lacking in precise details as well as lacking any sort of benchmark test with which i could compare my mic. the mic feels heavy and is well finished. these are my impressions purely from a visual inspection. the sound i have described above with my pre in my room (completely treated and tested). my monitoring chain has also had particular attention to detail in response to signal integrity both digitally and analogue. in other situations results might differ, but then i would have to wonder where all of a sudden this harshness appeared from in my set-up if not from the mic or its power supply. yes, it could be the pre. maybe a coloured pre would tame that harshness. if a natural high was not the claimed performance by beesneez, then that could be an option but not a realistic one for the mid-range market.

as usual, people should demo mics for themselves and not take it as gospel everything they read. i've been honest in my opinion...

Originally Posted by anguswoodhead

I would try a decent mic pre first - maybe a Neve etc...

[anguswoodhead]

Originally Posted by tallpaul

i would expect a mic that is described by the manufacturer as having natural highs to not be this harsh through RME pres. i am disappointed.

Have you considered that it could be your voice that has the harshness and the mic is just capturing your natural sound...

[tallpaul]

exactly why people should demo mics for themselves!

Originally Posted by anguswoodhead

Have you considered that it could be your voice that has the harshness and the mic is just capturing your natural sound...

[anguswoodhead]

It sounds like you need a different sound.
Why not email Ben.
I'm pretty sure he would be happy to swap the Oliver for a different Studio Series mic.
Explain what you're hearing and get his recommendation.
There will be the perfect mic for you in his range somewhere.

Maybe the Shelise http://www.beesneezmicrophones.com.a...d&productId=93
You may even be able to just send the mic back to save freight costs.
I'm pretty certain the power supply, mount and tube cable will work for both mics.

[tallpaul]

as always, from my distant memory comes the teaching "a bad workman always blames his tools"! this was ONLY my opinion based on 48 hrs of ownership within MY constraints, both in talent and ability, coupled with my studio set-up. objective to me but subjective if parameters were to be changed by others.

[tallpaul]

i e-mailed him. guess they are busy as i have not had a reply. i like the mid range of this microphone. i'm wondering if a tube change would do something about the highs. the website is only brief on the type of tube used. no specific number. do you know what it is, Angus?

Originally Posted by anguswoodhead

It sounds like you need a different sound.
Why not email Ben.
I'm pretty sure he would be happy to swap the Oliver for a different Studio Series mic.
Explain what you're hearing and get his recommendation.
There will be the perfect mic for you in his range somewhere.

Maybe the Shelise Studio Series - Shelise - CK12 Style Studio Series Tube Mic - BeesNeez Microphones on-line shopping
You may even be able to just send the mic back to save freight costs.
I'm pretty certain the power supply, mount and tube cable will work for both mics.

[Drewstead]

I was told the tube is a Raytheon 5702 NOS tube.

I'm surprised you found the top end particularly harsh. While it's certainly a brighter mic it doesn't sound any harsher than a U87ai to me. When compared to an SM7B with presence boost on, I found it to be less sibilant and no more forward at the top.

A wide cut in the upper mids always seemed to tame it to the right sound for me if it was too forward.

I don't have bias toward BN, the customer service I received was pretty bad so I doubt I’ll buy from them again. But the mic seems decent, and would sound great on a well matched voice.

I suspect it just doesn't suit your voice and you got unlucky, like you say always best to demo any mic out before buying. I'm selling my Oliver because I bought it for VO work and it's not right for that. You live and learn.

[beju]

I just put my review of the Oliver in the review section...