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Post by Vincent R. on Sept 12, 2023 7:01:56 GMT -6
I think many of us saw the writing on the wall well before this was official, but here it is. BLUE microphones are no more. This article came out earlier this summer, so I'm probably late to the party.
I know BLUE had a divisive beginning due to their "restoration" of older mics. I came into BLUE mics later when I got myself in front of a BLUE Kiwi. We had it next to my U87ai, and were shooting it out with a breathy, female blues vocalist. I of course had to try it. It seemed both less honky in the mid range and cleaner sounding over all. We were all impressed with it.
When I built my first rig, my cousin, who at the time was a professional mastering engineer out here in NY, helped me put it together and recommended a few pieces of gear as I grew; a Dan Alexander Preamp, a BLUE Cactus, or a BLUE Bottle with all the main vocal capsules. He had worked at well known studio which had plenty of vintage mics, but had seen them loose out to the BLUE mics for one reason or another on various projects or at least BLUE kept up with the classics.
I never managed to grab a Cactus, and probably don't need one now. I only ended up with the BLUE Bottle Rocket Stage II. I do wish I had grabbed the Bottle at some point. I still may if I can nab a deal on one, but then you have to track down all the capsules. It's hard to justify it when you can grab 4 or 5 mics from companies like BeesNeez for the same cost. I still own my BLUE Woodpecker, which seems to feels like a middle ground between a Ribbon and a Condenser. I've been present for some fantastic acoustic guitars recorded with the BLUE Baby Bottle, and heard a fantastic sax recording done at the same studio with the BLUE Dragonfly. I think they had some good mics, but the budget mic range is what sold, and it is a shame. Oh, well.
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Post by drumsound on Sept 12, 2023 7:49:58 GMT -6
It's really a shame. I like the Dragonflies the few times I got to use them, and was also very close to getting a Cactus at one point, but found a great deal on a refurbished CMV563 with M7.
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Post by Vincent R. on Sept 12, 2023 8:05:37 GMT -6
It's really a shame. I like the Dragonflies the few times I got to use them, and was also very close to getting a Cactus at one point, but found a great deal on a refurbished CMV563 with M7. That was me. I was looking for a deal on a Cactus and found one on a Pearlman TM1 with Neumann and Telefunken parts... no brainer. |
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Post by notneeson on Sept 12, 2023 8:28:39 GMT -6
Yeah, the original Blue Kiwi was one of the first really nice mics I spent quality time with on the AE side of the glass. That thing, into an OG BAE 312 was one hell of a mono drum capture. Total revelation for me at the time.
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Post by andersmv on Sept 12, 2023 8:53:37 GMT -6
Ya, I've been thinking about grabbing a Kiwi again the last few weeks before they start being crazy/stupid money. I loved my Kiwi, but sold it to grab some warmer sounding mics. Now I've got some stuff that kind of covers the ballpark of the Kiwi sonically, so I don't know how useful it would be to me. Still great mics, it's too bad they couldn't make things work.
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Post by Ward on Sept 12, 2023 9:00:23 GMT -6
Sad to see them disappear. They lost their way some time ago, but the legacy and some of the mics were great and worthy of note.
I have a Kiwi, Woodpecker (amazing ribbon), Baby Bottle as well as one of the Oktava MC12's with the Red (Blue) CK12 heads on it. All useful, but all very bright microphones!
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Post by nick8801 on Sept 12, 2023 11:38:50 GMT -6
Always wanted a Cactus. They just look super cool too!
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Post by aremos on Sept 12, 2023 11:47:36 GMT -6
Wasn't there a connection between Blue & JZ?
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Post by Vincent R. on Sept 12, 2023 12:01:53 GMT -6
Wasn't there a connection between Blue & JZ? Violet microphones, which became JZ. I believe they were their initial OEM manufacturer. When they moved on and Violet started manufacturing their own versions of BLUE's microphones. BLUE sued them and won. They had to stop producing the mics that BLUE had on their roster. The Violet lollipops will work on the BLUE Bottles, and people seem to like them very much. |
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Post by Ward on Sept 12, 2023 12:25:35 GMT -6
Always wanted a Cactus. They just look super cool too! They sound ok . . . not stellar but pretty darned good. IMHE: A little more grit than a Kiwi, and a little less top end. Depending on application, or voice, somewhere between a 67 and an 87 but without that bold midrange magic. If memory serves me correctly. I didn't have a whole lot of time with one, but that was my initial reactions. I probably posted those thoughts on GSlutz 10 or so years ago. |
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Post by guitfiddler on Sept 12, 2023 12:28:09 GMT -6
How does that woodpecker sound? It looks really nice. Always interested, but never tried one. I’m also quite fond of the Dragonfly after hearing a Tommy Emmanuel recording in which this mic was used on his acoustic, thought it sounded really bold, full, and very nice for acoustic.
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Post by Ward on Sept 12, 2023 13:26:17 GMT -6
How does that woodpecker sound? It looks really nice. Always interested, but never tried one. I’m also quite fond of the Dragonfly after hearing a Tommy Emmanuel recording in which this mic was used on his acoustic, thought it sounded really bold, full, and very nice for acoustic. It's a ribbon that is trying really REALLY hard to be a condenser. It has all that extension and reach but remains true to being a ribbon. I've seen them online for as little as $350. I think I paid $450 for mine. Mint with the shock mount. Crazy value/ |
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Post by guitfiddler on Sept 12, 2023 13:34:55 GMT -6
How does that woodpecker sound? It looks really nice. Always interested, but never tried one. I’m also quite fond of the Dragonfly after hearing a Tommy Emmanuel recording in which this mic was used on his acoustic, thought it sounded really bold, full, and very nice for acoustic. It's a ribbon that is trying really REALLY hard to be a condenser. It has all that extension and reach but remains true to being a ribbon. I've seen them online for as little as $350. I think I paid $450 for mine. Mint with the shock mount. Crazy value/ That sounds very interesting |
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Post by jacobamerritt on Sept 12, 2023 14:07:11 GMT -6
JZ mics seem to have carried on the torch of more 'higher end' pro microphones that Blue was making (ironically perhaps due to the breakup)... Seems Blue leaned into the lower end and it backfired on them?
I had a JZ V67 that sounded absolutely awesome.
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Post by markfouxman on Sept 12, 2023 14:10:12 GMT -6
The BLUE was sold a few times. The best microphones were built in Latvia. Later on they moved the production to China to a small private factory, so the quality was still very good.
I don't remember when Martins Saulespurens (the founder) and Skipper sold the company, but still stayed, so the microphone line was still great. After they parted with the company the microphones line started its decline, so in quite a few last years there was no really good new design... Other designs were questionable. For example, despite great publicity their new headphones did not have any success, so BLUE had to discontinue them very soon after launching...
Best, M
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Post by copperx on Sept 12, 2023 14:12:36 GMT -6
I had a JZ V67 that sounded absolutely awesome. Why did you get rid of it? |
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Post by chessparov on Sept 12, 2023 15:07:30 GMT -6
I had a Blue Baby Bottle SL. That was the end of the road of incarnations. Gave as a gift to a Family I'm close with. They already had all the connections in place. Capice?  (Sorry but just watched the amazing Bert Berns Documentary/based on Joel Selvin's book) Chris |
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Post by jacobamerritt on Sept 12, 2023 15:11:31 GMT -6
I had a JZ V67 that sounded absolutely awesome. Why did you get rid of it? I didn't love the mounting system, felt a bit too esoteric and fiddly. Others love it though, it can be adjusted to virtually any angle. Just not for me. |
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Post by Ward on Sept 12, 2023 16:00:25 GMT -6
I had a Blue Baby Bottle SL. That was the end of the road of incarnations. Gave as a gift to a Family I'm close with. They already had all the connections in place. Capice? (Sorry but just watched the amazing Bert Berns Documentary/based on Joel Selvin's book) Chris sorry, I don't Caprice. |
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Post by the other mark williams on Sept 12, 2023 16:11:27 GMT -6
I've noticed a number of YouTubers using their USB mics. It does seem like as a company they started pursuing the low budget part of the market several years ago, which just rarely seems to work out for very many companies.
I oddly enough remember attending a mastering session for one of my own albums many years ago at an excellent mastering house. It had been mixed to analog, and the ME was hooking up his tape machine to his rig at the beginning of the session. He said, "let's try a few different XLR cables from the tape machine to the mastering desk to see what we like best." I remember thinking at the time there was absolutely no way I would be able to hear a difference in cables. I don't remember what the first cable was. I just remember the second cable was the BLUE Quad mic cable -- the one that had a green outer jacket. The song sounded completely different, and in a good way. I was floored. I did not expect that outcome, and it wasn't the ME convincing me there was a difference or anything. I heard immediately with my own ears. Total shocker to me at the time.
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Post by copperx on Sept 12, 2023 16:31:12 GMT -6
I just remember the second cable was the BLUE Quad mic cable -- the one that had a green outer jacket. The song sounded completely different, and in a good way. I was floored. I did not expect that outcome, and it wasn't the ME convincing me there was a difference or anything. I heard immediately with my own ears. Total shocker to me at the time. I don't believe that cables sound differently; HOWEVER, I think Canare quad mic cable sounds better (or maybe just different) than standard cables. Perhaps the capacitance of the quad cable combined with the low level of microphone output actually changes the sound a bit (?). I don't think I'm crazy, because I have never been able to distinguish cable sound differences with instrument or line-level sources after lots and lots of A/Bing. Maybe there's an EE explanation for this. |
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Post by drumsound on Sept 12, 2023 16:42:14 GMT -6
It's really a shame. I like the Dragonflies the few times I got to use them, and was also very close to getting a Cactus at one point, but found a great deal on a refurbished CMV563 with M7. That was me. I was looking for a deal on a Cactus and found one on a Pearlman TM1 with Neumann and Telefunken parts... no brainer. I sold an early silver Pearlman TM1 [that may have been Ozzy's] with a Peluso capsule and replaced it with the CMV563. If it had a Neumann capsule, maybe I would have kept it... |
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Post by drumsound on Sept 12, 2023 16:57:14 GMT -6
JZ mics seem to have carried on the torch of more 'higher end' pro microphones that Blue was making (ironically perhaps due to the breakup)... Seems Blue leaned into the lower end and it backfired on them?I had a JZ V67 that sounded absolutely awesome. I'm not sure it backfired from a financial POV. Cheaper to produce, larger sales, and probably a good reason a huge company wanted them and payed well for it. I've noticed a number of YouTubers using their USB mics. It does seem like as a company they started pursuing the low budget part of the market several years ago, which just rarely seems to work out for very many companies. I oddly enough remember attending a mastering session for one of my own albums many years ago at an excellent mastering house. It had been mixed to analog, and the ME was hooking up his tape machine to his rig at the beginning of the session. He said, "let's try a few different XLR cables from the tape machine to the mastering desk to see what we like best." I remember thinking at the time there was absolutely no way I would be able to hear a difference in cables. I don't remember what the first cable was. I just remember the second cable was the BLUE Quad mic cable -- the one that had a green outer jacket. The song sounded completely different, and in a good way. I was floored. I did not expect that outcome, and it wasn't the ME convincing me there was a difference or anything. I heard immediately with my own ears. Total shocker to me at the time. I have one of the Blue Kiwi cables and I usually have it on snare mic, because I feel like it helps a tiny bit to have a clear full snare sound. I might be nuts... I also like some pretty heavy gauge Monster Cables that were gifted to me for vocal mics. |
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Post by the other mark williams on Sept 12, 2023 18:35:39 GMT -6
I just remember the second cable was the BLUE Quad mic cable -- the one that had a green outer jacket. The song sounded completely different, and in a good way. I was floored. I did not expect that outcome, and it wasn't the ME convincing me there was a difference or anything. I heard immediately with my own ears. Total shocker to me at the time. I don't believe that cables sound differently; HOWEVER, I think Canare quad mic cable sounds better (or maybe just different) than standard cables. Perhaps the capacitance of the quad cable combined with the low level of microphone output actually changes the sound a bit (?). I don't think I'm crazy, because I have never been able to distinguish cable sound differences with instrument or line-level sources after lots and lots of A/Bing. Maybe there's an EE explanation for this. That's the thing: I don't really believe in the "different cables sound different" concept either. Especially on line level with cables of roughly the same length. All I know is I heard it that day, and it was not subtle. I don't have an explanation for it, and I'm not arguing for one side or the other. |
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Post by ericn on Sept 12, 2023 20:38:52 GMT -6
Blue was a victim of itself, first there was the rebuilds that really did there reputation no favor, some how they managed to build some really interesting mics, then they listened to their biggest dealer and move production to China. The Chinese mics really didn’t sound bad, unless of course you put a Chinese Dragonfly next to a Latvian Dragonfly. Honestly selling out to Logitech was probably not a bad thing the owners got to do what they did best design cool looking cheap mics ( the EV Ravens are pretty cool).
We all kind of new where this was headed when Blue ended up on the Shelves of Bestbuy ( after their short lived adventure in MI) Microcenter and Nebraska Furniture Mart.
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