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Post by nick8801 on Feb 24, 2018 21:55:53 GMT -6
I love that mic. You really have to try it for yourself, as much of the videos I’ve seen online don’t really do it justice. My favorite video featuring the Cactus is probably this one: I've seen that one! I got to sing into one once and it was really sweet. Elvis Costello used one on, "Sweet, Profane and Sugarcane". My main mic right now is a Violet Design Garnet, which is their tube 47ish mic, sorta similar to the design of the Cactus. |
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Post by Vincent R. on Feb 25, 2018 7:14:11 GMT -6
When I first got into recording, my cousin who had worked for Cove City Sound as an mix engineer and eventually a mastering engineer was a big help. The two microphones he continually recommended I save for and pick up were the BLUE Bottle with the main caps and the Cactus. They were his favorite microphones and he had seen them chosen over many of the studio’s vintage Microphones by their high end clientele.
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Post by Vincent R. on Mar 3, 2018 19:40:14 GMT -6
I haven’t seen them on any of the retailer’s sites yet, but BLUE just posted the new caps on their site; B9, B10, & B11: www.bluedesigns.com/products/bottle-caps/B10 definitely sounds like an M49 Style Cap. B9 sounds C800Gish to me. B11 could be a U67 style cap. |
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Post by nick8801 on Apr 9, 2018 16:21:02 GMT -6
So any word on the new caps? Anyone get a chance to try them out yet?
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Post by nick8801 on Apr 9, 2018 16:22:41 GMT -6
I found this video of the big bottle with the b9. It sounds really good!
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Post by Vincent R. on Apr 10, 2018 5:35:42 GMT -6
It definitely has that forward placed Pop sound. I’m really itching to hear the B10 & B11. They are the ones I’m interested in, particularly the B11. I have a FleA49 and the Advanced Audio CM49, so the B10 would just be an extra 49ish mic at that point. I’m curious how the B11 will sound next to my TLM67, which has been my 67 style mic of choice lately. I could use a second 67ish mic.
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Post by Vincent R. on Apr 10, 2018 7:33:31 GMT -6
For comparison’s sake, here is that same singer using the B0:
Now the B6:
Personally I prefer the B6 and B9 on his voice. My aesthetic leans toward the B6, but that’s me. I’d also be curious to hear his voice on the new B11. The U67 style would provide a bit of size. It could work, it might not. I’d still try it though.
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Post by nick8801 on Apr 12, 2018 10:15:23 GMT -6
Nice. I wasn’t sure what caps he is using in the other vids so thanks for sharing, I definitely prefer the b9 on his voice. Really makes me curious about the other new caps.
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Post by Vincent R. on Apr 12, 2018 13:21:50 GMT -6
Nice. I wasn’t sure what caps he is using in the other vids so thanks for sharing, I definitely prefer the b9 on his voice. Really makes me curious about the other new caps. He had mentioned it on the purple site. I’m not just wondering. As soon as I have some cash I’m going to pick up the B11. I can’t wait to hear it next to my TLM67. I had the B7 on my Stage II next to a FleA 47 and it was really close, but seemed to cut through the mix better. The caps are all like slightly EQed versions of the Mics they are based on. With the Stage II they have a nice tube mellowness about them, but they are super clean and benefit from a tube of colored FET preamp. I also want the B10, but I already have 2 M49 style Mics in my locker, so I’m not rushing. |
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Post by nick8801 on Apr 12, 2018 13:55:41 GMT -6
How do you like your stage 2? I’ve seen some pretty good deals on the used market, but in most of my online searching, it seems many people prefer the solid state version. I’d get the mic locker, but I really have no desire for the selection of caps they offer. These 3 new ones are basically dream capsules for me!
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Post by Vincent R. on Apr 12, 2018 14:15:44 GMT -6
I have a Stage II and two Stage Is. I prefer the Stage II by a lot. I find the Stage I to be very bright and clean to the point of being sterile. The Tube Stage in the Stage II mellows the mic out a bit. The Stage II is a really hot mic. I have to use and in line pad to gain Stage it properly, otherwise I enjoy it. I have a number of Caps and I preferred it to my Advanced Audio & Peluso Microphones, but didn’t feel it was in quite the same league as say the FleA mics; I own a 49 and a good friend has a 47. Basically it is the “extra” mic in my studio and the caps give me some more sonic choices than my two mains mics; my FleA 49 and U87ai (also have the TLM67 internals). It allowed me to sell off a lot of cheaper mics to fund the FleA49 without feeling I had lost a sonic color. That said, I’m itching to try the actual Bottle at some point. I’m curious if it’s worth the jump for a bit more saturation. For now I use it with the Demeter VTMP-2B for a bit more saturation.
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Post by nick8801 on Apr 12, 2018 14:49:17 GMT -6
I have a Stage II and two Stage Is. I prefer the Stage II by a lot. I find the Stage I to be very bright and clean to the point of being sterile. The Tube Stage in the Stage II mellows the mic out a bit. The Stage II is a really hot mic. I have to use and in line pad to gain Stage it properly, otherwise I enjoy it. I have a number of Caps and I preferred it to my Advanced Audio & Peluso Microphones, but didn’t feel it was in quite the same league as say the FleA mics; I own a 49 and a good friend has a 47. Basically it is the “extra” mic in my studio and the caps give me some more sonic choices than my two mains mics; my FleA 49 and U87ai (also have the TLM67 internals). It allowed me to sell off a lot of cheaper mics to fund the FleA49 without feeling I had lost a sonic color. That said, I’m itching to try the actual Bottle at some point. I’m curious if it’s worth the jump for a bit more saturation. For now I use it with the Demeter VTMP-2B for a bit more saturation. Good info Vincent. Maybe this isn’t the mic for me, as I’d like something on par with my better stuff. I think the big bottle would probably fit the bill, but that’s a lot of coin! |
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Post by Vincent R. on Apr 12, 2018 15:37:41 GMT -6
I have a Stage II and two Stage Is. I prefer the Stage II by a lot. I find the Stage I to be very bright and clean to the point of being sterile. The Tube Stage in the Stage II mellows the mic out a bit. The Stage II is a really hot mic. I have to use and in line pad to gain Stage it properly, otherwise I enjoy it. I have a number of Caps and I preferred it to my Advanced Audio & Peluso Microphones, but didn’t feel it was in quite the same league as say the FleA mics; I own a 49 and a good friend has a 47. Basically it is the “extra” mic in my studio and the caps give me some more sonic choices than my two mains mics; my FleA 49 and U87ai (also have the TLM67 internals). It allowed me to sell off a lot of cheaper mics to fund the FleA49 without feeling I had lost a sonic color. That said, I’m itching to try the actual Bottle at some point. I’m curious if it’s worth the jump for a bit more saturation. For now I use it with the Demeter VTMP-2B for a bit more saturation. Good info Vincent. Maybe this isn’t the mic for me, as I’d like something on par with my better stuff. I think the big bottle would probably fit the bill, but that’s a lot of coin! My experience with gear has been you get what you pay for. That said, this is a nice sounding mic. Definitely sounds like a $2000 mic, but maybe not a $5000 Mic, if you know what I mean. Also, remember I record predominantly Jazz, Broadway, and classical. So, my needs tend to be a bit different in terms of what I look for. |
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Post by Vincent R. on Apr 12, 2018 15:48:02 GMT -6
Hear are some clips I posted on another thread. I thought some of you would like to hear some of what I recorded while the FLEA 49 was at my place. This is a track with which I have made numerous recordings on quite a few microphones to test their sound on my voice. I don't own the rights to the track, so this isn't something I would post on YouTube. I have some other stuff for that. Follow the link below and you'll find raw clips and a small karaoke track in 24, 44.1. The microphones where recorded simultaneously as most of shoot outs are. They were all recorded through the stock on board Apollo preamps. The microphones are the FLEA 49, AA CM49, MK67, & BLUE Bottle Rocket II with the B7 Cap. I also added th REDD mic to this, but they were recorded at a different time. www.dropbox.com/sh/gksy8w842usm2rj/AACYmvA3Gg6P4dafdbANXg-pa?dl=0 |
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Post by nick8801 on Apr 13, 2018 13:30:29 GMT -6
Really like the Flea on your voice here. Seems to have a little more push than the AA, which was my experience when I had a cm47ve. Very smooth sounding, but lacking a little punch compared to the real thing. The blue was underwhelming to me. I like the Chandler as well, but it had a little too much presence for my tastes. Thanks for sharing!
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Post by thehightenor on Apr 13, 2018 16:10:53 GMT -6
I bought a Blue Bottle with the B6/7/0 caps.
It never sounded good with my voice so I sold the system and bought a Wunder CM7 and never looked back.
The strange thing I find with Blue is their marketing.
So for example the B6 they market as being like a C12 - even though an AKG C12 has an edge terminated cap
and the B6 has a centre tap cap.
In fact along with the EF86 valve in the Bottle and the back to back diaphragm center tap B6 cap - the Bottle was
already essentially a U67 on steroids - although actually sounding nothing like a U67 (or a C12 for that matter)
The B7 (U47 cap) just sounded woolly to me.
The B0 actually was an edge terminated cap and was bright as heck but had a bit of a 251 thing about it - it was probably my favorite cap of the three.
That was my issue with the system it really sounded nothing like the mics they marketed it as sounding like!
I've heard it sound great on other singers though - so I'm not knocking it as a tool per say - it is a great mic in it's own right.
Just that when I bought my Wunder CM7 (U47 clone) it actually sounded like a U47 to my ears.
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Post by Vincent R. on Apr 15, 2018 18:06:26 GMT -6
I caved and ordered a B11 capsule. It has a 2 week special order status on Sweetwater, but I'll let everyone know my thoughts once I get it.
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Post by Vincent R. on Apr 15, 2018 18:49:36 GMT -6
I bought a Blue Bottle with the B6/7/0 caps. It never sounded good with my voice so I sold the system and bought a Wunder CM7 and never looked back. The strange thing I find with Blue is their marketing. So for example the B6 they market as being like a C12 - even though an AKG C12 has an edge terminated cap and the B6 has a centre tap cap. In fact along with the EF86 valve in the Bottle and the back to back diaphragm center tap B6 cap - the Bottle was already essentially a U67 on steroids - although actually sounding nothing like a U67 (or a C12 for that matter) The B7 (U47 cap) just sounded woolly to me. The B0 actually was an edge terminated cap and was bright as heck but had a bit of a 251 thing about it - it was probably my favorite cap of the three. That was my issue with the system it really sounded nothing like the mics they marketed it as sounding like! I've heard it sound great on other singers though - so I'm not knocking it as a tool per say - it is a great mic in it's own right. Just that when I bought my Wunder CM7 (U47 clone) it actually sounded like a U47 to my ears. I can't say how the marketing was in the beginning. I got into the "BLUE" game late. These days they don't mention the model's they've based them on. Just the nick names they have given them. They have even pulled the frequency response date from their website, which I found a little shady myself. Either way, I still enjoy the system. The thing to remember is these are all tuned caps, much like ADK does, and all tuned to a kind of an EQed version of what you would expect from the mics the caps are based on. So the K67 in the B6 is tuned to have a bit of a C12 sound, but with a little bit of mid push. Kind of the way the Rode Classic did. The B0 is very bright. I'm very particular about when and where I use that one. The B7 is a k47 tuned to sound more like an M7. The B8 is another tuning of the K47 which kind of goes after a tlm103 meets the U87ish sound. To this day the Bottle Rocket II with the B7 had the closest to having the same top end as a gorgeous Wagner U47W I had used than any other U47 clone I've sang through. It had a different low end, but the top was nearly the same. I did prefer the FleA 47 to it, but not so much that I would go crazy. Then again, I've never quite sounded right on a U47 and it's never been "my vocal mic." The more natural M49 sounds better on me. I'm curious about their new B10, which by it's description is inspired by the M49. I don't need it though, as I have the FleA 49, so I'm not rushing to pick it up. From clips I've heard the brighter caps like the B0 or B6 seem to work better with the Big Bottle, but the darker ones like the B7 work a bit better with the Stage II. Just my opinion, as I don't have a Big Bottle to do a direct comparison. I've never used a Wunder mic, but I've heard great things. Looking forward to hearing the B11 when it comes. "The Icon Capsule: Round, classic sound with a rich, vintage mid-range. Custom made for the Bottle, the B11 flatters vocals and instruments with a round, classic sound and a rich, vintage mid-range, perfect for capturing vocals and instruments with vibe and character." From the description is sounds like a U67 inspired mic. I'll put it next to the TLM67 when it arrives and see what sound comes through. |
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Post by thehightenor on Apr 16, 2018 6:17:37 GMT -6
By far my favorite BLUE mic was the KIWI.
I had an early made in Latvia model (when Violet mics made BLUE mics in Latvia)
I made the mistake of selling it - I really wish I hadn't it was a very classy mic.
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Post by Vincent R. on Apr 16, 2018 9:58:22 GMT -6
By far my favorite BLUE mic was the KIWI. I had an early made in Latvia model (when Violet mics made BLUE mics in Latvia) I made the mistake of selling it - I really wish I hadn't it was a very classy mic. Agreed, the Kiwi is a really good microphone. I've done a few sessions with the Kiwi, mostly on other people's voices. Even last week I did studio vocals for a movie. I was on my U87ai, at the producer's request. My duet partner was on the Kiwi. She sounded dynamite on it. Even works well on my voice, but more on the modern side of things. Sounds best when paired with a good tube preamp. It was golden through a Demeter VTMP. |
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Post by Vincent R. on May 1, 2018 12:37:23 GMT -6
The B11 Capsule is most definitely BLUE’s take on the U67 sound. I haven’t really run it through it’s paces, but I did a quick test after it arrived today. I actually put my Bottle Rocket Stage II right next to my TLM67. My first impressions are that the B11 has a slightly darker and beefier sound than the TLM67, more like the real U67 I had used on a session. I like having an actual tube in the chain. The TLM has a bit more in the top end, but they are definitely in the same sonic camp. I wonder if it would sound more like the TLM67 if put on my Stage I. I may have to try that.
Anyway, I’m fighting a case of bronchitis and will record something to share when I am feeling a little bit better.
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Post by jtc111 on May 1, 2018 12:46:52 GMT -6
The TLM has a bit more in the top end, but they are definitely in the same sonic camp. I wonder if you could capture some missing top end if you recorded through my Hendy with the Air switch engaged. I'm very curious about that. |
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Post by Vincent R. on May 1, 2018 13:10:20 GMT -6
The TLM has a bit more in the top end, but they are definitely in the same sonic camp. I wonder if you could capture some missing top end if you recorded through my Hendy with the Air switch engaged. I'm very curious about that. Good question. I’m game. It has a really nice sound though. It also makes me want to pick up the b10, which should have a bit of an M 49 character. |
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Post by jtc111 on May 1, 2018 13:11:48 GMT -6
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Post by Vincent R. on May 1, 2018 13:17:57 GMT -6
ROTFLMAO! And a CM49... thanks for keeping me in check. |
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