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Post by Vincent R. on May 2, 2018 9:00:29 GMT -6
Ok. Still a little sick with bronchitis, but a little flutter on my high note isn't that big of a deal. Here is the BLUE B11 Cap on my Bottle Rocket Stage II vs the TLM 67. It's not 100% scientific as I pad the BLUE, because it's so loud and was clipping my preamps and had to use a little more gain on the UAD 1073 preamp I used than on the TLM67 (50 db vs 30 db of gain). I level matched them as well. Either way, it should give an idea of what the B11 sounds like. It reminds me a bit of the MK67 without the low mid push. The lows and low mids on all of the BLUE Caps on the Stage II are a little underwhelming. Still I like having it around and it beats the heck out of my old Slate VMS. Attachment DeletedAttachment Deleted |
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Post by nick8801 on May 3, 2018 17:04:30 GMT -6
Ok. Still a little sick with bronchitis, but a little flutter on my high note isn't that big of a deal. Here is the BLUE B11 Cap on my Bottle Rocket Stage II vs the TLM 67. It's not 100% scientific as I pad the BLUE, because it's so loud and was clipping my preamps and had to use a little more gain on the UAD 1073 preamp I used than on the TLM67 (50 db vs 30 db of gain). I level matched them as well. Either way, it should give an idea of what the B11 sounds like. It reminds me a bit of the MK67 without the low mid push. The lows and low mids on all of the BLUE Caps on the Stage II are a little underwhelming. Still I like having it around and it beats the heck out of my old Slate VMS. Sounds great Vincent, and thank you for sharing! I like the b11 a lot compared to the TLM. To my ears it sounds a little sweeter and more balanced, but that could be the tube in the mic as well. I'm sure it would sound like a million bucks with the big bottle. |
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Post by Vincent R. on May 3, 2018 17:48:58 GMT -6
Ok. Still a little sick with bronchitis, but a little flutter on my high note isn't that big of a deal. Here is the BLUE B11 Cap on my Bottle Rocket Stage II vs the TLM 67. It's not 100% scientific as I pad the BLUE, because it's so loud and was clipping my preamps and had to use a little more gain on the UAD 1073 preamp I used than on the TLM67 (50 db vs 30 db of gain). I level matched them as well. Either way, it should give an idea of what the B11 sounds like. It reminds me a bit of the MK67 without the low mid push. The lows and low mids on all of the BLUE Caps on the Stage II are a little underwhelming. Still I like having it around and it beats the heck out of my old Slate VMS. Sounds great Vincent, and thank you for sharing! I like the b11 a lot compared to the TLM. To my ears it sounds a little sweeter and more balanced, but that could be the tube in the mic as well. I'm sure it would sound like a million bucks with the big bottle. I’m very happy to have a second 67-ish microphone in my collection. I like to use a 67 on musical theater style voices. There will come a point when I need to pick up the big bottle. |
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Post by Vincent R. on Jul 7, 2018 21:11:30 GMT -6
I may cave and grab the B10 head. It should be very M49ish. I’m currently recording a Christmas album and using my FleA 49 on all the vocals. I could use a second 49ish mic and I’d love to see if this can fit the bill. I’ll keep everyone posted.
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Post by jtc111 on Jul 7, 2018 21:53:07 GMT -6
I may cave and grab the B10 head. It should be very M49ish. I’m currently recording a Christmas album and using my FleA 49 on all the vocals. I could use a second 49ish mic and I’d love to see if this can fit the bill. I’ll keep everyone posted.  |
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Post by Vincent R. on Jul 8, 2018 14:09:06 GMT -6
I may cave and grab the B10 head. It should be very M49ish. I’m currently recording a Christmas album and using my FleA 49 on all the vocals. I could use a second 49ish mic and I’d love to see if this can fit the bill. I’ll keep everyone posted. Unless somehow I inherit a fortune and pick up a vintage M49. Seriously it would really be for only the duets, so we can record them together. That’s if it gets close enough sonically. Based on the B11 I think it will. I still think the B7 vs the FleA wasn’t bad on your voice. Trust me, I second FleA 49 may be in my future, I just can’t pull it off now. |
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Post by jtc111 on Jul 8, 2018 18:50:07 GMT -6
Unless somehow I inherit a fortune and pick up a vintage M49. Seriously it would really be for only the duets, so we can record them together. That’s if it gets close enough sonically. Based on the B11 I think it will. I still think the B7 vs the FleA wasn’t bad on your voice. Trust me, I second FleA 49 may be in my future, I just can’t pull it off now. I'm calling it right now. If Vin buys the B10 capsule, he'll still end up overdubbing with the Flea because the B10 will leave him unsatisfied. And the B7 wasn't in the same league as the Flea 47 by a long shot. But here's an idea... if your wife sounds better on the 49 than on the 87ai, sell the 87ai and buy another 49. Even the 49 Next would be a better option than the B10. |
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Post by Vincent R. on Jul 10, 2018 20:38:47 GMT -6
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Post by donr on Jul 10, 2018 20:42:53 GMT -6
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Post by Vincent R. on Jul 14, 2018 11:38:19 GMT -6
I wanted to give the BLUE Bottle Rocket Stage 2 with the new B11 (67 style) Cap a Little shout out. I’m currently co-starring in a new musical being workshopped in NYC about the Voyage of the SS Saint Louis, a ship of Jewish refuges who attempted to escape to the USA from Nazi Germany via Cuba and who ultimately are forced to return to Germany after the US turns them away. In today’s political climate it has been mentioned numerous times. I’m not here to be political, just explaining the story and it’s relevance. The story follows a handful of people on the voyage, all of whom are based on people I know who were on the voyage or whose family was. It follows a German ship officer and a Jewish girl who fall in love, her sister and a young agnostic man who somehow finds his faith and would later become a man I knew as Rabbi Gelberman.
Well, being the music has a great traditional Broadway sound I decided to mirror the style of some of my favorite traditional broadway records of the last 10 years, usually done at the Power Station or Avatar as it was known for a while. Usually a U67 through the Neve console in Studio A, LA2A on lead vocals, and mixed on the SSL in studio B. I went with the BLUE w/B11 into my Dan Alexander, and used UAD plugins for the LA2A, SSL, and other bits, Pultec, tape, etc. Boy does this sound good and close to the sound I was shooting for. Check out the album “Bridges of Madison County” for and example of what I consider to be a great, modern recording of a traditional style musical. Of course, my friends and colleagues singing on the album are no slouches and have lots of great pro credits on and off broadway, tours, etc. My friend Michael is the lead and has a big bari tenor voice in the vein of John Raitt. We recently recorded his big 11 o’Clock number. Once it’s finished and uploaded to the musical’s website I will share it with everyone.
This cap is neither as inexpensive sounding as my old AA CM67LE (not that it sounded cheap, but you get the idea) or dark sounding as the MK67. It reminds me a lot of the U67 sound I got at Barbershop Studios. Albeit, I did replace the stock tube with a variant per the recommendation of Bowie and I also pad the mic 12db, cause it’s just too damned hot for big voices.
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Post by Vincent R. on Jul 16, 2018 19:07:23 GMT -6
I was talking on the purple site about the new Caps. There was a gentleman there who was comparing the B10 to the U67 and explaining why the B11 didn’t work on this recording he just did. I let him know that basically the B11 was a U67ish sound and that I believed the B10 was going for the M49 sound. One of the caps we were discussing was the B8. He had heard from the guys at BLUE that he said he knows that it was based on an AKG 41 with the original CK12,but with some added mid range. I had always believed it was based on the U87, but more open. It’s the cap that’s in the BLUE Blueberry. I am curious if anyone here had heard what the B8 was based on.
B8
Large Diaphragm Cardioid Condenser
THE VERSATILE CAPSULE
-Sonic Character
Crystal clear sound quality and excellent detail for a wide range of recording applications. If you choose only one capsule, B8 is known for being the most flexible.
Suggested Applications
For tracking a variety of male and female lead vocals, electric & acoustic guitars, drums, drum overheads, percussion, piano, horns and strings.
-Inspiration
B8 is a hot-rod version of one of the world’s most famous condenser capsules. But unlike the capsules that inspired it, which were lacking in mids, B8 offers added midrange for fuller tone and a proprietary backplate design that makes it perfect for recording just about anything.
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Post by Vincent R. on Aug 2, 2018 13:42:52 GMT -6
Well, that didn’t even sound like my Advanced Audio CM49 let alone my FleA 49. Oh well. I had the B10 in the studio for ten minutes. It was long enough to know it wasn’t what I was looking for. Just drove to Guitar Center and returned it. At least all I wasted was a little time. To me the B10 sounded more like a modded U67. The top end was smooth and it sounded nice. Sort of richer than the B6 and B8, but not as warm as the B7.
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Post by jtc111 on Aug 2, 2018 20:25:55 GMT -6
I'm calling it right now. If Vin buys the B10 capsule, he'll still end up overdubbing with the Flea because the B10 will leave him unsatisfied. And the B7 wasn't in the same league as the Flea 47 by a long shot. But here's an idea... if your wife sounds better on the 49 than on the 87ai, sell the 87ai and buy another 49. Even the 49 Next would be a better option than the B10.  |
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Post by Vincent R. on Aug 3, 2018 9:50:35 GMT -6
So, I originally took a guess that the B11 was going for the U67 sound based on it's description and I was dead right. I've been recording a concept recording for a new musical with it as the main microphone for all the singers and it just sounds fantastic; more open than the MK67 and more 3D and full than the custom AA CM67LE that I had.
Based on the description of the B10 I assumed it was going for the M49 sound:
Sonic Character:
Smooth, yet full sound with silky highs and a defined low end.
Suggested Applications:
Perfect for female vocals, saxophone, violin and other higher frequency instruments.
Inspiration:
Extending the Bottle Cap series, the B10 features smooth, yet full sound with silky highs and a defined low end that is great for difficult to tame sound sources.
I don't think the cap sounds bad, but if they were going for the M49 they missed the mark by a lot. I did a quick test with the B10 in my BLUE Bottle Rocket Stage II with the B10 capsule and my FleA 49. Both microphones were about 18 inches from me with their capsules lined up as closely as possible. There is no EQ and no compression and all of this was done with one stream of consciousness take from opera into a crooning style. The only thing that may be coloring the sound a bit is my Dan Alexander preamp, which is a dual channel reracked NEVE 1073 preamp. So that is coloring the signal a bit, but this has been my go to setup since I got the DA, so that's why I used it. Below is a link to MP3s of that take.
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Post by Vincent R. on Oct 8, 2018 18:51:39 GMT -6
The new Bottle caps are currently on sale for $349 on Guitar Center’s website. In case you want to add the B9, B10, or B11 to your kit, now is a good time.
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Post by Vincent R. on Jan 10, 2019 16:49:40 GMT -6
Has anyone tried the BLUE Caps with a CMV 563? Or have you tried the old Neumann Capsules; M7, etc, with any of the BLUE mics?
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Post by Vincent R. on Jun 11, 2019 6:23:51 GMT -6
Man, lately I’m really itching to upgrade my Bottle Rocket Stage II for the Bottle. I wish I could get them next to each other and determine if it’s worth it. From the clips I’ve heard of the two the Bottle seems to have the missing low mids and low end that the Stage II lack and a slightly more open top end. I have a pair of Stage 1s which have been delegated to room mic duty with a pair of B4 capsules through either my Demeter or the new Unison V76. I could probably do the upgrade if I sold all 3, but I can’t afford to loose that many mics.
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ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 16,107 
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Post by ericn on Jun 11, 2019 7:00:16 GMT -6
Man, lately I’m really itching to upgrade my Bottle Rocket Stage II for the Bottle. I wish I could get them next to each other and determine if it’s worth it. From the clips I’ve heard of the two the Bottle seems to have the missing low mids and low end that the Stage II lack and a slightly more open top end. I have a pair of Stage 1s which have been delegated to room mic duty with a pair of B4 capsules through either my Demeter or the new Unison V76. I could probably do the upgrade if I sold all 3, but I can’t afford to loose that many mics. Did you ever think of seeing if Signal Arts or Barbaric could build a better Bottle rocket electronics? You might be able to get big bottle quality for rocket money. |
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Post by sean on Jun 11, 2019 9:11:09 GMT -6
I’ve owned the Blue Bottle a couple of times. It’s just so huge that it’s not practical for me. Couldn’t record a guitar/vocal in the booth with it and easily place the microphones. And with huge, ridiculously oversized microphones I’ve worked with musicians who are intimidated by there size.
But the Stage II has me somewhat interested. I like the idea of interchangeable caps and don’t really care if they sound just like their inspiration.
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Post by Vincent R. on Jun 11, 2019 11:54:59 GMT -6
Man, lately I’m really itching to upgrade my Bottle Rocket Stage II for the Bottle. I wish I could get them next to each other and determine if it’s worth it. From the clips I’ve heard of the two the Bottle seems to have the missing low mids and low end that the Stage II lack and a slightly more open top end. I have a pair of Stage 1s which have been delegated to room mic duty with a pair of B4 capsules through either my Demeter or the new Unison V76. I could probably do the upgrade if I sold all 3, but I can’t afford to loose that many mics. Did you ever think of seeing if Signal Arts or Barbaric could build a better Bottle rocket electronics? You might be able to get big bottle quality for rocket money. I spoke to Shannon about it briefly a while back. Actually not a bad idea to ask Chris from barbaric. I wonder what it would take to toss a transformer into the circuit somewhere. I also wonder what transformer might lend itself well to all the different caps. |
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Post by Vincent R. on Jun 11, 2019 11:59:45 GMT -6
I’ve owned the Blue Bottle a couple of times. It’s just so huge that it’s not practical for me. Couldn’t record a guitar/vocal in the booth with it and easily place the microphones. And with huge, ridiculously oversized microphones I’ve worked with musicians who are intimidated by there size. But the Stage II has me somewhat interested. I like the idea of interchangeable caps and don’t really care if they sound just like their inspiration. I enjoy the system on the Stage II. I always feel something is missing in the mids though. It's much better than the Stage 1. I really like the B7 (K47 tuned U47ish) style cap and the B11 (K67 tuned like U67ish). The B11 reminds me a bit of the MK67 kit I used to have for my U87ai. The B6 and B0 can work depending on the voice and style. I totally get the big Bottle being clumsy to set up for recording. That thing is huge. |
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Post by Vincent R. on Jul 5, 2019 13:08:20 GMT -6
For anyone interested in hearing the new B11 Cap, which has a U67ish vibe, I recorded and engineered the EP for the new musical “Voyages” last fall. I used my BLUE Bottle Rocket Stage II with the B11 for every vocal on the EP. The musical’s website finally went up. You can hear the EP at the link below. schaeburmusic.wixsite.com/voyages/media |
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Post by sean on Feb 28, 2023 20:53:48 GMT -6
For anyone interested in hearing the new B11 Cap, which has a U67ish vibe, I recorded and engineered the EP for the new musical “Voyages” last fall. I used my BLUE Bottle Rocket Stage II with the B11 for every vocal on the EP. The musical’s website finally went up. You can hear the EP at the link below. schaeburmusic.wixsite.com/voyages/mediaI picked up a Blue Bottle again now that I’m in larger space and was wondering how you still felt about some of these newer capsules? I have the B0, B6, B7 |
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Post by Vincent R. on Feb 28, 2023 21:23:36 GMT -6
For anyone interested in hearing the new B11 Cap, which has a U67ish vibe, I recorded and engineered the EP for the new musical “Voyages” last fall. I used my BLUE Bottle Rocket Stage II with the B11 for every vocal on the EP. The musical’s website finally went up. You can hear the EP at the link below. schaeburmusic.wixsite.com/voyages/mediaI picked up a Blue Bottle again now that I’m in larger space and was wondering how you still felt about some of these newer capsules? I have the B0, B6, B7 I sold off my Bottler Rocket II a while ago. I still get the itch to grab the big bottle. I liked the B6, B7, and B11 on vocals. B11 is 67ish and I used it a lot. It was more mellow in the top end than my modded MK U67, but it was really nice for that kind of sound. I tried the B10, which is their 49ish cap, but when I compared it to my FleA it was more in the M149 camp. Looking back I think I would have found uses for it, but I didn’t keep it. The B0 sounds great on the right vocal, but thin and bright on the wrong one. The B4 Omni has a big omni sound and gets a lot of praise. It’s a sphere Omni and goes for the M50 sound. I had a pair of those when I had my pair of Bottle Rocket Is. I didn’t have a ton of opportunity to use them though, just some room tests on some opera vocals. The capture was nice. My room was not. I also liked the B1 SDC. I did an operatic vocal with that I thought sounded really good. |
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Post by thehightenor on Mar 1, 2023 0:49:18 GMT -6
Ooh. Skip to the end of this video. Looks like BLUE is finally coming out with new Bottle Caps. From the sound of it, B9 is their Sony C800g, B10 is their M49, and B11 is their U67. I could be wrong, either way the B10 & B11 sound right up my alley. And that’ll no doubt be three more caps that sound nothing like they’re name sake. I owned a Blue Bottle with the C12 cap, 251 cap and U47 cap. B6, B0 and B7. They sounded nothing like those mics to my ears. Sure they had their own thing, but it wasn’t a thing I cared for. Sold it and bought a Wunder CM7 plus eventually a BLUE Kiwi and an AEA R92 and never looked back. Those new caps might sound good but don’t hold your breath for them being too close to the mics you named. I concluded a mic is way more than a cap style, it’s the head basket, electronics, transformer in addition to the capsule and on the Bottle those three additional parameters are fixed and for me that was its floor. |
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