Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Blue can be trusted all the way down (or up) the line, from some of the least expensive consumer mics to some of the most expensive audiophile designs. And in their literature, they take a refreshingly light-hearted approach to the whole business of transmitting and recording sound.
But I could have used a bit more clarification before ordering this one. I was ignorant enough to believe that a "Dynamic Instrument Mic with phantom power" meant that the mic came WITH the phantom power (duh!?). Now, after reading the accompanying instructions, I see that the actual meaning (no doubt understood by most readers) is that the mic REQUIRES phantom power. Without it, it's a glorified soft-ball, little else (I guess it's big enough to qualify for kick-ball).
At that point I should have quit on it, but I added the A.R.T. preamp to supply phantom power. Suddenly the Blue Ball became less of a soft ball and more of a bomb, whining to high heaven and protesting with squeals and penetrating screams. Either it's the most sensitive dynamic microphone out there, or the phantom power supplied by the A.R.T. pre-amp is enough to run every condenser microphone in Madison Square Garden. When I backed way down on the sound, my voice sounded full, pleasant, natural, but I was still experiencing minimal hum and feedback. Moreover, when I substituted a Shure SM-58 without phantom power, everything was once again loud and clear but without any gratuitous cacophony or electronic complaints.
I'd recommend the mic possibly for recording purposes or to sound engineers who know how to provide just enough (but not too much) phantom power. It's definitely an attention-getter--bigger (and perhaps more ungainly) than the picture would imply. And the weight of this thing is proportionate to the size (the circuitry and materials contributing to the mass of this curious object is a conversation starter in itself). But perhaps there are more important considerations. For any singer who wants to cover up a set of yellowing teeth or, for that matter, a face that puts talent before beauty, this globe-sized UFO may be just the ticket. And what more perfect mic for a blues belter? (As the picture reveals, it practically announces the familiar 12-bar form with no help from the vocalist.) The instructions, unlike Amazon's description, describe the mic as all-purpose, or as equally appropriate for voice and instruments. (I suspect that sluggish sales have led to the "instrument" designation, as it simply looks and feels rugged enough to take on the most blistering guitar solo or, for that matter, Billy Cobham's entire drum kit.)
It's just a darn shame that this mic wasn't available when David Lynch filmed Isabella Rossellini singing "Blue Velvet." No way Lynch could have resisted a curious, off-kilter attraction such as this.
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The hand-built Ball uses a Class A balancing circuit in its output section. This circuit maintains a constant pure-resistive 50-ohm load across the useable frequency spectrum yielding an exceptionally smooth and open sound previously unheard-of in a dynamic mic.The Ball is capable of handling extremely high SPLs from sources like bass drums, snares, and horns without distortion for extremely clean signals. Ideally suited for studio, stage, broadcast, film or any other applications where reliability, versatility and the utmost sound quality is require. Frequency response: 35Hz - 16kHz. Requires 48V phantom power.
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