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CardioidBlue Microphones Blueberry

MSRP: $1,299 Cardioid Condenser Microphone

Blue Microphones Blueberry

Description

Winner of Electronic Musician’s 2000 Editors’ Choice Award for Best Microphone, the Blueberry consists of a Class A discrete transformer based microphone amplifier matched to Blue’s cardioid pattern, hand-built large diaphragm capsule.

First and foremost, the Blueberry has been designed to provide the commanding, intimate presence associated with the world’s best (and most expensive) vintage vocal microphones. With its shimmering, detailed highs, smooth midrange, and minimized proximity effect (a bass boost inherent in all unidirectional mics), the Blueberry excels at delivering a vocal right to the front of the mix where it belongs. When processed with limiting and/or compression, as is standard practice for most pop vocals, tracks recorded with the Blueberry will be free of pumping, low frequency thumps. Acoustic guitar, hand percussion, drums, and other critical high end sources also shine in front of the Blueberry, gaining an extra measure of presence that enables the most delicate sounds to cut through a mix, even at very low levels.

Packaged in a cherrywood box.

The Blueberry, like several of Blue’s early products, was the subject of an intellectual property dispute in 2006, when the original manufacturer, SIA Scruples/Violet Design, attempted to register a lookalike microphone with the EU’s “Office for the Harmonization of the Internal Markets” — essentially the EU’s trademark office. The OHIM called Scruples’ registration invalid, awarding the IP rights to Martin Saulespurens of BLUE. For a time, this mic was known as the Violet JZ-1 or JZ1.

The Blue Microphones Blueberry is also known as: JZ1, JZ-1.

The mic was released in 1997.

Pickup Patterns Pads & Filters
  • Cardioid (20-20,000 Hz)
Diaphragm size Impedance Max SPL
n/a 150 Ohms (Low (50-1000 Ohms)) 133 dB
Weight Length Max Diameter Interface(s)
520g (18.34oz) 235mm (9.25'') 50mm (1.97'')
    Power Specifications
    • Requires Phantom Power
    • Phantom voltage: 8V (35V min)v

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