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Blue Microphones Bluebird

Cardioid Condenser Microphone

The Bluebird is a large-diaphragm, fixed-cardioid FET condenser microphone with a relatively neutral response.

The capsule is Blue’s model B8, which is available separately for Blue’s Bottle mics. The B8 is an edge-terminated 34mm design (25mm diaphragm) with a 6-micron Mylar diaphragm, sputtered with pure gold.

The headbasket is fixed to the mic body. Note that unlike some Blue microphones, the Bluebird capsule is not designed to be removed or to rotate, swivel, or move in any direction.

The Bluebird’s transformerless, Class A amplifier circuit has low noise (7 dBA) and a high output level (+12dBV). The mic’s signal path, like the B8 capsule, is designed for minimal distortion and coloration.

SoundOnSound, 2005

I have used the Baby Bottle quite a lot over the last year or so, but find its rather forward upper mid-range is the determining factor over the sources I can use it with. For harder rock-style vocals it can be great, but I often find it a little too aggressive sounding for gentler vocalists or most instrumentalists…

In contrast, the Bluebird sounds smoother through the mid-range and upper mid-range, but with a sparkly brightness towards the top of the spectrum that implies more detail, air, and resolution than is really there. It works well though, and has a crispness and clarity that suits most music genres. Vocalists who sounded too hard or fierce on the Baby Bottle were far more natural on the Bluebird, and despite the falling bass response shown on the frequency plot in the handbook, the bottom end was actually nicely rounded and full, being well balanced to the rest of the sound spectrum.

According to BLUE, the Bluebird was initially manufactured in the US — not Latvia, as with many other Blue mics. (Presumably, the Bluebird is today manufactured in Asia.)

Permalink: Blue Microphones Bluebird

The mic was released in 2002.

Specifications

Frequency Response - CardioidClick Graph to Compare!

Pickup Patterns	Pads & Filters
Cardioid (27 mV/Pa; 20 - 20,000 Hz)

Capsule Dimensions	Impedance	SPL/Noise
Diaphragm diameter: 25mm Capsule diameter: 34mm Diaphragm gauge: 6 microns	50 Ohms (Low)	Max SPL: 138 dB Self-noise: 7.0 dB(A)

Weight	Length	Max Diameter	Interface(s)
480g (16.93oz)	222mm (8.74'')	45mm (1.77'')	3-pin XLR male (1)

Power Specifications
Requires phantom power Phantom voltage: 48v

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