KSM47 vs AT3035 vs Bluebird

Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 7:50 pm

Gertok -

Take a step back and breath.

What is your purpose on dropping a small sum of money on a mic that will be your end-all-be-all mic? Bear in mind, nothing you buy in this range (or for that matter, any range) will be a one-size-fits-all product.

You'd be better doing either of the following:

1 - Save a bit of money and buy a nicer mic - one that's more versatile.

2 - Save a bit of money and buy a few decent but varying color mics

The AT 4040 is a flat mic - nothing special - that's its magic. On guitar, it can sound a tad boxy. On voice, it's neither flattering or distracting.

Dave - I would agree that the Bluebird is dependent upon the preamp. However, I've found it to work acceptably well with even modest pres. By "lots of proximity" I mean that, moving away even a few inches, the bottom end drops out. Moving up close, you get some serious bottom end. I think this makes it a very flexible mic for someone who knows how to work it.

Cheers-
J

Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 8:30 pm

Thanks.... guess what i got...

Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:00 pm

There are no mind readers here lad.....so fess up.

Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:13 pm

Bluebird.

Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 8:33 am

Sweet. How do you like it?

Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 8:36 am

It is pretty....
Thumbs Up

I did not take it out of the box yet. Had to tune drums and setup mics. Besides I had no one to sing into it. Wife was busy... and I am not a singer at all.... But I am recording a guy today that sings pretty well. So I will definitely post some of that.

Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:12 am

Definitely a beautiful mic. Good for impressing clients, hopefully you like how it sounds too! I have a feeling you'll like it. Let us know what you think.

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 2:16 pm

I've gotta pipe up in favor of the 3035, although I have no experience with the Bluebird. I have a couple of 3035's and I like that the top end isn't hyped, because so many low cost LDC's do exhibit that trait. I use them for: vocals, electric guitar, grand piano, acoustic guitar, upright bass, drum overheads and horns. Some folks like them for kick also. If I want a brighter sound, I reach for my 3060, 4050 or Avant CV 12. You can score new 3035's for about $135 including shipping. PM me if you're interested in any samples.

Ah, I see I'm late to the dance. That's alright, you'll need more mics anyway.... Wink

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 10:57 am

Gertok wrote:

Which one would you recommend as the only LDC in a closet?

I don’t know anything about the KSM47, but I did own a KSM27 and upgraded to a Bluebird recently, so I can speak on that. Let me put it this way: I gave the KSM27 away for a bag of weed.

I never really had any trouble with the KSM27, it was a good, solid microphone. It didn’t blow me away, but it definitely got the job done. Since I bought it for my own project studio, and not for any real commercial interests, it definitely performed the function I purchased it for admirably, but it always left me feeling like I was missing out on something, like it was merely a suped-up version of a dynamic mic. It really seems to lack character, it has a good smooth response, but maybe a little too smooth. I don’t like the low end that it picks up with vocals and acoustic guitars, and the low cut doesn’t seem to do all that much. It works best as a room mic, especially for drums.

The Bluebird was one of those, “Well, I want a Mouse, but can’t afford it, so I’ll just pick this little guy up.” I love the Blueberry and the Mouse, and knew that the Bluebird just had to be a better mic than my little KSM27, but I had no idea that it was going to blow me away as much as it did. The detail and clarity that this mic has makes it sound so much more alive than my KSM27. I actually bought it during a session I was doing for some friends, and they have a really nice pair of KSM32s that we usually use for vocals instead of my KSM27, but the Bluebird instantly jumped to the front of the pack. If a condenser is needed, it’s the first mic I pull out. It does have a bit of a proximity effect, and I don’t know how well it works without a solid preamp because I’ve always run it through one, but as long as you keep it’s character in mind when you’re recording with it, you can definitely adjust to make it an advantage.

I would recommend the Bluebird to anyone, anywhere, for just about any application. Even if it doesn’t perform some obscure one-off thing well, it won’t do a crappy job, and it shines on vocals and acoustic instruments (I -love- it on the violin!).

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