BlueberrBlueberry

Classic microphones, made without compromise

P.O. Box 910

Agoura Hills, CA 91376-0910

Phone 818.986.2583

Fax 818.784.7564

www.bluemic.com

Warranty

This Microphone or related part is warranted under the conditionsoutlined below to its original, registered owner, provided the purchasewas made from an authorized Baltic Latvian Universal Electronics(BLUE) dealer. This Microphone or related part is guaranteed toremain free from operating defects for one year from the date ofpurchase. In the event that service is required, all necessary partsand labor will be furnished free of charge during this period exceptfor tubes, which are guaranteed for 90 days against defects. Thiswarranty is void if the serial number has been altered, removed ordefaced. The warranty is void if the equipment is altered, misused,mishandled, maladjusted, or is serviced by any parties not autho-rized by Baltic Latvian Universal Electronics (BLUE). The warrantydoes not include transportation costs incurred because of the needfor service unless arranged for in advance. Baltic Latvian UniversalElectronics (BLUE) reserves the right to make changes in designand improve upon its products without obligation to install theseimprovements in any of its products previously manufactured. Thiswarranty is in lieu of any or all expressed or implied.

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ongratulations on your purchase of the the BLUEBlueberry, a classic modern microphone made the old-fashioned way, without compromise. Like its tastynamesake, this Blueberry is sweet, non-fattening,and hand-picked at the height of perfection. But it’snot recommended for use in pies or pastries. In orderto familiarize yourself with this microphone’s spe-cialized features, please take the time to read thismanual, and be sure to try the suggested recipes. . .uh, recording tips.

The Blueberry is a pressure-gradient cardioid condensermicrophone, employing the BLUE single-membrane,tunable large diaphragm capsule. For this hand-crafted diaphragm we have selected a 6-micron mylarfilm, sputtered with a mixture of pure gold and alu-minum, and tensioned to our own hand-built brassbackplates. The end result of this painstaking processis a precision recording tool with superb transientresponse and an bright, airy top end emphasis.

First and foremost, the Blueberry has been designedto provide the commanding, intimate presence asso-ciated with the world’s best (and most expensive)vintage vocal microphones. With its shimmering, de-tailed highs, smooth midrange, and minimized proxim-ity effect (a bass boost inherent in all unidirectionalmics), the Blueberry excels at delivering a vocal

right to the front of the mix where it belongs. Whenprocessed with limiting and/or compression, as isstandard practice for most pop vocals, tracks recordedwith the Blueberry will be free of pumping, low endthumps. Acoustic guitar, hand percussion, drums, andother critical high end sources also shine in frontof the Blueberry, gaining an extra measure of pres-

For a “big” vocal sound with maximum presence,get the vocalist within one to three inches of thecapsule. There is no need to worry about overloadingthe microphone capsule, but be sure to use a meshwindscreen or the BLUE W1 pop filter! Mount theBlueberry on a boom stand, and tilt the capsule up(toward the forehead) for more projection and headtone, straight on at the mouth for maximum bright-ness and intelligibility, or down toward the chestfor more robust lows and smoother highs.

Acoustic GuitarLarge diaphragm mics require careful placement whenused on acoustic guitar, but the Blueberry’s trans-parency and superb transient response are well-suitedto this job. For a balanced sound with plenty ofsparkling high end, position the microphone facingthe guitar neck, right where the neck joins the body(usually around the 12th–14th frets). For starters,keep the mic as close as possible, and tilt the cap-sule toward the soundhole to capture a blend of lowend and pick sound. If you need more lows, movethe microphone closer to the soundhole. For morehigh end detail, move the Blueberry farther fromthe guitar, either at the same neck position, or abovethe instrument up by the guitarist’s head.

Electric GuitarThe Blueberry is an excellent mic for any clean ampsound, especially on bright rhythm chords and single-note lines. When close-miking, aim the mic at thecenter of the speaker to capture more highs, ormove it toward the edge of the cone for a fullersound with more low end. Position the Blueberry afoot or more away from the amp to add a littleroom sound and soften the extreme high end.

PercussionOn tambourine, shaker, bells, clave, and orchestralpercussion the Blueberry offers astounding clarityand realism. And unlike most large diaphragmmicrophones, the Blueberry can be positioned quiteclose to a percussive source without distortion orundue proximity effect. Start by placing the micro-phone about a foot from percussive instruments.Moving the mic closer will emphasize detail and tone,as well as decreasing the proportion of ambient roomsound on a track. More distant placement will yielda natural, roomy sound that blends easily with otherrhythm instruments.

DrumsThe Blueberry’s fast transient response, crisp highs,and ability to handle high sound pressure levelsmake it an ideal mic for recording drums. For kitand hand drums, begin by placing the microphonetwo to four inches above the rim or hoop (wherethe head is secured to the shell). Angle the capsule toward the player’s stick or hand to pick up moreattack and definition. Turning the capsule towardthe shell will soften the sharp attack of a hand drum,or pick up more of the bright, crackling buzz from asnare. Moving the microphone closer to a drumgenerally increases the low end, shell resonance,and separation from other sound sources, whilemore distant placement emphasizes the interactionof the drum and the environment, producing ablended, airier sound.

C

Inside the Blueberry

ence that enables the most delicate sounds to cutthrough a mix, even at very low levels.

The microphone’s MZ02 solid-state electronics arebased on a Class A, fully discrete circuit. In plainEnglish, this means that the sound which arrives atthe diaphragm is transduced (converted to electricalenergy) as accurately as possible, with no integratedcircuits (a.k.a. “IC’s”) in the signal path. To get themost out of this, or any quality microphone, it isessential to pair it with a good microphone pre-amplifier. Most professional recordists prefer tohave outboard preamps on hand, and will choosesolid-state or vacuum tube models based on theirunique characteristics. To maintain the integrity ofyour signal, use the Blueberry high-definition miccable going into the mic preamp. And, wheneverpossible, connect the mic preamp output directly toyour recorder or A/D converter, bypassing the mixingboard and any unnecessary components.

For mounting the microphone on a stand, a recessed,threaded socket is built into the Blueberry body,next to the XLR output jack. Optional Series One orSeries Two shockmounts offer alternative mountingsystems to enhance positioning and isolate themicrophone body from low frequency vibrationsconducted through the stand. The Series One cradlemount includes a mounting bracket which also

functions as a base for the W1 wire mesh pop filter;to fit the Blueberry into this bracket you must firstremove the four knurled nuts on the side of themicrophone. If a pop filter is not required, theSeries Two yoke mount is recommended. Its elasticbands attach easily to the knurled nuts on the sideof the microphone.

Whether you are using the microphone on its own,or with a shockmount, you may find it easiest to 1)loosen the boom stand arm or threaded end of the mic stand, 2) grasp the mic or shockmount assembly

in one hand, and 3) screw the mic stand threads intothe appropriate mount, without over-tightening. Thisprocedure will assure that the elastic shockmountbands stay in place, and eliminates any possibilityof damage to the mic. The angle of the swivel mountcan be adjusted with the large thumbscrew.

The Blueberry requires 48 volt phantom power, whichis provided by most mic preamps, mixing consoles,or separate phantom power supplies. It is importantto note that some units, though rated at 48 volts,may supply insufficient or unstable phantom power,which can result in distortion and/or degraded per-formance when used with this microphone.

To avoid damage to audio components when connect-ing phantom power, follow this simple procedure:1) turn down the mic preamp gain, headphones, andyour studio monitors, 2) connect microphone cableto the Blueberry and microphone input jack, 3) turnon phantom power, 4) turn up the mic preamp gain,etc. To disconnect or re-route the Blueberry, 1) turndown the mic preamp gain, headphones, and yourstudio monitors, 2) turn off phantom power and wait10 seconds before disconnecting the mic.

Once the Blueberry is on the stand and powered up,make sure that the active, on-axis side of the capsule(the side of the mic with the BLUE logo) is facing thedesired source. The Blueberry is a cardioid microphone,and is designed to reject off-axis sound arriving atthe back of the capsule. And now, here are somerecording tips that will allow you to get the mostout of the Blueberry!!

VocalsHere’s a little-known secret—vocalists love singinginto unique and impressive mics. And in addition toits good looks, the Blueberry was developed especiallyto enhance the airiness and detail in any voice,while diminishing the proximity-induced lows whichcan cloud a mix or produce compression artifacts.Put it in front of any singer and you are guaranteedto get a 110% inspired performance that sits per-fectly in the mix with little or no additional equal-ization. The Blueberry is also an outstanding choicefor narration and voiceover work.

The Blueberry with optional shockmounts and W1POP Filter

Deci

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-12

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20 30 50 70 100 200 300 500 800 2K 3K 5K 7K 10K 22.05K

Frequency (Hz)

Blueberry Capsule Frequency Response

This frequency chart of the Blueberry capsule is only a start. It gives the recordist a basis of thesound provided. How the microphone reacts in a particular application will differ greatly because ofmany variables. Room acoustics, distance from sound source (proximity), tuning of the instrumentand microphone cabling are only a few of the interacting issues. For an artist or engineer, how themicrophones are used creates the basis of the sound.