I'd say this is a great microphone for singers who lack clarity, naturally EQ'd towards boosting the high-mids, which I actually like to use on a more "throaty" singer. For the price I like it a lot. It's rather unforgiving and that is a good thing in my book. Excellent for male rock vocals, electric as well. Looking great ! :D
I was going to say I like the previous Blue Spark version more than the SL until I opened both of your videos at the same time and listened to a comparison. The Blue Spark SL has so much more warmth in the vocals and a much cleaner sound on the guitar. It may pale in comparison to the Blue Baby Bottle SL but this little sucker is an attractive and quality sounding microphone. To be fair, I'm not much for the brand name, but moreso the body style of this microphone, and finding a decent microphone with this shape can be a bit hard at times.
Just discovered your channel. Have to say really enjoyed the review. Was in the market for a new mic for the streaming setup and took a look at your USB Mic list, just bought one today. Thanks for the help
Lol that rain bruh!! 😂😂 Also, I used to bundle this mic option with my lower tier service because I found it quite easy to EQ with its punchy output signal. Tweak highs down to 8 o'clock and boost mids to 1 or 2 o'clock (figuring a 12 noon neutral) and I've found that the small diaphragm lends a woody, throaty lift to acoustic which let's it sit smack in the middle of a mix to anchor a track. #DavezTwoCents lol
I was going to add that the sizzling and aggressive highs might add to the punch in a mix even when lowered. As far as solo, I think it has pleasing character so for certain styles of music it works but I wouldn’t reach for it for a more natural sound. Then again, I’ve never used the mic so maybe it’s perfect in certain placement on acoustics like closer to the sound hole.
@@Podcastage I actually just order a AT2035 because your review so thank you man, I’ll come back at a later time and give you a rating 1-10 on how satisfied I am with it!! So you know.
Coming back to this review after I've recorded a few covers with this thing. I agree with Bandrew that this is rather unforgiving. If you sound like shit and/or you fuck up when you sing, this will just fuck you up. The boosted high and low end makes anything out of place really apparent. This may also sit too up front and center in the mix without some playing around. However, I find that this also allowed me to play with EQs quite agressively without losing character in my voice. Getting rid of things with EQ is always easier than adding things in post. For the price, if you have good control over your singing voice, this may not be a bad idea.
On an off note, I love how the non-blackout version looks. Once you see it in person, you just can't go back to anything else. Singing into something beautiful is very necessary imo.
Yeah i had this thing for about 2 months, Got it for 30$ parts or repair off ebay, had to re-wire it was all, The head was torn off lol. But, It is a great mic, Amazing quality, Just not for everything though. Really depends on your voice. So, Now I'm Using a Blue BabyBottle and I'm HIGHLY satisfied. lol But, This Spark is great. It did work for some music i would do, But not everything. It's good for lows, Highs not so much. If you have a deep voice this mic will need some tweaks.
Bandrew, I love the “Howard Beale” rant in the closing! (He’s the crazy anchor in the film “Network” and an inspiration for reality TV-yeah, a bit before your time.) Might be an interesting angle to take in the future... ;)
Great video. I had the same thoughts on this mic. I've tried using it for a few things and just never found it to give me the sound I was looking or hoping for.
Should I buy the blue spark sl (dual layer pop filter) rode psa1 and a goxlr, or rode nt1 kit and goxlr mini *part time streamer looking to upgrade my audio have a blue yeti right now*
what is with people getting broken stuff from the store and not immediately returning that shit? bro if I get a faulty pair of 20 dollar headphones I'm taking that shit back... better believe a 200 dollar mic is going back to the store and I'm getting a replacement THAT DAY.
With non audio gear, that's what I do. For audio gear, I RMA it with the company to see how their customer service is. Blue's customer service for the record is abysmal. There would be weeks in between e-mails and no updates on what was happening; it was a pain in the rear to get this thing fixed. I would not know that had I not RMA'd it to Blue.
You sounded a bit tired of the review routine on this one. Consider doing a collaboration video with a fellow UA-camr or maybe a do a remote location review. Perhaps mix it up a bit. Keep up the good work, my mic locker and I are very grateful. :-)
You’re. It the first to have a broken switch on their blue blackout spark sl mic... damnnn this is in my cart right now I almost bought it and now I’m stuck 😫😫😫
Podcastage I’m looking for a voice over thing that might support some singing. No instruments until now.... so ProCaster? Definitely not the Podcaster - sounds so different in your comparison video - looks the same but has the amp build in so it must look way different on the inside. Steinberg or Focusrite USB interface? ^^
Hey i want to buy a audio interface i see good reviws for both behringer and focusrite, but all the people i see only use focusrite, is focusrite much better?
GET INSANE Focusrite has better driver stability, better buffer latency and better audio quality. If you can spend a bit more, i would definitely recommend them over Behringer
I don't know about the self noise on the scarlett, but I know for about 150 you can get a yamaha mg10xu mixer which is also a usb audio interface with effects processor, phantom power and 10 inputs, all with onboard eq. Unless you just want the smaller size of the focusrite.
If we're throwing things into the mix, i'd also highly recommend Audient, their stuff is great. (Price difference between Focusrite/Steinberg and Audient varies a lot region to region, it's almost double in the US, but around 5% in my country, so if you can get a good deal on it, you should really consider them)
Andrew M. Sheppard overkill yes, but the preamps are stupid quiet, which is one of the biggest factors I and others should look at, the rest of the features are just a bonus.. If you are broadcasting or streaming with smaller interfaces you really are limited in production value without additional software and routing i/o’s.. mixers generally suck but Yamahas mg lineup is one of those rare gems.. the smaller Yamaha mixers you mentioned have the same preamps just way less features for the same amount of money..
I might have to get this just for electric guitar. It keeps it really tight, while still coming across full and powerful. As you mentioned, it has grit in all the right areas. I think I prefer this to the sm57, and even the tlm103 for this guitar cab.
Great vid and review, as usual. I love the look of this thing, but have never really liked the sound of Blue products. A million years ago, my first mic was a Blue Snowball. I wish I hadn't sold it. Instead, it would have been much more satisfying to see how far I could launch it with an aluminum bat.
Sam Hyena Blue was already killed when its founders sold the company and went work for Gibson. The microphones they then created were so horrible that even Bandrew didn't dare review them (and he has reviewed very bad things I must say).
Sonofabyss Their series of dynamic mics is actually pretty good, but overall Blue microphones are valued for their aesthetic appeal in lieu of their functionality, although I think that the Yeti is an eyesore.
Actually your review made me get this 😂 one it's fantastic for recording my fender xl 100 and two it's really not bad on the lead vocals it's no rode nt mic but not far off I think it's a very good versatile mic and for the 199 I just don't see any better option I also record directly into a tascam 24
How do you get the white noise to go away? Just bought it for micing above the drums, and there's this constant white noise/hum sound. I don't want that on my recordings. I'm just plugged directly into my Tascam DP32-SD mixing board. Any advice would help. Thanks
Hello Bandrew. I'm watching your videos for a long time now and i saw your videos about the Scarlett Solo and the Yamaha AG03 and i want to buy the Rode NT1, because i think that's the right mic for me but i don't know if i should buy the interface or the Mixer... I know they are made for different uses, but i wanna make music with them AND UA-cam videos and streams on twitch and talk in Discord with friends etc. Which is better for doing all these things? With the Mixer i can Mix it live with the software and change my gain and so on and the interface makes it sound better. Sorry for my bad english by the way i'm from germany ^^ Which of these two would you prefer for me for the NT1? And i really know that are two different things but you know what i mean ^^ Maybe someone from your community could help me too :D
You should really review a middle of the range Lavalier microphone eg. Sennheiser MKE 2. Also, the Shure Beta 87A might be something worth reviewing. Thanks
Woah, I actually like it when companies throw in stickers.
I slap em on travelcases and catcages, makes me seem refined without actually being
I put them on my speaker cabs. I have a friend who has a fear of stickers. Maybe it’s a phobia
I didn’t get one 😭
Send me your stickers and I'll be sure to take good care of them.
Or do like a sticker giveaway to subscribers.
@DJLucas610 Pollute? From fire?? haha
Joshua Jarman Burning stickers probably wont cause pollution but some materials, when burned can produce a toxic stench and cause alot of pollution.
I'd say this is a great microphone for singers who lack clarity, naturally EQ'd towards boosting the high-mids, which I actually like to use on a more "throaty" singer. For the price I like it a lot. It's rather unforgiving and that is a good thing in my book. Excellent for male rock vocals, electric as well. Looking great ! :D
I was going to say I like the previous Blue Spark version more than the SL until I opened both of your videos at the same time and listened to a comparison. The Blue Spark SL has so much more warmth in the vocals and a much cleaner sound on the guitar. It may pale in comparison to the Blue Baby Bottle SL but this little sucker is an attractive and quality sounding microphone. To be fair, I'm not much for the brand name, but moreso the body style of this microphone, and finding a decent microphone with this shape can be a bit hard at times.
This mic sounds beautiful. Picking one up myself. Great review sir!
How was it? Any regrets? Thinking of getting one bec of the looks 😆
If you and the other guy I watch teamed up y’all would make amazing videos! You both have the BEST reviews on studio equipment
I LOVE this mic for lead vocals.(with my Apollo Twin)
Your soundcard is very average...which makes a HUGE difference.
Can you help me by telling me which items to buy for home studio set up im trying to upgrade my basic studio
That was not rain, those were just your fans throwing money at your house in the form of physical bitcoins!
This seems like the perfect mic for press conferences. Why do news stations always have horrible audio?
tbh idfk
You are awesome man,i am watching you since 20k subs or so.
Just discovered your channel. Have to say really enjoyed the review. Was in the market for a new mic for the streaming setup and took a look at your USB Mic list, just bought one today. Thanks for the help
Wow! When you rush a review like this it actually makes me nervous. 😧 But I loved the sticker burning in hellfire!
Lol that rain bruh!! 😂😂
Also, I used to bundle this mic option with my lower tier service because I found it quite easy to EQ with its punchy output signal. Tweak highs down to 8 o'clock and boost mids to 1 or 2 o'clock (figuring a 12 noon neutral) and I've found that the small diaphragm lends a woody, throaty lift to acoustic which let's it sit smack in the middle of a mix to anchor a track.
#DavezTwoCents lol
I was going to add that the sizzling and aggressive highs might add to the punch in a mix even when lowered. As far as solo, I think it has pleasing character so for certain styles of music it works but I wouldn’t reach for it for a more natural sound. Then again, I’ve never used the mic so maybe it’s perfect in certain placement on acoustics like closer to the sound hole.
I loved the mic music test.
I am going to listen to it in the shop. You never sounded better.
I love your honesty bro
Thank you for watching and thank you for the kind words.
@@Podcastage I actually just order a AT2035 because your review so thank you man, I’ll come back at a later time and give you a rating 1-10 on how satisfied I am with it!! So you know.
Thanks again great review!
I like the rain, providing I'm warm, wrapped up, comfortable in bed or indoors.
Any other rain situation and I'm 'No, I'm wet and hate it!'
Coming back to this review after I've recorded a few covers with this thing. I agree with Bandrew that this is rather unforgiving. If you sound like shit and/or you fuck up when you sing, this will just fuck you up. The boosted high and low end makes anything out of place really apparent. This may also sit too up front and center in the mix without some playing around. However, I find that this also allowed me to play with EQs quite agressively without losing character in my voice. Getting rid of things with EQ is always easier than adding things in post. For the price, if you have good control over your singing voice, this may not be a bad idea.
On an off note, I love how the non-blackout version looks. Once you see it in person, you just can't go back to anything else. Singing into something beautiful is very necessary imo.
Jeez... really?
I mean, if you sound like shit, you're gonna sound like shit with any microphone. This is a really good mic with excellent clarity.
@@jas_bataille facts! 😂
At least you loved the limited red Blue Spark.
Underrated content👌
Awsome video man'
Was less concerned about the rain falling than the MDR 7506s!
Yeah i had this thing for about 2 months, Got it for 30$ parts or repair off ebay, had to re-wire it was all, The head was torn off lol. But, It is a great mic, Amazing quality, Just not for everything though. Really depends on your voice. So, Now I'm Using a Blue BabyBottle and I'm HIGHLY satisfied. lol But, This Spark is great. It did work for some music i would do, But not everything. It's good for lows, Highs not so much. If you have a deep voice this mic will need some tweaks.
Bandrew, I love the “Howard Beale” rant in the closing! (He’s the crazy anchor in the film “Network” and an inspiration for reality TV-yeah, a bit before your time.) Might be an interesting angle to take in the future... ;)
I'm as mad as hell, I'm not going to take this anymore!
Podcastage sir India. Give me some suggestions. Can I connect my usb microphone with phantom power 48v
Podcastage have can do echo on my condenser microphone for singing smule app.
Would you recommend this with the icicle? I watch your review on that, too, but curious to hear your thoughts...
Mr Charlie rich burning stickers over here...
Great video. I had the same thoughts on this mic. I've tried using it for a few things and just never found it to give me the sound I was looking or hoping for.
I've heard that there are quality issues with the sparks but quality is good above that...
How do you know if high pass filter is broken?
bro u have a 100 mics, ofcourse you got options, but can it record good singing vocals ?
Should I buy the blue spark sl (dual layer pop filter) rode psa1 and a goxlr, or rode nt1 kit and goxlr mini *part time streamer looking to upgrade my audio have a blue yeti right now*
Review Warm Audio WA47Jr. It’s a great mic I just wanna know your opinion
Review a warm audio mic
Is there no mute button on it or something? :D
We are two different people I like the sound of the spark on the acoustic & on the beta 87
Your hatred for stickers are hilarious 😂😂😂😂
That was loud rain. Damn.
I know this is an old video, but any chance you review the neat king bee?
That sticker hatred voice needed to be a bit more guttural..
Kill more stickers!
So is the sl worse than the original? I’m trying to buy the original blue spark but it’s sold out everywhere..
What is the difference with the Blue Spark reviewed for you in 2016? Thanks
cant decided between this or the at2035 any suggestions ?
Same here..
Do you known if they fixed the faulty switch since then
Can I connect this microphone to focusrite scarlett solo?
Yes you can.
@@Podcastage Ok. Thanks ;)
whats your mixer in this video
NO! MY GOD DANG STICKER!!!
so I mean it picks up a lot of background noise which sucks
would this be good for rap vocals?
can you make a review of the blue Encore 300?
Can you please review the nasum usb microphone
Hey, i was just wondering do you reckon the atr2100 or the q2u is better?
thumbs up the bro , thank you
what is with people getting broken stuff from the store and not immediately returning that shit?
bro if I get a faulty pair of 20 dollar headphones I'm taking that shit back... better believe a 200 dollar mic is going back to the store and I'm getting a replacement THAT DAY.
With non audio gear, that's what I do. For audio gear, I RMA it with the company to see how their customer service is. Blue's customer service for the record is abysmal. There would be weeks in between e-mails and no updates on what was happening; it was a pain in the rear to get this thing fixed. I would not know that had I not RMA'd it to Blue.
That damn sticker didn't see it coming! (Neither did I)
Song in a minor chord?
I love burning sticker 🤣😂
It has a very compressed sound to me with poor midrange.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it.
Sir Iam a beatboxer pls give a suggestion which mic i should purchase under 200$( pls sir it's a humble request
Any chance someone knows how to set up this mic with an iPhone and an irig interface
Just bought this mic.. My highpass filter is also broken. interesting.
Maybe it's a fake highpass filter.
the one i voted for won :3
Its the best reviwer
Can you do "rode nt1-a vs blue spark sl
Does it need a Phant9m Booster thingy
It requires phantom power, but if your interface has phantom power you do not need an external power supply.
Sticker= *HELL*
I dunno why but that mic just weirds me out, it looks so weird..
every mic that looks like a lollipop gets that
You sounded a bit tired of the review routine on this one. Consider doing a collaboration video with a fellow UA-camr or maybe a do a remote location review. Perhaps mix it up a bit. Keep up the good work, my mic locker and I are very grateful. :-)
You’re. It the first to have a broken switch on their blue blackout spark sl mic... damnnn this is in my cart right now I almost bought it and now I’m stuck 😫😫😫
Pretty sibilant imo.
this or the Rode ProCaster?
Depends on the use case. For music, this. For spoken word, I'd probably go with the procaster since Im' a dynamic fan boy.
Podcastage I’m looking for a voice over thing that might support some singing. No instruments until now.... so ProCaster? Definitely not the Podcaster - sounds so different in your comparison video - looks the same but has the amp build in so it must look way different on the inside.
Steinberg or Focusrite USB interface? ^^
This video is a screwball comedy XD
Good to see you here bud!
Erickson Films hahaha hope you doing well amigo
Would you recommend this one or the $20 NW 1500?
Cool
alguien que hable español me podria decir que entrada tiene el cable
XLR
shure sm58 still the best :)
Do you still recommend the focusrite solo or is there a better interface paired with the at2020?
Hey i want to buy a audio interface i see good reviws for both behringer and focusrite, but all the people i see only use focusrite, is focusrite much better?
GET INSANE Focusrite has better driver stability, better buffer latency and better audio quality. If you can spend a bit more, i would definitely recommend them over Behringer
Thanks all !
I don't know about the self noise on the scarlett, but I know for about 150 you can get a yamaha mg10xu mixer which is also a usb audio interface with effects processor, phantom power and 10 inputs, all with onboard eq. Unless you just want the smaller size of the focusrite.
If we're throwing things into the mix, i'd also highly recommend Audient, their stuff is great. (Price difference between Focusrite/Steinberg and Audient varies a lot region to region, it's almost double in the US, but around 5% in my country, so if you can get a good deal on it, you should really consider them)
Andrew M. Sheppard overkill yes, but the preamps are stupid quiet, which is one of the biggest factors I and others should look at, the rest of the features are just a bonus.. If you are broadcasting or streaming with smaller interfaces you really are limited in production value without additional software and routing i/o’s.. mixers generally suck but Yamahas mg lineup is one of those rare gems.. the smaller Yamaha mixers you mentioned have the same preamps just way less features for the same amount of money..
Sadistic. 😂 0:51
Reviewing a broken mic? No bueno.
Up All Night the tone does not seem to be affected by the issue. It is just a bit janky when it comes to turning the high pass on.
i'll take all of your stickers if you don't want them. lol l like stickers.
Ooooo😮😮😮😮
I give up (unless you reply).
I want to record some things on my (acoustic) piano. I don't want to spend thousands.
oooooooh
is shet
I might have to get this just for electric guitar. It keeps it really tight, while still coming across full and powerful. As you mentioned, it has grit in all the right areas. I think I prefer this to the sm57, and even the tlm103 for this guitar cab.
Man you must hate Apple...since they send several stickers with every products LOL.
That satanic ritual you did with the sticker pissed god off so he dumped noisy rain on your review. :-P
Great vid and review, as usual. I love the look of this thing, but have never really liked the sound of Blue products. A million years ago, my first mic was a Blue Snowball. I wish I hadn't sold it.
Instead, it would have been much more satisfying to see how far I could launch it with an aluminum bat.
🎶 Rain rain,
stay all day,
for the noise rejection test today.🎶
P.S. Thanks for taking the rain!
Logitech bought Blue for 117M.
Sonofabyss But for the Yeti and the bloody gamers that made it popular, this wouldn't be happening
and they will promptly kill it
Sam Hyena Blue was already killed when its founders sold the company and went work for Gibson. The microphones they then created were so horrible that even Bandrew didn't dare review them (and he has reviewed very bad things I must say).
Did anyone besides UA-camrs buy Blue microphones?
Sonofabyss Their series of dynamic mics is actually pretty good, but overall Blue microphones are valued for their aesthetic appeal in lieu of their functionality, although I think that the Yeti is an eyesore.
I found this microphone refurbished on Amazon for the same price as the Blue Ember and I think at that price it's a steal and a true value.
every time he plays the guitar samples in his reviews, i start vibing so hard lmao
Actually your review made me get this 😂 one it's fantastic for recording my fender xl 100 and two it's really not bad on the lead vocals it's no rode nt mic but not far off I think it's a very good versatile mic and for the 199 I just don't see any better option I also record directly into a tascam 24
How does this mic do with aggressive rap vocals and softer vocals?
How do you get the white noise to go away? Just bought it for micing above the drums, and there's this constant white noise/hum sound. I don't want that on my recordings. I'm just plugged directly into my Tascam DP32-SD mixing board. Any advice would help. Thanks
Which dynamic mic is your favourite?
Which dynamic mic is best for making tutorials ATR2100 or ATR2005 or Samson Q2U or another Mic?
Hello Bandrew. I'm watching your videos for a long time now and i saw your videos about the Scarlett Solo and the Yamaha AG03 and i want to buy the Rode NT1, because i think that's the right mic for me but i don't know if i should buy the interface or the Mixer... I know they are made for different uses, but i wanna make music with them AND UA-cam videos and streams on twitch and talk in Discord with friends etc. Which is better for doing all these things? With the Mixer i can Mix it live with the software and change my gain and so on and the interface makes it sound better. Sorry for my bad english by the way i'm from germany ^^ Which of these two would you prefer for me for the NT1? And i really know that are two different things but you know what i mean ^^
Maybe someone from your community could help me too :D
You should really review a middle of the range Lavalier microphone eg. Sennheiser MKE 2. Also, the Shure Beta 87A might be something worth reviewing. Thanks
This or the sm7b
Why do you hate stickers? Save them for fans. I like stickers.
For twitch just for game play commentary, with no studio type area. Do you guys recommend it?
No. I'd recommend a cardioid, *dynamic* microphone if you don't have a studio area.