I have a beautiful recording setup, but there’s a problem; I have to set it up!
This means running cables, plugging in things and figuring out why I’m not getting sound. Next I’ll mull over recording my idea on a cell phone, but I always forfeit that thought knowing I’ll get lackluster results.
The Nessie by Blue is a USB plug-and-play microphone. There are no drivers to download, no access codes to enter; just plug it in, click on your recording software and you’re recording.
There are three presets on the mic to help capture the best audio quality: Voice, Music and Raw. Voice is a custom setting for singing or spoken word. Music is best for acoustic instruments with a little bit of presence added. Raw is a flatter response, which I used when recording speaker cabinets or loud amps.
The Nessie has a mute button, a headphone out and a playback volume knob to monitor playback at a safe volume. Other features include an internal shockmount and pop filter. Its sample rate is 48kHz, and it has a frequency response of 20Hz-20kHz. The head of the mic angles up and down to accommodate sound capture. When powered on, the base of the Nessie lights up; when muted the base blinks.
Let's get to the clips!
Clip 1 is a 12-string guitar with the Nessie set to Music mode. I had the mic about 10 inches away from the guitar centralized between the neck and the sound hole.
Clip 2 is a Les Paul cranked up with Nessie on Raw mode. I doubled and panned the track to give it a deeper stereo sound.
Clip 3 is a P-bass with the Nessie still set on Raw mode. I had to move the mic back about 18 inches to avoid overdriving the mic.
Web:bluemic.com
Street Price: $99.99
You can't believe everything you read on the Internet, but Billy Voight is a gear reviewer, bassist and guitarist from Pennsylvania. He has Hartke bass amps and Walden acoustic guitars to thank for supplying some of the finest gear on his musical journey. Need Billy's help in creating noise for your next project? Drop him a line at thisguyonbass@gmail.com.
