- Anthony
Today, we turn our attention to a microphone making waves in the industry – the Blue Raspberry. Blue is known for being innovative and making high-quality products. With this sleek, powerful mic, they’ve once again gotten the attention of singers, podcasters, and content creators.
In this Blue Raspberry microphone review, we’ll discuss its features, how well it works, and how it feels overall. This will give you all the information you need to make an informed choice.
Blue Raspberry Review
Pros
- No DSP is used to provide a crisp, clear signal.
- The retractable desktop stand allows for angling and swiveling.
- Ships with mobile device-specific cables, including an iOS lightning cable.
- Small and portable design.
Cons
- For the price, the design seems a touch cheap.
Design
The Raspberry’s design ($360.41 at Amazon Canada) is based on old microphones. Most of the notable mics from the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s are still utilized in professional studios. Its form is somewhat plastic-like, which is not very appealing, but metal.
The red base covering has a grain leather patina and embroidered blue logo.
The power LED sign and the grille, which hides a 14mm electret condenser that picks up sounds, are also on the front. The microphone’s cardioid pattern means that it is used from the front or from a small angle to the side.
On each side panel, two knobs look the same. The left knob controls the headphones’ volume, and the right knob controls the mic strength.
On the back is a 3.5mm headphone jack and a micro USB port for linking to your recording gear. The Raspberry comes with a micro USB-to-USB cord and an iOS-compatible micro USB-to-Lightning cable.
The microphone is incorporated into a stand and swivels to aim in almost any direction. The Raspberry can not only swivel 360 degrees but it can also be tilted forward or back. The stand has rubber feet to prevent movement, and the microphone may be unscrewed and installed on another mic stand using the adaptor.
The mic is simple to set up; however, utilizing it with recording software may need slight changes depending on the platform. We used the Raspberry Pi with GarageBand, and the setup was straightforward.
Pro Tools does not easily accept USB microphones. Still, there are workarounds—Google search aggregate device USB mic ProTools for various explanations of the procedure, which is only unpleasant but not time-consuming.
Inside the microphone is acoustic treatment material that is protected by a patent. This material resembles the padding and diffusers in a concert hall or recording studio. This may seem like a gimmick, but if it helps reduce reflections from nearby items and even from inside the cage, there’s no reason not to include it.
The Raspberry works at 16 bits or 24 bits, 44.1kHz or 48kHz, with a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz and a maximum sound pressure level of 120dB SPL. For support, you need Windows 7, 8, or 10 or Mac OS 10.75 or later, USB 2.0 or later, and at least 64MB of RAM.
In addition to the cords and mic stand adapter stated above, the Raspberry comes with a nice suede carrying bag.
Performance
Let’s start with the built-in stand before we get into sound quality. It’s not that the stand isn’t sturdy—but on a regular desktop, the mic will be far from your lips no matter how you position it.
Unless you want a close-mic, dead room sound or your room sounds terrible, it’s too far away to record without room sound.
If you’re going to use this mic for podcasts or any other sitting recording, we strongly advise you to get a desktop mic stand. When mounted on a stand, the mic loses its capacity to be tilted, which is incorporated into the provided stand. However, you may always invest in a microphone stand with a boom arm.
The sound was far away and empty when we used the built-in stand to record. The mic worked much better when it was about five to seven inches from the speaker’s lips. Getting the correct gain levels is critical here.
After choosing the right amplification setting, the Raspberry sounds like a studio condenser mic. It has some brightness to it, which might cause sibilance difficulties if excessively EQed, but it sounds bright and clear on its own.
The mic sounds best when addressed dead-on, five to six inches away, with the mouth and grille lined up. However, if your singer lacks mic expertise, you’ll need a pop filter between the vocalist and the mic to avoid plosives.
The mic sounds robust at the same distance, but with the vocalist addressing it slightly above the grille or angled to the side, you don’t need a pop filter but lose some clarity. However, some users may find the mic to be brighter and sharper than they need.
We didn’t find a big difference between recording with an iOS device’s Lightning connector and a USB link. The software you use is more likely to make a difference in these cases.
Raspberry’s absence of DSP distinguishes it from some of its comparably-priced competitors. The Shure MV51 has four DSP settings for different uses and a flat, DSP-free mode. However, we found that the Shure’s flat mode sounded less clear and clean than Raspberry’s output.
However, suppose you may benefit from some DSP to minimize distortion when recording or to handle EQ and compression. In that case, the MV51 is a versatile mic that takes a lot of the guesswork out of the process for people with less expertise.
The Raspberry is for people who prefer to play with mic placement, gain levels, and post-recording EQ and compression.
Plug and play
Recording on a computer used to require connecting a microphone to an audio interface’s microphone preamp. They were generally expensive, particularly if they sounded excellent.
Today’s USB microphones have everything built-in, and they’re much cheaper. The Blue Raspberry is one such microphone, but it takes things a step further by being iOS compatible. It’s so easy to use that almost anyone can do it. Just plug it into a free USB port on your laptop and start your digital audio studio.
Portability
The Blue Raspberry’s size and portability are key selling points — it fits in the palm of your hand and is built tough for the road. Because condenser mics used to be fragile, expensive studio gear that needed flying cases, I emphasize this. The Blue Raspberry seems to be the polar opposite, beckoning you to carry it everywhere you go.
Sound
The Blue Raspberry sounds great because it’s a condenser microphone and sensitive to speech and environmental noise. Blue has an Internal Acoustic Diffuser to reduce ambient noise and focus on your voice. I don’t doubt that it enhances sound clarity, but you’ll still need to use it in a quiet place to record well.
Aesthetics Of Blue Raspberry
The Raspberry Pi is one of Blue’s most enticing products. Blue Raspberry has the typical vintage feel and atmosphere with its sleekness, metal curves, and red leather face. Blue knows how to make products that look good, and the brand has always been good at mixing old and new styles.
Exterior Of Blue Raspberry
The Raspberry microphone’s appearance is largely silver, with a matching metal stand as an anchor. Each side of the microphone has a big knob that controls the volume of the headphones or the microphone.
Muting the microphone is also possible by pressing the mic volume on the right. When the microphone is muted, the front-facing green power button becomes red. The green/red color scheme makes it much simpler to determine whatever mode you are in. In contrast, the Yeti’s light either shines or blinks red, leaving you in the dark.
The metal stand’s rubber bottom separates the microphone from device movements that could affect audio recording. The Blue logo is boldly front and center on a piece of red leather that runs down to the bottom and across the back to nod to the device’s name.
There is a headphone jack output and a micro-USB port on the rear. While recording, the 3.5mm headphone jack provides zero-latency monitoring. You will attach the included normal USB or lightning cable in the USB slot. The carrying bag and microphone stand adapter may also be utilized when necessary.
The combination of the microphone and a joint atop the metal base allows for various combinations. You may change the height to suit your needs. The Raspberry is nearly as tall as an iPhone but much thicker when fully folded. The size may be too thick to fit in a pocket, but it’s small enough to toss in your bag for on-the-go recording.
In addition to its amazing physical characteristics, the Blue Raspberry mic review is simply useful. Consider having a microphone that is as small as your phone. The size, of course, is one factor contributing to it being a very identifiable product in the business.
Compared to its competitors, it offers an excellent alternative: a portable microphone that can be carried around like any other electronic equipment. Blue puts your voice studio right in the palm of your hand with the Raspberry.
Another aspect worth considering is the device’s sound. Condenser microphones are often used to record sounds or voices while reducing noise in the room. The Raspberry, with its already slim form, of course has one.
Based on their history of making high-quality studio mics, the Raspberry Blue has a highly dynamic condenser capsule. This lets customers get the best sounds no matter where they are or where they want to set the microphone, even from a distance.
When used for voiceovers or podcasts, the microphone may sound murky when far from the sound or speaker’s lips.
Regardless, the Blue Raspberry microphone is something to think about. It features excellent sound quality that focuses on your voice and instrument sounds.
The microphone is also good at picking up sounds from different instruments. This makes it a good microphone for musicians, singers, audio engineers, producers, and those who need one.
The Blue Raspberry microphone has USB capability like other microphones with a USB port. However, it is compatible with Apple or Mac machines, unlike other microphones in its category that are more expensive.
In terms of sound, you’re unlikely to find a microphone that gives so much excellent for a condenser microphone at such a low price as the Blue Raspberry.
The price is lower than the competition and other solutions with similar characteristics. Even if it’s not as good as some of Blue’s other popular products, the Raspberry is definitely in line.
The Blue Raspberry mic review is a great option for people who are just starting out or who want a cheap home studio microphone. It can also be used as a backup or replacement for the already being used microphone.
Blue’s ease and portability can’t be denied, and it will definitely be useful. Even though it’s bigger than a phone and doesn’t fit in your pocket, it’s still movable and can be used almost anywhere. The high sound quality lets you record your words or other sounds clearly and focus on them while reducing background noise.
Even though the tool is sleek and looks nice, it looks like a regular microphone and is probably meant to represent the price of a microphone. The microphone’s price is another interesting thing that makes it worth looking into. You cannot often find a cheap microphone with great features that could fool people into thinking it’s a much more expensive tool.
Also, Blue is known for making high-quality mics, so you can expect the USB microphone to be just as good.
The microphone is perfect for singing, podcasts, and voiceovers and may even be utilized for YouTube videos. The USB function also makes it simple to use. Plug and play; you’re only a few minutes away from a fantastic record. Various pros may utilize it and is one microphone that is worth having in your gadget box.
Price
The Blue Raspberry microphone is one of the cheapest in its class, but it offers great voice quality and sounds. The Raspberry is much cheaper than most microphones in its class.
Even as a USB microphone, it may be difficult to find one of genuine quality that is as inexpensive as the Raspberry. The Blue Raspberry should be on your list if you’re considering cheap mics.
The Blue Raspberry costs roughly $140. However, the price may vary according to the dealer and area. You can buy the item from online stores like Amazon or from the company’s website, where you can find a variety of sellers. You may even receive interesting discounts and the best available prices for the microphone with them.
At $140, the Blue Raspberry certainly provides a lot for a low price. If you’re wondering what comes in the package, you can expect to discover the microphone, its stand, and a carrying bag.
Comparison: Blue Raspberry Vs Blue Yeti
The Blue Yeti USB Microphone is one of Blue’s best items and also one of the best USB mics on the market. It’s not quite as good as the Raspberry, but it’s not that far behind. Both are great cheap things and are in the same price range.
Due to its clear, high-quality audio and versatility, the Blue Yeti is one of the world’s most popular USB microphones. The Blue Raspberry performs great with audio, but the Yeti shines out because of its USB function.
A low down of the Blue Yeti’s key features include:
- Blue VO!CE broadcast voice effects have been improved.
- Several pattern options include cardioid, bidirectional, omnidirectional, and stereo.
- Gain control, mute button, and zero-latency headphone output are all included.
- Positionable design that is one-of-a-kind
- Ideal for vocalists, musical instruments, podcasts, voiceovers, interviews, gaming, field recordings, conference calls, and other applications.
- Plug-and-play—Mac and PC compatibility
The Technical specifications for the microphone also include:
The Microphone And Its Performance
- Power Consumption/Required: 5V 150mA
- 48 kHz sampling rate
- 16-bit bit rate
- Three proprietary Blue 14mm condenser capsules
- Cardioid, Bidirectional, Omnidirectional, and Stereo Polar Patterns
- 20Hz – 20kHz frequency response
- Maximum SPL: 120dB (THD: 0.5 percent 1kHz)
- 4.72″ (12cm) x 4.92″(12.5cm) x 11.61″ (stretched in stand) (29.5cm)
- 1.2 lbs (weight of microphone) (.55 kg)
- 2.2 lbs (while standing) (1 kg)
Amplifier for Headphones
- 16 ohms in impedance
- RMS power output: 130 mW
- 0.009 percent THD
- 15 Hz – 22 kHz frequency response
- Signal-to-noise ratio: 100dB
System Prerequisites
Windows
- USB 1.1/2.0/3.0 (Windows 10) or later
Macintosh
- USB 1.1/2.0/3.0 on macOS 10.13 or later
Watch more:
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- Rode Microphone Review 2023: Top Full Guide
- Pop Solo Microphone Review 2023: Top Full Guide
- Audio Technica Microphone Review
- Blue Yeti Microphone Review 2023
- Blue Spark Microphone Review
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FAQs
Is Blue a good microphone brand?
The American musician Skipper Wise and the Latvian sound engineer Martins Saulespurens founded Blue Microphones in 1995. Given how much they’ve grown in just over two decades, this makes them one of the market’s youngest.
Is the Blue Snowball mic good for 2023?
We expect the Blue Mics Snowball to gain new fans in 2023 due to its inexpensive price, ease of use, and high-quality recordings.
Is a Blue Snowball mic good?
Blue’s Snowball iCE USB mic is an amazing buy. The build quality isn’t as strong as Blue’s Yeti microphones, but the sound is very clear and beautifully detailed.
Does the Blue Snowball pick up background noise?
However, some users found that Blue Snowball mics might pick up more background noise if not set up correctly. The Blue Snowball Mic has many perks for new podcasters and YouTubers searching for an easy-to-setup microphone.
Conclusion
Blue Raspberry microphones are becoming increasingly popular due to their many benefits. They have better sound quality, last longer, and cost less than standard microphones. Blue Raspberry microphones are also more beautiful than typical microphones, making them a wonderful choice for upgrading their setup.
