Blue Microphones Spark Review, by Ariel Borujow

Blue Microphones have always had a reputation for making great-sounding microphones at reasonable prices.  When SonicScoop approached me about doing the review for the Blue Spark, I had no hesitations.

Blue Microphones' Spark - front and back view (w/ Focus button)

The moment I received it, I was already impressed with the packaging.  My next thought was, “Will this mic sound as good as it looks?” The timing was perfect because I had been working on several mix projects and was really looking forward to getting some recording done, and I couldn’t think of a better excuse to try out some new microphones.

The Spark is a cardioid, solid-state condenser microphone, designed using Class-A discrete electronics. The result is a versatile all-around mic that is colorless and designed to handle multiple jobs ranging from vocals, to drums, guitars, pianos, brass, and woodwinds among other sound sources.  Also having the Focus control, a mode selector which I explain in detail later, users have access to broader control of the Spark’s high and low characteristics.

IN THE STUDIO

I was scheduled to record The Clatty Lads, a NYC-based folk/rock/pop/country band and felt it was the perfect application to put the Blue Spark to the test.  The decision was to use it on a pedal steel guitar played by the very talented Matt Knapp.  Matt brought in a Peavey Nashville 400 amp to record the song at Stadium Red in Studio A, here in NYC.

In an effort to get the sound I was looking for I decided to record in their live room. This was the first time I had ever recorded a pedal steel and I decided to put the Blue up against the old trustworthy Shure SM 57. I also employed two sets of room mics to capture some ambiance for this recording: a pair of Audio Technica 4040’s playing as overheads, and two AKG 414’s in an MS configuration.  Both the Spark and the Shure mics were put up against the amp’s grill right off center. I ran them both through the Grace 801r pre’s, which are very transparent, then straight into Pro Tools, with no compression in the recording, as I tend to lay off compression on instruments when I track.

Once I had the chance to listen, the first thing that was apparent was how much fuller the Spark was compared to the 57.  The Spark was a bit duller above 10K — which was perfect for what I was looking to achieve, while the low end was very silky and smooth.  I started mixing the song and — believe it or not — with the blend of the various microphones, there was no need for EQ.  I have provided an audio example of what I recorded.

Hear the Blue Spark on Pedal Steel:

The Blue Spark on Pedal Steel

Once I heard the Spark on the pedal steel I was curious to know what it would sound like rocking through a Marshall with a nice clean tone.  My good friend, the guitarist Maki Athanasiou, was a perfect subject for this test. Here, I had Maki play some clean blues riffs and also some acoustic chords just to hear the details of the mics on two different styles and guitars.

Maki brought in his Fender Strat, and hooked it up to a Marshall cab with a Line 6 head.  Upon finding our sound I placed the mic on one of the four speakers, using the Universal Audio LA-610 with a 4:1 compression ratio running directly into Pro Tools. The Spark was able to capture a very pleasing, full sound on the electric.  However, when mixing, you might find yourself cutting some low mids to help it sit better in the song. Of course this is to taste.

Hear the Blue Spark on Electric Guitar:

Spark Electric

Borujow puts the Blue Spark to work on Maki Athanasiou's acoustic guitar.

After hearing the Spark on the electric guitar, we thought it was only right that we grab an acoustic and see how it compares on that end, so we picked up a Takamine guitar and set up the Spark pointing to the center hole a bit off axis.  First thing I noticed was the fullness on the low mids which I love on acoustics. The highs were not where I wanted them, but it was nothing a little bit of EQ can’t handle. Overall the sound was really pleasing.

Hear the Blue Spark on Acoustic Guitar:

Spark Acoustic

FOCUS: FOCUS

One thing I didn’t touch on yet which I found quite interesting was the Spark’s “Focus” control button, providing you with two different tonal characteristics when pressed, and de-pressed. I found this very useful and unique since I have never seen this on a microphone.

With the electric guitar and acoustic I tried both settings and provided some examples so you can listen for yourself.  When you have the Focus in the Normal position (de-pressed), the low end seems to increase with less emphasis on the high end.  When Focus mode is pressed, the clarity in the high end was immediately apparent, and the lows seemed to decrease slightly, but without losing the richness. I found this to be very useful and unique.

Hear the Blue Spark on Acoustic Guitar with Focus:

Spark Acoustic Presence

Hear the Blue Spark on Electric Guitar with Focus:

Spark Electric with presence

Being that I never used a mic with this feature, I found it to be extremely useful for a few reasons. One being that with a single mic, you have the option of having two different flavors. This can help tremendously for being a bit creative and having different sonic qualities when tracking. Another is when tracking vocals, I tend to like the slight high end boost depending on the vocalist. Focus would work great for the application.

For the price tag of $199 for the Spark, I would recommend it for the project studio owner and the seasoned engineer: It has its own unique characteristics and would be a solid addition to any mic locker.

Ariel Borujow is an NYC mix/recording engineer. He has worked with a wide range of clients including P Diddy, Black Eyed Peas, Kanye West and Chiddy Bang. He currently works out of his C4 Room @ Stadium Red Studios in Harlem.  Connect with Ariel at http://www.stadiumredny.com.

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