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Aesthetics are often overlooked in the design of many of the production tools we use. Everything seems to be painted black and the function seems to always dictate the form. While this often makes for a reliable tool, products that are able to transcend this "engineering first" mindset while delivering quality results are the ones that become classics.
I've always appreciated Blue Microphones because they spend the same care in crafting a beautiful sounding microphone as they do in making a design that is inspiring. Earlier this year Blue released a new microphone in line with this tradition of design and function: the Hummingbird, a small-diaphragm condenser mic with a unique articulating capsule that gives the user complete flexibility when positioning the microphone. Being a fan of Blue Microphones I was excited to take the Hummingbird on the road for an extensive review.
During the month of September, I was on tour running FOH for the Air 1 Positive Hits tour. On this tour I was responsible for running sound for several artists including 3for3, NF, Finding Favour, Lauren Daigle, and Crowder. The bands styles were all over the map, from rap to rock, pop and even some bluegrass. I was able to use a pair of the Hummingbird microphones on a variety of sources during this time. Spending nearly a month with this microphone allowed me to give this microphone a healthy workout on the road.
Straight out of the box this SDC (small-diaphram condenser) greets you with an exciting design. Blue Microphones have an art deco quality to them that feels like the future while still remaining familiar. The grey and blue color scheme is subtle enough for stage use while standing out and maintaining an independence all its own. The grill on the end of the capsule has a classic look that made me hope it would sound as good as it looks.
While the overall construction feels solid and professional, I was a bit concerned about the pivot point of the capsule. This articulating head allows for 180 degrees of rotation and I wondered if the hinged design would hold up after a month of touring. The more moving parts and pieces, the more potential for failure.
During the first week of tour I decided I start in the most familiar of roles for a SDC: drum overheads. Positioning the Hummingbird was a breeze because the articulating capsule gave me more flexibility and as a result I didn't have to wrestle with the boom stands arms as much.
I initially used this pair of mics on Finding Favors' drum kit. The sound was beautiful --- definitely a brighter microphone than what I used previously for this task. The Hummingbird brought a new clarity to the drum sound without sounding brash. The detail on these mics really stood out, and I felt like they articulated the transients of the kit incredibly well.
After spending a week with the Hummingbirds on overheads, I decided to try one as hi-hat mic. Ease of positioning was reason enough to try it for this application. Due to the mic's swivel head, I didn't need a boom stand; a round base straight mic stand is all that was needed. Thanks to the articulating capsule design, I was able to easily angle the microphone capsule to exactly the right position. However, I found the Hummingbird to be a bit too bright for this application. Certainly a usable sound, but I had to tame the high end with EQ to suit my taste. This may have to do with context because Finding Favours' drum kit was a traditional rock and roll sound. If I was working with a drummer that was approaching things from a pop or gospel perspective, the Hummingbird may have been a better fit. Still for the next week it lived on the hi-hat, and did the job.
During week three of the tour I moved the Hummingbird into Crowders' percussionist Todd Braggs' world. Todd is an amazing drummer and percussionist. You also may know him as an original member of Caedmons Call where he played drum kit for years. When he joined Crowders' new collective he slowly built up what is one of the most creative collection of percussion instruments that I've ever had to mic up. He uses a collection of world instruments that you may be familiar with: cajon, pandero, cowbells, and tambourines. There is also a whole subset of other “instruments” he has collected or made over the years: a gas can, old pipe fittings turned into shakers, broken cymbals fastened together, and much more. With over 25 different percussive instruments at his disposal, he's created quite a visual spectacle and it's a challenge to capture all of the nuances of each instrument's sound. The way that I mic Todd's world is pretty straight forward, I have a plate mic placed inside the cajon, and a stereo set of SDC's. This is where the Hummingbird mics found a home.
I've been running FOH for Crowder for about a year and a half, and Todd's world has been mic'd up using the same SDC microphones the whole time. I really had no complaints with the set of microphones I was previously using in this scenario, but I didn't know what I was missing. The day that I put the Hummingbirds up I changed my mind.
First off, the design excited Todd, which I think is a great thing. It's very inspiring when a piece of technology pulls the best out of the performer and the engineer. Secondly, and most convincing, was the sound quality. The clarity and detail that these pics gave me was amazing. I was hearing details from Todd's playing that I had not noticed before. The Hummingbird was able to capture the dynamics of Todd's sound in an incredibly realistic manner --- a way that I had not been able to capture before.
I fell in love with these microphones. The design is inspiring and practical; the sound is detailed and true. It's rare when I find a microphone that gives me a night and day change for a given application. The Hummingbird delivered in such a way that I don't want to go back to my previous mics. I can't recommend this microphone enough. These birds are staying with me.