Hands on: Blue Raspberry microphone works with your Mac, iPhone, or iPad
The Raspberry microphone from Blue is more than your average recording device. It folds up into a portable bundle for using on the go, and can even work with your iOS device.
We've only spent a brief amount of time with Raspberry, and it is already one of our favorite mics. There are a few things to celebrate about the Raspberry. Namely, its design, portability, versatility, and quality.
Following deboxing, the first thing we noticed about the Raspberry was its excellent design and build quality. It is solid feeling and largely made of metal.
The bottom of the mic itself is wrapped in a dark red leather that comes about halfway up the front and back. This serves as not only scratch protection, but as a modicum of sound dampening from vibrations like computer cooling fans and the like.
A green light in the center signifies when it has power, though we found this to be a bit on the bright side.
The only bits of plastic happen to be the two knobs located on either side. The knobs felt a bit loose to us, like they could be more precise in their rotation.
It has a removable and collapsible stand that can fold up around the mic itself, making it super compact and sturdy for tossing into luggage. After folding it up, we could fit it into our pocket when we are heading to an event. We wouldn't say it is super-comfortable lodged in there, especially when trying to sit, but it is doable in a pinch.
If you have ever tried to travel with a mic, you know the pain it can be. The mic, mic stand, pop screen, cables, all are necessities and the Raspberry helps with nearly all of that.
Even better, especially on the go, is that it can connect to an iOS device. A second micro USB to Lightning cable is included to allow it to be plugged it into an iPhone or iPad. This frees up so many more options and lets professional audio be recorded on the go on to go with just a small mic and a phone.
Luckily, at least in our quick tests, it sounds fantastic. We compared it to a few other studio mics ranging from $150 to $300 and the Raspberry sounded as good as nearly all of them. Very impressive for such a small device.
Depending on the app used on your Mac, PC, or iOS device, Raspberry can record in up to 24-bit audio.
We will most definitely be diving into this more for our full review.
Blue Raspberry retails for $199, though B&H and Amazon currently have the microphone for $149. For that price, it includes the mic, two cables, and a portable travel bag. B&H is currently shipping the Blue Raspberry for free via expedited delivery with no tax outside NY and NJ (CO and VT, see here), while Amazon is temporarily out of stock, but accepting backorders.
Stay tuned for our upcoming full review and comparison once we've had a bit more time to try out this impressive mic.
We've only spent a brief amount of time with Raspberry, and it is already one of our favorite mics. There are a few things to celebrate about the Raspberry. Namely, its design, portability, versatility, and quality.
Design
Following deboxing, the first thing we noticed about the Raspberry was its excellent design and build quality. It is solid feeling and largely made of metal.
The bottom of the mic itself is wrapped in a dark red leather that comes about halfway up the front and back. This serves as not only scratch protection, but as a modicum of sound dampening from vibrations like computer cooling fans and the like.
A green light in the center signifies when it has power, though we found this to be a bit on the bright side.
The only bits of plastic happen to be the two knobs located on either side. The knobs felt a bit loose to us, like they could be more precise in their rotation.
Portability
It is a good thing that the mic is made primarily of metal because this mic is perfect to take on the go.It has a removable and collapsible stand that can fold up around the mic itself, making it super compact and sturdy for tossing into luggage. After folding it up, we could fit it into our pocket when we are heading to an event. We wouldn't say it is super-comfortable lodged in there, especially when trying to sit, but it is doable in a pinch.
If you have ever tried to travel with a mic, you know the pain it can be. The mic, mic stand, pop screen, cables, all are necessities and the Raspberry helps with nearly all of that.
Versatility
Raspberry connects to a computer over USB. There is a micro USB port on the back of the mic, and the included cable is quite long.Even better, especially on the go, is that it can connect to an iOS device. A second micro USB to Lightning cable is included to allow it to be plugged it into an iPhone or iPad. This frees up so many more options and lets professional audio be recorded on the go on to go with just a small mic and a phone.
Audio quality
Clearly one of the most important things for a mic is audio quality. It can be portable, pretty, and versatile but if it sounds terrible, it is no use to anyone.Luckily, at least in our quick tests, it sounds fantastic. We compared it to a few other studio mics ranging from $150 to $300 and the Raspberry sounded as good as nearly all of them. Very impressive for such a small device.
Depending on the app used on your Mac, PC, or iOS device, Raspberry can record in up to 24-bit audio.
We will most definitely be diving into this more for our full review.
Where to buy
Blue Raspberry retails for $199, though B&H and Amazon currently have the microphone for $149. For that price, it includes the mic, two cables, and a portable travel bag. B&H is currently shipping the Blue Raspberry for free via expedited delivery with no tax outside NY and NJ (CO and VT, see here), while Amazon is temporarily out of stock, but accepting backorders.
Stay tuned for our upcoming full review and comparison once we've had a bit more time to try out this impressive mic.
Comments
Why are manufacturers still using Micro-USB connectors instead of moving to USB-C?
If a $200 USB device is a "studio mic," what nomenclature do we use to describe a Schoeps CMC6 or Neumann U67?
As for your second question , I have no clue.
I spoke to a LOT of manufacturers this year at CES and specifically asked this very same question. Like others speculated here in the comments, it comes down to cost. The licensing is simply far too expensive, especially when most people don't quite understand it yet. Clearly, this is where things are heading, but right now it is still too pricey. A few even told me it was cheaper to design and develop their own proprietary barrel chargers over putting in USB-C.
My guess is your response would be something along the lines of "for a $200 mic they could afford to put USB-C". This very well may be true. Which could point to another likely scenario. Apple doesn't allow third-party USB-C Lightning cables. Which is exactly what they would need to create to make this work on mobile.
As far as the second part, I didn't directly call this a studio mic, but compared it to other studio mics. I think studio is a bit of a loose term. Anyone can have a "studio" where they record. Clearly, something like the Schoeps CMC6 is pricier and provides better audio quality, but for a "pro-sumer" market, this could count as a "studio" mic.
4. USB mics have inferior sound quality vs. their analog (XLR) counterparts.
Not always true. Many USB mics feature the exact same condenser mic element as the XLR version used in studio recording. USB models provide the same high quality sound signature; the primary difference in the models is the interface to the next device.
Not that it matters; my point was simply about how perceptions of kit vary between hobbyists and audio pros. I'm sure the Blue is well suited to the tasks for which it's intended.
It can power devices if they have low enough power needs. I believe iPads are currently configured to deliver 200 mA of power to peripherals, however that could vary by device and iOS version. It is probably best to keep within a 100 mA budget for peripherals. Normal USB-A can deliver at least 500 mA of power, so most devices are designed to use 500 mA requiring a powered hub on the iPad.
On the question about what is or isn't a "studio mic," I'd remind you that "studios" have used a lot of more primitive mics in the past than are available in these $150-300 USB mics today, and while you can certainly buy better mics than the Blue Yeti (for example) or Snowball (or the Rode, or other USB mics in the same price range), you will certainly pay a lot more for them. Plus, the Raspberry (and the Nessie before it) are both intended for voice-primary use: podcasting, gaming, Skype/FaceTime with better audio quality than the built-in mics provide. They do that job in spades, and indeed many great-sounding podcasts are done using USB mics.