Blue Spark Review – Not Your Regular Condenser

Design:
Features:
Performance:
Value:

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If there is one brand that has spearheaded condenser mics to commercial users, it is Blue. Their Blue Spark is easily one of the most interesting condenser microphones you can get under $200. As we are about to see, it's not your ordinary package, but something quite a bit different.

Design

If we look at the majority of the models on the market, there seems to be a pattern when it comes to design of the speaker chassis. In other words, you will usually see a rugged metal body paired with a side/top address grille and not much else. Most brands are sticking with simplicity. Well, Blue took one look at that and decided to take whole different route. Blue Spark features a very unique design with an isolated capsule and a rather large body.

It looks like a popsicle with an unnaturally large handle. On that note, it's not extremely appealing. At least not to the more conservative users. Its success is partially due to the success the Spark had on a more commercial market with users needing something for streaming or podcasting. Overall, it's fair to say that Blue Spark takes some getting used to.

Features

When it comes to features, things start looking much more familiar. For starters, the capsule and diaphragm inside are fairly standard but well made. Blue has used a lot of the hardware from their more elite models, which makes Spark a great value right off the bat. Raw specs reveal what this microphone is all about. Its frequency response range spans from 20Hz to 20kHz with the max SPL set at 128dB. Connector type is a standard XLR, meaning that phantom power is required. The main other feature is the -20dB pad. This is what truly reveals the main purpose of this mic. Even when you cut those 20dB, you are still only able to access 128dB SPL values. Considering all of this, Blue Spark feels like most other condensers out there. Its exterior design can be deceptive.

Performance

The main question is whether or not Blue Spark is something that is viable in a studio. The answer is yes. However, you need to understand what this microphone can and can't do. Low SPL values indicate not much maneuvering room to record instruments. Acoustic guitars are fair game given that you do proper positioning, but trying to record anything more aggressive would prove to be a more daunting task. On the other hand, recording voice is what this mic was made to do.

The overall impression we got is that Spark adds girth to the vocals as well as the warmth in all the right places. Thin vocals sound saturated, all without that artificial flavor. As a matter of fact, Blue Spark can easily hold its own against much more respected models out there. We are talking condensers designed for professional studio use.

Conclusion

While Blue Spark isn't really your average microphone, it delivers a very interesting performance profile that works best with vocals. It is not a one show pony, but it is not your proverbial multi-tool either. At this price, we can't really fault Blue Spark for lacking high amounts of versatility.

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