MusicRadar Verdict
The Bumblebee not only looks ultra-cool - it's an excellent plug-in-and-play recording solution.
Pros
- +
Great look.
Cons
- -
Very few.
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Designed to sit right alongside your computer, the Bumblebee features a solid rectangular base supporting a metal arm that can be swivelled and angled into loads of positions, placing the internally shockmounted 24mm condenser mic capsule facing right where you want it and holding it securely in place.
The mic features a cardioid pattern and, besides the knob for setting the gain, you get a three-way switch to select a 'sonic signature' - processing for Music, Neutral or Voice operation - with monitoring level (headphones connected to a minijack on the front of the base) set by a separate knob.
With 24/96 operation and a large diameter capsule, the sound here lends itself to not just speech but recording vocals (making use of the effective popshield that clips over the mic), acoustic guitar, percussion and more.
Trevor Curwen has played guitar for several decades – he's also mimed it on the UK's Top of the Pops. Much of his working life, though, has been spent behind the mixing desk, during which time he has built up a solid collection of the guitars, amps and pedals needed to cover just about any studio session. He writes pedal reviews for Guitarist and has contributed to Total Guitar, MusicRadar and Future Music among others.
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