by Nessie is a new $100 microphone from Blue, purveyors of fine USB audio devices for the masses. True to Blue’s form, Nessie is a slick-looking mic with a design that makes you want to use it. It includes clever features like a built-in pop filter and internal shockmount, and digital audio processing to make capturing great audio easier. That said, I’ve used many Blue microphones, though, and while Nessie is the coolest in theory, it ranks as my last favorite in practice.
The good
Let’s start with Nessie’s design, because that’s the fun part. The 1.4-pound microphone stands 10 inches tall, and its round base is 3.75 inches in diameter. The base features a steadily glowing LED light, which pulses when the microphone is muted. You can twist the black grooved rim surrounding the base to adjust the volume of headphones you optionally plug in.
From that base rises the long, slender, immoveable neck of Nessie, at the top of which sits the 14mm condenser capsule. The condenser is positioned on a red metal arm that protrudes from Nessie’s neck, offering a substantial degree of vertical and angled movement. At its highest position, the condenser increases Nessie’s height to 11.25 inches tall.
Because the head pivots vertically on the arm, you can achieve a variety of positions with the microphone; again, though, there’s no lateral movement unless you physically pick up and move Nessie. The movement does mean that you can point the microphone up at your face if you’re seated, or down at your guitar.
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