Customer Ratings & Reviews

This is a solid choice for a recording microphone, whether you're recording just a standard vocal track or tracking guitars. This microphone was tested out with my band, where it was used as a guitar cabinet mic with high gain and distortion. The microphone does a great job of cutting out background noise while recording. Any kind of vocal you want to record does sound awesome though. Everything from just normal speaking to growls/screams sounds great. The tracks we tested sounded very clear but not absolutely pristine. The biggest negative with this microphone is the 20db decreasing button because it takes a little bit of clarity out of the recording. There are ways to resolve this in a mix, but not a deal-breaker with this microphone. The microphone itself is well built and made out of a metal chassis. The buttons on it do feel a little cheap, but we haven't had any issues with them so far. This microphone comes in a nice wooden box and it also has a shock mount. Before getting this item, I read that the shock mount wasn't very sturdy or reliable. Our testing with it went well and there were no complaints about it. If you're looking to start recording from home, whether you're a musician or a stream, you can't go wrong with this mic.

I was very pleased with the quality of sound recordings I made with the Blackout Spark SL XLR Wired Cardioid Condenser Microphone by Blue. I made the recordings through a Scarlett 2i4 USB audio interace with Sonar X3 Producer recording software. This microphone is definitely a step up from the Sterling ST51 that I have been using for many years. The sound is rich, particularly in the lower range. The mike makes my voice sound more professional than it really is. It also picks up instrumental sounds well. In my opinion, the included shockmount is somewhat gimmicky. As is the beautiful wooden, foam-lined box that the microphone came in. I guess if you think that vibration would be a problem for your setup the shockmount could be useful. And if you store your microphones away rather than leave them set up in your studio as I do, the box would also be useful. Personally, I would have rather that Blue included a pop filter like they do with some of their other microphones. This is, however, a small issue. This is a quality microphone that I can highly recommend.

What a great piece of kit. I’ve grown accustomed to Blue’s Yeti USB microphone and what it has to offer. And this one is right there with it. The build quality is so solid. Just the weight and feel of it makes you immediately believe you have got your money’s worth out of the purchase. Love the presentation with the wooden box and sliding door. What an excellent touch and look. Super satisfied with the performance. Even for a novice this is such a solid mic. I am only slightly disappointed this did not come with an XLR cable. Something to match the rest of the kit would have been a nice addition. Given the price range and target audience, I don’t think it would have been too much to ask for. Then again, the quality and presentation of this might suggest you’re on your own when it comes to cables and the like. I must say, this is perfect for a novice like myself who wants a semi-professional appearance and feel with great performance at a non-wallet breaking price point.

Don’t like it at all. All the hype over this thing and was very disappointed. Used it with my brand new UAD Apollo twin and my Sm57 sounded the same even clearer on a lot of recordings. I tried the -20 gain switch you name it all of it sound meh! Have an blessed rest of the day folks in the Lord Jesus Christ name. Again don’t take my word for it try it on your own set up you’ll probably agree with everyone else. Me I’m an audiophile and I spotted the difference real quick buddy.

I have to start the review off with a laudatory comment about the beauty of this microphone. It is amazingly designed and so sleek that it would be right at home as a display in a fine art museum. It is simply a gorgeous microphone. But, this is a review about the quality of sound the microphone delivers. In short, it is superior. I am actively engaged in producing videos and podcasts for my business. I had heard about the Blue line before but had never purchased or tried any of their microphones, so I was a bit anxious about actually getting one and putting it to use. The setup was as easy as unplugging my other microphone and plugging this one up to the xlr cable. Of course I have all the other equipment needed for recording, so I didn't have to go out and buy anything. I use pro tools software. I recorded a sample podcast, recorded an acoustic guitar track, and a sample video. The results were amazing. Clear sound, rich and vibrant. I was extremely happy with the "depth" of the recorded sound. Many microphones leave you feeling like you are only hearing the surface sounds, but this microphone was able to go much, much deeper. The acoustic recording was equally as impressive. It captured everything, including the sliding of the fingers along the strings. The sounds were crystal clear, deep and alive. Now, the recording quality and sound quality are only as good as the mixer and software. I was able to adjust both from the mixer and also the high pass filter and -20dB pad. The microphone utilizes a cardioid technology which, although I don't understand all the technicalities involved, helped to reproduce amazing sound quality. There are a couple of things that are important to note. One, it is important to use a pop filter. I recorded without one the first go around and was completely distracted by the popping upon playback. Two, it is important to eliminate ALL background noise if you are not going to record in a studio setting. The mic is so sensitive it will pick up even the lightest background noise. All in all this was a great decision on my part. I love the looks, the way it feels, and the way it records. For podcasts and vlogging, this is THE microphone to buy. I absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for a superior microphone at an extremely reasonable cost.

I will start out by saying my background is in Radio and TV Broadcasting and I was a professional radio broadcaster for many years, so I have a used a microphone or two in my day! I have to say after reading some other reviews of this microphone, I didn't realty know what to expect. Lets get one thing out of the way right away, this is one sexy looking microphone! The matte black finish with the black chrome really makes this microphone stand out. I also love the wooden box that i comes in as well. Looks like a faux cherry kind of wood and will protect the mic very well with the foam padding inside. Now that we've gotten the looks out of the way, lets get into the performance. I had this hooked up to my computer through a audio interface with no other effects or anything like that. (quick note, this is a condenser microphone so you will need something that supplies phantom power to use it) There is a low cut filter on the mic which I had turned off as well as a -20db gain switch that I had set to -20db as well. I have to say, I was quite impressed with what I heard. I have a low bassy voice that sounds a bit muddy on a lot of microphones. This one made my voice sound nice and deep, but also had the mids and high end in there too so it sounded low but crisp. I loved it! It reminded me a lot of the Shure SM7B mic that I used to use in the studio. Next, just for fun I tried recording a little acoustic guitar. I have to say this mic impressed me there as well. It had the same great representation of low, mids, and highs and they were all very well balanced to give a nice full and crisp sound. This is definitely going to be my go-to mic for home recording now and will proudly be displayed on my desk, cause I love the way it looks and sounds! You cant go wrong with this mic, I honestly cant find a single negative thing to say about it!

The Blue Microphones - Blackout Spark SL XLR Wired Cardioid Condenser Microphone is spectacular for so many audio recording scenarios. Out of the box setup: The microphone comes ready to connect to you input of choice. You can use an XLR cable or, connect to you computer/laptop using USB (with the appropriate adapter depending on your computers connection options). The package includes the microphone, a shock mount and a pretty nice wooden box to store the microphone. I love the design of the microphone. The controls are very simple. The HPF (high pass filter) and -20dB PAD can be enabled/disabled using the switches on the base of the microphone. Very convenient! You can easily manage the quality of the input on the fly. Using the Blackout Spark SL XLR Microphone: This microphone produces exceptional audio regardless of the activity. Thanks to the wide range frequency response (20Hz - 20kHz) and the enhanced input filtering, this microphone excels in a variety of recording conditions. Podcasts and general voice audio recording is always crisp. Best of all, you can even record louder vocals or at higher octaves (singing and instruments) with no distortion in the audio. It's magical. The result of quality engineering. My favorite characteristic of this microphone, as a compliment to its versatility, is that you can use it to record full musical sessions. You can sing with the instruments playing and all comes in clear. I've only tested with guitar, piano, and violin. Still, the experience is phenomenal. I highly recommend the Blue Microphones - Blackout Spark SL XLR Wired Cardioid Condenser Microphone.

This microphone offers exceptional quality for the speaking voice. However for a musician I found that the high pass didn’t do much in the way of stopping the upper registers from distorting just a tad. That being said the quality was still phenomenal with properly adjusted placement. The fact that this microphone is an XLR mic is supposed to tout a quality that surpasses usb mics on the same scale however I found it lacking just a little in the fullness of sound when doing lower range vocals. The still worked but felt kinda hollow When using instruments however with this mic it offers slightly better quality (with the exception being again some slight clipping in the higher registers) and would work well in a small room with guitar or bass. (Would not recommend drums) as long as the levels were kept at a moderate amount. Also to be noted for more novice users a pop filter and a foam mic cover are highly recommended to avoid distortion and excessive sibilance. Overall I do think that this mic is worth working with and look forward to many hours of recording with it and trying different things to compensate for the shortcomings I experienced. I would still recommend this microphone to other musicians.

This mic can be used for streaming but since we aren’t into that it was tested for recording live music which is what we wanted it for. The mic is retro looking & comes packaged in a nice wooden box with padding & a sliding lid. It is small & lightweight but sturdy. The stand is comes with fits in a mic stand, is adjustable & floats so it doesn’t cause vibration. I used 20db cut because otherwise it will squeal. I recorded acoustic, electric & bass guitar into a Boss BR900 difgital recorder. Recorded vocals from many angles & distances ( 1” to across the room) also from different volumes like whispering to singing at the top of my lungs. The 20db cut feature is a godsend in a P.A. system. Tone & clarity are excellent. It’s hard to find something that this microphone doesn’t do well. I didn’t notice as much with the high pass filter switch. I kept the ambient noise to a minimum & the microphone is very sensitive. I would expect this microphone to cost way more than it does & it’s a great value for the price. I can’t wait to record more music with this & would highly recommend this precision instrument for any home or professional studio!

Brand new out of the box, didn't work. I bought everything new and dose not pick up audio.

Didn't work and wasnt what was expecting returned and bought a new one

Selected this for my wife to use on her daily meetings and design panel she does podcasts for. As a musician I also wanted to see how it would work in my environment (mainly as an overhead mic for drums that would be coupled with my pre-existing drum mics) to see if it would add anything extra to my mixes. Right off the bat (as I've noticed just about every other review mention) this thing is a beauty. Not only the mic, but the wooden box with laser cut foam that protects it. It is really really easy on the eyes. There is something about the retro-modern vibe that has a direct correlation to recording, and this mic brings all of that out in a visual sense. The fact is also performs just as beautifully is wonderful. The high-pass/-20db switch is right there out in front for easy access. Mounting this to a non-isolated stand that is going to sit on a surface that you type or move a mouse on? Be sure to use that switch, otherwise it's going to pick up all those bumps and movements. Performance-wise I would say this is likely best as a podcast/recording mic for vocals only. My drums (given the wide frequency range of cymbals + drums) overwhelmed it. But, that isn't really what this mic is advertised/intended for; I simply wanted to try it out and see how it would do. My wife prefers it to the other three mics I have at her disposal. The aforementioned looks aside (which she still raves about after weeks of using it) she has also commented to me about how her voice sounds a little silkier, or has a little more "body" to it during playback of the podcasts she records. Now, a lot of this comes down to the software/mixing going on, but she isn't in control of that; she simply plugs into her laptop and her work is in charge of all the other stuff. So, as far as I know they aren't doing anything differently, so it comes down to the mics involved when you listen to the playback. I will also add that when I listen to the playback I can tell which coworkers of hers have nice mics or dedicated recording spaces. Her audio is crystal clear and sounds like you are listening to a studio recording, whereas some others sound like they are on a phone calling into an AM/FM talk show; lots of static, lots of "plosives" going on. In closing; this is an amazing mic. Easy recommendation for anyone looking for a mid-tier best bang for the buck vocal mic.

The mic is great and picks up voice and instruments very clearly, with a lot of detail so you might want to record someplace quiet. The low-cut filter is also a very welcome addition. The design looks quite vintage so it may or may not fit your style but it's a very sleek design so it should fit. One thing to note is that you do need a USB audio interface for this to work correctly.

I'm using this with a Scarlett 18i6 interface. Plugged in, turned on Phantom Power and away we go. Great clarity. Clean highs and lows with just the right amount of "rumble." Keeps up with my Blue Reactor which was 3x the cost. The reason for the comparison is the size. The Reactor is huge and quite heavy. The Spark is slender and relatively light to pack such great sound. Being that I'm using this more for music production, the physical pass filter on the mic body isn't of much use, but when I tested it, it did cut out ambient noise but it also cut the audio signal in half. Useful if your set-up is compact and knocks can't be avoided. The shock mount is very sturdy. Feels like metal in relation to the myriad of plastic mounts I have used over the years. Great addition. That's kind of it. Very clean sound with good voice reproduction that rivals higher priced mics. Worth the price of admission.