Blue Kiwi Cardioid Condenser Microphone

Full Description

Full spectrum performance

Expertly engineered, the Kiwi delivers an unmatched performance of sound quality that allows you to get the best from your sessions. Though designed to achieve a contemporary vocal sound, the superb transient response and full frequency range from 20Hz - 20kHz allow you to record any source, be it thundering bass guitars or airy female lead vocals, free from any proximity effects and in stunning definition.

A subtle bias in the frequency response to the treble side gives a vibrant lift to your tracks, enhancing the clarity of your source. This doesn't mean the Kiwi ever sounds harsh or brittle, it's as smooth as silk and precisely detailed.

Nine selectable polar patterns for ultimate flexibility

With nine selectable polar patterns onboard, the Kiwi can adapt to any recording environment or application you need for your productions. Selectable via a rotary switch on the back of the microphone, you don't need any additional tools or tedious switching, simply point the Kiwi at your source and select what gives you the sound you're looking for.

For achieving a very focused and direct sound, rejecting any environmental noise or ambience, use the cardioid mode. This will help your tracks to sit forward in your mix with a smooth mid-range and detailed highs. Capture the full room ambience for a drum kit, ensemble or percussion set with the omnidirectional mode. This gives your sound a very natural and resolute sound that brings character and realism to your instruments. Additional, unconventional polar patterns can be seen with the sub-cardioid and super-cardioid patterns. Sub-cardioid is set between cardioid and omnidirectional, allowing you to find a unique character that can be used to soften the edges of a close-miked brass instrument with spikey high end. Super-cardioid is set between cardioid and bidirectional and is ideal for capturing intimate vocal performances, emphasizing high-end detail to let your track cut through any dense mix.

Handpicked components

The Kiwi is designed and hand-built in the USA to ensure world-class quality and a lifetime of use. The transformerless solid-state microphone combines the low noise and excellent transient response of modern microphones with the warm and alluring sound of legendary vintage microphones.

At the heart of the Kiwi is a multi-pattern, Blue B6 bottle cap microphone capsule and matched pair of single diaphragms, mounted back-to-back. The two single backplate diaphragm capsules are acoustically matched for optimum performance to deliver an unmatched sonic character and frequency response across all the polar patterns available. The result is a handcrafted and hand-tuned dual backplate capsule, delivering a modern tone with a smooth extended top-end.

Utilising a discrete, solid-state Class-A converter with a transformerless output allows your signal to retain its definition with no signal loss. The Kiwi has been designed meticulously with this in mind, no other parts of the signal path are interrupted with pads or filtering options, guaranteeing nothing will compromise the fidelity of the signal path so you get the purest sound possible during every session.

Full range of applications

Thanks to the world-class sound quality and nine selectable polar patterns, the Kiwi is extremely versatile in recording any audio source you need for your music, making it indispensable to your microphone selection. Covering everything from vocals, piano, acoustic guitar, drum kits and more, the Kiwi should be your go-to when setting up any session.

The Kiwi provides an enhancement to the airiness and detail in your voice, while reducing any proximity effect that may make your voice sound muddy and boxy. Use the Kiwi on your vocal recordings and voice-over work to achieve a full-body sound without a congested mid-range with ample brightness to capture all the detail in your performance. Conventional vocal recording is almost always done using a cardioid pickup pattern, however with the Kiwi, you are in control! Experiment with different polar patterns for a unique vocal sound that may inspire your creativity.

Electric guitar can sound accurate and exciting with the Kiwi. The B6 capsule helps to achieve a vibrant, bright sound from an electric guitar amplifier. The crystal clear, smooth top end even allows heavily distorted electric guitar sounds to sit within your mix, without sounding brittle and harsh. Explore using the different polar patterns for different styles of guitar playing, experiment using omnidirectional mode when recording a smooth jazz guitar piece to capture more room sound for a more authentic and natural feel. The Kiwi can rethink the way you record even the most basic of instrument by giving you a huge array of tonal possibilities, all with the excellence and world-class quality you expect.

Features

• Multi-pattern B6 Bottle Cap for capturing once-in-a-lifetime performances
• Acoustically matched, custom-mounted 26.3mm large dual-diaphragm capsule
• Nine unique polar patterns for ultimate recording versatility
• Proprietary transformerless, Class-A FET circuitry for pure signal path
• Legendary Blue Heritage

Specifications

• Transducer type: Condenser, pressure gradient
• Polar pattern: Nine polar patterns including cardioid, omni-directional, figure of 8, 3 sub-cardioid patterns, and 3 super-cardioid patterns
• Frequency range: 20Hz – 20KHz
• Sensitivity: 19.0mV/Pa at 1kHz (1Pa = 94dB SPL)
• Output impedance: 50Ω
• Rated load impedance: Not less than 1kΩ
• Maximum SPL: 138dB SPL (2.5kΩ, 0.5 THD)
• Maximum output voltage: 90V
• S/N Ratio: 85.5dB-A (IEC 651)
• Noise level: 8.5dB-A (IEC 651)
• Dynamic range: 129.5dB (@2.5kΩ)
• Power requirement: +48V DC Phantom Power (IEC 268-15)
• Weight: 880g
• Dimensions (H x W): 290mm x 60mm
• Included accessories: Protective wooden box, S3 Shockmount
• Product code: 836213000601