Blue Microphones DRAGONFLY Handbuch

FIG.1:Blue'sRobbiemicpre

offersauniquedesignthat

limits front-panel features

to alargegaincontrol and

singleinstrument input,

alongwith awindowto

the unit's ECC88

twin triode tube.

IRobbie

A wonderfully clear

tube preamp. ByRichWells

lue Microphones has always attracted attention with its

splashy industrial designs. Products such as the Ball-

series dynamics and the Mouse and Dragonfly mics,

which sport rotating capsules, are eye-catchers. The

company recently expanded into signal processing and

developed its first product-a tube mic preamp called

Robbie-that also serves as a Dr (see Fig.!). Robbie's fea-

tures are basic: a single XLR input and output; a power

switch; and buttons for mic or DI use, phase reverse, a

-20 dB pad, and 48V phantom power. The front panel has

only a ';I.-inch instrument input and a big gain-control

knob. Robbie's design upholds Blue's reputation for pro-

ducing products with visual flair. As for the sound, the

emphasis is on loads of gain and extreme clarity.

'.:jll

'itl

Look and Feel

The Robbie preamp is an homage to Robby the robot

from the sci-fi classic Forbidden Planet (the preamp's logo

is a caricature of the legendary bot), and Robbie's chas-

sis reflects the curvaceous legacy of '50s-era design. Blue's

stated design goal is elegance in appearance and simplicity

of use. The preamp's chassis has semicircular sides, which

enhance the look of the two main features of the front

panel: an oversized chrome potentiometer and a transpar-

ent round turret that juts out from the surface. Robbie's

108 ELECTRONICMUSICIAN APRIL2005

ECC88 twin triode tube is housed in this turret, as is a

spring that spirals around the tube.

A blue light emanating from behind the front panel

surrounds the two front cylinders. The pot's range mark-

ers are regularly spaced translucent circles that produce

more soft blue light. On our review unit's pot, another

smaller blue light glowed when Robbie reached unity

gain. According to Blue, however, this light has caused

some confusion with customers and is being eliminated

from future production runs. The preamp's tube also

glows in its turret.

The more I used Robbie, however, the more I felt that

the space taken up by the large front-panel cylinders

could have been allotted for the switches and connectors,

all of which (except for the Dr jack) are shunted to the

rear panel (see Fig. 2). That won't be a major hassle if you

set Robbie on a tabletop, but it's a case of form trumping

ergonomic function. For $25, Blue offers a rackmount

adapter plate, but a rackmounted Robbie (with its rear-

mounted switches) would be difficult to fully adjust

unless it was on a sliding rack tray. Robbie is also some-

what of a space hog; although it's a half-racks pace unit,

it's 3D in height.

Robbie's chassis is set on a circular metal ring with

threaded holes for the rackmount adapter screws. The

ringed base encompasses slightly more than half of the

chassis's total area. That could affect the unit's stability when

WWW.EMUSICIAN.COM

I". ROBBIE

II!

:f;

it's placed on an unusually unlevel

surface or if another unit is stacked

on top.

Loud andClear

Robbie'spreamp is a ClassA discrete

tube design that uses high-quality

metal film resistors and polystyrene

capacitorsto lower self-noiseand dis-

tortion. The attention to detail pays

off; you'd have to work at it to make

Robbie sound bad.

I first used Robbie in tandem

with a Blue Bluebirdas a closemic on

a Martin dreadnought acoustic gui-

tar. With the Bluebird positioned a

foot away, finding an optimal playing

position was tricky. Minute changes

in position yielded dramatic differences in the sound,

perhaps attributable to the Bluebird's response pattern.

For a close-mic setup, Robbie's sound was very clear once

I located the sweet spot (placing the mic at the eighth fret

pointing at a 30-degree angle toward the sound hole).

Robbie provided exactly what I was looking for: a sound

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FIG. 2: Robbie's rear panel houses a power switch and buttons for selecting micor 01mode,

phase reverse, -20 dB pad, and 48V phantom power.

that was crisp but not overly bright and not too woofy. For

some tracks, the guitar player wanted to be able to move

around a bit, so I backed the mic off another foot or two.

The differences in response to playing position changes

decreased (and a bit more ambience crept in), while the

clarity of the highs and lows remained even.

I had a matching pair of high-

quality tube mics at my disposal dur-

ing the testing period, enabling me

to record male vocals with the same

mic model through different preamps

simultaneously. With levels matched,

Robbie was a bit more compressed

sounding, seemingly due to its big,

clear low-end response. Without that

extended low end, the solid-state pre

was sensitive to the singer's every

head bob and weave, while Robbie

stabilized the audio.

I used a Shure SM57 with Robbie

and was amazed; the difference Robbie

made with that ubiquitous mic was

huge. Icompared itdirectlywith another

SM57 that was connected to one of my

best solid-state pres. Both mics were

placed in the same relative position on

separate speakers of a 2 X 10 bass cab.

Although each sounded good, Robbie

would have been a better choice for a

situation in which only one mic could

be used. Robbiehad amore natural and

somewhat less electric sound. In addi-

tion, Robbie's sound was more like the

sound coming from the cab than that

of the solid-state pre. The difference

was noticeable, and the blending of the

two mics yielded an incredible sound.

_0.'_'-

ROBBIESPECf;F,IIATllaNI'S.

AnalogInputs (1)balancedXLR(1)

unbalanced)4"inst.

(1)balancedXLR

Mic Input Impedance

(20 Hz-20 kHz) 5 kQ (2X 2.5kQ)

.._,,- lMQ

Gain 8 dB-68 dB

kHz

THD+ Noise@60 dBgain

(10 Hz-20 kHz,+22 dBuoutput) <0.006%

~--

+22dBuw/o pad

MaximumOutput level

(20 Hz-40 kHz@10 k ) +34 dBu

X25Q)

PhantomPower +48 VDC,:t1.5VDC

Dimensions 8.25" (W) X 8.5" (L) X 5.25" (H)

ilrI! m

,110 ELECTRONIC MUSICIAN APRIL 2005

.-.I!---

W::i

WWW.EMUSICIAN.COM

Robbie produced natural-sounding electric and bass

guitar sounds. In addition, Robbie helped effected sounds

by taking the edge off the processed sound. That wasn't a

by-product of a reduced high-frequency response; rather,

it's a by-product of a better low end.

As a Dr, Robbie provided clear, round, and even

sound. It was much better on guitar than I would have

expected (it didn't emphasize the sound's spikiness as

do some other Drs). And with its great low-frequency

response, Robbie sounded absolutely fantastic with a

direct bass guitar. I was somewhat surprised while play-

ing electric guitar, because the output was so strong

(even stronger than the bass) that I had to employ the

-20 dB pad. r d have no problem using Robbie as a Dr in

most situations, and the preamp's portability makes it

ideal for Dr use.

Sonic Beauty

Although Iwasn't that attracted to Robbie's shape and lay-

out, those issues may not be problems for many users. I

wouldn't be inclined to rack Robbie; the shape lends itself

to mobility. (Use both hands; the round sides are slip-

pery.) The inclusion of great-sounding Dr circuitry made

me want to take it from the control room to the studio

and back again as necessary. In the end, I was using it

sideways. There's nothing helpful to look at on the front

anyway; the knob on the pot is

simple to operate; and I had visual

and tactile access to the rear-panel

stuff.

I wish Bluehad used a stepped

attenuator instead of the large-

knob potentiometer. The unla-

beled dots of light around the pot

don't do much to aid repeat setups.

One small knob and a %-inch jack

accomplish same thing in a smaller

space. On the other hand, dialing

in a level is quick and easy.

What I personally prefer in

this kind of device is a plain box

with full control, easy access, and

excellent sound quality. Ultimately,

in evaluating a standalone preamp,

good sound is the clincher. Robbie's

sound is great, and anyone can

appreciate that. If you also appreciate flashy design and

don't mind reaching around back to get at some controls,

then you'll enjoy working with Robbie.

end.

CONS:No meter. Controls relegated to

rearpanel.

Rich WellsoverseestheSupremeReality,a recordingstudio andband

in Portland, Oregon.

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