A little bird with great confidence

I am a fan of Blue Microphones. The Mouse has been my “to-go” vocal mic for a long time. The Bluebird (now the Bluebird SL) has served me well for many years, and the Dragonfly is one of my favorite drum overhead and acoustic guitar mics (also, it's pretty great on brass instruments too). Of course Blue has been a long time player in the large diaphragm world, so I was quite interested in what they had to offer with their first small diaphragm. I recently took the time to sit down with the Blue Microphones Hummingbird, and all I can say is that I am still smiling.

I say that this little bird has great confidence, because it has the presence and life that you find in a LDC. The Hummingbird has a dimensionally deep bottom that is simply proper. It's not hyped or boomy, it's just right. The mids are accurate and full (with a little bump in the low mids), the uppers mids are clear and detailed, and the top is crisp and airy. The results on acoustic guitar presented what I want in an acoustic guitar track (the Hummingbird just seems to love my Taylor 114CE). The pick, string, and finger noise came trough clearly; but were natural and pleasant. The attack from the strings was crisp and had the right amount of cut. The body of the acoustic came through fully, and the depth and foundation of the bottom propped it all up very nicely. All these qualities also shined on Mandolin and Mountain Dulcimer. It just sounds good on acoustic instruments.

Everything about the quality and performance of the Blue Hummingbird also screams drum overheads.

All that sizzle and cut from cymbals, the upper mid attack from snare and toms, the body and depth of the tom decay, and the meat of the kick – this mic will rock some drums. Take into consideration the articulating head that allows for proper positioning in tight places – you might just find the Hummingbird giving you some killer snare tracks (especially with brush work). Though there was one really big surprise this mic gave me – and that was on vocals! What!? A SDC on vocals! Yep. This mic sounds amazing on vocals. Just pop that windscreen on and get to singing. The Hummingbird will take care of the rest - it handles vocals like a champ.

So far, I am impressed with the Blue Microphones Hummingbird, and I can't wait to spend more time with it. This is one to keep an eye on, and on the short list.