Blue Microphones DRAGONFLY Manual

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.
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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
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11
I". ROBBIE
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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)
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,110 ELECTRONIC MUSICIAN APRIL 2005
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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.