online version

B.L.U.E. – Dragonfly ($1095)
http://www.bluemic.com
by scott colburn

What it is: (from the website)

Fast, maneuverable and beautifully engineered, the Dragonfly employs an innovative design that offers fine tuning and precise placement to please the most discerning recordist, combined with an ease of use that is without equal among contemporary microphones — and at a price that’s considerably less than anything in its class.

How it works:

BLUE has a reputation for making really great mics. Yeah, they are a little spendy. But they sound good and they look great! The Dragonfly is no exception. It’s aptly named because it looks like a dragon fly. It’s a cardioid condenser mic built with it’s own shock mount. The box it comes in is cardboard, so put it in a hard case when traveling. The maneuverability of the diaphragm is a really cool feature. It can rotate almost 360 degrees! I’ve used them as overheads, tom mics, vocal mics, guitar, piano, etc and they all sound great. In comparison to an Earthworks condenser, the Dragonfly holds up well. It’s hard to demo mics, because they all change the sound in some way. Almost any mic is good for something. I found the Dragonfly to be complimentary to a wide variety of instruments, making it a versatile addition to the mic closet.