Blue Microphones manufacture high-end recording devices including the Spark Digital condenser microphone that we’re looking at today. Whether you’re recording vocals or instruments this microphone is sure to produce a clean crisp sound.

From the box the Spark Digital Microphone is a breeze to set-up and is so straight forward that even a complete novice can do it. In terms of size mic measures around 7.5 x 1 x 1 inches (Height x Width x Depth) which in comparison to some similar microphones on the market is quite a nice compact size, and would definitely help if you’re on the move. Obviously this is without the mic being attached to the metal stand, and the microphone itself is actually pretty weighty for its size.

In the box you get a nice solid metal desktop stand. It’s quite weird looking at first and the mount where you place the microphone is actually suspended in the middle with some black rubber cord. This is precautionary measure to keep the device safe from vibrations but we’re not sure that it’s actually necessary.
When mounted the microphone can be swivelled and rotated and then locked into place by adjusting the two tightening nuts at the sides.

Moving onto the mic itself, it has a sleek colour combination of 2 different metallic blues and silver. On the front you will find the volume/gain control. It comes in the form of a small dial which when turned will adjust both accordingly, but you can also push the dial to activate the mute function. In the middle of the dial is an LED which will indicate when the mute function is active. We actually managed to remove the plastic dial quite easily which may not be too good especially if you’re thinking of travelling with it. 4 blue LEDs will also indicate the level of volume/gain just above the dial.

In terms of the sound quality, the clarity of the recordings was impressive and it was nice to see that neither end of the spectrum was over powering the other.
The Spark Digital can be used in conjunction with applications such a GarageBand which means you can tweak recordings before finally releasing them.
The simple mute button works well and takes effect immediately to prevent recording those sneezes, coughs and background noises when your not actually performing or speaking.

There are two included cables the first of which is a 30-pin iPhone/iPad adapter. Unfortunately if you have a newer model which uses the lightning port then you’ll have to dish out for an adapter from Apple as there is currently no lightning cable included. Although if you purchased on or after August 1st 2013 then you are eligible to redeem a free lightning cable here.The other cable is USB so you can plug it straight into your PC or Mac.

Our Verdict

Whether you’re looking to record vocals, instruments or podcast’s the Spark Digital is sure to produce nice sound quality. The product is built well and feels completely solid when using which leaves no doubt in our mind about the quality of workmanship. We would however like to see a more stable desktop stand that will supports the microphone better when placed at different angles. The unit is so simple and quick to set-up that it’s ideal for taking on your travels if you need that extra sound quality.

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Pros

• High quality sound
• Both USB and iOS connectivity
• Solid, well built device

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Cons

• Desktop stand is a little unstable when placed at an angle
• Mute dial comes off easily

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If you’d like to find out more information about this microphone, you can head on over to the Blue Microphones website below.

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