Blue Microphones Robbie Reviews

4.9/5.0 based on 12 customer reviews

Sweetwater Advice

Carson McClain

Blue takes performance and design very seriously and it is quite obvious with the Robbie. If you are looking for a wide-open sound and don't have $6000 take a look at the Robbie. Amazing pre, amazing price.

Forrest Powell

Plenty of gain, enough for a ribbon; amazingly clean, too! I really dig this pre.

Geoff Allen

Try the Blue Robbie with a U87 for an amazing in-your-face vocal sound! Or give your guitars the added warmth they deserve and take your sound to another level!

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Customer Reviews

Louis Febre
from Southern California
October 7, 2011Music Background:
Composer

Robbie Hits a Home Run

I needed a single channel mic pre for an assortment of "everyday" applications in my studio, and Blue Microphones Robbie, although unusual in the looks department, fit the bill. Of course I expected a clean, capable pre, but Robbie actually blew me away. Sure, there's an absence of knobs that may deter some, but if what you need is a mic pre that will do justice to a quality microphone like the Manley Gold Reference, then look no further.

Malki Means King
from Berkeley, CA
May 5, 2011Music Background:
Artist, Engineer, Producer, CEO

Great Preamp!

Perfect preamp, it adds a warm tone to the microphone signal and keeps the recording crystal clear. Worth more than the price tag IMO. Built well and it looks like a famous robot (hence the name), really catches peoples attention in my studio! I recommend using it with a high quality condenser mic such as the "Blue Kiwi" but it will work well on any mic. Try it yourself. For the price, this is the best preamp around.

Luke
from Michigan
December 29, 2010Music Background:
Lead Vocalist/Guitarist

What a pair!

I have to say, I was pretty excited to finally get this preamp after purchasing the Kiwi about 10 weeks prior and mailing in the rebate. It really gave me a chance to see what the Kiwi had to offer on other preamps before I could pair the two.
Little to my surprise, the combination was nothing short of beautiful. The sound quality is fantastic. I really love how something so simple control-wise crushes competing preamps.

Now because I really only wanted this preamp to use for vocals I definitely give it 5 stars in that category. As far as running instruments in the studio setting through the Robbie I didn't find that it really had as much to offer as other preamps that I have used. So for now i'm bypassing this when we record instrumentals.

But hey! This thing is well worth the purchase!!

Gilbert Jorgenson
from Texas
November 11, 2010Music Background:
Studio Owner

It's like a radio DJ, looks funny but sounds great!

Instead of buying a $3000 pre amp, buy 3 of these instead. You'll even have enough cash left over to buy dinner and drinks for the crew!
This is a no brainer, it sounds just as good as an Avalon 737 or better and its a fraction of the price! What else do you need it to do? Pay your rent and tuck you in at night?

Dustin Ebaugh
from Wichita, KS
February 11, 2010Music Background:
Professional Voice Over Artist

The cleanest Pre I've heard!

I was curious about this pre amp when Trent from Sweetwater recommended it. I am a voice over artist who had been using the Aphex 230 Trent sold me for a few years and had been quite happy. He said this thing would blow me away and Sweetwater had just dropped the price, so I jumped and ordered it. WOW! It's amazingly clean and really brings out the sound of my Mojave MA-200 (also purchased from Sweetwater). The Robbie has a lot of range and the dynamic reproduction is amazing! The sound spectrum is completely covered. Nice warm low end and spit clear mids and highs. I'm SOLD!

Jbilla
from California.Chicago
September 16, 2009Music Background:
PRODUCER,RECORDING/MIXINGENGINEER,WRITER,ARTIST,PERFORMER,

Cant get no cleaner than this.

Wow. is all i got to say. When i plugg this baby in , I immediately heard the warmth and the cleanness of this pre. Im sold all the way. It has given my vocals new life. I want to go and re-record all of my music. For the price and what Ive heard, its stomping the competition in and above its price class.

Rob Lewis
from Chicago, Illinois
December 17, 2007Music Background:
Engineer

I Love It !! It's got my vote.

I've been in the Recording and Live Sound Industries for 40 years,and I can tell you this is my favorite Mic Preamp for vocals. Robbie's got great tone and unexaggerated warmth that brings the vocals out to the front of the mix with a beautiful ,articulate,and natural sound.
I also own a Focusrite Liquid Channel and an Avalon VT-737,both are great channel strips costing more,with less impressive overall sound and specs , quite frankly,most of the time I prefer the Robbie over both of them for male and female vocals.

from FLA
July 23, 2007Music Background:
Recording for years...

Nothing bad to say...

I have read many reviews about the robbie, and with exception to the guy below me, the only bad thing I have heard prior to use about the robbie was it's design. And I must aggree. Personally, I don't mind the design since I enjoy my studio being able to be on the go with ease, and it looks cool. The sound is awesome.. This is a pre-amp that can hold it's own against anything in it's price range and beyond. Imho robbie is a STEAL for 1000$. I did an a/b test with my robbie + fireface400, and my friends avalon 737 + liquid channel + fireface800 interface, both on the blue kiwi and neumann u87. We both aggreed that the robbie had a much more distinct sound. It's more of a compressed sound, and sits nice in the mix with very little effort. We recorded with drums and vocals, same results. If your considering this mic as apposed to others, plz take my advice and grad your robbie. If you don't like it return it and do what you please... But I can assure you that you wont be dissapointed.

M.C.
from New York City
July 29, 2006Music Background:
Recording Engineer

The best sounding preamp for vocals and acoustic guitar

I've used Avalon's VT-737 and the Avalon M5 for digital recording of vocals and acoustic guitar.Both sounded good, but neither had the sound of the Blue Robbie. The Robbie blows them away when it comes to clean (.06 THD and noise at 34db gain ! ) and detailed polished sound. It made my U47 and U87's sound even better on vocals compared to both the Avalon VT-737 and the M5. You won't go wrong for a thousand bucks compared to the M5 $1500,and VT-737 at $2000. The Robbie sounds great all by itself or really outrageous with an LA2A.It is the best mic pre I've used. You have to AB it against the others to see!! It even holds it's own against my Manleys!

Ernesto Fiks
from Costa Rica
October 21, 2008Music Background:
Recording Engineer, Producer

Nice and big sound

Very nice sound!!!!!
only bad thing is all the controls on the back
but Very nice sound!!!!

R.K.OWSLEY
from Pocatello, ID. USA
November 15, 2007Music Background:
Recording Engineer, Live Sound Engineer, Pro Musician, Hobbyist, ETC.

SALMON

GREAT SOUND EXCELLENT LOWS AND HIGHS

bob
from new jersey
February 1, 2005

awesome

very clean sounding preamp-real natural sounding. i wish it had a compressor and eq- at this price it should!!

inSync Review

Geoff Allen
7-23-2010

The Blue Robbie was always an item that intrigued me. I consistently heard amazing results when my old singer used this with a U87 for vocals. I finally got a chance to try this odd-looking tube preamp for myself.

The Robbie's intuitive setup was a breeze to insert into my current recording configuration. With switches for instrument and microphone inputs, polarity, and gain reduction, who needs a manual?

The results, I found, were astonishing. The Blue Robbie took all the harsh grit away from my guitars and replaced it instead with a warm, singing mid-range. After spending quite a bit of time with this in my recording setup, I am having a hard time letting it go.

The Blue Robbie is an affordable solution for anyone wanting to venture into the realm of external preamps. It is a MUST-HAVE for guitarists using modeling devices or software!