Blue Microphones enCORE 100 Reviews

Catherine Haberl
from Coldater, MI
April 11, 2013Music Background:
Musician, hobbyist, songwriter.

Great!

Very nice mic. Very happy with it, sounds great! Very clean, crisp sound.

Worship Media Ministries
from Knoxville, TN
February 15, 2013Music Background:
Recording and Live Sound Engineer

Blue Does It Again

Blue quality has never let me down! We have been using these mics for about a month now and they sound fantastic. Near Studio Quality on stage! Supperior Mic if you want clarity in you vocal and the price will blow you away. The BEST mic in this price range!

bobby holt
from riverside, ca.
December 2, 2012Music Background:
some pro in my youth, now all hobby

enCORE 100

i had order a different mic when Ryan with sweetwater asked me a few questions on how i was going to use the mic. after a short discussion i went with his advise and bought this mic. i can't thank him enough for helping me with that move. it's perfect for what i need and i'm going to get another one soon. i use it with my boss 300 to add back ground inserts.works great with my pa too in a living room setting.

Thomas Anderson
from North Carolina, USA
November 25, 2012Music Background:
Pro Musician, Amateur Engineer

Try the encore on your snare

I got this mic as a freebie ;part of a package with a Bluebird. That being said, I had no expectations and just thought it would be nice to have another mic choice in my locker. I decided to try it on my snare, just on a whim, and holy cow did it sound amazing! I'd been using an i-5, but have always had to tweak it w/ eq for added fullness. That was certainly not the case w/ the encore. I didn't know it's possible for a snare drum to sound "lush" until I started using this mic.

david ochal
from amsterdam, ny
August 28, 2012Music Background:
pro musician

you couldn't sound better

blue mic's rule. they reject feedback like there is no tomorrow and make your voice sound real! remember the blue mic cable to complete your sound.

RazorLand Studio
from Kansas City, Missouri
March 22, 2012Music Background:
Professional Live Sound Engineer, Professional Studio Engineer, Musician

Stellar

I have been a professional sound terchnician for over 30 years and been a staunch supporter of Shure SM 58's ,strictly , for live vocal applications. They are built like tanks and have a very comfortable predictable sound. Seen the new Blue Encore 100's and since I currently use Blue mics for recording in my studio , thought I would give them a try. PIcked up a trio of them for the 3 female lead singers in a new country rock band I play in.............I am completely blown away by the sound of these mics, much cleaner, crisper and more present in the mix than the Shures I am so familiar with. The gain before feedback allows for a much hotter signal and they just seem to sparkle more than the 58. The mics seem to be built like tanks, have a good weight , balance and hefty feel to them. They do have a touch more handling noise but that is completely overlooked and un noticed when the band kicks in. Anf these mics just loook downright sexy with their chrome screens on them. WIll definately recommend these to friends and fellow engineers and musicians. Cant wait to record with them and see what I get. Give Matt Masek a call, he will hook you right up........

Adam Rugland
from Louisiana
March 9, 2012Music Background:
Musician

Amazing microphone

Mac Hatton said that this mic would out perform the ones we were currently using and wow was he right. Crystal clear and great ability to cut through any other sound happening. Love it.

Steve Golz
from Montgomery, IL
March 5, 2012Music Background:
Home studio, Live sound, and musician.

Nice mic

Too new to tell if it's my favorite. Do use an EV N/D767, Shure SM-58, and AKG WMS40. The enCORE 100 is a nice sounding, very rugged mic with a nice feel.

Rick Woodall
from Durham'N.C.
January 18, 2012Music Background:
Gospel/Bluegrass

The Best of the Best

I never knew the encore 100 mic would clean up and out-perform the variety of mics i've used in the last eleven years.My group performs four times or more a month,and i am allways searching for that better sound and finally found it-My search has ended.I was on a quest for the perfect mic and found it .It does what it does and is what it is....The Best MiC on the market...to describe it as AWESOME would be just a scratch on a surface...we call it "THE MAGIC WAND"

Todd
from Seekonk, MA
December 9, 2011Music Background:
Producer

Try this for recording, you won't be sorry.

I produce music that sounds like it was written in the 30's and 40's. Very open, vulnerable vocals. I was using a Neumann TLM 170 , a fantastic but incredibly sensitive microphone. Now I use an enCORE 100 along with a windscreen, a Primacoustic barrier, and that's it. For us it's better. No EQ, and it's a dynamic mic, so it doesn't pick up anything but the voice. I cannot believe this wonderful product is so inexpensive. Just get one, record something, and you'll be blown away.

Phil
from Los Angeles
November 21, 2011Music Background:
Alternative Rock Lead Singer & Rhythm Guitarist

So Amazing

why are blue encore live mics not the best know in the world. They're still new. This mic is amazing. clear & articulate definition. The highs cut through the mix. Nice presence. Warm tone. Not harsh sounding. Not brittle. I play alt. rock & have used several different mics. This cleaned up the muddiness of the lows in my voice. Shure beta 58 had the lows so muddy that you couldn't even understand what I was singing. The Blue Encore 100 is amazing. I tried the Encore 200. It's even a little bit warmer!! I tried the Encore 300. It's a little bit warmer, plus a little bit smoother!!

Dave Percell
from Corona, CA
November 18, 2011Music Background:
Recording Engineer, Live Sound Engineer, Pro Musician

Incredible Sound

My band bought two of these mics. After testing I asked the vocalist what they thought. They were speechless. They could not believe how natural it sounded . Very open, precision sound with no EQ. I also run the sound for the band and I have to say that this mic also built like a tank.

Brian
from Baltimore
September 4, 2011Music Background:
Recording Engineer, Hobbyist, Guitarist

Who needs EQs?

I got this mic because I was tired of the sound of my SM58, I had to keep EQing everything way more than I should have. I sold my SM58, and got the enCore100 and at first it felt more like a condenser mic than anything, which is good and bad, but once I got my mic pre's set right, it just shined. I don't have to EQ anything, its crystal clear (unlike my SM58 which was extremely muddy) and the side rejection is just AMAZING. I was doing a scratch vocal using my monitors (not even headphones) so it was rather loud in the room, and once I finished, I solo'ed and played back the track. There was little to no external noise besides my vocals. This is a perfect mic for live recordings, and overall just amazing in my book. Please make a wireless version BLUE!!!!!!

Angel Vazquez
from San Diego, CA
August 24, 2011Music Background:
Worship Band in Church, Home Studio Engineer.

Great Mic!

I was using the e835 for the last year or so and I was deciding on a new dynamic mic. At first I was a bit skeptical on the enCORE 100 because the was it looks and how it isn't as common as the e835 or the sm58. But it is a great mic! I didn't have to eq much to cut through the mix at all! My sales rep said I wasn't going to be disappointed and I wasn't. Great mic for the price!

Tori
from
August 17, 2011Music Background:
Solo Artist, Songwriter,Sound Engineer, Student

Awesome compared to what i had

I knew from the beginning that i was going to get an awesome microphone all around. I was using AKG mics before i got these and the transition has been amazing so far. I really love my newest mic from my mic collection. I cant say more than this! Pretty much awesome compared to what i had. My vocals sound more powerful.

Alex Reznichenko
from Boiling Springs, SC
January 7, 2011Music Background:
Live & Recording Engineer, Musician, Hobbyist

Great Choice Mic!!

I was looking to buy some mics for my PA system and i am tired of seeing everyone with Sm58`s so i decided to try out some new mics, so i bough two of enCORE 100 and I love the sound quality and designed. it has good low and high frequency. Overall i am very satisfied with this mic!!!

Matt Kofahl
from North Tonawanda, NY USA
August 5, 2010Music Background:
Church A/V Tech

A wonderful, bright, vocal microphone

I really love this microphone. I am amazed at how naturally this mic reproduces vocal sound with flat EQ out of the box. While it does not have as wide of a pattern as a Shure Beta 87 or even a Blue Encore 200, vocalists with well rounded voices and good mic technique will love how bright and clear it is. This is true sound reinforcement and a great value.

Scottytunes-Windy Hill Studio
from Central VT
June 13, 2010Music Background:
Recording & live sound engineer, pro musician.

Amazing Mic For Strings!

I purchased this mic a few days ago to use for vocals. Yesterday I did audio engineering for a big Fiddle Contest. I had my Sure B4.1 set up for the fiddle mic, which I had always used in the past. It was giving me an uncontrollable low frequency feedback so I had no choice but to switch it out. I figured I'd give the Encore 100 a shot so I set it up as the fiddle mic, and I was impressed! Not only did it sound nice, but was just as loud from 3 feet away as it was from 8" away. This mic turned out to be a handy tool to have in the mic locker! I think I'll be purchasing a few more of these gems!

Bob
from Hinesville, GA
March 24, 2010Music Background:
Retired musician but still performing for my church

Excellent Vocal Reproduction

Since I no longer play any of my guitars except for an acoustic-electric Yamaha APX500, I decided to retire my PA system and other gear for a single Hartke AC75 acoustic amp, and a new microphone.

For years and in several bands, I've always used the SM57 as my vocal mic, preferring it over the more popular SM58, because the SM57 seems to isolate peripheral sounds much better than the SM58.

However, when I plugged the SM57 into the mic channel of the Hartke AC75, no amount of EQing could get the sound I was looking for. The SM57 sounded like mud and would break up very easily.Since the amp was making my guitar sound better than it had ever sounded before, I knew that the problem was in the mic and not in the amp.

After months of researching microphones, reading every review I could find, and even reviewing YouTube videos for samples, I decided on the Blue EnCORE 100.

I was not disappointed! When it arrived, without changing any of the settings on the amp, I disconnected the SM57 and connected the Blue 100.

I was stunned at the difference! This beautiful mic is as clear as crystal! For my voice and my rig, it was a perfect match. The SM57 is now stowed away, and will only come out again if some emergency arises!

When I rehearse, I have the Hartke AC75 amp sitting about 4 feet away from me on my left, and turned sideways so that the speakers are directly facing me and the microphone. There is not even a hint of feeback. I just can't say enough about how clear this mic sounds. (It's connected to a Blue Blueberry XLR mic cable, which runs into a DigiTech Vocalist Live 2. I plan on getting another Blueberry cable to run from the Vocalist Live 2, to the amp.)

I'm 62 years young, and have played and performed since the age of 14, so I've heard and used a multitude of microphones.

Trust me when I say that I am 100% satisfied with this mic, and I believe that you will be too!

Richard Hoynes
from Belmar, NJ
October 31, 2009Music Background:
Musician/Singer/Guitar player.

Better that the Sennheisser or SM58

I have used the Shure SM58 for the past 2 years and decided to try a couple of other mics, the Sennheisser 835 and the Blue enCore 100. The ecCore wins. It has great tone like the SM58 for male vocals yet captures the highs really well. It is crystal clear and a bit more sensitive. I also have the Audix OM5. The Blue is quickly becoming my favorite. The Sennheisser just didn't blow me away. It looses your voice unless you are right on top of it. The Audix OM5 is clear, but didn't reflect the lows of my baratone voice like I wanted.

The only constructive comment I have is that the Blue was more sensitive to popping from the air of my breath on the mic.

I also love the look of the mic.

FYI, I had the mic plugged into the Bose Personal Audio System.

If I had to rank these mics, they woudl be in the following order:
1) Blue enCore 100
2) Shure SM 58
3) Audix OM5
4) Sennheisser 835

Buy the Blue. You won't be dissapointed.

Anthony Lowery
from manteca, ca
April 27, 2013Music Background:
home recorder

Also-harmonica

I don't have experience with harps on mic's. But when i played on this one it handled well and even with my same vocal EQ to that of one which goes along with the Frequency response of the mic. In my case and to my ear, congruent along side it.

Again, its D'esser really sheemed to shine. ahaha

Tony L.
from manteca, ca
April 27, 2013Music Background:
home recorder

Frequency response is cool for me

This is my first mic and the Lord and my rep really worked together for me on this one it seems. The frequency response of the MIC from what i gather during myself EQing it, is one of a perfect EQ curve start point for my EQing. The Mic really follows my male voice well into its gritty lows and pronounces the highs well. The MIC's frequency response seems to have a sort of D-esser in it. I'm not familiar with any other MIC's but this does cut through. Like my rep said, it cut's through.

buzzard
from Salt Lake City
September 13, 2012Music Background:
Hobbyist

Nice mic, good price

I'll chime in with the growing chorus of Blue enCORE 100 fans. Mics are very subjective, and worse, it's almost impossible to try them out in situations that approach real venues. But what I hear in the enCORE100 is an easy to use mic, one that isn't picky at all about singing "down its throat", one that has a little more open high-mids than its main competitor, and one that seems to be built tough. It doesn't hurt that it looks great to boot.

Jeff
from Watertown, WI
July 12, 2012Music Background:
Gigging Musician

Great Microphone

This mic is great! It picks up vocals easily and smooths them out. I have a Shure P48, and this one definetly is a step up! I use it for small venues through a Fishman Loudbox and it produces great sound. I dont have to strain as hard when I sing, cause this thing picks them up!

Robb Fowler
from Sandusky, OH
January 3, 2012Music Background:
Worship Pastor, Keyboardist

Great value for a great mic

These mics have worked well for us. We use them with our Praise Band along with a couple of Shure SM58s. They have compared very well, and we got them for a great price.

Roger
from Highmore SD
December 30, 2011Music Background:
Worship leader 28 years...

good sound good quality..great deal

This is a solid mic with great sound. I like the crispness and the clarity especially.

Brian
from Air base in Afghanistan
April 9, 2013Music Background:
Live sound and some recording.

Not bad.

I really like the clarity. It has some weight to it so it is nice and sturdy and haven't had any distortion or too much feedback. No on/off switch so it is always running.

Toddi
from United States
March 27, 2013

LOVE it!!!!!

This mic has worked better than I expected for the applications that I need it for. As my schooling continues, I'm confident that it's gonna be great then too.

John Rettberg
from Virginia
March 17, 2012Music Background:
Sound Engineeer and hobbyist musician.

Big Blue Encore

It is heavy, I hope that also means it is durable. It has good clarity and feedback rejection. Seems to cut through the mix and only adds a small amount of enhanced bass presence up close.

Now and Forever
from Findlay Ohio
June 27, 2012Music Background:
Musicians

Blue Mics, enCORE 100 - good sound, but no on/off switch

We have enjoyed using the Blue Mics in our first concert, and are looking forward to using them all weekend. However our biggest concern is that we are unable to turn off the mics when we are not using them. Then it picks up extraneous sounds. Are we missing finding the On/Off switch?

Woodrow in California
from San Francisco, CA
January 5, 2012Music Background:
Amateur musicain, recording, guitar, sound engineering

Nice mic but lost of handling noise

This is a solid mic. I swear by my SM58s but I tried this after reading the ratings and looking at online reviews. The sound quality is good; a bit on the trebly side but nice and sensitive. Should work well for the Norah Jones style vocalist. What I did not like is that it does pick up a lot of handling noise when you hold the mic and also from the mic stand. I don't get so much of this with my SM58. Would I buy more of these mics? Hmmm...I don't know yet. I'll have to continue to compare this with my SM58s. Time will eventually tell.

Paul
from Queens, NY
July 15, 2011Music Background:
pro musician

blue is cool but lacks punch

The blue microphone looks, feels and sounds good....some people think that its an expensive mic with all the silver "bling" that it has. Kidding aside, the Blue stands its ground with the SM58, but it needs a lot more gain from the mixing board than the 58. It definitely has a brighter sound when AB'd with a 58. The bottom line is that its a good vocal mic to have when you want to go for a brighter vocal sound, and little more clarity..... and its less than 100 bucks

from
February 10, 2011Music Background:
Live Sound Engineer

Not that great. Get a 58 instead

Pros:
-Sounds okay. Not good, just decent.
-It's kinda pretty

Cons:
-Terrible feedback rejection
-Absurd handling noise
-Too much proximity effect

These cons make it basically useless in a live application. It might sound good in a studio environment, but for live applications, I'm sticking to my 58's. Sorry Blue.