Blue Microphones enCORE 300 Reviews

La Forest Gray
from Orlando, FL
March 28, 2013Music Background:
Grammy Mix & Recording Engineer/Music Producer

Astounding mic!!!

I Love the clarity and rich-natural tone the mic gives. As a performer, i needed a mic that let's my voice come through and that I felt confidant putting my voice through. I've been a HUGE fan/supporter of the Blue-line and once again they have delivered.

Star
from Rapid City , SD USA
March 3, 2013Music Background:
Hobbyist

Sweet Mic

I have some good mic and this is one. Some of my mic are better but they sell for 700 to a 1,000 more. This is a good mic and I Like it a lot.

Jason
from Pasadena, CA USA
August 2, 2012Music Background:
Live Sound Engineer

Excellent Alternative to a Beta 87A

1st off.. For the price, you can't go wrong!
it's $50 to $60 cheaper than the mass marketed Shure Beta 87A.
that alone makes a huge difference!

2nd, it sounds GREAT! if not Amazing! According to the graph the freq response is almost ruler flat.. which can be discouraging. Esp if you are used to the upper mid range bump you get when using Shure Mics and other's.
But when you plug it in, it's a surprisingly nice even sound, with a bit of a airy sound to it on the top end. it's really something you have to hear for yourself.

it is not brittle or harsh sounding on the top end like other mics, it's very open and almost tube like. it's pretty awesome!
my only, ONLY tiny gripe i would have with this mic would be that P'losives are pretty noticeable.

as other reviewer's have stated.... it's true. But it's not too bad, it's manageable, just tweak it out with the EQ and you should be good. . .

comes in a nice, fabric case that doubles as a cleaning pouch... (there is a microfiber cloth lined on the inside of the pouch) so you can wipe it down as you store it away. Also the mic is pretty big, and has noticeable heft to it. Use a Premium mic stand when you want to secure this as your lead vox mic.. it's a big boy!

After having my whole team use it, they can't say enough good things about the mic, even to the point where I got another singer to purchase one for himself.
and this is after years of using Shure Beta's.. it's a welcome and pleasant change of pace!

GET IT!

Steve Williams
from Independence, Ks.
June 29, 2012Music Background:
Pro musician for 18 yrs. Worship Leader/ guitar player

You'll want this mic

Best handheld condenser we have ever used. We have been using the Shure Beta mics and the Blue beats it hands down. You can't go wrong with this mic. Thanks to our sales rep. Jeff Barrnett for recomending it to us.

JW
from Charlotte, NC
January 27, 2011Music Background:
Pro Musician, Live Sound Engineer, Worship Leader

Absolutely Astounded

My guitar player was always having to "eat his mic" which tended to get in the way of his reading sheet music. So I've went looking for a condenser mic that had a tight pattern that would still pick up but give little feedback. After plugging it in, I couldn't believe how much gain and control I had over his vocals. I've used the 87's and the Beta 87's but I've never had this much control. There are definitely going to be more 300's added to my mic vault in the coming year.

Steve Hrbek
from Chicagoland Suburbs, Illinois
December 4, 2010Music Background:
Podcaster.

Amazing Quality....what I've been looking for!

I've been using a Blue Bluebird and Icicle for my podcasting for sometime now, and the quality is just exceptional. I recently purchased the enCore 300 for field work. I will just say, the quality is phenominal! I recorded a local politician speak to a group that I podcast for. The sound was just amazing. I've always looked to NPR for sound broadcast quality. With this microphone, I found it.

en76
from hawaii
September 5, 2010Music Background:
Church sound ministry/lighting.

must have.

yep! me too
Digico SD8 eq setting to flat and you are good to go. If you check the frequency chart, its just what the sound doctor ordered especially on this console. you don't need eg which I think some may over do it cause I though it sounded fuller and better over our ksm9 (wireless) but I did notice there were some equalizing on it.
Having it compare side by side, she actually choose the encore 300 which to her sound fuller, clear in other words, just right for her.
So to me, its just as good as as ksm9 wireless which I also do highly recommend too.
Ksm9 (wireless)very good too but again, depend on the sound person hearing cause they can also make it sound bad. So, encore 300 on this console Digico SD8, just plug it in and wala....sound good as ksm9....just don't forget to turn on the Fantom power. Am gonna get the encore 200 too which is gonna be just as clear with that dynamic sound and again plug in a wala.....no need mess with eq. also extra SPL is always a plus.

Mat Tomlinson
from Albany, GA
August 10, 2010Music Background:
Worship-Leader for 14 years, hobbyist

Blue enCORE 300

LOVE this mic!!!!!! Been using a Beta 87A for the past few years with great success, but this mic is better in my humble opinion. And for just $50 more than the 87A, it's a no-brainer. Had to turn the gain down a good bit, maybe 20-25%, so it's more sensitive, but is more detailed, clear, and open in the upper treble region as opposed to the Beta 87A, which had a hotter treble and seemed more feedback-prone, especially in the context of a band. This mic reproduces my voice in a more natural and transparent way, and has very low handling-noise. Just killer...

John Eggers
from Olney MD
April 20, 2013Music Background:
Studio owner and certified recording engineer, producer, musician and writer

Highly Recommended

The enCORE 300 has a surprising heft; it has a very solid feel with subtle-but-effective non-slip machining on the grip and appears to be exceptionally well-made. The BLUE emblem glows blue; a nice touch that says "we care". So how does it sound? Well, it sounds rich and uncolored, captures transients reasonably well and is forward and present without being brittle. Also seems to work perfectly well at 24V, for what it is worth. Handling noise is minimal. Pop filter works well.
I purchased this mic about two years ago for those times in the studio when you want to hand a vocalist something different; something they can hold; something they can perform with. Someone may need to move around to get that great performance, they might need to sit down. Whatever it takes.
For a very modest investment the enCORE 300 will get you there. I highly recommend it!

Brian Dunn
from Charlottesville, VA USA
June 26, 2012Music Background:
Live Sound Engineer, Recording Engineer

An essential for my mic locker

I was really excited about this microphone before I picked it up and now I'm even more excited since it's been on the road with me. the enCORE 300 is excellently suited for Loud Female Vocals and gives a warmth while still cutting through the mix. Some voices are definitely better than others with it but fortunately, my wife is one of them! ;-)

Q
from Central California
April 24, 2012Music Background:
Audio electrical engineer, Sound engineer, audiophile electronics consultant

Best mic in house

I have worked in high-end audio component design and have both trained techs, designed and built high-end PA systems. On an ordinary PA system the difference between this mic and other may most noticeable in how little gain is necessary for ample volume. However in a high-end system this mic really shines. Blue claim it has a cardioid polar pattern however its feedback rejection is very high. It is very directional for a cardioid. Though it is not the most linear mic you can find, it is very euphonic, and flattering. A really nice sounding mic that will make your mixing easier and will make y singers more comfortable. We loved so much we have begun replacing all our other handheld mics. For a handheld, its top notch!

Chris
from New York, New York
February 12, 2012Music Background:
Singer/Songwriter, Music Educator

Singer/Songwriter's Point of View

Overall:
A fabulous product. Impeccable sound reproduction. Spent a week of intensive research before purchasing. The entire enCORE series won in every department vs. SHURE and not as expensive as a Neumann. One word of caution to the averaged-experienced performer: make no mistake, this is a condenser mic. This mic is hot, very sensitive. Plosives do come through. Helps to have some sort of sound board/computer.

For a month now I have been singing with this and received compliments on my voice from the audience.This didn't happen as much when I was using theSM-58. The 58 did an okay job, but did not fully reproduce what I was giving it.

Use:
Live voice & guitar performances. HQ voice-overs. Voice & Guitar recording.

Tips:
For live performances I use a Bose T1 Audio Engine to limit the incredible sensitivity and range of frequencies.

Note:
Playing in loud cafes and singing full-voice with this mic is fine. However, anymore volume and I'd have to return this for an Encore 200.

Michael Ashby
from Elmont, NY
March 3, 2011Music Background:
Recording Engineer, Pro Musician, Student

Season 10 AMERICAN IDOL's jewel!

This has that noticeable super clean top end normally associated with BLUE mics in general but NOW ON STAGE! The only reason why I rate it 4.5 is because in comparison to the Neumann KK 104/Sennheiser SKM5200-UHF (in custom chrome finish) used on the previous American Idol seasons, this interesting BLUE mic requires the singer to be right up on the grill in order not to hear a decrease of power from the singers projection! Problem is many singers like to hold the mic away from there mouth as they hit a hight note and that keeps taking away from the experience as i listen to every performance on IDOL this year! Thats the biggest noticeable difference I can hear from this mic compared to the previous mic they used on IDOL.

Like always IDOL gets something special done to there main mic LOL so with the enCORE 300, BLUE worked with "Beats by Dr. Dre & Monster" to developed the wireless transmission system for this new live mic from BLUE! On American IDOL this microphone is known as the Blue/Beats by. Dr. Dre Wireless mic from BLUE's enCORE 300 Series, custom made for IDOL!!! =D

Eric
from Madison, WI
April 23, 2012Music Background:
Weekend warrior electro-popster/part time engineer.

Nice live mic for the price

I've had some baaad experiences with handheld condensers, but after trying the Encore300, I liked it so much I decided to take the plunge. I liked it so much, in fact, that I bought two.

Now, of course, it's not going to sound like a U47 or anything, but it does have a nice airy top end, fairly solid lows, and a surprisingly workable proximity effect that doesn't get tremendously boomy even if you eat the mic. Feedback rejection is good, there's a ton of gain, and vocals really sit nicely in a live mix. It's not a flat mic - there's a noticeable presence bump common to lower-cost condensers, but it's not harsh or tremendously sibilant like some. The added gain and the presence bump really help you feel like you're working with the mic, not against it, to be heard.

The mic is also built pretty solidly.

The best thing about it is, of course, the price. You'd be hard-pressed to find a HHC this good at this price.

The cons? Well, for one thing, it doesn't fit into a standard 57/58 clip easily, so if you're taking it on the road with you you're also stuck taking mic mounts with you. It's also a lot more sensitive to plosives than your average dynamic mic - not unsurprising for an HHC, but this one seems a little more than most. And of course the presence bump flatters some voices better than others - it sounds stellar on female vocals and maybe higher-toned male vocals, but I probably wouldn't expect a lot of oomph from a baritone through this one.

Also my keyboardist thinks the mic looks a little suggestive, but she might just have some issues with that sort of thing. I think it looks pretty cool, and the roll bar does a good job of protecting the capsule.

Overall, really good bang-for-the-buck!

Jonathan
from Pennsylvania
September 13, 2010Music Background:
Enthusiast, volunteer FOH engineer for my church

Excellent Mic

Before my sales rep introduced me to the Blue line I had never heard of them let alone used one. I originally bought 3 enCORE 200's and was really impressed with the quality and off-axis rejection. I then bought a 300 and I could not be happier. The price range for the quality is remarkable. There's nearly zero noise, even when handling or removing/replacing in the mic holder. Blue is certainly going to give the industry standards a run for their money. Well done, Blue.

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