Blue Spark Digital review: High-end recording quality for a low-end price
I’ve been using a Blue Snowball mic for about three years now and while the device has always recorded audio reasonably well, especially with its inexpensive price tag in mind, the device lacks the quality of higher-end studio mics, especially if it’s being used under less than ideal recording conditions.
Regardless of how much I fiddle with the Blue Snowball’s settings, it always finds a way to pick up even the smallest amount of background audio, whether it’s my cat running around, the vibration of a smartphone or noise from a distant television in the other room.
In terms of build quality, the Blue Spark Digital looks great, but its awkward stand is disappointing. Handout/Blue
The Blue Spark rivals the quality of expensive studio mics and retails for a much cheaper price point - $199.99. And in my experience with the device, if I manged to get the device’s gain set perfectly, it rarely recorded unwanted background audio (unless of course I had it right beside a television) The mic is compatible with Macs, PCs and even iOS devices, if you use a special cable included with the Spark. While I don’t own many iOS devices, this feature will probably be a big draw for Apple faithful, especially those looking to record audio on the go.
The Blue Spark Digital also includes a standard 3.5mm audio jack allowing users to use headphones with it as well. It’s also the world’s first studio condenser mic that connects to devices via USB and Apple’s proprietary plugs used on the iPhone and iPad (it also works with Apple’s Lightning ports now as well).
One of the Spark’s biggest drawbacks is its strange stand. While kind of cool and futuristic looking, it isn’t exactly sturdy and can be knocked off a desk or other surface easily. It also makes the mic bulky and difficult to move around. On the plus side, the shock mount does do what it’s supposed to do and helps isolate the microphone from vibrations.
Also, while I didn’t try this myself, many reviewers have complained that in order to mount the Spark on a microphone stand or boom stand, you’ll need to purchase Blue’s $100 custom S3 shock stand.
On the bottom of the microphone you’ll find a small, knob-like dial that serves three purposes. In its default setting, it controls the volume for the Spark’s headphone jack, indicated by four LEDs located above the knob. Pressing in the knob mutes the mic and if you hold it pressed in, the LEDs change to orange, allowing you to adjust the mic’s input gain, depending on what kind of recording you’re doing.
While it’s nice to have everything controlled by one single knob, it isn’t always clear how to change the Spark’s various settings, causing me to check the device’s manual a few times.
On the back of the mic is an audio focus control switch. With this feature turned off, you’ll receive better low-frequency recording. When it’s on, the mic picks up more detail in sound. While I didn’t see a huge difference between the two settings, there definitely is a difference and depending on what kind of audio you’re recording it might be a good idea to take advantage of this feature.
I didn’t use the mic for anything beyond recording gameplay commentary for a few videos I’ve been working on, but I did notice a distinct improvement in terms of sound quality between the Spark Digital and the Snowball, especially when it comes to avoiding the annoying popping noise that occurs with the Snowball when you say words starting with P’s and B’s (if you’re close to the mic). With the Blue Spark digital my voice was always crisp and clear.
The mic also works great for live-streaming if you have its gain knob adjusted properly, drowning out the sound of the game you’re playing and giving a clear audio stream.
The Blue Spark Digital might be a little more expensive than the rest of Blue’s lineup, but if sound quality is a feature that’s important to you in a mic, the price is definitely worth it, especially if you’re looking to record audio on the go via an iOS device.
