NEAT King Bee Cardioid Solid State Condenser Microphone with Pop Filter and Shockmount

Received this Friday and spent the first part of the weekend putting it through its paces.First of all, it's impossible to review this mic without mentioning the packaging - it's probably the most quirky, creative, and fun box I've every seen for a microphone (or anything for that matter.) There's a picture of a Bee-Keeper on the lid, a humorous "field-guide" style manual, and an actual spinning toy bee.While that's delightful, the question, of course, is "how does it sound?" For the price range the King Bee lives in, it is incredible, and far superior to other mics I've used in the "same range."Make no doubt about it - this is a pro mic. It is very sensitive, so you're going to want to use it in a sound booth or some kind of treated space (guerrilla it and you'll be fine.) It'll behave differently than closely-priced consumer mics, and that's a good thing. NOTE: if you're moving from a cheap (or even not too-cheap) USB mic to the King Bee, it will sound amazing IF you treat it like a pro mic. If you're new to higher end audio gear, check out some online videos on proper mic placement, technique, and basic sound treatment. It'll make a huge difference in your sound. Even a little DIY treatment or an inexpensive "pop-up vocal booth" will yield great results.The included shock mount was easy to put together, and works great. It's a very sturdy thick-gauge rubber. In the box you'll also find a pop filter (shaped like a honey comb, of course!) which is really effective even when not recording off-axis.Voices sound warm and natural straight out of the mic, and the right EQ pushes it to the next level. Guitar records nice, warm, wide, and natural.Overall, this mic seems to be a steal. It's amazing how far audio technology has come, and that for such a low price you can get a mic that competes with those many times more expensive.

The media could not be loaded. This is a great mic at this price. It used to sell for $350 or $400, and that’s where it SHOULD be priced. I’m not sure why it’s priced at $99. (I made the video using an app on my iPhone and it introduced a couple of little clicks in the audio. It wasn't the microphone's fault.)Keep in mind that I’m giving this mic 5 stars based on its quality to price ratio. It’s not going to sound as good as a Neumann U87, or TLM 103, but it’s the BEST mic you can buy brand new for $99 in 2020.It DOES require good mic technique as it’s not a very forgiving mic. But this is common for mics with such large diaphragms.Another reviewer encouraged people to watch the YouTube video titled “Edge studio Wittham’s World Episode 75 Mega Mic Shootout.” I agree! This mic is featurd about 4 1/2 minutes into that video. You’ll hear how it is used on a great voice with solid mic technique.The mic has a nice low end but it can get a bit muddy, but not NEARLY as bad as other $99.00 mics.This mic also has good presence without sounding like a tin can. It’s not TOO sibilant.The only downside is it’s a finicky mic that requires a professional use-case. It’s a great fit for a professional in a treated room or sound booth. Not for gamers, or youtubers who don’t practice proper mic technique.Check out this mic's frequency response chart. It has a very good frequency response for most voices. And the self-noise is -6.5db, and yes, I’ve tested it and next to the Lewitt LCT 540 Subzero it has the lowest self noise I’ve seen in a mic.This is one of those mics I would buy two of...maybe three actually. For $99, why not??The genius built-in pop-filter works surprisingly well, and is designed brilliantly. You don’t even realize it’s a pop-filter. The pop-filter does change the color of the mic just slightly, but most people would never tell the difference.Finally, this is the best shock mount I’ve ever used. It’s almost impossible to get this mic to make noise when you move your mic stand around.I use this mic for professional audiobook narration, advertisements, and many other voice over projects. I don’t use this mic for louder, more animated projects, because the proximity effect is quite noticeable. You can’t move around much on this mic like you can on a dynamic (like an RE20), or even some other condensers. If you need a mic that is more forgiving in that respect you should look elsewhere in my opinion. If you’re going to podcast, and you’re very animated, you may want to get an RE20/RE320. (But those mics are also a lot more expensive.) But for everything else this mic is fantastic at $99.I think this company is brilliant for "seeding" the market with these mics for $99 - it's giving them a lot more recognition than they would have gotten otherwise. I think they are able to lower the price due to their parent company releasing their businesses as part of filing bankruptcy or something crazy like that. Anyway, the price on these has to go back up at some point. Get one now before they do.

I've used this mic for paid voice over gigs requiring professional quality and it delivers. It's more sensitive than my K-47 capsule upgraded Studio Projects B1 which was my best budget mic before this one. I managed to get the sweet $99 price earlier this year but even at this price it is excellent deal considering the quality of the capture.My original Studio Projects B1 (used: $50) was brightly sibilant and rough in the lower and mid registers leaving my voice sounding fragile, sharp, and cold. After upgrading the capsule with a K-47, the B1 became much smoother, warmer and notably less sibilant. I've been very pleased with the quality of this microphone and it cost me $130 total plus like 90 minutes open up the mic to replace capsule.The King Bee is more sensitive and quieter than the B1, even with the K-47 upgrade. It is slightly more sibilant than the K-47 but it's not harsh, just clear. The pop screen is helpful but a sloppy p can still bust a take; more importantly, it seems transparent and allows a great view of the script by being so compact.It's a great mic that I'm happy to have. I've got my eye on TZ Stellar X2 as another budget option that you may want to check out.