Bottle
Pour it on.
Absolute Sound Perfection
Congratulations on your purchase of the Blue Bottle,
a classic modern vacuum tube microphone made
the old-fashioned way, without compromise. In every
industry — cameras, automobiles, audio, and more — there
are a handful of small companies reputed for a rare blend
of scientific precision and artistic passion. You know who
these artisans are; their trademarks are synonymous with
the ultimate in handcrafted perfection. Our flagship “The
Bottle” microphone parallels this vision, representing Blue’s
highest achievement in quality and innovation. The Bottle
is a precision recording tool, combining the low noise and
superb transient response of top-grade electronics with the
sonic magic of legendary vintage vocal microphones.
The Bottle is not simply a microphone, but a fully featured
microphone system with optional interchangeable
capsules. In an instant, these bayonet-mount capsules
can be exchanged to provide different tonal characteristics
and pickup patterns — while the power supply is still turned
on!
The basic Bottle system includes a B6 cardioid capsule,
Champagne tube microphone cable, and the Power Stream
Tube Mic power supply, shipped in a blue velvet-lined ATA
flight case approved for the utmost protection. The Bottle
is finished in a luxurious blue lacquer paint. Additional
capsules are available from your pro audio dealer, and you’ll
find a complete list of capsules detailed herein. In order to
familiarize yourself with the Bottle’s specialized and unique
features, please take the time to read this manual, and be
sure to try the suggested recording tips.
The Bottle
ne of the questions most commonly asked of Blue Bottle
O
microphone owners is, “What’s in that thing?” The Bottle is
unquestionably an impressive sight, with its imposing size and
nostalgic resemblance to the earliest European tube microphones.
Like the mics of yesteryear, the Bottle canister is not just for looks, but
also holds a small fortune in precision electronics.
The internal circuitry of the Bottle is thoroughly modern, of course, with an
amplifier design utilizing a single hand-selected vacuum tube
pentode EF86 in triode mode. The tube circuit is Class A and fully
discrete, meaning that the sound which arrives at the dia-phragm
of the Blue capsule is transduced (converted to electrical
energy) as accurately as possible, with no integrated circuits (a.k.a
“IC’s”) in the signal path. To this end, the Bottle utilizes electronic
components of the highest quality (such as expensive metal-film
resistors and alarge custom-built transformer), and there are no pad
or low-cut filter switches in the microphone circuit. In short, this is a
signal path of the highest possible quality, allowing you to get the
aximum benefit out of the unprecedented capsule selection created by Blue.
m
In order to get the most out of this, or any quality microphone, it is essential to pair it
with a good m
outboard preamps on hand, and will choose solid-state or vacuum tube models based on
their unique characteristics. And unlike many tube microphones, the Bottle can be run
through a variety of tube preamps without excess coloration, noise, loss of detail or tube
compression.
icrophone pre-amplifier. Most professional recordists prefer to have
To maintain the integrity of your signal, use the Blue Quad mic cable going into the
mic preamp. It is not necessary or advisable to connect the Bottle mic Power Stream
power supply to a 48V phantom power source. And, whenever possible, connect the mic preamp
utput directly to your recorder or A/D converter, bypassing the mixing board and any
o
unnecessary components.
A recessed, threaded mic stand socket is built into the bottom of the Bottle canister, next
t
o the multi-pin output jack. To put the Bottle on a stand, you may find it easiest to 1) loosen
the boom stand arm or threaded end of the mic stand, 2) grasp the Bottle in one hand,
and 3) screw the mic stand threads into the threaded mount. This procedure will
minate any possibility of handling damage to the mic.
eli
SAFETY NOTE
Do not attach a capsule or the multi-pin Champagne cable to the Bottle until it has first
been attached to a stand. Once the microphone body is secure, connect the Champagne
cable to the Bottle and the Power Stream power supply, and then turn on the Power
Stream to start the warm-up process. At the end of a session, be sure to turn off the
Power Stream power supply before disconnecting the Champagne cable.
Capsule Exchange
When you’re used to dealing with an assortment of tube microphones (each with
its o
wn mounting system and power supply, not to mention additional voltage
transformers, fragile parts, and other quirks), you’ll really appreciate the simplicity
and ease of the Bottle capsule system. Switching capsules is a painless 30-second
operation which eliminates downtime and warm-up time, and will never interrupt the
flow of a session.
To secure the delicate capsule during transport and storage, three brass transit screws
are provided (located around the outer ring of the spherical grille). The capsules will
perform better with these screws removed and it is not necessary to reinsert them
after every session, only when shipping the capsules.
Installing a capsule is a simple, three-step operation. First, position the capsule over the metal
stem at the top of the Bottle, aligning the J-shaped slot at the back of the capsule socket
with the protruding pin on the stem. Second, push the capsule down onto the stem
until the pin stops at the end of the long leg of the slot. There is a strong spring inside
the capsule socket, so a little extra effort may be required at this stage. Third, give the
capsule a clockwise twist on the stem, so that the pin locks into the short leg of the slot
and holds the capsule securely. You will notice that the stem pivots back and forth over a
range of about 45 degrees to aid in placement and angling of the capsule.
When exchanging capsules, there is no need to turn off the Power Stream power supply. A low-level audio signal is present whenever a capsule is removed, so it is good
engineering practice to mute or turn down the microphone preamp gain and monitors
before changing capsules.
Technical
The Bottle vacuum tube amplifier consists of a classic common cathode circuit using a current source
for the plate load, rather than the more commonly used simple resistor. The amplified signal is taken
from the plate and fed through a high-quality polypropylene capacitor, bypassed by a smaller value
polystyrene capacitor (Russian MIL spec), and output to our Blue custom hand-built transformer. Both
of these capacitors have a low dielectric absorption coefficient and a low equivalent series resistance.
These parameters are essential to high end audio and are not present in lower priced microphones.
D.A. (dielectric absorption) is reluctance on the part of the capacitor to give up stored electrons when
the capacitor is discharged. E.S.R. (equivalent series resistance) is the resistance composed of the
capacitor plate, lead, and termination resistances. If the capacitors used in the audio path possess high
values of D.A. and E.S.R., the result is a loss of accuracy and dynamic structure when reproducing the
finer details of the recorded source. Under these conditions, a definite “grunge” or hashy distortion is
added to the reproduced signal.*
The Blue hand-built Bottle microphone transformer is balanced, using a symmetrical two-bobbin
de sign (i .e. hum bu cking), with a trans forming rati o of 13:1 . Wi th th is ra tio, th e micro phone ach ieves a low
output impedance, typically 110 ohms. The primary transformer windings are connected in series. The
transformer’s secondary windings are connected in parallel, and connect directly to the XLR output
pins. The transformer lamination has a high relative permeability, which is one of the factors contributing to low distortion and higher dynamic range. A permalloy circular housing covers the transformer,
thus providing additional isolation from external magnetic fields.
The Bottle microphone employs an EF86 pentode vacuum tube connected in a triode mode. The third
grid of the EF86 is connected with a cathode and is grounded. The plate voltage is at 65.0 VDC , and
the plate is 0.6 mA. The heater voltage is kept at an optimum 6V to ensure the longevity of the tube.
Each EF86 is tested by Blue engineers for self noise level, AC amplification factor, and THD distortion.
Measurements are taken twice on each tube— first after a 24-hour burn-in period. The tube is mounted
on custom made dampers to minimize microphonics. A custom rubber string is applied for dampening
and holding the tube firmly in its socket.
A Wilson current mirror, the most accurate solution for a current source circuit, uses four thermocoupled solid state devices. These discrete devices are separate from the signal path.
A precise servo system is used to maintain the DC plate voltage at a constant level. This keeps
the tube in peak condition, despite its natural aging. If a new tube is installed, this servo circuit keeps
the tube working optimally. This unique circuitry, at the time of this writing, has not been used in
any commercially available microphone. The ser vo system uses an integrated circuit with high time
constant value, and is external to the signal path.
The amplifier input is separated from the microphone capsule with a capacitance consisting of two
styroflex caps (one ten times the value of the other) mounted on special Teflon isolators. Both the
tube grid and the microphone capsule are controlled through high-quality, low-noise 0.5W 400Mohm
resistors. The capsule’s polarization voltage is fed through two low-pass filters to enable voltage is
adjustable by a multi-position switch on the power supply, with ranges from 30.1V (-6dB) up to 95.1V
(+4dB), with a mid-point of 60V (0dB).
All of the Bottle’s internal wiring is oxygen-free copper Teflon-insulated.
Power Stream Power Supply
No other commercially available tube mic power supply offers the unique features of the Blue Power
Stream. To assure the longevity of the vacuum tube and the stability of the tube microphone circuitry,
Blue has developed the Power Stream power supply with the new SOFT START feature.
In the past, power supplies have been designed to use both heater and plate voltages applied
simultaneously once power has been switched on. In this case, the high voltage potential on the plate
forcefully attracts electrons from the not yet heated cathode, a process known as “cathode stripping”.
In practica li ty, this means that each ti me the pow er supply is sw itc he d on , the mic ro ph one tub e ch anges
its elec trical properties. To put it simply, the tube begins to wear and gets noisier.
To avoid this problem the Power Stream SOFT START feature delivers the tube’s heater voltage first.
The Power Stream’s circuitry also prevents the heater current from exceeding the limits for which
the tube was designed. Without this feature the cold heater would draw more current than specified,
and begin to deteriorate the valuable microphone tube. After approximately 80 seconds— when
the cathode is fully heated— the plate voltage is gradually applied starting from 10V to 120V (or other
voltage depending on the microphone circuitry). During this time the output of the microphone is muted.
After about three minutes the tube is settled in its correct operating mode, the muting is disabled, and
audio is present. Both the heater and the plate voltages are ultra stable and non-dependent on AC main
changes of fluctuations. For AC rectification, the Power Stream uses the only high frequency diodes
to obtain the purest DC possible. And most importantly, the plate voltage supply is of low impedance,
which improves sonics and clarity.
All the potentiometer switches on the Power Stream are discrete military type with enclosed contacts.
The nine-position switch allows you to determine precisely the right polarization voltage (the Bottle) or
pattern selection (the Cactus) on your microphone capsule.
Polarization switch
The Power Stream offers a nine step polarization switch for sensitivity selections. Set at the top (zero)
the microphone capsule is set at 60 volts for the suggested performance. When the switch is tuned
counter fully clockwise, the polarization voltage is reduced to deliver a 6dB lower output for louder
signal sources . When turned fully clockwise, the polarization voltages are increased delivering up
to 4dB more output providing more sensitivity for quieter sound sources . Selections in between the
maximum settings, allows the end user a variety of choices. Note: when the switch is fully increased, be
careful not to overload the capsule with loud signal sources.
Voltage Changes
The Power Stream operates at either 110 or 240 voltages. Your power supply has been shipped for the
proper voltages required in your countr y. If a voltage change is needed, remove the fuse holder located
above the AC receptacle. Reinsert the specified fuse (AC 110V 500mA or AC 220V 250mA) and select
the correc t voltage (110 or 220) using the voltage selector switch.
Champagne Tube Microphone Cable
All microphone cables are reactive, energy storing devices with independent voltage and current
components. The subtlest aspects of recorded sound are dependent on the physical construction
of these cables, as well as size, material, and wire placement. To realize the perfect blend of the
best materials, the Champagne tube microphone cable was designed collaboratively by Blue and an
engineer with over thirty years of experience in the audio cable industry.
This top-quality cable uses only the finest available proprietary materials, including two-conductor
pair is twisted to totally eliminate noise, and covered with the finest tinned copper braid for additional
protection. To guarantee voltages and power, the Champagne cable incorporates five additional
24-gauge conductors. The result is a tube microphone cable that unveils every nuance captured in the
Bottle, to tickle the finest taste buds as well as warm the coldest critic.
*For those interested in a detailed description how capacitors affect the audio circuitr y, read
the 1980 March & April AUDIO Magazine article by Walter G. Jung and Richard Marsh entitled,
“Picking Capacitors”.
Blue Microphones
5706 Cor sa Avenue, Sui te 102
Westlake Village, C A 91362
www.bluemic.com
Warranty
This Microphone or related part is warranted under the conditions outlined below to its original,
registered owner, provided the purchase was made from an authorized Baltic Latvian Universal
Elect ronics (BLUE) dealer. Th is Microphone or rela ted pa rt is guarantee d to remain free from
ope ratin g defe cts fo r thr ee yea rs fro m the da te of pu rchase. I n the eve nt tha t ser vice is require d,
all nec essary p arts and l abor will b e furnish ed free of cha rge durin g this peri od except for tu bes,
which ar e guaranteed for 90 days aga inst defec ts. This war ranty is void if the serial nu mber has
been altered, removed or defaced. The warranty is void if the e quipment is altered , misused,
mi sha ndl ed, mal adj uste d, or is ser vi ced by any p ar tie s not auth orized by Balt ic La tvia n Uni ver sal
Elec troni cs (BLUE ). The war ranty d oes not in clude tr anspo rtati on costs incurr ed beca use of the
need for s ervice unless arranged for in a dvance. Baltic Latvian Universal Electron ics (BLUE)
reser ves the ri ght to make changes in desig n and im prove upo n its products wi thout ob ligation
to in sta ll th ese impr ovem ent s in any of its prod uct s pre vio usl y man ufac ture d. Th is war rant y is in
lieu of any o r all expresse d or implie d.
In keeping w ith our policy of co ntinued produ ct improvement , Baltic Latvia n Universal Elec tronics (BLUE) re serves the right t o alter
specifica tions without pr ior notice.
©2013 Blue M icrophones. A ll rights reser ved.
Cable
are tradem arks or register ed trademarks of B lue Micropho nes, Inc. All oth er trademarks co ntained herei n are the propert y of
their resp ective owners.
Blue Logo O val, Bottle, Bot tle Caps, Power Str eam, Series 2 Sho ck, The Pop,
and
Quad
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