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Neat Microphones Worker Bee Large-Diaphragm Cardioid Condenser Microphone

BH #NEMICWBCSSC • MFR #MIC-WBCSSC
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Neat Microphones Worker Bee Large-Diaphragm Cardioid Condenser Microphone
Key Features
  • For Vocals, Amps, Guitar, Brass & Drums
  • XLR Output for Hookup to Mic Preamp
  • Runs on 35 to 48 VDC Phantom Power
  • Includes Shockmount and Pop Filter
Created to be the low-budget, high-quality workhorse of their lineup, the Neat Microphones Worker Bee condenser microphone combines transparent, ultralow-noise circuitry on the inside with a special, bee-themed appearance on the outside. This makes the mic not only great for home recording sessions, but also cool for photo shoots. Since the Worker Bee comes with a custom shockmount and pop filter, it's especially well suited for achieving clear vocal tracks with minimal plosives and rumble.
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Neat Microphones Worker Bee Overview

Created to be the low-budget, high-quality workhorse of their lineup, the Neat Microphones Worker Bee condenser microphone combines transparent, ultralow-noise circuitry on the inside with a special, bee-themed appearance on the outside. This makes the mic not only great for home recording sessions, but also cool for photo shoots. Since the Worker Bee comes with a custom shockmount and pop filter, it's especially well suited for achieving clear vocal tracks with minimal plosives and rumble.

Housed in the lollipop-style head is a 1" large-diaphragm condenser capsule, which can handle extremely high SPLs up to 145 dB to allow distortion-free capture of loud instruments such as drums and cranked-up guitar amps. Its Class-A discrete amplifier circuitry renders it equally capable at reproducing details on quieter sources such as acoustic instruments, too. The cardioid polar pattern effectively picks up less sound at the rear of the mic, so home studio recordings can have less background noise in them.

Handles Loud and Quiet Sources
The internally shockmounted 1" diaphragm capsule, combined with custom Class-A discrete electronics, can handle high sound pressure levels with a wide frequency and dynamic range. While the Worker Bee is a great complement for guitar amps, brass, live recordings, drums, and other "big" sounds, it retains a level of detail that brings out the nuances in vocals, plucked instruments like acoustic guitar, percussion, and more.
Clean, Low-Noise Signal Quality
The mic's ultralow noise rating (9.5 dBA) and high output make it a solid choice for high-resolution digital recording. Instead of integrated circuits (chips), the Worker Bee's Class-A discrete amplifier circuitry ensures clean and accurate signal with minimal distortion and coloration.
Phantom Powering
The Worker Bee requires 48V phantom power to operate, which most mic preamps, audio interfaces, and mixing consoles can provide (phantom power often needs to be switched on). Some supplies and audio interfaces, while rated at 48V, may actually produce less voltage. Thankfully, the Worker Bee has been designed to deliver consistent performance with a power source as low as 35V.
Accessories
Included with the Worker Bee mic are a custom shockmount and a pop filter. The shockmount isolates the microphone from vibrations (particularly low frequencies) that could wind up in the audio signal path. On vocals, the pop filter helps minimize sibilance as well as plosive ("p" and "b") sounds.

The Beeline microphone cable (available separately) provides optimal signal transfer from mic output to preamp input. The "quad" design uses four internal strands, configured as spiraled pairs to reduce common mode noise (e.g., hum and other interference). Each strand consists of 16 conductors with 36 AWG oxygen-free copper wire to provide extremely efficient signal transfer, audiophile sound quality, and maximum noise rejection.

Neat Microphones Worker Bee Specs

Key Specs
Element Type
Electret Condenser
Polar Pattern
Cardioid
Microphone
Sound Field
Mono
Operating Principle
Pressure Gradient
Element Type
Electret Condenser
Polar Pattern
Cardioid
Pad
No
High-Pass Filter
No
Tone Adjustment
No
Gain Adjustment
No
On-Board Controls
No
Windscreen
No
Performance
Frequency Range
20 Hz to 20 kHz
Maximum SPL
145 dB SPL (.5% THD, 2.5-Kilohm Load)
Sensitivity
19 mV/Pa at 1 kHz
Dynamic Range
135.5 dB (2.5-Kilohms Load)
Signal-to-Noise Ratio
79 dB A-Weighted
Connectivity
Headphone Connector
No
Power
Bus Power
No
Operating Voltage
35 to 48 V (Phantom Power)
Physical
Included Case
No
Packaging Info
Package Weight
3.5 lb
Box Dimensions (LxWxH)
10.5 x 10.4 x 5.6"

Neat Microphones Worker Bee Reviews

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