Studio Projects B1

This microphone is built in China by 797 Audio in Beijing using high-quality components, including Wima capacitors, but designed in the USA by Brent Casey.



The B1 offers a fixed-cardioid pattern with switchable pad and roll-off features. The centre-terminated, large-diaphragm capacitor capsule (3µm gold evaporated Mylar) requires a standard 48V phantom power and has a transformerless output. Personally I find the additional features unnecessary, and seldom use them. The B1 comes with a shock mount and foam wind shield, not to be confused with a pop filter. The shockmount is a custom plastic moulding that clips to the bottom of the mic suspended within a metal ring using fabric-covered elastic belts.

I found the shock mount to be a little flimsy and the mic moves around inside it, although will not fall out accidentally. I’m not sure why a foam windshield is included as this cannot be used in place of a pop shield, and is only suitable for situations where there is wind. If you are planning to use the mic outdoors, then you will need the wind shield, but a proper pop shield must be used for recording vocals.

Put to the test

As a vocal mic the B1 produced smooth, soft recordings with male vocals and works very well for rap/hip hop vocals without any EQ.
With acoustic instruments the mic was quite brittle and needed a bit of work with EQ to get a good sound.

The B1 is has a lot of features, apart from multiple polar patterns, and would make a good all round “first mic” for a project/home studio.

Specifications
Capsule	1.3” Externally Polarized Condenser
Sensitivity	18mV/Pa
Frequency Response	20-20 000 Hz
Equivalent Noise	12 dB-A
Polar Pattern	Cardioid
Max SPL	137 dB (SPL)

Review by Jaime Lopes for Headroom Productions