This review is a sequel to my comparison of the Bluebird to the Shure SM58 dynamic microphone. I was so impressed with the microphone that I wanted to add more comments specific to the Bluebird.
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I’ll explain why in just a few lines, but what follows will be MP3s of the Bluebird condenser microphone and my trusty SM58 dynamic microphone in a studio setting that will let you decide for yourself if you agree with my conclusions. I came to the conclusion that the Bluebird has clearer sound for my vocals, which becomes especially important when mixing. But I’m still going to use my SM58 for live performance. And as I’ll explain, the disappointing sound that led me to purchase the Bluebird in the first place was mostly due to stuff other than the choice of microphone.
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I was looking to write a socially conscious song and started writing lyrics a couple of weeks ago. Inspired by the self serving actions of government (the man) and the self serving motives of marketing and advertising (madmen). After letting the lyrics sit for a while, I picked up the guitar and tried to put them to a reggae rhythm. That didn’t work out well, but I did find a vibe that I liked. The vocals and guitar were recorded together in one live take. The organ and tambourine were then added.
Madmen and Money, - © 2009 Brian Kelly
I used Gimp to understand and set the initial color palette for “Drummer and Graffiti”. The painting was loosely based on this photo. 
As shown in the triangular color plot from Gimp, the bricks are toward the red end of the orange range (noted by the circle on the outer perimeter). The top edge of the triangle would indicate all black mixed with the red/orange. The circle inside the triangle just off the top edge indicates that the color of the bricks will be obtained by adding dark gray (or mostly black with some white) to the red/orange. This knowledge allowed me to quickly mix colors I liked.
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Inspired by street art and the brick background behind a band, I painted this scene. I’m inspired to do more works that include street art integrated into a greater scene. The bricks were also a very satisfying element to add freehand. I plan on integrating bricks into future works as well.
Drummer and Graffiti - Brian Kelly, 2009 acrylic on canvas board, 9″ x 12″
- the MuseI was looking for a way to make a local copy of my WordPress blog so I could carry it in my Palm. I wanted static .html pages. If I could do it with Linux, that was even better. I found a great application that creates a local copy on my PC. They have both a Linux and a Windows version. In Ubuntu, in the add/remove application just look for WebHTTrack and install. It worked great. It is a free GPL application. The website is www.httrack.com I haven’t fully worked out how to get it to work on my Palm, as the links look to be written with specific rather than relative directory structures. But the application was effective in quickly making a local copy of the blog to experiment with.
- the MuseThis new original song is dedicated to everyone who has ever been dumped. Though meant to be a bit satirical, it also carries with it a lesson that I’ve occasionally learned. Though initially the negative vibes of being dumped are felt, over time it often seems like a positive, if not downright lucky event.
I’m OK Without You, - © 2009 Brian Kelly
