Neat Bumblebee II Review: It’s good, it’s affordable, and it’s usually on sale

An affordable microphone can instantly enhance your video calls or even open the door to amateur recording. If you just want to get your foot in the door, I highly recommend purchasing a Bumblebee II, as it records 24-bit audio at a 96kHz sample rate and works over a USB cable. Just don’t buy it at full price.

Design: Kinda cool, kinda awkward

As for the visual design, I’m a big fan of the Bumblebee II. It looks cool, it’s compact, and apart from the big button, there’s only one button. But in practice, this is a cumbersome mic with a bit of a learning curve, which is pretty disappointing (especially for a mic that sounds this good).

While I’m glad Neat Microphones is including a desktop stand with the Bumblebee II, it’s a pretty useless addition. This mic has a front-facing capsule, meaning you’ll need to speak into the front of this mic (where the large knob is) to get a clear recording. So unless you’re piling this thing on top of some books, you’re going to have to recline it and crank the gain, which isn’t ideal.

The desktop stand also interferes with the Bumblebee II’s USB and headphone jacks. It’s difficult to plug anything into this mic when it’s on the included stand, and if you use a thick or angled headphone cable it will get pinched!

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Of course, Neat Microphones expects its customers to use a microphone arm or microphone stand with the Bumblebee II. The good news is that this mic is fairly light, so a cheap mic boom will do the trick. (But I would appreciate a better desktop stand as I don’t want a large mic boom or mic stand over my desk.)

But the stand isn’t the only problem. While the Bumblebee II steers see Very simple and straightforward, the large button is actually a multifunction controller. It can adjust gain, playback volume, and your direct-to-headphone mix. These settings can be accessed by pressing the button and the selected setting is indicated by a color changing backlight.

For me this setup is a bit confusing. I’d prefer something simpler – three separate LEDs, labeled to indicate which setting is selected. And, as noted by Junae Benne Tom’s hardware, the colors displayed by this microphone (yellow, green and blue) are not suitable for color blind people. Whether you’re color blind or not, it may take a while to get used to these controls.

Sound Quality: I’m impressed

The Bumblebee II features a 25mm condenser capsule with a cardioid (heart-shaped) polar pattern. It has an internal shock mount that’s surprisingly effective, and it captures 24-bit audio at a 96kHz sample rate. (Most USB mics at this price point, including the famous Blue Yeti, sample at 48kHz.)

I am very happy with these specifications. And more importantly, I’m happy with the audio quality of the Bumblebee II. It’s an impressive little microphone with a clear and smooth sound. The highs don’t sound like an ice pick, and the bottom end doesn’t boom. It doesn’t quite match the quality of an expensive studio mic, but I prefer it to the Yeti Blue, and it’s more than good enough for basic home recording or live streaming.

According to the frequency response curve provided by Neat Microphones, the Bumblebee II is a fairly flat mic. There’s a very slight boost in the mid-high and bass frequencies, as well as a small dip at the top of the spectrum to keep the mic from sounding too crisp. My only complaint here is that the mic doesn’t have a high-pass switch to kill some of the sub-bass, as those extremely low frequencies aren’t very useful when recording a podcast or livestream (especially in an untreated room).

Because it’s a condenser microphone, it can be a bit sensitive to background noise. Its 25mm capsule offers a low noise floor with plenty of off-axis rejection, but cranking the gain still introduces too much background noise. For this reason, I recommend using a mic boom or mic stand, which will help you control the distance between the mic and your mouth, reducing the need to drastically increase gain. (If you’re in a very noisy room, a dynamic mic is usually your best bet. Dynamic mics are less sensitive to background noise than condenser mics.)

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I should also note that this mic does not have a built-in pop filter. But if you use the right microphone technique, you don’t need to worry too much about plosives. Basically don’t speak direct into the microphone; Point it towards your mouth at an angle. If you must raise your voice, put some distance between you and the microphone. (To my surprise, Neat Microphone explains this type of stuff in their manual. If you’re unfamiliar with microphone etiquette and buy the Bumblebee II, keep the manual!)

Remember that microphones are never one size fits all. Every once in a while you’ll come across something that sounds awful with your voice (or your room). For this reason I suggest that when you buy a microphone you do not throw away the packaging as you may end up sending it back.

Ease of use: Surprisingly versatile, with footnotes

One thing that impresses me about the Bumblebee II is its versatility. It’s a great sounding and affordable mic, it records 24-bit audio at 96kHz and has a maximum SPL of 128dB, meaning you can get really loud before the sound starts to distort.

These specs are great for podcasts, live streams, or video calls. But they are also good for amateur music recordings. If you want to record music at home but don’t have the cash for an audio interface (which XLR mics require), this is a good option. It’s lightweight so you can use it with a cheap mic stand. It has an integrated audio monitor, so you can connect headphones without any extra effort. And while it feels a bit cheap, the Bumblebee II is small and sturdy enough to throw in a bag.

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However, some situations may require a different microphone. For example, if you need to record a two-person podcast or interview with a single mic, the Bumblebee II isn’t a great option. You have to sit next to your interlocutor as the Bumblebee II is not omnidirectional.

And as I mentioned, this is a condenser mic, so it’s a bit sensitive to background noise. You can work around the problem a bit by taking advantage of the microphone’s off-axis rejection and low noise floor — that’s why microphone engineering is so important. However, if you’re in a particularly noisy room and hoping to capture high-quality audio, you might want to look at a dynamic microphone instead.

The gist: buy it, but not at full price

The Bumblebee II is easy to recommend. It’s just a great and affordable product minus some quirks that Neat Microphones will have hopefully Address in a third generation product. If you need to record podcasts or music, make video calls, or live stream using a USB mic, the Bumblebee II is clearly one of your best options.

That said, I’m not suggesting paying full price for the Bumblebee II. I think the $100 MSRP makes sense, but this thing is almost always on sale for a lot less. You can check the price history yourself, but at the time of writing it’s $52 on Amazon. That’s a crazy bargain for any decent mic.

I should also reiterate that this is not an ultra-premium mic. But it’s incredibly versatile, it sounds good, and it has studio quality specs (I’m still surprised by the max SPL). And because it connects to your computer via USB, you don’t need to buy an audio interface to record with it.