MusicRadar Verdict
Overall, this mic is aptly named - as a utility mic to have around in the studio it will be busy.
Pros
- +
Good price.
Cons
- -
Lacking a little warmth.
MusicRadar's got your back Our team of expert musicians and producers spends hours testing products to help you choose the best music-making gear for you. Find out more about how we test.
The less expensive Worker Bee bears a massive resemblance to its King Bee sibling, including having the same 'Beekeeper' suspension mount and 'Honeycomb' popshield, but its body is about half the length.
Technically it's a different mic too - the capsule is smaller at 24mm, and the design could be classified as a back-electret condenser. With its cardioid polar pattern, the potential applications remain similar, however.
On vocals the Worker Bee has a top-end that isn't too different to the King Bee; a little less zingy perhaps, but the bottom-end isn't quite so full, lacking some of the warmth of its sibling that could be exploited on a male vocal or voice-over.
That carries over to acoustic guitar where the captured sound is a little darker. With the ability to handle SPLs up to 145dB, we found the Worker Bee did a lovely job on a loud guitar cabinet and feel it would be a useful mic to have around to play a part in micing up a drum kit.
“Sometimes people need a mix engineer, or a recording engineer, or a producer, or a guitarist – or sometimes all of those things”: Amy Sergeant on her professional studio career and her approach to mix engineering in the modern industry
“Interfaces are all about connections and the more money you spend, the more options you’ll get in return”: New to audio interfaces? Start Here…
Why Bruce Springsteen biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere could spark a new wave of interest in the Teac 144 Portastudio, the 4-track cassette recorder that triggered a home recording revolution
