Neat King Bee II - A Budget Friendly Monster!! (Microphone Review)

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Today we check out a mic many have been asking for! The Neat King Bee II! This thing is massive, and brings up an interesting topic about the value of microphone design and aesthetics, is a microphone just a tool? Or is it more than that? Not to mention, for under $200, this thing may just be the best option out there for voiceover! Let me know what you guys thing of the review in the comments :)
Oh and even though this isn't a full on comparison vid, I through in some tests against the NT1!
Here's the affiliate link:
Neat Kind Bee II - amzn.to/3JOYATU
----------------------------------------
Use this link to get a discount with DistroKid: distrokid.com/vip/audiohaze
In case you want to know what gear I use all the time 👇🏻
Favorite Microphones:
NT1 - amzn.to/2NUoBJK
SM57 - amzn.to/2P1pUXC
Electro Voice RE20 CLASSIC - amzn.to/2UFdyaM
SM7B - amzn.to/3lL4REV
Lewitt 440 Pure - amzn.to/3imNwRh
Austrian Audio OC818 - amzn.to/3CCO0MK
My Audio Interface:
Scarlett 18i20 2nd Gen- amzn.to/2P4SXtl
My Monitors:
KRK Rokit 5a - amzn.to/3grczSW
My Headphones -
Audio Technica M30x - amzn.to/3feOfE6
Status Audio CB-1s - amzn.to/3IfcOeX
Hifiman Sundara - amzn.to/3JvDkm1
My Guitar Amps -
Fender Deluxe Reverb Tonemaster (Blonde) - amzn.to/3w9ZuGk
Boss Katana MKII-50 - amzn.to/3dNj40c
Fender Bassman - amzn.to/3hbT4y4
My Synths and Controllers:
Launchpad Pro Mk. 3 - amzn.to/3rl502V
Arturia MicroBrute - amzn.to/31eFSQL
Korg MS 20 Mini - amzn.to/3JjjeLm
Arturia Microfreak - amzn.to/3u1RYLa
Arturia Drumbrute Impact - amzn.to/3i8nL7F
Software and DAWs
Ableton Live (Not an affiliate link)- www.ableton.com/en/shop/live/
Avid Pro Tools - amzn.to/3cjE5QN
These are amazon affiliate links, so I get a percentage of the sale if you buy from these links, it's a nice way to support the channel! If you hate me definitely don't use these links.

[@AudioHaze]

Howdy friends! If this vid helped you make up your mind, this affiliate link helps me out a ton :) Amazon: amzn.to/3JOYATU Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/DVMzJq

[@tjzuppe]

The KB2 literally just arrived at my door an hour ago. Great timing.

[@AudioHaze]

Hahah well maybe I should have put it out sooner then! Enjoy the mic :)

[@wtulin1970]

A couple thoughts on this thing. The NT1 has been my VO workhorse for about 4 years now. Always liked it, never loved it. Tried the TLM103, not right for my space or my voice and a bit too crispy for me. Bought and returned a Rode K2. Wanted to love it, but another that just didn't fit. Getting to the point here, I had to send the NT1 in for service, and found that the Bezos Behemoth is currently selling the King Bee II for $119. Ok, might make a good back-up mic. Nope, love it. It is now the primary, and the Rode is the backup. Some thoughts: Damn thing really is a chunk of chunkiness. Unnecessarily heavy. Even my PSA-1 is bitching about it. The included pop filter is near worthless, as I expected. A tiny pop filter right against the capsule is just bad physics, and these manufacturers know it. (Looking at you, Lewitt) Also, I now see how completely unreliable a frequency response graph is on its own. This mic shows the exact graph as the original (which is also the exact copy graph of the cardioid response of Blue's discontinued "Reactor" mic) Compared to the original King Bee, which I also owned at one time, this one is darker and much tamer on the high end. She is a big old weird-looking unwieldy chunk that happens to sound great in my booth. One more item on these bees. A lot of folks mention that this one is more expensive than the original was. Well, sure, if you got an original King Bee for a hundred bucks after Gibson's bankruptcy, but some people don't know that the OG was a $350 dollar mic. In design, the KB2 is a less expensive build than the original, partially due to the biggest difference between the two. The OG is a transformer-coupled mic. Pretty sure the KB2 is not. I talk too much. Bye.

[@TUTOSANDROIDtutorialesymas]

Singing test sounded great already without any processing. I was wondering about these mics for a while. Nice vid

[@AudioHaze]

Thank you my friend :)

[@LetsGoHelio]

I already have this but I really wanted to hear your opinion on this mic. I’m glad you like it because I value your reviews. Great video as always.

[@AudioHaze]

Yeah it’s awesome! Definitely my go to recommendation under $200 for a condenser now :)

[@Sarsour_]

Love this stuff, though really enjoy your new content of reports about artists and history of how the u47 changed the music industry was also very cool!

[@thomasjmcclure]

i actually recently picked up the og worker bee mic, sounds awesome and i actually love the aesthetics of it, i realise lots of people dont, but it mathes my setup so well!

[@AudioHaze]

I did too!! More mics need to be silly haha

[@andream9977]

Awesome review! Right away, I preferred “mic 1” 😊 I’m looking to buy a mic for audio work and I’m sold

[@asterisms_]

I was really tempted to get this mic but I ended up with a 3U Audio Teal CM1 which surprisingly has almost no reviews on KZbin even though it seems like discussion forums seem to like it and I've been enjoying my CM1 a lot. I appreciate your bit about how microphone aesthestics do matter to some people and that it isn't a bad thing for them to look different from the usual black/silver tube of metal. I understand why a lot of people don't care but for video content creators it does matter.

[@AudioHaze]

Nice! I'll have to check that mic out :) and yes for sure, as someone whose literally always on camera with mics, I definitely need to consider it, as do many others.

[@chrisk.6246]

I have a pair of the gen 1 Worker Bees (which I love!), and am seriously considering picking up one of these, as well. Thank you for this excellent review! Also, on the acoustic, I bet the King Bee II blended with an SDC for a little top-end detail would be amazing.

[@AudioHaze]

You're right!! Or blending it with the Lewitt 440 :)

[@sub-jec-tiv]

Judging from the Podcastage review I don’t really think this mic is different enough from the v1 Worker Bee for me to buy. I love my pair of Workers too… and they sound pretty darn close. The Workers have a bit more presence in the highs, but overall tonal character seems quite similar. Which i was kind of surprised about

[@Rod-Wheeler]

Great Review! Igot the original for $99. I love it. I've got about 40 mics from An sm 57 to a TLM 103 and the original king bee is in the top 10!

[@AudioHaze]

Yeah its a killer mic! For the price the specs are insane

[@Unlucky_Vampire]

Considering how many microphones look a like , disliking the bee aesthetic or not, this is most unique mic I’ve ever seen

[@AudioHaze]

Super true, and I happen to really like it's cartoon-y nature

[@curseleisure5507]

Great review! I have the original King Bee and it’s a fantastic mic. I’ve found that it sounds better if you use a regular third party pop filter instead of the pop filter that comes with it (which is the same design as on the new KB2).

[@AudioHaze]

I’ve heard about that! It may be a little close to the capsule yeah

[@CocinaDeChela]

Best review of this mic 🎙️🎤

[@joegraziano3580]

Holy shit! That guy singing at around the 8 minute mark has an incredible voice. Also, that’s a great song. 🤙🏽

[@AudioHaze]

I'll let him know!

[@milesian1]

I don't have a great space in terms of outside noise and room treatment, and know that I would probably be best served by a dynamic mic. But I got the KBII and just love the way this mic sounds and handles, if that's an audio term. I have a new podcast and have recorded my first episodes with an SM57 and XM8500 with great results. But since I love what this company is doing I used your affiliate link to order a King Bee II for my main mic and Worker Bee II for my podcast guests. Now all we need is more buzz about the podcast ; )

[@Eyyho1]

Do it still sounds good for vocals like hiphop or pop r&b music or country music

[@powersliding]

awesome review ..covers so many angles

[@AudioHaze]

Thanks dude!

[@ZacharyHS]

Ethan's singing absolutely blew me away, my god.

[@alisongaze]

loved the original neat king and worker bee except for the fact that the og models had bad rfi rejection. great review as always

[@AudioHaze]

ah really? I haven't noticed any issues with that one this one, been using it a little over a month now :)

[@maxibeyer7989]

I prefer that mic over the NT1 on your voice samples. Very good match for the singer. BTW he sings really nice! Thank you!

[@AudioHaze]

Thanks Maxi! Yeah I really enjoy this mic :)

[@yourforeignlocal]

I have an original Worker Bee and NT1- one against the other they sound like the comparison you did here :p I think Neat mics have a characteristically deeper, darker, denser sound compared to many other reference mics. The NT1 better suits my voice for singing, but I remain enamoured by them *(the Bees) for spoken word

[@AudioHaze]

Yeah they are very good at spoken word! Its one of the darkerst microphones that I've tried that I legitimately like a ton

[@itsjonathanwade]

I'VE GOT IT. I dig it. It's real good for my voice.

[@NebulonRanger]

Of note, the King Bee I was the mic that MasakoX used to voice the Son family in DBZ Abridged.

[@Schwabtastic]

You review really made me think why I am so attracted to this mic. It stands out. Nobody uses it. its a statement. The punk side of me can't stay away.

[@eliotball655]

AYYYYYYEEEEEEEE YOU ARE AMAZING!!!!!!

[@AudioHaze]

THANK U BOO

[@TheINFJChannel]

Sensei, your lady Sadie checking in to session. #TardyToClass 🕵✅🎤 😃 Edit: I'm back! Had to grab the affiliate links. Im buying one of these for my mic locker. I originally thought it looked too cheesy but thanks for reviewing it. I'm liking the frequency response and gonna give it a whirl with audiobooks. ❤

[@AudioHaze]

Welcome Sadie :) glad you enjoy it and enjoy the mic my friend!

[@jambajoby32]

I bet this will work for brass perfectly! 🎺

[@AudioHaze]

Oooh yeah good point!

[@duprimny]

hey,,,love your videos...would you make a review about slate digital microphone and those mics simulations?

[@AudioHaze]

I would LOVE that! Would have to get my hands on one though :)

[@endless1247]

I decided to go with this with the arturia minilab since I think it would be the best price to performance

[@HarvinderSingh-yy8th]

Best Budget CM.

[@WayOfHaQodesh]

What would one need to mount the shock mount on a table / desk setup similar to how you had this set up, to be in shot as the King Bee wants the spot in the shot as we know and love.??? I've heard it's a beast in weight and so I'm not sure the Presonus PBA-1 microphone boom arm would hold it? Whatcha reckon?

[@Lanternamagika]

Hi, kudos for your microphones critique precious work ... I just wondered ... why haven't you ever considered the SE ELECTRONICS X1A?

[@r00kiet80]

Dont ever pick up that mic i had to return it twice maybe i've been unlucky but one of them worked for about 2weeks

[@spacedaddy5517]

I bought a boom arm that could not hold this, I am looking for something with at least double, or triple the capacity. It was so wobbly at the base, I am convinced all clamp mounted bases like this, round ones are bad news. I am thinking of getting a tall monitor pole, and mounting it on that, with a pneumatic arm. This thing is a chunk of metal, and I would not want it come crashing down on my expensive gear or something. A desk stand isn't going to be very practical here, I would go with the beefiest mounting system you can find, for a reasonable price since this is a budget mic.

[@goatonstks9095]

Great video, I did have a question though im debating between getting the se2200 and the lewitt lct 440 pure and I’ve watched your vid on the lewitt do you have any thoughts on the se2200.

[@AudioHaze]

Haven't had the chance to try the se2200! But the Lewitt 440 is hands down my favorite mic in that price range

[@Kristoff2005]

4:20 I relate so much with the missing letter

[@AudioHaze]

Missing letter??

[@Kristoff2005]

@@AudioHaze you typed 6BA instead of 6DBA lol

[@AudioHaze]

@@Kristoff2005 oh lol, I rewatched the section of the vid and still didn’t notice haha

[@andream9977]

What mic arm do you recommend to use with the King Bee? It’s on the heavy side, so what do you recommend? I was looking at a Rode Psa1+ although it’s more $$ I was originally looking for something around $50

[@ianstu7]

Kinda blown away by the comparison with the NT1. The NT1 had a bit more of a plastic sound? Is that an adjective people use to describe sound?

[@AudioHaze]

Perhaps maybe a slight lift in the presence mixed with a relatively flat tone could leave it sounding plastic-y? I get what you mean though :)

[@Tomas.c]

Let's go!

[@AudioHaze]

WOOO

[@sherbetruler8117]

Great review, but I just have to know where I can find that song now

[@AudioHaze]

Not published yet :( go tell him to publish it in his insta dms haha

[@prasanna3378]

Please compare it against AT2025 and RODE NT1, especially for the room noise rejection for a untreated room scenario for vocal signings. *Which is better at room noise rejection, AT2035 or Neat King Bee II ?*

[@AudioHaze]

Oh definitely go with the King Bee in my opinion :) against the AT2015 I mean

[@prasanna3378]

@@AudioHaze And is Rode NT1 better at room noise rejection than AT2035 ?

[@sub-jec-tiv]

If room rejection is super important to you, don’t buy a condenser mic, get a nice dynamic and use a good mic pre. Podcastage review has more comparisons. As far as this one… It definitely beats the AT 2020 which sounds thin and brittle by comparison imo. Not sure about the 25 though.

[@baggzilla]

great review, how do i remove the pop filter?

[@YungAUDIO]

Hi, what top 3 mics under £400 would you recommend for morden rap. I have a TLM 102 in an untreated room and it is not sounding great. It is paired with a focusrite solo.

[@ny_thep]

I just got this mic for $120 from amazon cause black friday

[@JustMamba]

Edit* This really has nothing to do with the video lol just mic talk I always forget blue makes cheap mics. Don't watch many or streamers who use them but I know they're extremely popular for beginners. I like blue tho. I have a blue bottle and I use it as much as my u87. It's not needed tho. For a spoken word or KZbin I'm way more comfortable using an re20 just cuz of the ease of use of dynamics. I can hook it up in my bedroom that's slightly, slightly treated and it sounds amazing. I appreciate these videos although I don't need any more mics but I enjoy hearing all of them. I've yet to find anyone on KZbin who has the audio quality that your channel has.

[@AudioHaze]

Yeah for sure! I used to hate on some of the USB mics blue makes, I think it’s unjustified though and I’ve started to tone it back. And thank you man! I definitely don’t have that amazing of audio quality compared to others, but I appreciate it none the less :)

[@lawrence78]

Damn, NY seems pretty friendly

[@AudioHaze]

Hahaha

[@BeowolfNindoJournal]

Damn, this mic's hard to find in Australia. There's one on Amazon but been hearing a lot of fake mics being sold on Amazon.

[@HarvinderSingh-yy8th]

Great cm.

[@TheVariShow]

Is that a real song on the vocal test ? 😂 I wanna listen to it

[@Angelo-vb6dg]

sounds thicc, nice review

[@AudioHaze]

It doesss

[@MichaelW.1980]

Danke!

[@MichaelW.1980]

Great video, once again! And that is one nice looking microphone for sure. I wholeheartedly agree here. But at the same time I am not sure, how many people will. I think to appreciate a big unpractical piece of tech in the frame of your camera, you need to be a certain kind of person. You need to be ready t o have whatever microphone you choose in the frame. And this is not for everyone. As a supporter in sound, I deal a lot with streamers, who struggle with their microphone, no matter the aesthetics. From what I gather by talking to them, they would rather have no microphone in frame at all and still a perfectly dry sound with no reverb and little to no noises from the room. I ended up recommending a dynamic singing microphone to one of them, because a condenser microphone with potentially a pop filter in front of it takes up way too much space in the frame - for their taste - even if the streamer knows how to frame it effectively. Sure, a lav mic could be even more effective, when all you care for would be the space it takes up in the frame, but what about the price? Sure, a lav mic doesn't have to be expensive, but it's still a condenser microphone. And those, you will never have directly in front of your face at like 5-8 cm / 2-3 inches of distance, if they have a directional pickup pattern. If they are directional, like a cardioid pickup pattern, you want them at least 10 cm / 4 inches, but rather 15 cm / 6 inches away from your face for them to sound natural. So you have two reasons against them, if you want dry sound with little noise. Distance increases the pickup of room noise AND makes louder noises even more of a problem. And if you have an omnidirectional pickup pattern, it picks up sounds from all directions the same. And on a distance, you need more gain for the same output. Whatever you choose to go for here leads to an increase in both, noises and room reverb in the recording. And both, are even harder to fix than the room noise itself. Even if you didn't have to block out louder noises, and reverb and room noise are the only things to deal with, the best choise to cope with them will always be having the microphone close. At least on the cheap. Why? Because the only second solution will be room treatment and that never comes as cheap as using a microphone up close. I can use my Shure Beta 58A in hellish reverbery room, like our stair case or living room, 5 cm from my face and because of that, i can record a tone that for all intends and purposes is to be considered dry and free of reverb.

[@AudioHaze]

Well said Michael! Its true that many streamers just want the microphone out of frame, I think for some it may just be a matter of practicality, and perhaps as an audio nerd I don't take that into account sometimes. There's just such a desirable quality to a hefty microphone in front of me though! lol

[@1776orbust]

Nice review...send it to me for a test run😁

[@AudioHaze]

Hahaha maybe it'll be a giveaway thing who knows lol

[@1776orbust]

@AudioHaze I'm hoping I've been using a podmic...not that good and I also have a presonus which is better but the bee 2 sounds better than both

[@AudioHaze]

@@1776orbust yeah it really does sound great!

[@1776orbust]

@@AudioHaze indeed it does

[@SavoxYT]

You say it's massive, but a blue kiwi would call it a shrimp, and a blue bottle would make it look like a TLM 102.

[@AudioHaze]

True lol, its big for an average mic I guess

[@jamesmandarino6641]

Looking to pick up a mic for vocals i will be taking vocal lessons online my teacher suggested i get a sm7b but i am leaning towards the king bee ii because of the price difference. What would be your thoughts on this or anyones for that matter.

[@AudioHaze]

Similar tone! (As close as a dynamic and condenser can be I guess), but do you have a treated or at least quiet room? The King Bee ii will do better in this environment, with less to no noise around it. If you live in a noisy area, then the SM7 would probably make a better choice. With the SM7, make sure you're using at least a semi-powerful audio interface to power it. Scarlett series is probably as low as you can go, but you'll need to do some audio processing to get the most out of it.

[@jamesmandarino6641]

@@AudioHaze I have a scarlet 2i2 as for quite room I think it should be relatively sound dampened due to furniture and wall paintings. I rent so I can't put sound stuff up in the house really which is a shame

[@adampalooza85]

you should try taking off the pre-installed windscreen. it sounds even better without it

[@AudioHaze]

True! Would you expect a presence boost?

[@adampalooza85]

@@AudioHaze for sure. It sounds much fuller and smoother without it. It doesn't look like it would alter the sound much but it does. It's a bit of a pain to remove though. Took some force but it's supposed to be able to be taken on and off

[@blackjohnny0]

Sadly not avaible in my country. :( Same as Stellar x2.

[@Charak1]

Sir please tell sE 2200 vs rode nt1 which is better

[@AudioHaze]

Yes at some point for sure!

[@John-lw7bz]

Darn it hurts to be European 169.99 + 80 bucks for shipping and import. Does not look like anyone sells it in my country either so would have to buy from amazon or something anyway. At this point I might as well look at local stuff at 250 ish I guess :/

[@AudioHaze]

Dang sorry to hear :/ always sucks some of those crazy import fees these days , makes "affordability" super relative to location

[@theoutsiderjess4869]

Pewdiepie has used so many mics over the years that it was hard for me to track down which mics he is using half the time

[@AudioHaze]

Yeah thats true, I think hes using the RE320 right now

[@lupit1]

Yeti poopy King bee chad

[@AudioHaze]

So eloquently said. You should publish this in a poem book.

[@t0nyxgq]

Architectural Design undergrad!? Which school?

[@AudioHaze]

Yes sir! UNC Charlotte :) nothing too fancy, I studied audio as a graduate

[@t0nyxgq]

@@AudioHaze Nice. Love watching your videos, I'm a fan. Went to architecture school myself, CCNY. Always great to see a fellow architecture school survivor.

[@ratblack8207]

I find the Bee a bit less ineligible than Rode

[@AudioHaze]

gotcha! That darker tone could definitely leave some ears feeling like that

[@element-dh9dx]

Lol blue microphones look like a submarine sandwich. Nobody actually knows why they sell so much, it's not the design. They became popular, people just capitulate.

[@AshesBe]

I dont speak inglish, but i can use for singins?xc

[@AudioHaze]

Absolutely! Great for a warmer tone :)

[@uprightdoublebass]

King Bee V1 is far better

[@CuttyBanks]

how