The Worker Bee is an Un-Bee-lievably Neat Microphone!

[@tombuck]

Chapters: 0:00 - Un-BEE-lievably Neat! 0:31 - Neat Company History 2:21 - What's in the Neat Box? 5:22 - Phantom Power & Gain Level 7:11 - Pop Filter & Plosive Test 8:00 - Shockingly Great Shock Mount 9:05 - Clean Electric Guitar Example 9:26 - Distorted Electric Guitar Example 9:50 - Acoustic Guitar Example 10:08 - Electric Bass Example 10:24 - Drum Example 10:40 - Build Quality, Durability, & Design 11:36 - Rode NT1 Comparison 12:33 - The Verdict

[@dslrdave]

bought this mic 6 months ago at 90$, for once the price doesn't match the quality. It should be at least around 200$. Highly recommended! 👍

[@tombuck]

I agree that it seems to be worth much more than it sells for! Totally fine with me though.

[@dslrdave]

@@tombuck totally agree... now if ever a slider company could do the same, i won't complain!

[@TransplantHelper]

Excellent review, very nice microphone. I’ve see their products before and kinda blew them off and didn’t assume the sting was worth the pain to the wallet. You’ve proven it to bee worthy of my hive. Thank you

[@tombuck]

It’s definitely worth admitting into your colony n

[@PrestonJensen]

I’m not really looking for a new mic but I found this video fascinating. The story behind the company was interesting and the overall engineering of the product looks great.

[@tombuck]

It’s really interesting- check out the article for more. 👍

[@Nick_Lewis]

I don’t really care about mics. I’m just here for the puns!

[@tombuck]

And I appreciate it 😁

[@baxthered]

They're *neat.*

[@biggerfishTX]

oooh the intro stinger was good. I liked the parts where you drone on and on about the book. Pretty soon this will be swarming with comments.

[@tombuck]

I beelieve that you’re correct.

[@beardsandbanjos]

This microphone sounds great and the price makes it a no-brainer. I just found an open box on eBay for $72. Can’t wait to try it out. Thanks Tom.

[@tombuck]

Oh dang that’s a great price!

[@midtown3221]

"How _neat_ would it _bee..._ " "Maybe you've heard some of the _buzz..._ " "Today we'll put it to the test to see if it's worth the _honey_ I MEAN _MONEY_- " _[bad bee puns intensifies]_

[@tombuck]

It's a total swarm!

[@midtown3221]

@@tombuck Dude XD Thanks for the video btw. Ordered the Worker Bee and gonna put it to use right away!

[@kbasemuzik]

My shockmount broke. I didn't even realize it was plastic until it broke off completely now I can't find a replacement.The new king bee 2 is coming this summer

[@tombuck]

Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that.

[@brienramsey8772]

Great video and mic review, Tom. I own one of these, too, and I was immediately impressed with the build quality and sound quality of the Neat Worker Bee. It's become my second favorite mic next to my Rode Podmics!!! Keep putting out the great videos!!!

[@tombuck]

Thanks Brien! It pairs really nicely with the PodMic. 👍

[@MSladekPhoto]

Interesting! I love the packaging and documentation. That kind of stuff sure isn't cheap, but as a customer, gives me confidence in the post-purchase phase of using a product. Will be interesting to see what's next for this product line with new owners. As always, nicely done on the video and I think you've fulfilled your pun quota for a while ;)

[@tombuck]

My brain was fried after this one haha. It looks like Neat is coming back though and they’ve got a new mic coming out this summer that looks pretty nifty.

[@PeterLindgren1]

What did the small microphone say to the bigger one? I’m gonna get jacked… Crushing the videos lately man 😬

[@tombuck]

You’re swole with dad jokes 😁

[@gerdz101]

I really really wish the company finds success. It seems like they are very passionate about delivering a good microphone. Also love the gimmicks they give like the bee toy and the recyclable/usable box.

[@pablokbs]

I'm just gonna give you a 10 overall for the avalanche of puns in the first 20 seconds, clap clap

[@tombuck]

Now this is what makes it all worthwhile 🙌

[@karaniivt]

Well, here we go again, I've BEEn using the Podmic since like 4 months and I love it, it has a long RODE to work whith me, and actually I was thinking about buying this one, now time to get some honey-sweet recordings (?

[@tombuck]

It can definitely be a sweet choice for a second mic as you grow your hive.

[@heatherjustcreate]

Branding on point! Love the instruction manual. I dig the whole vibe. 🐝 And it sounds so good! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 ALSO I LOVE YOU! ❤️

[@heatherjustcreate]

INSTRUMENT TEST YEAH

[@tombuck]

I dig your vibes 🐝

[@PeterLindgren1]

This makes me happy to read😃

[@tonyantoine5823]

You two should get married, again 😍

[@saskelee]

haha those bees brushing their hair with a comb lol

[@PatrickRambles]

So many dad jokes in 30 seconds... It's beezarre!

[@luisp.alonso]

This is the third video I watch from you and something told me you were into punk rock. Nice song selection for the instrument testing!

[@tombuck]

I love this- thank you!

[@TPENetworkLive]

The King Bee II will bee out this summer. I can't wait!

[@tombuck]

I'm super excited for it!

[@Wamboexe]

this is actually one of my favourite condenser mics for 100$! Great review! The only problem is, that I live in Germany and you can hardly get the worker bee there.

[@tombuck]

Well, that it a long way for it to fly. 😉

[@Wamboexe]

@@tombuck haha, true.

[@vanquestgear]

Kept waiting for a "how neat" pun, was not disappointed! Sweet little mic!

[@tombuck]

I think I overdid it in that one, but it was so natural!

[@RuoxiangChau]

That was fun (and very instructive) !! Thank you Tom!!

[@tombuck]

You’re welcome! Glad you liked it!

[@markexploringnewstuff]

Great info and a concert! Who could want more.

[@tombuck]

Thank you! 🙏 🎸 🥁

[@Johnwick-07]

Puns, puns, and more puns! The mic sounded pretty decent especially for the money.

[@tombuck]

I agree, I’m pretty impressed with it! You might even say it’s the bee’s knees.

[@thomasjmcclure]

Id love to see how this compares to the podmic in vocal quality. I realise they are two very different mics, but similar price point.

[@tombuck]

That’s an interesting comparison! I think the Worker Bee has a slightly fuller sound than the PodMic, and it has the added benefit of not needing a booster since it’s a condenser. But since it IS a condenser, it needs a more well treated space than the PodMic.

[@thomasjmcclure]

We have been using 3-4 of the little samson C02 mics for a podcast so far and are looking to upgrade (primarily for something that also looks better on camera lol) and am leaning towards the podmic because the space isnt treated well. but for my personal setup at home which is treated, i actually love the look of that little worker bee. thanks for the review!

[@joshscott363]

You know it's a good video when theres a pun in the thumbnail!

[@tombuck]

#nailedit

[@kwameryan]

Tom, dude... 😊 I resisted this video so hard since you posted cause I've tended to agree with your gear enthusiasms and have a lot of stuff you've recommended, but although I'm not stung by this particular bee, I REALLY enjoyed the video and watched the whole thing. You rock Tom... Literally lol... 😊 Rock on. (still) Happy subscriber.

[@tombuck]

Haha, glad you enjoyed it! It's definitely not for everyone, but it's cool to see what's out there, especially in a relatively budget-friendly price range.

[@danielpaulson8838]

NT1 was just a tad more articulate with higher freqs. Both mics sound great.

[@tombuck]

The NT1 is absolutely stellar.

[@dominickcicero]

THE PUNS! I cant even!

[@tombuck]

Do you know why teenage girls always hang out in odd numbers? Because they can’t even.

[@lilafromyoutube]

Your intros always make me laugh out loud 😂😂😂😂😂

[@tombuck]

Laughin’ Lila!

[@lilafromyoutube]

@@tombuck i love me some alliteration

[@arubial1229]

Came here for the "buzz" pun about this microphone, and I was not disappointed...

[@tombuck]

There were just so many pun opportunities to honeycomb through.

[@arubial1229]

@@tombuck For sure man. Just keep bee-ing yourself. Love what you do.

[@lx130]

Would you consider doing a broadcast headset review for shits and gigs? It would just be more gear to play around with. I mean unless you’ve tried it already. The Audio-Technica BPHS1? The dynamic mic on it sounds amazing for what it is. And in a blind test I probably wouldn’t notice it’s a headset mic! Also. Another excellent video to your library. Hope it’s creating quite a buzz on the algorithm. 🐝 🍻

[@tombuck]

Haha, thanks! I've never done a headset review since I don't personally use them, but I've actually gotten quite a few requests for the AT headset you mentioned. 🤔

[@ourdogteddy]

This mix suits your voice! You sound good 👍! Great video.

[@tombuck]

Thank you so much! This really is a Neat mic!

[@DaviddoesStuff]

I just picked one of these up but it’s still in the hive! I’ll try it out soon.

[@tombuck]

I really like it, hopefully you like yours too!

[@LokeyTavs]

That's quite the BEE, Tom 🐝

[@MrRobby1]

Excellent video and review. I only recently started following you. All of your videos cover everything people really need to know. I think I'm definitely going to buy this microphone based on your review. 👍

[@tombuck]

Wow I really appreciate that! I’m happy to know the videos are helpful.

[@rudyonthego]

I will definitely purchase this mic and see what the ‘buzz’ is about.

[@tombuck]

It's the bee's knees!

[@Reactaholic]

*those puns are bee-utiful😂❤*

[@tombuck]

They definitely caused quite the buzz. 🐝

[@SoundSpeeds]

Fun review dude. I enjoyed that. :-)

[@tombuck]

Thanks! I’ve yet to be slapped for the puns though.

[@blackjohnny0]

I like King Bee II, but its impossible to buy in my country. Same goes for Stellar x2, which also sounds great, but is probably worse at rejecting background.

[@tombuck]

That's a bummer. It's always tough when availability is the limiting factor. Have you checked out the Lewitt LCT 240/440 mics? They also sound amazing and may bee more widely available.

[@blackjohnny0]

@@tombuck I kinda liked more sound of KBII and Stellar x2.

[@SuperDerek]

Ok, I gotta say I was going to skip the guitar portion but then suddenly RBF! Hell yeah man! Rock on! :D

[@tombuck]

The plan worked.

[@walterfernandezmusic]

Saw this mic in the last video and was expecting a video on it! It's like you've put easter eggs in your videos! ..unless that's what you've been doing all along

[@tombuck]

😉

[@heifetz14]

pun value for the rode mic -0.pun value for the bee-100.

[@sazbabebe]

Had to click on the thumbnail to see what was all the buzz 🐝 about this video and mic😆😆

[@tombuck]

It's the bee's knees!

[@beyond2809]

I love how quirky this mic is! It sounds great, but I'd buy it on its looks alone.

[@tombuck]

I'm all about quirks 👍

[@yuh9157]

I think Neat was trying to sell all of the leftover stock so they cut the price for their two mics. The worker bee was 200 and the king bee was around 300. They recently got bought out by Turtle Beach and theyre releasing a king bee II soon (They have it up on their website now but its not being sold yet ), not sure if it will be as good as the first 2 mics though. theyre pricing it at 170 dollars but Turtle Beach is a very different company than gibson so im pretty unsure how it will sound. It seems like theyre targetting streamers first and foremost but they do have music listed as one of the mics applications.

[@tombuck]

I’ve seen the ads for the King Bee II and I’m really curious about it.

[@CybertronStudios]

Hey Tom, Great to see you on Gerald Undone's video! Still waiting a vid from you about the Sony A7sIII. :) Not sure if that' is indeed your A cam now :)

[@tombuck]

It is! I’ve had it for about 2 months and it’s working out great. I definitely want to do a video on it (and how to use Sony/Canon cameras together), but I want a little more experience with it first.

[@ac1320]

Alright people. Brace yourselves. The day we knew was coming has arrived. Tom is talkin' bout Neat Bee mic. The flood of puns will crash imminently. The tide is rising!

[@tombuck]

Let me tell you how excited I was to find this mic with these names.

[@ac1320]

@@tombuck Hey saw you on the Gerald Undone video! You made it, kid! 😉👍

[@tombuck]

That was the definitive moment 100% 😁

[@TripleFork]

The yellow elastics from the shockmount are a distraction

[@tombuck]

I like them, but I can definitely see that they’re not everyone’s cup of tea.

[@TripleFork]

@@tombuck you can swap them out with blue ones.

[@elise.everywhere]

I think your favourite part of this video must be the part where you test the mic out on your instruments.

[@tombuck]

Thanks! I’m always insanely self conscious of that, but the documentation talks so much about music recording it only made sense to try it out.

[@DeltaWhiskeyBravo13579]

That sounds like it will bee a great mic.

[@tombuck]

There's definitely a lot of buzz about it.

[@almondtech]

This vs Podmic? Which would you say is better for streaming? thx in advance lol

[@tombuck]

They’re both great and a lot of it depends on your personal preferences, but here are a few thoughts that come to mind: PodMic: Really good at rejecting background noise and designed in a way that’s super versatile for mounting and positioning. Depending on your interface, you might not need a signal booster like a Cloudlifter, but the mic really shines when it has plenty of gain. Klark Teknik makes a decent, affordable booster. Worker Bee: Only needs Phantom Power from your interface and you’ll have more than enough volume without the need for a booster. Not quite as easy to position, and as a condenser mic, could pick up more environmental noise. The good news is that you can’t go wrong either way since they’re both outstanding mics!

[@almondtech]

@@tombuck Thanks for the help! I'm prob gonna do podmic, I think

[@Red.exe7]

@@almondtech what did you decide on?

[@almondtech]

@@Red.exe7 I decided on the Podmic, also ended up getting a GOXLR mini for Christmas so didn't need a booster or anything

[@RexxReviews]

This Mic has a feature you didn't mention. Its able to pick up FM radio stations. My self and may others have had issues with this mic picking up radio stations during use... deal breaker.

[@tombuck]

That's interesting- I haven't heard anything about that and I haven't had any issues with interference in. the few months I've been using it.

[@jonnystiztv]

Sounds awesome for the price!

[@tombuck]

I'm definitely impressed!

[@JasonDeline]

What mic extension arm are you using?

[@tombuck]

It’s the Rode PSA 1 👍

[@JasonDeline]

@@tombuck Cheers! Just found your other video reviewing the three arms. Tough choice!

[@tombuck]

The Rode is really good and super reliable. Definitely my #1 choice.

[@JasonDeline]

@@tombuck Tempted, but pricey, and I like the others for not pinching fingers and hiding cords.

[@terra69]

This is Bee-ry entertaining

[@tombuck]

Nice 😁

[@GroovyTakeON]

The puns…all those puns 👏👏👏 (the content is great as well ). (Klaudia)

[@tombuck]

Haha I misread your name as (kinda) and was a little confused 😁

[@Rivenworld]

Like your headphones Dude, what are they?

[@tombuck]

They’re Meze 99Neo’s and I really like them.

[@luke_1234]

This mic looks bee-utiful

[@tombuck]

It’s the bee’s knees!

[@TripleFork]

You know this vid will Bee fire if the awesome jokes make it to the tittle!!!

[@tombuck]

Some people call that a hook, but I call it the stinger.

[@Arc.]

Great video, but not enough puns. I give it a Bee-

[@tombuck]

This thing was swarming with puns!

[@Arc.]

@@tombuck I’m sorry if my review stung a bit

[@keithbennett5179]

Very good job on the review. You should “B” happy with this video!

[@tombuck]

Thanks for the kind words as opposed to stinging criticism.

[@RawLobst3r]

RBF - Beer?

[@tombuck]

Yep!

[@PhillipRPeck]

This is the first time you've tested microphones with instruments? I can't bee-lieve it took you so long. Look out Podcastage

[@tombuck]

I’ve done it before but it’s been a while! And I don’t have anywhere near the guts to sing on camera, so those tests will never happen 😁

[@BlackInBlue]

This would be great if they offered different color schemes. Say, in Black and Blue. ;-)

[@tombuck]

I would be on board for that!

[@Dunicht69]

*bee

[@rendermanpro]

From *2019* they do simple cheap packaging.... so do not expect that box

[@breynolds256]

So I can plug it in rodecaster an it will work

[@tombuck]

Yep! Just bee sure to turn on Phantom Power.

[@AaronAbernethy]

I’m suspicious that the main reason you wanted to review this mic was because of all the puntential.

[@tombuck]

100% yes.

[@sirnigelcogs]

Sooooo many puns :).

[@tombuck]

It's a veritable swarm of puns!

[@PatrickBoberg]

Thought you could play Reel Big Fish and not get a comment from me? That is beezarre. Also, was the distorted song Rancid?

[@tombuck]

Yes! The bassline was also Rancid and the acoustic was Streetlight. 😬

[@PatrickBoberg]

@@tombuck Wow, it's almost like you should produce some sort of content around this genre of music that you enjoy so much... hmmmmmm... what kind of content do you talk about sooooooo much and teach others about..... Maybe like a radio show, but like for the 21st century. Bah, I'll let you work out the details of how you could broadcast such a production.

[@tombuck]

Like a broadcast but for the internet, or even mobile devices like modern iPods? A castpod!

[@markforeman7082]

Ummm 🤔 asking for feedback on a microphone. Ouch!. More live riffs by you please

[@tombuck]

If you insist. 😁

[@Just_Samson]

🐝 👍🏼

[@HomesickMac]

I don't beelieve ya 😂😬

[@tombuck]

The truth stings.

[@ET2carbon]

You're so punny.

[@ricktan3721]

Telanted!!!

[@ethnaheng]

Noti gang!

[@tomn.9610]

Sorry Tom, but your voice does not sound that good on this microphone. It has a muffled tinny sound Tour voice sounds much better on the PodMic !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@tombuck]

The PodMic is awesome.