Blue Microphones Cactus

This is my main go-to mic for vocals in my project studio. I have it directly plugged into a Manley Vox Box via the Kiwi cable, and from there straight into my MOTU 1296 audio interface.
I monitor through a Yamaha DM2000 with its ouputs feeding directly into a Grace M902 reference headphone amp.

The Cactus is a large diaphragm,tube condensor mic which comes in an attractive flight case with a factory-matched power supply(and custom power cable to the mic) which also selects the polar patterns which are variable from Omni to hypercardiod to bipolar.Also their shock mount is included which is a MUST.
Admittedly, recording a tube mic through a tube limiter doesn't accurately demonstrate what this mic is all about, over time I will experiment with different set-up and update this review accordingly.
At a list price of $3,300 this is not a beginner mic. I waited 4 months for the delivery of this one only to find it had been opened, handled, the shock mount missing, and the travel pins to secure the diaphragm bent.I was quickly issued a new unopend one. In both cases ( pun intended) the indentation in the case shell which holds the mic in place was EXTREMELY tight- causing great difficulty releasing it. Upon closer examination I noticed the cutout for the microphone is highly inaccurate- something Blue should address immediately for the buyer risk damage to this mic by simply removing it from the case and at this cost there should be no compromises and certainly not unecessary risks!
Performance: The mic has perhaps the smoothest sound I have ever heard.Even going thru the Manley, there were no noises or audible unwanted artifacts- super clean,super warm, big and in your face. This is by no means a "hype" microphone, theres no edginess or agression. The mids are silky smooth and round, never harsh.If you are of the mind that a truly great meal is worth any price, then you will have no problem spending the $$ for the Cactus.Id truly love to see Blue make a stereo version of this mic- sign me up!

I am not going to bore you with my life history. I have been in involved in music actively since I was 6 years old. Anyhow, I own 3 other Blue Mics (Kiwi, Mouse, Dragonfly) and 2 AKG Mics (C414-BULS and Solidtube), so I have other mics to compare this one to. I Feel that quality outboard equipment is very important in conjunction with quality microphones in order to capture professional quality recording (unless of couse your intention is to sound lo-fi). My outboard rack includes, Universal Audio (1176N, 2108, M610), Manley (Variable MU), Trident (S40), TC Electronic (M2000, Finalizer), Eventide (H3000 DSX). Okay, that's about the depth I am going to go into about me.

Cactus is a tube microphone, it comes with a power supply, shockmount, pop, and a heavy duty flight case. Everything is of the highest quality. I primarily use this mic for vocals. Well in brief, This microphone has a very rich and smooth sound, very different sound from other microphones that I use (which is what I strive for, to have a well balanced and versatile microphone cabinet). I have heard others describe the sound as a bit dark, I guess everyone has a preference, but I have to strongly disagree (this depends of course on the source being recorded). I strongly recommend this microphone on all levels, of course it may not be suitable as your "only" recording microphone depending on the source being recorded.