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Why is so much studio gear constrained to the black box motif? We're creative people, yes? Pursuing a creative endeavor, right? You'd think we'd want our gear to reflect our personalities more, looks-wise. Yes, yes, I understand that black boxes seem "professional," and I'll also admit the obvious: they stack nicely in a rack. But it's still a relief to see something come along now and then that breaks the black box mold.
BLUE has never been a company to follow the "me-too" appearance policy to which many gear manufacturers adhere. Their mics look different, so it's only natural that their other hardware looks different, too. And Robbie, the company's discrete class-A tube preamp, is one cool looking customer - no one will mistake this for an average, everyday preamp.
Robbie's glowing ECC88 tube protrudes into a bay window on the left of the front panel. To the right is a large backlit gain knob. The only other thing on the front panel is a 1/4" instrument level input jack.
Everything else lives around back, which is just as spartan as the front panel. There are...