BeesNeez Lulu Tube

Boutique Aussie brand BeesNeez impress with their versatile valve pencil mic.

Australian pro‑audio company BeesNeez have been making microphones and accessories for over 20 years, and owners Ben and Veronica Sneesby are rightly proud that they manufacture all of the key parts of their products in house. Their website reveals an impressively large range, which is categorised into four ‘series’ of mics aimed at different areas of the market. These include their own bespoke high‑end designs, as well as models that attempt to recreate the sonic characteristics of specific vintage mics of German and Austrian heritage. Although aimed at the professional market, the higher‑end models in these series, in particular, seem very competitively priced when compared against other boutique options.

The subject of this review comes from their more budget‑friendly Studio series, which, whilst still aimed at professional studios, is priced within reach of serious home recordists too. BeesNeez are keen to highlight the level of quality on offer for the money, which they have achieved through long experience and investment in their in‑house manufacturing processes. The Lulu Tube is an evolution of the solid‑state Lulu FET, which was their tribute to the classic Neumann KM84. BeesNeez say that the inspiration for the Lulu Tube is the coveted (and expensive!) Neumann KM54, but as the capsule doesn’t have that mic’s distinctive nickel diaphragm, it is perhaps closer in spirit to the KM64 — the valve precursor to the KM84.

Despite housing a valve in its internal circuitry, the Lulu Tube is a surprisingly compact little mic. The body is made from brass, with the final finish being a powder coating. As well as being aesthetically pleasing, this also makes this diminutive mic more ‘grippy’ when handling. A robust‑looking power supply is included, along with cabling and a simple but effective suspension mount. All of the above is housed in a Pelican‑style...