- Custom three-capsule array: This professional USB mic produces clear, powerful, broadcast-quality sound for YouTube videos, Twitch game streaming, podcasting, Zoom meetings, music recording and more
- Blue VOICE software: Elevate your streamings and recordings with clear broadcast vocal sound and entertain your audience with enhanced effects, advanced modulation and HD audio samples
- Four pickup patterns: Flexible cardioid, omni, bidirectional, and stereo pickup patterns allow you to record in ways that would normally require multiple mics, for vocals, instruments and podcasts
Whether you are a YouTuber or you stream games or maybe you have your own podcast, having a perfect microphone will do you a world of good. It will make sure that your audience will be able to hear you properly without any unnecessary noises. It will also make you seem more professional. This will in turn help you grow your audience. When it comes to microphones, there are many types available. But USB microphones take the cake. So if you are on the lookout for a microphone and any of these things appeal to you, then keep reading. We have got a very interesting product for you. Today we will be reviewing the Blue Yeti Microphone. We will be looking at the various aspects of the microphone. We will see whether it’s actually capable of doing ” professional podcasting to music recording, Twitch Streaming, and even YouTube videos’ ‘ as Blue claims.
Blue Yeti Review
Blue Yeti Microphone Specs
- Power Required/Consumption: 5V 150mA
- Sample Rate: 48 kHz
- Bit Rate: 16-bit
- Capsules: 3 Blue-proprietary 14mm condenser capsules
- Polar Patterns: Cardioid, Bidirectional, Omnidirectional, Stereo
- Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
- Impedance: 16 ohms
- Power Output (RMS): 130 mW
- THD: 0.009%
- Frequency Response: 15 Hz – 22 kHz
- Signal to Noise: 100dB
- Max SPL: 120dB (THD: 0.5% 1kHz)
- Dimensions (extended in stand): 4.72″ (12cm) x 4.92″(12.5cm) x 11.61″(29.5cm)
- Weight (microphone): 1.2 lbs (.55 kg)
- Weight (stand): 2.2 lbs (1 kg)
Feature Highlights
- No-Latency Monitoring: The Blue Yeti has a no-latency monitor capability. So using it you can monitor your voice in real-time with no lags whatsoever. You can mix your voice with the audio from your system so you get an idea of how it sounds. This also ensures that your streams have great sound quality. You can do all this in real-time without any lags using the Blue Yeti.
- Four Pickup Patterns: The microphone comes with four different pickup patterns. These patterns are Cardioid, Omni, bidirectional, and stereo pickup patterns. Having four different patterns gives you the flexibility of recording in multiple ways and allows different scenarios. Otherwise this would have required multiple microphones if it were a normal microphone. Having four different patterns gives you some great versatility as you could record and stream scenarios that would normally require multiple microphones.
- Hassle-free Setup: The Yeti has a free simple, easy, and hassle-free setup process. It comes with the Plug ‘n Play on both Mac and PC so you can start recording and streaming Instantly without much setup. To begin with, you just plug the Yeti into your computer using the USB port with the help of the USB cable that is included. After that, all you have to do is calibrate it with the operating system, and you’re ready to go. You can now record whatever you want. You get a driver-free operation Yeti. It has just a simple Plug ‘n Play operation. It is compatible with “Windows 10, Windows 8 (including 8.1), Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP (Home and Professional), and Mac OS X (10.4.11 or higher), and requires a minimum of 64 MB of RAM.”
- Lag-free feedback: The Yeti microphone comes with a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack where you can plug your headphones. This lets you listen to whatever you’re recording in real-time without any lags or latency delays. So you get instant feedback and don’t have to wait for a few seconds until you hear whatever you played. If you think the volume is too low or high for you, you can adjust the volume using the control that you can find on the front of the microphone.
- Stunning Design: The Blue Yeti has a very retro look and its visual design has been inspired by classic audio gear. It has a very stylish look that will easily complement any type of desktop setup you may have. In fact it has a wide palette of colors. So no matter what kind of look you are trying to achieve, it will match with your aesthetics. Having the mic adds a retro vibe to your setup, thanks to its classic design.
- Easy Recording: The Yet has a very innovative design and lets you push it around and adjust it as per your requirements. In order to amplify and optimize the overall sound quality, you can adjust and pivot the microphone until you get the best results. Pivoting the microphone with respect to the sound source, you can improve the quality. You can then tighten the knobs, to secure and keep the position firm, once you are done. This means when you have achieved the angle that suits your requirement. Yeti also lets you record sound by going face-to-face to the microphone and capture the best sound. This is because it’s a side-address condenser microphone. You can also fold down the microphone to make it portable and carry it easily. If you want to mount it directly on a mic stand or Radius II shock mount then you can remove it from its base.
- Accessorize: Blue has many other accessories that you can buy along with the Yeticaster or buy them separately. All these accessories transform your setup into a full-fledged broadcast studio. These accessories include the Compass broadcast boom arm and Radius II shockmount. You can either get them all together with the Yeti or buy them each, separately.
- Total Control: The Yeti gives you full control of your recording. It features studio controls for you. So you can change the headphone volume, or switch the pattern mode and select the appropriate one as required. It also lets you mute the microphone instantly and also configure the microphone gain. This level of control makes sure that you are in complete charge of the process. You can control every level of the recording process This also means that you can use the gain control to adjust the microphone’s sensitivity in case you experience any distortion or feedback while recording. This is more prominent while recording a loud source. You can also mute it instantly to take a break anytime. All these controls enable you to record exactly what you want to record and how to record it.
Design
The Blue Yeti has a very retro look that has been inspired by classic audio gear. It is available in several color palettes so that it can match the look of your setup. It is a Three-Capsule Array condenser. Talking about the quality, the Blue Yeti has a very well built body. Its exterior is mostly made of metal. The only things that aren’t metal are the knobs and the thumbscrews that are used to attach the mic to its base. Coming to the base, even that is made of metal. It is the same metal as the mic and is very well built. You will also find some non-skid rubber pads on the base to accompany the heft. This ensures that when you put the Microphone down, it will stay firm at its place and not slide around on whatever surface it has been put on. So if you accidentally strike the microphone with your hand, while doing something, it will remain still and not fall off.
You will find three things at the base of the Blue Yeti. They are a USB port, a headphone jack, and a threaded base. The USB port can be used to connect the microphone directly to your computer. The USB port on the base is a USB Type-A to Mini-B connector which isn’t that common anymore. So you need to be careful while using it. Because if you damage the cable, you might not find a replacement that easily. You can use the headphone jack to plug in any external headphones. This allows you to listen to what you have recorded without any lag. Finally, the threaded base has multiple purposes. First of all it can be used to attach the Blue Yeti to any other standard microphone stand that you have. Secondly, it can also be used to mount the Yeti on a shock mount. So in case of accidental bumps, it will prevent any unwanted noise and also stabilize the mic.
You can plug in any standard 3.5mm headphone into the headphone jack on the Yeti. The blue Yeti comes with No-Latency Monitoring. This enables you to listen to what you’re recording in real-time without any lags or latency delays. So you get instant feedback and don’t have to wait for a few seconds until you hear whatever you played. In other words this will allow you to hear yourself just like your audience would, that too in real-time. This can come in handy in many scenarios.
On the front part of the microphone, you will find an adjustable knob and a button that also has an LED. The adjustable knob can be used to adjust the volume of the headphone. So, if you think the volume is too low or high for you, you can adjust the volume using this knob. Just above the knob is an LED-illuminated mute button. This button can be used to instantly mute the microphone. This can be useful if you want to take a break or something. The LED indicates whether or not it is muted. There’s also a “Blue” brand logo engraved just above the mute button. This adds a little brand identity.
On the backside of the microphone, you will find two more adjustable knobs. As indicated by the labeling above the knobs, one of them is the gain adjusting knob while the other is the pattern selection knob. The gain knob can be used to increase or decrease the amount of gain of the microphone. This means that you can adjust how much loud the microphone can capture. You can always amplify a low noise sound, but cannot fix a distorted loud noise. So it is good to have that control. The pattern selection knob can be used to switch between any of the pattern modes i.e Cardioid, Omni, bidirectional, and stereo pickup patterns. Based on your requirements, you can choose any of these. Choose Cardioid mode when the scenario requires the speaker to be in front of the microphone, stereo mode when you are required to record and capture sound from both sides to be able to give a more immersive experience. Choose bidirectional mode when you need to record from both the front and rear of the microphone and finally omnidirectional mode for scenarios where you are required to capture sound from all around the microphone.
Mounting the Yeti
Mounting the Yeti is very easy using the included stand that it comes with. So you don’t need to have any other type of mics to be able to mount the microphone. The included stand is very decent and does its job perfectly. There is a rubber padding that cushions the underside of the stand. This ensures that when you put the Microphone down, it will stay firm at its place and not slide around on whatever surface it has been put on. So if you accidentally strike the microphone with your hand, while doing something, it will remain still and not fall off. It will also remain in its place thanks to the padding along with the added weight of the mic. However, you should know that the height of the stand isn’t ideal. It isn’t tall enough. So you might need to put something beneath it to increase the height. But this isn’t for everyone. Other than this, the stand is perfect. You won’t face many difficulties while mounting it.
Controls
The Yeti gives you four different controls to change the different settings and get better results. These are the controls you get with the Blue Yeti.
- Volume control: On the front of the Blue Yeti you will find an adjustable headphone volume knob. This adjustable knob can be used to adjust the volume of the headphone. So, if you think the volume is too low or high for you, you can adjust the volume using this knob.
- Gain control: The Yeti also has an adjustable Gain control knob. This knob controls the sensitivity of the microphone. The gain control knob can be used to increase or decrease the amount of gain of the microphone. This means that you can adjust how much loud the microphone can capture. You can always amplify a low noise sound, but cannot fix a distorted loud noise. So it is good to have that control.
- Pattern Switching: You will also find an adjustable dial for switching the pattern mode on the Blue Yeti. This is located on the back of the microphone. This pattern selection knob can be used to switch between any of the pattern modes i.e Cardioid, Omni, bidirectional, and stereo pickup patterns. Based on your requirements, you can choose any of these. Choose Cardioid mode when the scenario requires the speaker to be in front of the microphone, stereo mode when you are required to record and capture sound from both sides to be able to give a more immersive experience. Choose bidirectional mode when you need to record from both the front and rear of the microphone and finally Omni-directional mode for scenarios where you are required to capture sound from all around the microphone.
- Mute button: The Yeti also has a mute button. This is something that you won’t find on many mics. This LED-illuminated mute button is located just above the Volume knob on the front. This button can be used to instantly mute the microphone. This can be useful if you want to take a break or something. The LED switches between a solid color when not muted to flashing when it is muted. This indicates whether or not it is muted and you can see it in a glance.
Performance
In terms of sound quality, Blue Yeti is surprisingly good compared to its price tag. Primarily, it is ahead of all its competitors is that it is the first microphone that got the THX certification. In order to get the certification the microphone had to go through a lot of tests. Along with the tests there were some other factors that were also considered during the THX certification. These include tests to find out the signal-to-noise ratio, the frequency response, etc. It also took into consideration how consistent the performance was across multiple products. Having the certification means that the device is guaranteed to have a great sound quality and will deliver the complete frequency range. So you get a very precise and consistent sound.
The Blue Yeti being a condenser mic, should come with the same inconsistent environment noise that most condenser mics have. What this means that they are not consistent when it comes to canceling environment noises. But unlike most condenser mics, Yeti manages to cancel a huge amount of the noise. But it’s still somewhat susceptible to some external vibration noise. This noise is mostly generated from the vibrating of the microphone stand. But you can use shock mounts to eliminate these noises. You can mount these on the treated bases you will find on the microphone.
The Blue Yeti might pick unwanted sounds sometime and also not pick wanted sounds at other times. It might amplify some frequencies while muting the others by deviating from the natural pattern. You can change the position of the mic to avoid it up to some extent. But the best thing you can do is to switch the pattern mode. This will help you get better and more desirable results.
Pattern Modes
The Yeti has four different pickup patterns you can choose from. Having four different patterns gives you the flexibility of recording in multiple ways and allows different scenarios. Otherwise this would have required multiple microphones if it were a normal microphone. Having four different patterns gives you some great versatility as you could record and stream scenarios that would normally require multiple microphones. These patterns are Cardioid, Omni, bidirectional, and stereo pickup patterns.
- CARDIOID Mode: This mode is the perfect for scenarios that require the speaker to be in front of the microphone. That is it records sound sources that are directly in front of the microphone. So it is the perfect model for podcasting, game streaming, YouTube productions, Skype calls, vocals, music recording, voice-overs, and instruments, etc. Because cardioid mode records sound sources that are directly in front of the microphone, it delivers a rich, full-bodied sound. It gives you the feeling that you are directly speaking to the listener.
- STEREO MODE: This mode is for scenarios where you are required to record and capture sound from both sides to be able to give a more immersive experience. In this mode the microphone uses both the left and right channels to capture the sound. Thus it manages to capture a wide and realistically sounding image. This mode is ideal for recording things like “acoustic guitar or choir and immersive experiences like ASMR videos.” It gives the listeners a more immersive experience.
- Omnidirectional mode: This mode is for scenarios where you are required to capture sound from all around the microphone. In this mode the microphone picks up sound from all around the mic equally. So you get a very ambient kind of sound as a result. This mode is best for recording “a band’s live performance, a multi-person podcast, or a conference call.” Because it captures sound from all around the microphone, it gives you a feeling of being present there.
- Bidirectional: As the name suggests, this mode records bidirectional sound, that is from both the sides of the microphone. This is ideal when two persons are sitting in front and facing each other. Here it records from both the front and rear of the microphone. This makes it the ideal model for recording a duet or a two-person interview. It is also ideal for two-person podcasts. Because the bidirectional mode picks up sound from both the front and rear of the microphone, but not the sides it isn’t ideal for recording with more than 2 people present.
- No-Latency Monitoring
- THX certification
- Four Pattern Modes
- Quick Plug-n-Play
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- Great build quality
- Lack of supported Shock mount because of Non-standard size
- Rickety controls
- No multi-head setup
Blue Yeti Review Verdict
The Blue Yeti is the perfect device for someone who is looking for an affordable yet multifunctional USB microphone. It has a very solid build quality and its design has a retro vibe to it as it has been inspired by classic audio gear. It is very versatile and easy to use a microphone. It comes with a quick Plug-n-Play, which means that you just need to plug it into the computer using the USB and you are good to go. It has various controls that allow you to have better results. You can change the volume, mute the microphone, or even control the amount of gain the mic has. It also allows you to switch between four pattern modes available i.e the Cardioid, Omni, bidirectional, and stereo pattern modes. So depending on your requirement you can switch between these modes to get the best desirable results. So if you are someone who is in the lookout for a USB microphone for recording professional sounding podcasts or music, Streaming on Twitch, or even for YouTube videos, then the Yeti Blue is definitely worth a try.
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Last update on 2023-06-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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