Blue Yeti USB Microphone for Recording, Streaming, Gaming
Blue Yeti USB Microphone for Recording, Streaming, Gaming, Podcasting on PC and Mac, Condenser Mic for Laptop or Computer with Blue VO!CE Effects, Adjustable Stand, Plug and Play – Silve
Blue’s Legendary Broadcast-Quality Sound
Makes the professional difference for recording, streaming and building your audience.
Custom Three-Capsule Array
Produces clear, powerful, broadcast-quality sound for YouTube, game streaming, podcasting, conference calls and music.
Onboard Audio Controls
Studio controls for headphone volume, pattern selection, instant mute, and microphone gain put you in charge of every level of the recording and streaming process.
Unique Positionable Design
Adjust and pivot the microphone in relation to the sound source to optimise your sound quality.
Blue VO!CE Broadcast Vocal Effects
Craft the perfect broadcast vocal sound and entertain your audience with enhanced effects, advanced modulation and HD audio samples.
Four Pickup Patterns
Cardioid, omni, bidirectional, and stereo pickup patterns offer incredible flexibility, allowing you to record in ways that would normally require multiple microphones.
No-Latency Monitoring
Monitor your voice in real time mixed with the sound from your computer to make sure your streams sound great.
Plug ‘n Play on Mac and PC
Instantly start recording and streaming on Mac or PC.
Headphone Volume and Mic MuteControl the volume of sound in your headphones and touch the mute button for those times mid-stream when you need to cough or sneeze
” data-position=”triggerHorizontal” />Microphone GainControl the sensitivity of the mic capsules.
” data-position=”triggerHorizontal” />Adjustable Desktop StandFor perfect microphone positioning on the desktop
” data-position=”triggerHorizontal” />Four Patterns for Ultimate Versatility
Four distinct pickup patterns allow you to record and stream in ways that would normally require multiple microphones.
Cardioid Mode
For podcasting,game streaming,YouTube productions, Zoom calls,vocals, instruments,cardioid mode captures sound sources that are directly in front of the microphone delivering a rich,full-bodied sound
Omni Mode
Omnidirectional mode picks up sound all around the microphone. Great for conference calls and captures the feeling of “being there.”
Bidirectional Mode
Bidirectional mode picks up sound from both the front and rear of the microphone, but not the sides. Ideal for two-person podcasts.
Stereo Mode
Stereo mode picks up sound from left to right in front of the microphone. Great for recording music or a 3-person podcast.
Accessorise Your Creative Space
Transform your desktop into a broadcast studio with the Compass broadcast boom arm and Radius III shockmount, or get them all together with Yeticaster.
Compass Premium Broadcast Boom Arm
Tired of squeaky, flimsy scissor booms? We are too! Compass features a broadcast studio-grade design with enclosed aluminium construction, internal springs, and hidden-channel cable management.
Radius III Custom Shockmount
Radius III is a vintage-style suspension mount designed to isolate Yeti and Yeti Pro USB microphones from noise, shock and ambient vibration.
Yeticaster
Yeticaster delivers the ultimate broadcast studio setup to your desktop.
Comparison table
Snowball Ice
Snowball
Yeti Nano
Yeti
Yeti Pro
Capsules 1 Condenser 2 Condensers 2 Condensers 3 Condensers 3 Condensers Patterns Cardioid Cardioid, Omni Cardioid, Omni Cardioid,Omni, Bi-directional Cardioid, Omni, Bi-directional Bit Depth/Sample Rate 16-bit/44kHz 16-bit/48kHz 24-bit/48kHz 16-bit/48kHz 24-bit/192kHz Gain Control – -10dB PAD Via desktop app Yes Yes Mute ✘ ✘ ✔ ✔ ✔ Headphone Output ✘ ✘ ✔ ✔ ✔ Headphone Output ✘ ✘ ✔ ✔ ✔ Output USB USB USB USB USB
| Weight: | 1.45 kg |
| Size: | Silver |
| Dimensions: | 12.45 x 11.94 x 29.46 cm; 1.45 Kilograms |
| Model: | 988-000103 |
| Colour: | Silver |
| Batteries Included: | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. |
| Dimensions: | 12.45 x 11.94 x 29.46 cm; 1.45 Kilograms |
| Origin: | United Kingdom |
| Size: | Silver |
This mic allows a real time feedback loop which makes it perfect for live streaming and conversations.
Very sad to say that after a few months working with this mic it’s sound is not living up to expectations. I didn’t notice it fully until I started recording more podcasts and could hear the difference between my audio and others. I’ve tried every setting and bought a pop filter. Nothing makes it sound better apart from some software I bought to improve the quality.
Great microphone, comes with in built sound card, sound quality is excellent for a high end budget item.
This is a great easy to use microphone with great sound quality and loads of easy to use features. I would recommend to anyone wanting to seriously get into content creation.
old but an amazing staple mic for anyone wanting to step up their audio quality. easy too use controls just make sure you have it the right way round XD
Very good just sensitive other than that very solid worth the money.
Great device – have a colleague that is hearing impaired and this really helps him understand me on our video calls.
I’ve used this for audio voice acting it’s the best plug and play microphone I’ve used especially with the different polar patterns enabling me to choose how the microphone picks up sound
use this on my pc for gaming and also for my ham radio on the internet the sound Quality is very good and clear easy to set up with the Logitech app
Amazing mic. Used for my YouTube channel and the sound quality is superb. Highly recommend.
Beautiful mic, super steady bad and HUGE amount of recording control with its Condenser Control dial.
I’m absolutely inlove with this mic. I did cheap out and get an open box deal expecting a few blemishes but it was absolutely prestine on arrival, not a single blemish thanks to its build quality. It it’s made of a very strong metal and its condenser mesh cover is extremely strong. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.
Only downside is the lack of turning off the mute LED but other than that, it is the perfect mic for me.
Sound quality is fully customisable with the LogitechGHub software. Still somewhat customisable with the physical dials on the microphone itself. Really amazing modern quality full of professionalism
Bought for my ex for Christmas, he liked it and still uses it so I’d recommend!
This mic is such good quality and for the cost it’s incredible. I have had such great use of this mic and there are a good few settings to play with. If you are unsure about purchasing you won’t be disappointed!
Extra pointers
If you want to use your phone get a USB to lightning converter, I would suggest getting one with an extra lightning port to charge your phone while using it to provide enough power.
You will also require an aux cord if you want to connect to a camera for filming as you need to connect it to both laptop/computer and camera for this.
I like the fact that this is an easy go-to microphone. No complicated instructions. Just plugin and play. I am not a fan of the black filter pop that we have, and I wish there was a more comfortable one developed.
In my discord, it clearly helps with people being able to hear me. This works on gaming laptops quite well, and for PC I haven’t tried yet, but it does a great job. The packaging is very nice as well so it’s easy to pack back into whenever you don’t need it. I will try voice recording on it, but the voice recording seems to be the same, nothing new – it does record your voice well.
I like it.
My hearing is not the best and I need superior audio sound, not just clarity but volume as well AND I need to be heard clearly at the other end without sounding like I am either in a box and echo or sound quiet and 10 feet away.
The other criteria of any mic I have is that I MUST be able to mute the mic quickly – working from home has some disadvantages of being interrupted suddenly.
I can use a decent expensive headset with a boom mic, and that is great apart from the max volume is not enough for me and wearing a headset for most of the day gives me sweaty ears (errrrgh).
I have tried some USB desk mics at around 20, but none of them performed unless I have my mouth right next to the mic… sort of negates the purpose of the desk mic – and so have always resorted back to my headset with boom mic.
I then took the plunge and forked out 85 for this Yeti Professional USB Microphone – having no experience of this sort of mic, I had no expectations other than hoping it would be better than the desk mics I had previously tried.
What can I say – FANTASTIC – I was totally blown away by this mic – gain control on the mic pickup, so that I have the mic about 2ft in front of me and the people at the other of my calls haven’t spotted the difference to when I use a boom mic.
As for the headphone volume – ARE YOU KIDDING ME – UNBELIEVEABLE THE VOLUME AND CLARITY I can get now – at last I can hear at the volume I need. Even the softness speaking people on calls I can hear – I just turn up the volume – there is no way I could ever go to max volume on this.
And of course … my favourite button… the mute button – it works a treat.
Yes, 85 for a mic sounds a lot and I was skeptical paying that much not knowing if it would give me what I needed – but this for me is a GAME CHANGER for my work – I cannot recommend this enough for home working.
A definite 5 for me – if it were a rating out of 100, then I would rate it 100 with no hesitation.
Best Streaming mic available without going to the mega-expensive ones. I had one of these a few years ago but gave up PCs but now I am back into PC’s I had no problem or worry buying the Yeti, The build quality is 2nd to none I also run my Headphones through it and it is very heavy so no problem with falling over and as for the sound it is brilliant.
Admittedly the mic itself was not being detected when I plugged it in the first and second time, but it was picked up the third time I did so and I was able to set it as the default mic for recording which is great. Fantastic playback quality and it goes really well with the pop filter I bought for it! Volume control was easy to manage thanks to the gain adjuster on the back of it. The cardioid setting was just right for recording my voice with too! This’ll make for better future streams!
Had a scratch on the stand but overall very good microphone. Returned for a replaceme
A great mix, perfect for recording audio for YouTube. Has a nice warm, crystal clear sound.
Amazon’s packaging leaves a lot to be desired however! Arrived with the sticker on the box! An expensive item like this should never be sent without packaging! Had 3 other things from Amazon sent the same way. Needs sorting out!
I’d like to say fir of course that this is a brilliant product don’t don’t ke wrong, fits well on the desk, has settings acceptable to my playability and is brilliant sounding quality, tou could even use it for job conferences, College online… it’s not only just acceptable for gaming. I will however admit that fir what it is it is slightly too pricey in my opinion and the USB is bit too flimsy…. it could be easily broken by anyone. Other than that it’s a 4 star from me.
This Mic was 84 on Monday and now its at 118. I got a bargain. I couldn’t quite understand why it was so low. The mic is great quality and sounds amazing. The only tiny issue I had was a bit of black was chipped on the mic grill. Probably less than a mm in diameter. I simply dabbed some black paint on it.
My use case is a lot of online meetings, and it serves that purpose really well. Can’t comment on suitability for content creators or sound recording.
My biggest issue with it is the mute button LED which is acting as a a power indicator as well. It’s confusing! Solid red – power is on, flashing red – muted. It would be better if it changed colour instead (green – power is on, red – muted).
The sound quality is great and it’s a good accessory for streaming!
It is a little on the larger side but other than that, this product is what what you need.
I’d made the mistake previously of buying a cheap microphone thinking I’d be able to use it for high quality video conferencing or recordings. I was mistaken!
The problem with cheaper microphones seems to be that Windows doesn’t like them much, and it’s very difficult to get a decent volume out of them. With the Blue Yeti, it was literally plug-and-play and the sound quality was instantly better.
It’s an expensive piece of kit, but I’ve put this down to an example of “buy cheap, buy twice”. I can’t see me needing to replace this for a long time!
The desk stand was a nice inclusion, but I’ve since moved to a boom arm so I can move it around a little more freely.
This mic is super easy to set up and fantastic for beginners. the sound quality off the bat is amazing. just a little tip always make sure that you turn down your gain when you’re using it purely because it picks up a lot of eco and noise because it’s a compression mic. I would highly recommend this especially for people who need a good quality first mic. Just a thing to add make sure you they have a pop filter or a mic cover to go over the top of the it because it will both stop the mic from peaking when you say P’s and T’s and your also protecting the mic from getting any spit/saliva in i
This is just wonderful I have been using a Yeti Microphone for a long time and wanted to get a newer item. The silver one is classy, it has a very good appearance. The build quality is great, the sound quality is 100% and because of its different settings you can use it in different ways. The headphones socket underneath is a bonus and I doubt I’ll ever use that. I bought a aftermarket hard case to store it of which I’d encourage one to buy seeing as I was always in and out my box, the box was not gonna last long so I bought a aftermarket case of which I bought from Amazon. This Mic is worth having, this is the second one of these I’ve had and I’ll never sell this but keep using it until I again need to renew or upgrade to a newer version.
Couldn’t have gotten a better mic for recording audio for my videos! I have seen many YouTubers and streamers that I enjoy using this brand of mic and now that I have one of my own, I definitely see why it’s so popular. The cost for the quality and easy use is very reasonable and 100% worth it.
I works perfectly and is very easy to use. It has good balance and adjustability and I am happy to say that the audio quality is brilliant. The box is also compact, so it is easy to put away and store it when it’s not in use. I got mine in blue and it looks great!
In my experience, it is perfectly compatible with Discord, OBS Recording Studio and also Voicemod.
I bought my yeti in 2013 and its still going strong. I have used it extensively for my pc for gaming, video production and streaming and I have NEVER had a problem with it.
When talking to friends without some kind of noise suppression even on low gain the cardioid mode can pick up some external noise well, which in my case leads to annoyed parties that can hear cars passing outside even with windows closed. Using it with the stand it comes with does mean knocks get picked up easily but I’ve found mounting it to a boom arm is the way to go with this.
This has probably been the best investment in peripherals I’ve ever made and I can’t recommend this enough for a ‘budget’ cardioid mic.
This product does what it says on the box. Works perfectly with no need for any driver install. The ability to hear your own voice mixed with a remote output means it can easily be use d with remote streaming software live. This works fine on both Mac and PC Windows.
It works best on Windows because you can independently adjust the volume of your voice to a level that is high enough to work well. On a Mac I haven’t found a way to do this. If it were possible to do this I would give the product 5 stars.
I was very pleasantly surprised when I received this item.
I was not expecting such a sturdy unit.
Other microphones I have had, have always been a little flimsy, they worked but not the same as this one.
It is a solid, heavy, top-quality product.
Very easy to use, full four modes for the mic, which trust me have proven valuable. I have had to run a few meetings where we needed people on zoom to hear those in a large room, using the 360 microphone this has been possible.
I was unsure, to be honest about the price and laying out that sort of money, I am glad I did, and would happily recommend to anyone that they do the same.
Its a great product once you get to grips with the available settings via G Hub software but update the software after downloading it from the website. The item was sold at a small discount as a damaged box but It was clearly a returned unit and had been repacked poorly picking up a couple of minor marks which is disappointing.
As I was scrolling through some of the reviews I couldn’t really believe how people claimed that microphone is catching every single sound around them including keyboard. I have used Logitech drivers for mine, i used arm and windshield as well, adjusted noise reduction, changed some settings, chose right pattern and It was not catching anything but my voice which by the way – WAS VERY CLEAR. I do think it’s more of a podcast/streaming microphone rather than your standard ”hey let’s do some raids in wow Leroy Jenkins style” for gaming with friends considering the price tag….
I’ve been working remotely since the first covid lockdown on 2019 and been using a condensing microphone on a desk mounted tripod for the majority of that time.
After changing jobs to a remote first role, someone mentioned to me that they were hearing odd noises when I was on calls that they’d not experienced before I joined the business. It turned out the noise was vibrations through the table the microphone was on as I typed notes of the meeting.
So, I looked at buying a boom for my existing mic. but nothing seemed like it would be a good fit.
When I came across this package as an all in one I remembered that some previous colleagues and a couple of my podcasting friends used Yeti mics. so I pulled the trigger on replacing my mic. entirely.
The feedback from my new colleagues is that the odd rumbling noises are gone and my voice is clearer so it’s doing what I wanted it to do.
Assembly of the boom was straightforward and the ability to move the mic. around for best pick up makes life easy. I also get a large chunk of desk space back so that’s a major win too.
I’m giving the old mic. to my parents as it’s perfectly serviceable and will be a major improvement on their laptop’s internal mic. so everybody wins!
I’m also using the Yeti on both my Win10 laptop and the Macbook Pro (Intel silicon) that work provides. The Yeti works without fuss on both machines and is hot swappable.
Overall, it’s a great all in one solution for a good audio experience when on video calls etc. The feedback I’ve got from everyone I’ve had calls with has been that there was a marked improvement in the audio quality of my voice.
We upgraded from the Blue Snowball and various headsets to the Blue Yeti. The first thing you will notice is straight out of the box it is heavy. This is mostly down to the weighted base which sturdy. We bought it with a mic arm and once we removed the base of the Yeti (with ease) it was a lot lighter but still had some weight to it. We decided on the USB version and the wire is long enough to place the Mic anywhere on the desk. It was plug and play, so absolutely no hassle to set up and worked for gaming and the stream with out the need for separate software.
Having used the Snowball and headsets previously the improved sound quality was immediately noticeable and after some tweeks in OBS I sounded like a pro recording and broadcast artist.
This is well made, easy to set up and great value for money. If you want a budget to mid level mic this is where you should start.
We upgraded from the Blue Snowball and various headsets to the Blue Yeti. The first thing you will notice is straight out of the box it is heavy. This is mostly down to the weighted base which sturdy. We bought it with a mic arm and once we removed the base of the Yeti (with ease) it was a lot lighter but still had some weight to it. We decided on the USB version and the wire is long enough to place the Mic anywhere on the desk. It was plug and play, so absolutely no hassle to set up and worked for gaming and the stream with out the need for separate software.
Having used the Snowball and headsets previously the improved sound quality was immediately noticeable and after some tweeks in OBS I sounded like a pro recording and broadcast artist.
This is well made, easy to set up and great value for money. If you want a budget to mid level mic this is where you should start.
We upgraded from the Blue Snowball and various headsets to the Blue Yeti. The first thing you will notice is straight out of the box it is heavy. This is mostly down to the weighted base which sturdy. We bought it with a mic arm and once we removed the base of the Yeti (with ease) it was a lot lighter but still had some weight to it. We decided on the USB version and the wire is long enough to place the Mic anywhere on the desk. It was plug and play, so absolutely no hassle to set up and worked for gaming and the stream with out the need for separate software.
Having used the Snowball and headsets previously the improved sound quality was immediately noticeable and after some tweeks in OBS I sounded like a pro recording and broadcast artist.
This is well made, easy to set up and great value for money. If you want a budget to mid level mic this is where you should start.
This microphone is a solid bit of kit. It’s not cheap plastic like most electronics, it’s a solid heavy metal thing that looks like it is designed to last for years and the sound quality is exceptional even for my non-telegenic voice. The microphone offers different modes for various uses, I have only used it for personal vlogging. So yes it’s expensive, but think of it as an investment, not just buying any old peripheral – it will probably keep quite a reasonable resale value should you wish to sell it in a few years time. Loads of internet vloggers and podcasters use this microphone or a similar model so it is tried and tested.
How it works with background noise
I assumed that microphones like this automatically filter out most/all background noise as my cheap headsets always have that typical annoying background fuzzy noise even when the room is quiet. That’s NOT QUITE how it works per se but this microphone does handle it a lot better – it is very sensitive so it can pick up noises, so you may need to use software such as audacity to filter out such noise if it is an issue. The microphone has a “gain” control, so by turning the gain down to a reasonable level, the microphone picks up my voice loud and clear but it does not pick up my computer’s fan or the noise outside my house (so long as the window is closed), so by having the gain set to the right amount I don’t need to tweak the audio of my recordings. Obviously it is still sensitive to noises on the desk such as moving your keyboard and mouse, so to get around this you would have to use a mounting arm rather than the included stand (or just be careful with your hands). Turning the gain up considerably does make my voice much louder but it then picks up computer fan noises and such, but it is not necessary for the gain to be this high for vlogging in front of a computer screen.
The microphone plugs in via USB, on Windows 10 it should be plug and play and the computer should recognise it quite clearly. The included headphone port will automatically feedback your own voice through the connected headphones and it is immediate so you don’t hear yourself being repeated, and you can tell if the mute button is on/off by the headphones as well as the LED. You can change your computer’s speaker settings to use this headphone port for all other computer sounds if you wish to do so (essentially using it as a headphone jack extension for the entire computer). The volume knob on the front is for the headphones, not for the microphone which is instead volume adjusted by the gain knob at the back.
A bit pricey but comes in quality materials and looks really good. Get yourself a better cable for it though as the one that comes with it will break on the first light yank when cable managing, happened to both me and my friend. If you want something that looks good and works out of the box at high quality get this, if you want to save money and get more quality for your money look for modular XLR mics.
It’s good. Very sensitive. Sometimes too sensitive. I can hear neighbour’s cat 2 doors away on my recordings, when I didn’t even realise was there at the time. The sound quality is very usable. However, side-by-side comparisons with a cheap BM-800 mic (20) shows that it is not 5 times better. I guess you are paying for brand, the perceived build quality, and the way it looks, if you like that sort of thing. Also bear in mind, this thing is *big*. If you put it in front of your monitor, you are going to block a lot of it out. So it has to stay to the side of the monitor, which is not the optimal position for voice capture. Nevertheless, it is a keeper.
Was looking for a decent microphone for my PS5 and was tired of using headsets that I’d have to replace each year, 12 hours within using it and just…WOW, the sound quality is crystal clear, my voice is extremely clear and there’s barely any background noise or hissing which I love! This is honestly great for gaming and I assume it would be great for music and singing also, you get lots of settings to tune the mic to how you want it and it’s all in all and very quick and easy to setup extremely high quality mic, if your looking for a decent mic that’s not too expensive and you want great quality, get this mic! You won’t regret i
My Blue Nessie broke down after many successful years together (RIP, you were great), so I replaced it with this one. Don’t get me wrong, the Yeti is great: amazing sound quality, and many options to choose from (just never go for full sensitivity & gain while on headphones, for the sake of your ears!). After you manage to tighten the side screws appropriately so that the microphone stops going “BOOP” on its stand, the only issue the remains is the mute button. On my wonderful Nessie, the mute button simply required a soft gentle touch to switch between muted and unmuted, so I used it all the time during meetings. On the Yeti, however, it makes a very distinct “CLACK” sound every time you press it, causing more issues than it solves. I wonder why they moved away from the previous light-touch option. In any case, we shall see if I can work around this somehow, or return it.
I wish I had bought a Yeti from the start rather than buying a cheaper mic several times.
I LOVE that this is white, and that there was a colour choice as my husband and I both use Yeti mics, so it means we can never get them mixed up.
It’s so easy to use – all you do is plug in and play! For Mac users like me – you will need an external cable to plug the USB into your Macbook. I find that as there is no condenser part that the sound has to travel through, it’s just one USB, less computer processing speed is required when live streaming or recording.
This was a problem for me with less expensive mics, and meant that my computer or internet often crashed mid-stream.
The sound quality is great, and my livestream audio has never been better. I did find it a bit frustrating with my computer settings switching between using Zoom and Microsoft Teams – something to be aware of and tweak as you need to.
Great for sounding professional in work meetings too!
I bought this microphone to record instrument on my iPhone. The good that is you just need a camera adapter to plug in onto the phone and off you go. People say it drains the phone battery. Yes it does feed off the iPhone power but it is not too bad. I did about 3 hours recording and I still have 50% power left on the iPhone. The reason why I knock off a star is because the Blue yeti is too sensitive. I turned ‘Gain’ down to zero on the back of the microphone and it still record cracking sound when I played mezzo forte or louder. It feels that the base is much louder even though I am playing Pianissimo. I tried all sort of positions to get the best sound out of it. There isn’t a set rule how far the microphone should be placed. It all really depends on the room set and the instrument itself. I found the closer the mic is to the instrument the less white noise it is going to pick up from a non-treated room. But you don’t want to put it right up to the instrument. It is tricky. It’s all about try and error. In the end, I managed to eliminate the cracking sound and I am happy with the results. Blue yeti is value for money. If you are on low budget and don’t want to go through the trouble of sound editing. This is a good option.
1star: I bought this mic for my little brother birthday, it worked for 3 months and then the status light doesnt turn on, it doesnt record and tried on 3 different pc, cable changed and tried the headphones directly on the mic the monitoring mode which is dead silent.
The microphone is is detected but dead at the same time.
I see many people had this issue, I will contact support and update this once I resolved.
Update: 4 starts
Amazon step-in and replaced immediately.
I will give 5 stars after 5 months of no issues and if-then Amazon will have to step-in again to refund but hopefully this one doesnt just die.
I bought this microphone for live videos as I’d heard it was good for picking up your voice when not directly in front of it, but I also wanted something I could use for videos where I’m closer and for calls. The quality is great. I’m also really pleasantly surprised that it works with my MacBook and my iPhone with no other apps needed (just adapter cables for usb) with no fuss at all, I literally just plug it in and it works. Only note is it’s much bigger than I thought it would be, but that’s not really a problem, just a surprise! Really good value for money, glad I didn’t go for a cheaper one.
The Radius mounting arm I am less keen to recommend.
The GOOD: The anti vibration mount to hold the microphone is very good and works well while being easy to use and allows for over or under mounting which is excellent.
The less good: the top swivel mount (nearest microphone) can be easily adjusted to a wide range of angle allowing the mic to be positioned at just about any angle the user could want, BUT the locking system to stop rotation and hold the mic mount in place only locks in one direction which shouldn’t be a problem except if you should have issues with the boom arm and have to fiddle with it this can result in the mount rotating quickly in the not locked direction and smash the mounted mic in to the boom arm or other object at quite a pace. wouldn’t be a problem except. . .
The BAD: The boom arm itself likes to be at a fully straight position. I mean it really likes it and will often straighten itself out by itself. with a microphone attached its mostly a slow creep from perfect angle to fully outstretched over the course of several minutes, or at least to a position other than where you placed it. Without a microphone attached to weigh the arm down a bit it could be used as a catapult or some form of offensive weapon. It is possible to wrangle the arm in to a usable position but fully straight is its go to and it will go to pretty much without fail.
fortunately for me I found a mounting position for the arm where fully outstretched is perfect. A shelf to my left side and slightly behind me (almost a meter away in fact), probably not where most people would be expecting to mount there microphone but very good for my odd set up.
TLDR: Microphone great, Microphone mount very good, boom arm usable as a catapult but not very good at being in any position other than fully outstretched. I may in the future replace the boom arm for one that works in a more traditional way (read: well) and make some videos of this one as a catapult I reckon it can get some serious range on it with practice!
The design team at Blue deserve a medal. I bought their Snowball mic a couple of years back and I’ve just got their Yeti. Both are absolutely beautiful, in a kind of futuristic ‘fifties way. The Yeti is so solidly built and straightforward. I was using it to record – with a mac and garageband – within five minutes of opening the box.
I’m not experienced enough with other microphones to make any great claims about sound quality. The things I’ve used it for so far – home recording vocals, guitar, violin etc – have turned out well. Maybe one day I’ll look into the fancier and more expensive end of the market, but the Yeti is perfect for my needs. And oh so handsome.
Some reviewers have said it is too sensitive, picks up unwanted sounds. Yet that is a matter of adjusting gain.
One tip: if you plan on recording Audio books using the Yeti, the Audacity App on a PC and producing files within Audible’s narrow tolerances, this will do the job, although mounting in a suitable position with a spit-sock will take some thought & effort.
None of that takes it down from 5-star, though. Unless you have 300 +, you won’t do better.
Or. if you can, please tell me!
For years, I’ve always gotten ‘okay’ mics. I never really understood the need for these 100 plus mics, but lately, I’ve been noticing quite a lot of reverb in my recordings.
Do you buy a new mic, or line your room with acoustic foam. Well, I bit the bullet and went for the mic, it was on offer at the time, and decided to just go for it.
What a game changer. Its in the same place as the last, no acoustic foam around the room. And this mic got me thinking my office magically became acoustics heaven.
Set this to cardioid pickup pattern, and it’s as if you’re sat in a recording studio. No bounce back, no echoes, no reverb. Absolutely perfect!
Get one
I’ve tried this on a PC, Mac and a Chromebook, all have worked flawlessly. I haven’t played with the different microphone modes, as it literally sits on my desk for video conferences. After 6 months of use, I honestly can’t find a fault with it.
If you’re a musician singing on-line with your Zoom settings on maximum sound quality then without dragging out your digital interface and mics it’s not always easy to get acceptable sound. This mic seems to fit the bill. Sure – it’s only one mic and ‘how-do-you-balance-more-than-voice-instrument’ objections will ensue but there are a number of settings that offer a wide variety of capture options and I have to say that with careful distancing and tilt angle this is a pretty impressive little device. Is it as good as a decent analogue to digital conversion set up? No. But it is a fraction of the price, a cinch to set up (just plug into a USB port – no other equipment needed) and a headphone port to monitor what you’re doing. Great for quick on line set ups and, as you’d expect, a notable improvement on the built-in mic.
Podcasters will love this mic – it’s great for that – you can even set the mic to pick up from both sides so you can do across the table interviews with just this mic.
There is a slightly more expensive version with an XLR port for those of you on a budget that might want to use this in the recording studio too.
The Blue Compass mount is decent but awkward to adjust the tension on the arms at points. It’s not bad but can be frustrating. Moves easily and silently once adjusted correctly.
Adjusting the sensitivity, gain and minimising background noise of the mic might take a while so shut windows, close doors, etc.
The audio is amazing however and I have been using this for well over a year now for work and pleasure. No one has ever had an issue other than background noise (I live in London).
Biggest downside is the size and weight – you need a sturdy microphone arm to support it, and it takes up a fair amount of space on a desk, but the weight also probably contributes to its excellent sound quality, so you can’t have everything.
Other reviews have pointed out that it tends to pick up a lot of mouth sounds and benefits greatly from a pop filter – I concur and have added one to mine.
All in all, I’d look for something lighter if you plan to use it with an arm, but if I had to pick just one do-everything microphone, it would be this one.
In other words, this 110 mic that I had used sparingly since the previous November, maybe thrice a month, became nothing but a very expensive paper weight. This is apparently a known issue and there are various resources for solutions and whatnot that involve opening up the microphone and doing several things that I’m not qualified for and shouldn’t need to do given what I payed for it.
I’m looking into some way of returning it so I can get it fixed but as of now I definitely would not recommend this product and I’m a bit soured on it. Comparatively my Blue Snowball lasted several years and moving across continents and I took significantly worse care of it.
Otherwise if you don’t really care about it breaking on you it’s a good microphone. The sound quality is good, the different settings are useful and it looks good. It wasn’t ideal for my recording conditions but it did the job it was supposed to well enough. I just wish it did it for longer.
edit (from 2 to 4 stars): got a replacement and the process was fairly painless even given covid. still not really with the hardness of the mic but they remedied the situation satisfactorily.
I’ve heard a lot of people say it, but after testing it definitely is true. This microphone has an immense amount of customisable features and wonderful quality on a budget. Alongside a pop filter and perhaps a small soundproof booth, this microphone will do for any voice acting, singing or any other recordings you need to sound clean and professional.
I would say that this microphone might not be the best buy for somebody looking to use this for gaming and streaming. The microphone itself is heavier and bulkier than many alternatives, and setting it up on a microphone arm honestly seems more hassle than it’s worth. While it has amazing surround sound capabilities you run into the problem of your audience hearing your every click on mechanical keyboards and your voice dipping as you move around (if you decide against setting it up on an arm that is). In my opinion, there are better microphones made especially to be in microphone arms, or gaming headsets around this price point that will provide similar quality for gaming and streaming audio but with better manoeuvrability.
That being said, for singing and voice acting this baby is an asset like no other and for me, a must have. For this purpose I can highly recommend it and suggest you try it out yourself.
What I can say is that the audio quality is very good considering the price you are paying and this thing has lasted very well. I’ve used it in a variety of situations, including for gaming as my main microphone and most recently I’ve mounted it to a Rode PSA1 arm attached to my desk for use for video conferencing at work also. The ability to change the pickup pattern on the microphone is extremely helpful as I’ve been able to position speakers behind the mic and then use it on video conferences and phone calls (softphone) without any echo at all for the other participants.
Definitely allows you to lift your audio game on a budget for pretty crisp audio with good general range across bass/mid/high frequencies without necessarily over-emphasising any particular frequency.
Of course, your mileage may vary as microphones have a way of suiting certain voices so you may want to try a few different types before committing. But if you find the Yeti suits your voice, there is no reason to hesitate in picking one up.
There are people who will criticise its USB interface, but they are typically the sort of people who have different needs to someone just looking for a good all-rounder microphone that’s relatively user-friendly. For anything voice-based – Such as streaming, podcasts, radio voicework etc. – this microphone is a perfect start. You can get better, for much higher prices or much more difficult configuration, but this microphone is great for standard dictation. It’ll handle singing just fine too.
For instruments, this will handle it ok but a more specialised microphone would be a better option. If you’re thinking about using this for just general game chat – Save your money. The quality of this microphone will be slaughtered by the majority of compression algorithms used for game chat. Even Skype isn’t going to do this mic justice. This mic is for bridging the gap between amateur and professional, not as an upgrade to a 5 headset mic for discord chat – You can get much cheaper microphones that’ll sound the same after being compressed.
CARDIOID MODE – This mode records sound sources that are directly in front of the microphone.
STEREO MODE – Uses both the left and right channels to capture more realistic sound range.
OMNIDIRECTIONAL MODE – Picks up sound equally from all around the mic (best for live recordings around a table etc)
BIDIRECTIONAL – Records from both the front and rear of the microphone—good for recording a duet or a two-person interview.
I use this mic attached to a AKORD Professional Adjustable Microphone Fold and pop filter.
This does offer a high quality sound recording but if you wanted to take things to the next level you’d probably want invest in a mic with an XLR connection and mixer combo. However if you want something easy to setup/use with a high level of recording quality then Blue Yeti is highly recommended. As a side note I’ve been using this for 3 years now and its still going strong!
It arrived same day (love prime) and it was all very easy to set up and connect to my computer.
I have an existing standard boom arm for my old microphone – and my one disappointment with the Yeti is that the microphone doesn’t come with any of the fittings to connect it to a standard boom arm. As luck would have it – I had an old microphone holder (for the arm) out of which I was able to unscrew the connector adapter which fitted the Yeti – hey presto, it’s now connected to the boom arm.
I read somewhere that the Yeti is too heavy for a standard boom arm – absolute rubbish, it sits fine on mine fully extended at a 45 degree angle from the base clamp.
The sound is good and I’m looking forward to fully using it over the next few months.
This has so many features that other mics don’t have. I have had it for years now.. I plug my headphones in and use the Yeti as my Speaker as well as a Mic.. I can mute it, adjust the gain, and it appears to give a lovely tone to my voice. I use the Reaper DAW and a virtual cable for a noise gate in real time for my breathing– and I use Audacity to post process my voice if I need to. I also use it for voice acting, but any Mic is only as good as the reverb in your room,. I use a clothes cupboard packed with pillows or duvet’s as my voice-booth, it works a treat..smiles
Brilliant quality mic. Very solid all metal contraction and surprisingly heavy. The different patters allow you to focus the mic and cut out side noise and background. The gain (amplifier) seem to be quite powerful, so personally I keep it set very low to reduce external noise. Do note that although stand is very solid and robust this does mean that there is no shock mount anti vibration system. For example when sat on my office desk, the mic can pick up vibrations through the desk from my computer fans, so I began sitting in on a foam pad. For me the quality is superb and by far the best audio device I can get for my budget. I bought it after seeing a singer on YouTube using one. I highly recommend it. Dave
The Yeti features a proprietary tri-capsule array that works with the four pickup patterns which can be adjusted on the back of the microphone to suit. These are:
Cardioid, perfect for podcasts, game streaming, vocal performances, voice-overs and instruments. Cardioid mode records sound sources that are directly in front of the microphone, delivering rich, full-bodied sound.
Bidirectional, records from both the front and rear of the microphone—good for recording a duet or a two-person interview.
Omnidirectional, picks up sound equally from all around the mic. It’s best used in situations when you want to capture the ambience of “being there”—like recording a band’s live performance, a multi-person podcast or a conference call.
Stereo, uses both the left and right channels to capture a wide, realistic sound image—ideal for recording acoustic guitar or choir.
The Yeti also features a gain wheel on the back. This adjusts the level of sound the microphone picks up.
At the front of the Yeti there is a mute button which has a red led and when pressed to mute it flashes continuously.
Below that is the headphone volume dial. This works in conjunction with the provided headphone jack on the bottom of the microphone which is used to check voice levels with zero time-latency.
The desktop stand features a full metal construction with foam on the bottom for absorption. The plastic wheels mount the microphone to the stand and can easily be tightened or loosened to adjust the angle of the microphone.
The microphone has a sample rate of 48 KHz, a bit-rate of 16-bit, a frequency response of 20Hz-20 KHz, a max SPL of 120db. The headphone amp has an impedance of 16 ohms, frequency response of 15Hz-22 KHz and a signal to noise at 100db.
It is virtually impossible to find a piece of software that will record and manipulate the Surround Sound Data for a reasonable amount of money: many of the vendors offer free trials that do not work properly, and then try to sell you Studio Programs that cost hundreds. I strongly recommend a program called “Audacity”in its various forms as a starting point, simply because it actually works! Unless of course you already Sony Sound Forge and know how to smooth your recordings from stereo mikes into Dolby Surround Sound etc.
P.S. If you have a computer with Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10 be prepared for a rocky road with your USB microphone acquisition data drivers. I had to re-install mine several times before I found the correct one (and do a little bit of fiddling around with the system) there is lots of help for this on the interweb. The problem was not the mike, or the drivers in the end – it was yes, you have guessed it with Microsoft Windows.
Make sure that you set ALL of the volume controls to about 10% when you start fiddling about or the Windows will blow everything. There may be some system configuration changes to make.
I would strongly recommend buying a pop filter if you don’t have one, particularly if you’re going to be close to the mic for any length of time. Whilst the quality of the mic is good, it does tend to pick up more breathy sounds or lip pops if you’re not careful.
Overall, a solid mic for less than 100 – there are many out there that are far better, this is not a studio quality piece of kit, but as a starter it will serve you well until you work out if you want to make that kind of investment.
I’ve been using this for 2 years now and its still going strong with no problems. This microphone is really powerful and picks up everything. The look of the microphone is really nice and has a great weight to it. The quality of the recordings are great and precise. Really nice and simple manual
This was an upgrade from the blue snowball after using to microphone for a very long time I wish I paid the extra money to get this microphone rather than the snowball. The snowball lasted less than a year while the life span on the yeti is fantastic and don’t think I will need to replace it anytime soon.
Pros:
Long lifespan
Great recordings.
Sturdy and heavy.
Very Clear recording
Price
Cons:
Picks up a lot of background noise
Short review:
Really good product, build and sound quality is good. Gain and environment setting are very useful. Note that the microphone is technically a headset as there is a 3.5mm jack on the bottom which sound (and your own voice) is/can be outputted through. (FOR ANYONE TRYING TO USE WITH AN ASTRO MIXAMP OR SIMILAR DEVICE SEE FULL REVIEW BELOW)
Long review:
I previously owned a Blue Microphones Snowball Ice, and I loved it. I actually sold it to a friend in order to buy a Yeti, as he was wanting to get a new microphone, and I was wanting to upgrade. At full price, you really need to be using your mic on a very regular basis, and with need for the extra features a Blue Yeti provides to make it a worthwhile investment, in my opinion. However, I managed to pick one up on sale during black friday, which is what swayed me to buy one.
The build quality is very good, as you would expect from a Blue Microphones product. The sound quality (or so I’m assured by my friends) is very good as well (also as expected from Blue). The stand that comes with the microphone is actually surprisingly heavy, and would no doubt keep the microphone still and secure. However I have a boom arm from my previous setup with the Snowball, and so immediately out of the box removed the stand and setup the mic on that. The dial on the front of the mic just adjusts the volume of sound outputted through the 3.5mm jack on the bottom, which was something I had not really realized was built in. Also situated on the front is a simple toggle mute button with LED indicator. On the back of the device are two dials. The top is a simple gain dial, allowing the user to raise or lower the volume of their voice to be broadcast. Generally I have mine set about halfway, when using the mic around 6-12 inches away from me. The lower dial on the back is the environment settings. This allows the user to run the mic in different modes, depending upon the application they are using it for. I keep mine in stereo mode, which picks up audio from all around, but outputs through both left and right channels. There are 3 other modes; cardioid to pick up sound from in front of the mic. Omnidirectional to pick up sound from all around but output it so that you can tell where it was recorded from. Bidirectional to pick up sound from the front and back which is useful if two people are using the mic. There is a handy picture guide in the book which explains what each mode does and what applications it is useful for.
For anyone trying to use the Blue Yeti with an Astro Mixamp on a PS4: I didn’t realize when i bought the mic, that technically it counts as a headset. This means that when trying to use it on the PS4, chat audio must be outputted through the mic (the 3.5mm jack on the bottom). This caused an issue as I wanted my Yeti to be the mic in, but the chat audio to be outputted to the Mixamp so that i could balance it against game audio. The workaround I found, was to use the Yeti as the input and output on the PS4, then plug one end of a 3.5mm audio cable into the bottom of the Yeti, the other end into the 2.5mm socket on the bottom of the mixamp (this requires an adapter). This will then allow you to balance chat volume on the front of the yeti, and game audio on the mixamp.
Now, out of all of the things that I have reviewed so far, none of them has been as prominent and as ‘ancient’ as the Blue Yeti. Yet again and again, it is praised as one of the best microphones for around 100.
EXPERIENCE
The microphone has 4 recording modes: Stereo, Cardioid, Bidirectional, and omnidirectional microphone for recording. Stereo records audio from every direction, which is good for picking up audio from all around the room, and with that, picks up unwanted audio. Cardioid is good for for podcasts and voiceovers since it picks up audio only in front of the microphone. Bidirectional records audio from in front and behind the microphone. Suitable for interviews. Now, I’m sure you know of the Blue Yeti, but is it still worth buying as a starter microphone to YouTube for example? Simple answer, yes. The reason to this is because it is an established brand. Meaning that it will stay that way for time to come. At 99, this microphone still produces crisp audio even for today’s standards.
The microphone comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack, so you can monitor your sound straight from the microphone with zero lag. At the front of the microphone there is a mute switch, and volume control for the monitors. Next to the headphone jack, you will find a mini USB port for powering the Blue yeti. The microphone is very well built, and is predominantly made of premium materials like aluminium.
However, purchasing a pop filter of any sort will help the microphone pick up less background noise, so it is highly suggested that you purchase that too with the microphone.
SOUND
Now, the sound it records is fantastic for the price. As said before, it produces crisp, clear audio, and when paired with something like Audacity, you will get some fantastic results. Out of the box, however, the microphone does pick up slightly too much background noise for my liking. Although, why you may have never seen many complain about that is because that can easily be edited out in a program like audacity very easily.
The four recording modes and customisation I found to be very useful. I liked being able to easily switch recording modes depending on the situation. I found myself mostly using Cardioid, but obviously your preferences vary.
PROS AND CONS
Pros
Amazing sound for the price
Well built
Good customisation of sound
Cons
Too much background sound
FINAL VERDICT
In the end, I’ve found the Blue Yeti to be an excellent USB microphone for those who are serious about recording quality audio from their PC or Mac computer. The build quality, features, and performance are exceptional for the sub-100 price tag and provide great value on the . If you’re looking to capture higher audio resolutions or want to use an XLR output then you’ll need to spend the extra money on Blue’s Yeti Pro, but for most consumers the standard Yeti model will be more than enough. I am satisfied with my purchase of the Blue Yeti and I would recommend it to any potential buyers as it is likely the best candidate at this price-point.
As a YouTuber & Livestreamer on Twitch i’m always looking to improve the quality of my recordings & videos as best as I can but also be on a budget.
For me the next step was to find a decent mic to help with my audio & the Blue Yeti has met all of my needs perfectly.
I had tried other mics in the past before my Yeti but this mic exceeds all of them & for not a lot of money either.
The mic itself is great & the build quality is of a really high standard, its pretty much ready to go straight out the box.
One thing I really liked is that you have a few settings on the mic itself so it can capture sound from different directions or help block surrounding sounds by the twist of a switch on the back.
The settings are…
STEREO. Front/360 sound capture. best for vocals, choirs & instruments.
CARDIOID. Forward only sound, this is what I use. best for podcasts, voiceovers, solo vocals & solo instruments. also helps block surrounding noise that isn’t coming directly from the front of the mic
OMNIDIRECTIONAL. Full 360 sound capture. best for conference calls, field recording & live events.
BIDIRECTIONAL. front & back sound capture, best for interviews, duel podcasts & vocal duets.
The mic also comes with a very strong & sturdy desktop stand but for me personally I decided to go with a actual mic stand so I can adjust height & move it around.
Its really easy to swap over if you want to do the same, you just need to undo the two screws on the side, then the mic just screws on to the stand or boom arm in the thread that’s on the bottom of the Yeti, also the stand I bought was just a normal generic mic stand from a music shop, so no special size threads or anything stupid like that.
I bought my Yeti mic at the end of 2014 so as of now I’ve been using it for nearly two years & in that time I’ve made around 50+ videos with voiceovers for my YouTube channel & done over 1000+ hours of livestreaming with the Yeti to my Twitch channel, most of my live shows can last for anything up to 12hours each so I really put my Yeti to the test every weekend so i know its good quality & will last you a long time.
Even now almost two years after my purchase it shows no signs of wear or lost any performance in sound quality.
Very happy with my purchase, would buy again & recommend to others.
Overall a really really good product.
Thank you for selling this to me !!
The product came perfectly boxed in cardboard that displayed all of the features of the microphone. This was a nice touch because I felt comfortable with how the Blue Yeti worked before the actual hands on experience. Once inside the box it was clear that a lot of care had gone into the packaging of the product. The microphone was sitting inside Styrofoam which kept it from shaking are in the box during delivery. The USB cable was sitting inside a neatly cut out section of the Styrofoam which kept it from moving around as well, not that that should be a worry for the buyer.
Once I got hands on with the microphone immediately noticed how sturdy the base was. It has padded feet to prevent it from slipping and sliding when on a flat surface. Another nice feature of the stand is the ease of removal. There are two screw-able nobs which can be tightened to prevent the mic from tilting. They can also be taken out to separate the mic from the stand to allow the buyer to hook up the mic with a stand which I ended up doing.
On the actual microphone there is a mute button on the front as well as a volume nob if you choose to plug in head phones to the mic itself. The volume nob has a very smooth turning feel; personally I do not use it a lot due to the fact that it turns down my feedback voice as well which I find irritating. However, the way you use that specific feature is personal preference.
The mute button does its job. It has a red light the flashes upon muting and stays constant when unmuted. There’s nothing special about this feature, as I said, it does what it’s supposed to do. On some occasions I have found that I need to press it multiple times before it actually mutes. I’m sure this is just an issue with my specific product though.
On the back you will find the gain and microphone mode settings. Messing around with gain can get you very high audio quality if set up correctly. It also turns very nicely similarly to the volume. I would have liked an indicator on which way to turn the gain to go up or down, however this is just a minor issue. The mode setting is very clear with small icons showing you which setting you’re on. The turning of the nob is a little tricky/stiff but it is very clear which setting you are on and you be rest assured it will not switch mode mid recording if bashed accidentally.
The actual audio quality is fantastic. If set up correctly, it would be a challenge to tell the difference between the blue yeti and a 200 microphone. This microphone captures base very well, as well as capturing higher frequency noises.
I have been using this microphone for a while and I can say that it is definitely a good purchase, especially for the current price. It is a must buy for YouTubers and Twitch streamers to improve their online content audio-wise. The cable is also long enough to work its way around any set-up, a USB extender can always be applied for extra length. I would also suggest buying a pop-filter or windshield with this product to achieve the highest audio quality.
I hope this review is helpful to anyone looking for advice on this product.
Frequency response is 20Hz to 20kHz. The head contains a “triple capsule” configuration of recording elements which are switchable on the back of the microphone to four polar patterns to cover all possible recording situations: Stereo, Cardioid (unidirectional), Omnidirectional, and Biderectional. Above that is a Gain control to adjust the sensitivity of the unit in relation to the loudness of the signal and its relative position. Underneath the unit are two sockets: one for the USB cable (which is included) and the other for monitoring and playing back via headphones. There is also a threaded socket for accommodating a microphone stand, in which usage the base is detachable. A Mute button is at the front of the microphone (with an attendant red light at the front) and below it a Master Volume control for headphone use. Setting up the unit in relation to your computer and the recording program used is easy.
This is definitely the best and most versatile microphone I have ever used. It gives superb, faithful results whilst being extremely easy to control. A real winner.
Anyway, I took the internet’s advice and bought the Blue Yeti microphone due to amazing reviews and popularity – and I wasn’t wrong!
This microphone is so powerful, and picks up every detail around it. Don’t make the mistake of dropping something on the floor, or having noisy relatives live in your house, it will pick all that up too! Of course, this can be resolved by reducing the gain option on the back, and talking closer to the mic. This option is used to eliminate and reduce the noises captured from further away. Sort of like a volume option for your voice.
The microphone also has 4 audio capturing options:
– Stereo
– Cardioid
– Omnidirectional
– Bidirectional
STEREO –
This option captures audio using two capsules. When you play the audio you recorded back, the sounds may sound slighly different in the left and right ears. This adds more depth, and more of a 3 dimensional environment for your recordings. This is apparently useful for sound capturing that adds more immersion to the listening experience, such as a listening to a choir.
CARDIOID –
My personal favourite. This captures only what’s in front of the mocrophone. Useful for speaking to my friends online and recording YouTube commentaries. It’s great, because all the other sounds behind and next to the mic are more ignored prioritising your voice over your computer fans.
OMNIDIRECTIONAL –
Captures 360 degrees of audio. Nothing is ignored and all sounds surrounding the mic is captured.
BIDIRECTIONAL –
This option isn’t very useful for me, but it is for employees… I guess! This allows the microphone to capture only what is in front, and the back and ignored what is to the left and right. Great for interviews.
This card, when plugged in is also recognised as a sound card. It works literally out of the box. No driver installations or lack of support on older Operating Systems. It works on MAC, Windows and Linux. This also means that the mic can utilise a headphone jack located under the microphone so you can hear both your computer and your voice at the same time. This gives me a great idea of what my voice sounds like for other people and stops me screaming over the muffled noises of my headset.
CONS OF THE MIC:
– Due to it’s extreme sensitivity, it picks up lots of background noise. I resolved this by further purchasing a virtual audio cable and live reducing the noise in Adobe Audition. It also picks up unnecessary thumping noises when you type or lighly tap your desk, and it captured the humming of my computer running on the desk.
How do I resolve this? Well, you can solve these issues by purchasing a boom arm (I have ordered the Rode PSA1) and a shock mount (preferrably, Blue’s official Radius II) and filtering background noise in Adobe Audition if you dont have room with good acoustics. This in total, paired with the mic costs well over 250, and it may be quetioned by others for if it is worth investing this amount of money into a microphone. The boom arm gives me more space, and prevents sounds from the stand (that comes with the mic) from picking up any noises from my desk. The shock mount suspends the mic within a ring surrounded by elastic that absorbs all sounds trevelling from the boom arm to the mic and reduces the humming sound if you have your boom arm attached to your desk with a computer. This keeps the recording as true as possible.
– The front facing buttons (volume and mute) feel a tad cheap and plasticky, which doesn’t feel right as the rest of the mic seems to be made of what feels like highly durable and thick metal. This is only a minor, but still a con in itself.
Overall, the first con for me shines on the mics power, while also being a bad thing. It has fantastic audio, when handled correctly and put in the right place. It is great for all sorts of people. I recommend this microphone, it’s a fantastic device!
Overall the Blue Yeti has an excellent build quality; the entire thing is heavy a lot of the weight built into the stand at the base which serves to stop the microphone from being knocked over and it gives solid footing. The base has rubber / foam pads at the bottom so it grips well onto most desk surfaces. The microphone housing itself feels solid being made from good materials, although I feel let down with the fact that the buttons and dials are plastic rather than metal unlike the ones on the pro. The dials and button then feel like they are prone to breaking and also have some play in them which is not reassuring.
The microphone is powered by a single micro-usb to usb cable which will plug into your PC or Mac which will serve to power the microphone and also send data between the microphone and the computer. It also features a 3.5mm standard audio jack port which allows you to plug in earphones to get real time monitoring for the microphone which can be incredibly useful for checking the sound. As a bonus if you plug this into a Windows PC you can actually set the microphone within sound settings to be used as your default sound output so you can monitor yourself, but also hear system sounds from your PC although I wouldn’t recommend this.
There is also a mount which can be used to attach it to mounts which will allow you to raise it up off the desk, I would recommend getting a mount if you intend to have this microphone in front of you, as it will isolate the microphone from most shaking or knocking noises from the desk and also to get around its size. If you have this on the desk in front of you, it can obscure the keyboard and monitor from you if you have it at the front.
On the front there is a volume knob dial which is used to control the output for the audio jack on the bottom. On the back side there are 2 dials, one for gain, and the other for pickup patterns, the options being cardioid, bidirectional, omnidirectional and stereo, so this mic has versatility in uses.
The sound quality is almost faultless, there is no interference noise and sound comes in completely clear. The microphone is completely driverless, simply plug and play, Windows and Mac will just detect it as a microphone and it can all be controlled from the buttons and the dials on the microphone.
This microphone is excellent for the money, great sound, versatile with its controls. I would highly recommend this if you do podcasts or game streams, record music. You can use this mic for almost anything and it perform with little to no problem. My only let down with this is that the build quality is stifled by the knobs and buttons being plastic which doesn’t meet the standard of the rest of the mic. A final point is that it does no feature a XLR output which means you are restricted to use of USB only, although if you want XLR you can get the Pro version. Personally I do not thing the XLR is required anyway but it does add versatility. But overall, brilliant microphone for the money.
I am glad that I made the decision to upgrade. The mic provides a richness to the sound that the other two simply dont come anywhere near. But have a listen for yourself, I have not edited the audio in anyway.
As far as Amazon Black Friday purchases go, the Blue Yeti USB Microphone was one of the best deals available and has proven to be an extremely solid product for home use over the past 18 months.
Tl;Dr Notes;
– Extreeeemely sensitive microphone.
– Multiple options for recording, only one is sufficient for home use.
– Easy setup – plug-in and you’re ready to go.
– Direct feedback is a great feature, no more shouting.
– Gain range is unreal, for this reason alone I keep mine all the way down.
Positively;
The product arrived well packaged, felt robust and is made of great quality material. The USB connection wire is of a decent length, ample for anybody wanting to use this as either a standing mic or for use on a microphone boom / arm. The clarity of recordings captured with this microphone are almost too good! Any quiet noise or small vibration can disrupt a session, however once any audio has been cleaned (I use the Yeti alongside Audacity, a free, easy to use recording software) it met all my expectations and more. The Gain dial on the back of the microphone is extremely useful and has an extraordinary range.
Negatively;
The difference between the four pattern settings hasn’t been all that noticeable or useful for me, due to this I have only ever really kept it on the singular direction (cardioid) recording setting. I can’t fault something I haven’t used, however for home use (defined as gaming / streaming / video creation) they have been underused. After 18 months of use my only real issue is that the bolts you can tighten or loosen to alter the rotation of the Yeti have somewhat warped and now my Yeti hangs a little to the left.
All in all, a definite re-buy should anything break in the future, if you’re undecided between the Yeti / Yeti Pro and the Snowball, the Yeti / Yeti Pro is a league ahead in every way.
I spent a few days looking up Reviews and Videos on which USB Microphone to get for doing YouTube Commentary’s, In the end it was a choice between the Audio Technica AT2020 and the Blue Yeti.
The reason why I choose the Yeti was because it has 4 Recording modes and a Convenient Mute button on the front of the Mic, Plus it looks amazing!
After you have your Blue Yeti Installed on your PC or Mac I would Recommend Spending a good 30 minutes fine tuning for whatever you desire. It’s a pretty heavy Mic (Approx. 2kg) but because of this it is really Sturdy.
Overall if you are in the market for a Microphone for doing Commentary’s, Podcasts, Interviews etc. this is defiantly the mic for you!
I hope this Review helped you 😀
The microphone comes in a nice box and is protected by rigid polystyrene moulded to its shape. this was reassuring as audio equipment in particular is susceptible to damage. The microphone itself if solidly built mainly from metal and comes with a mostly aesthetic stand. (mostly aesthetic as it absorbs very little vibration).
When plugged into both mac and windows 7 machines the microphone is immediately recognised and does not require driver installation.
Recording is quick and easy and sound can be monitored through headphones in real time via the 3.5mm headphone jack on the bottom of the microphone. This jack can feel a little loose at times, however the sound does not fade or distort, so it serves its purpose.
The recording modes can be easily switched using the knob on the back of the microphone, it is rather stiff however this is beneficial as it avoids any accidental switching when handling the microphone ensuring all changes are intentional.
The microphone is rather sensitive and picks up sounds very well, for this reason when recording vocals, voiceovers and instruments, when it is not essential to pick up reverb (or a feel for where the music/sound was recorded), the microphone performs best and most clear when the gain is set to roughly 20%, using the knob on the back of the unit.
A variety of recording modes offer the best quality for instruments, vocals, voiceovers, interviews and stereo audio capture. A handy instructions booklet tells you what modes are best for what situation and this can significantly reduce the time you spend fiddling with your audio after recording to get the best quality sound.
The microphone is USB bus powered, meaning it is powered by the USB controller itself. It will also gain enough power from a 4 port non powered USB hub and still function fully. However the mic is unable to take power from either a 1A or 2.1A USB charger. (like the ones that come with iOS devices)
The mic loses a star for its shaky headphone port and its hit or miss mute function, as well as a few compromising plastic fixtures and controls which spoil the classic metal feel of the device.
In conclusion this microphone provides exceptional sound quality for a reasonable price. Built in modes aid in recording reducing audio editing times and the built in headphone monitoring is a handy feature.
Like the title says it is an amazing microphone , produces incredible sound quality. but when it arrived i noticed but did not take much detail to the condition. on the left of the microphone stand and the knobs to tighten it into the desired place look bent/worn out and some of the metal paintwork on that side has scratched off in places. for what is Supposed to be a NEW item i dont find this acceptable. If whoever reads this from the company could you please tell me if this is Eligible for a replacement. I wont be too fussed if not because it dose work the way its made too. Its just not in the 100% condition i was hoping it to arrive in.
After a lot of searching around I settled on the Blue Yeti USB microphone due to good reviews and the interesting design that meant I didn’t need to buy an additional stand.
The Yeti hasn’t disappointed, it looks fantastic and has given me the ability to add much better audio to the videos I produce. I’m only using it in one mode, cardioid, but there are 4 modes in total available:
– Stereo
– Cardioid
– Omnidirectional
– Bidirectional
Setup was really easy, just plug it into your PC/laptop and depending on your setup you might need to select it as the microphone to use. The Yeti has a headphone socket on the bottom which has introduced me to the world of instant feedback, it’s really useful being able to hear what the Yeti is picking up so you can easily tell if it’s too noise, or if you’re too far away etc. Note that this might also need setting up to ensure sound isn’t played out of your speakers instead of your headphones.
Aside from videos I’ve also used this as the microphone for Skype and Steam, with the other people commenting that I sounded much better than I had via a webcam mic. Again, setup is very easy, you just need to ensure the Yeti is selected as the microphone in whatever application you’re using.
Very pleased with the microphone so far, I think it’s an excellent purchase if you’re looking to improve the quality of sounds you record. I’m still getting the hang of how best to use this (e.g. how close to the mic I should be, gain level etc) but you should be able to hear the huge improvement over my camcorder microphone in the video I’ve done, no hissing background noise for a start!
Looks great, sounds great, an investment I’m very pleased with and highly recommend.
I still don’t know! But I chose the Yeti over the Meteor because of the gain dial. When I was going through my PC’s 3.5mm mic jack, Windows 7 controlled the gain of the mic through its ridiculous “microphone boost” feature. You get a bright hiss in the background that has to be removed using software, leaving a tinny voice behind after stripping it. The whole point of buying a USB mic was to cut out the middle man and have a pure, digital sound capture fed directly to my hard disk. For me, the gain control on the back is a huge part of that. I can choose exactly how sensitive it is and decide how close I want to sit, all from the mic itself. I am so happy I have this ability, it makes the mic for me.
Make no mistake, though, the Blue Yeti is HUGE and very heavy, so if portability is a big factor for you, the Samson Meteor might be a better compromise. But if you’re after a rock solid, desk-mounted, crystal clear USB mic, that has built-in gain control and directional pickup, I recommend the Yeti. The headphone jack is also recognized by Windows as a pair of USB speakers (I didn’t know such a thing existed) and you can feed all your PC’s audio through the mic, if you like, giving you a handy desk-mounted headphone jack and volume control.
Oh, and I didn’t buy a pop filter, but if you’re going to be closer than 10cm to the mic, you need one. It depends on how loud your voice is and how far away you’re sitting, but for that extra lush, deep bass-sound to your voice, you’ll have to get in close and unless you’re happy speaking off to one side, you’re going to need the filter.
The quality of the microphone is great, the manual that comes with it has a great diagram that really shows everything clearly and is understandable for anyone even a child. The microphone doesn’t have to be next to your face for it to work and it’s quite nice to use. I can keep it off to the side and I have no trouble with it, my friends can hear me clearly. This is great for every and any sort of vocal/musical recordings.
The delivery was super fast, the free delivery that came with this said it would be delivered between Tuesday – Thursday. I got it on Monday. Fast delivery and it was not damaged at all and in perfect condition.
I am rating this 5/5 because the delivery was fast, there was no damage, microphone is great. I recommend everyone to get this.
So my Yeti arrived, and I’ve been using it for a couple of days to record my voice (in Audacity) for my Youtube videos. At first I couldn’t hear much difference over the Samson, but then I followed the recommendation of a Youtube reviewer and recorded my room, no voice or other sounds, for about 20 seconds. The difference was massive. The Samson was giving me a constant background noise, which I had to manually edit out in Audacity. The Yeti is producing almost zero background noise, and what little there is isn’t worth worrying about. The noise from the Yeti is around a constant -48dB, where the Samson was up around -36dB. I’m not a sound engineer, and those numbers don’t seem a million miles apart, but when you hear them both the difference is huge.
Another couple of tips I picked up, which may be obvious to others but they weren’t to me. Plug the mic into an external, powered USB hub. Don’t plug it into the PC directly. Apparently it’ll pickup all sorts of electrical and physical interference – fans, electrical etc. And use a floor standing mic stand. Both the Yeti and the Samson picked up too much of my PC’s vibrations, fans, keyboard and mouse noise when they were in their own desk based stands.
I bought a cheap mic stand, and it’s positioned so the mic is slightly under my mouth level, horizontal and pointing slight back over my right shoulder. I find that in that position it can’t ‘hear’ my keyboard and mouse as much. The mic’s gain control is at the “10 o’clock” position, the PC’s software gain control is at 100%, and I speak about 6 inches from the mic. I don’t speak directly into the front of the mic – I speak ‘past’ the mic – I find that I get less pops and hisses that way.
I am going to get a pop-filter for it though, as it’s easy to get it popping if you’re not careful!
One slight downer on my mic though, which I’ll soon forget about. The stand has a bit of a poor finish around the bevelled part – a bit of a manufacturing error, but it’s not major. Oh, and be careful when you remove the mic from its stand. The silver paint chips very easily.
Overall, I would 100% recommend spending the extra on this mic if you’re choosing between the 53 Samson Meteor and this 93 mic. Do it!!
I ordered the Blue Yeti microphone after my Geoteck EX05 headset mic decided to give up the ghost after a few days of death throws. I first ordered a cheap Trust Starzz one, which went back the following day (absolute rubbish).
I should say that I use a microphone primarily for Youtube gaming videos, so you know what use I am putting the Yeti to.
As other reviewers have said, the setup is a piece of cake. I concur.
The Blue Yeti is a very good microphone (at least for my purposes). It is pretty sensitive and does require a little experimentation to get the results one requires. I found the Cardiod setting to be the best for me. I do find that the microphone does pick up my keyboard and mouse a little more than I’d like; but until I can afford a stand I’ll have to put up with that.
The build quality is extremely good; solid and weighty.
It is ostensibly a USB mic, but also has a dimm (I believe that’s what it’s called) multi-pin connection.
I would certainly recommend this microphone for voice recording.
I’m still getting family and friends saying the mic looks like a particular female sex toy, but It’s remained on my desk ever since It’s arrived. The Mic itself is actually rather large and but easy to store away safely. It is able to be removed from the suppled stand and be mounted to a standard mic’ arm –Though be careful as the Yeti is substantially heavy for a mic.
But looks and size apart, this thing is amazing! With the gain even a quarter of the way up it picks up everything in my medium sized room. I sit with the mic being around 1-2 ft away and with the gain usually just under half way. It’s crystal clear in picking up my voice and everything else for that matter. However, I believe turning the gain down and putting the mic closer to you would stop it picking up everything; personal preference I guess. The mic does record some pretty clear audio though!
But what I love about this particular mic is the added features. The non-latency I(fancy word for no delay) headphone jack allows you to hear your own voice as the mic pics it up, but not only that, but it can also be used as an external sound card! Yes, you are able to use the headphone jack to listen to music, here people on skype chats and any other pc audio in addition to monitoring your voice –Although your voice does come back very faint.
So, nit-picking around here… There’s one or two things I dont like. The LED to show it’s recording is a solid red light, whilst muted it’s a blinking red light… To any computer person this is actually back-wards. AND The mic has a tendancey to power off when only being used as a sound card (Mic muted and listen to music through headphone jack.) And it can have some rare errors during skype calls. But nothing too annoying. Just unplug and plug back in and the problems are always solved.
I highly recommend this mic to anyone for just about any purpose! I use it as a mic for online gaming and voice overs.
Great microphone, plug and play thats it.. Drivers installed automatically on Windows 7, fantastic audio quality. Nice heavy feel too it, buttons would of been nice if metal and not plastic but they will be fine. I did think mine was broken because I plugged it and the headphone jack on the microphone wasn’t working, but then figured out that this microphone requires a decent amount of power from a USB port, and if you have stuff like mobiles and other usb devices plugged in it won’t give you the no latency headphone port on the bottom of the microphone to listen to yourself, so I suggest when you get this, plug this in first then other USB devices after so it gets priority power on the computer and work perfectly, I was worried at first!!
Anyways, great microphone, great price, great weight + build quality, and looks great. Buy one!
The box alone shows the quality of this microphone, it is a gorgeous microphone. I was so disappointed when the output was distorted and uncontrollable.
I tried all sorts of settings for hours with very poor results. I really thought about sending it back and buying something else. then I tried it in another computer and everything was perfect. the tonal quality, adjust ability, everything about this microphone was as I wanted and expected.
It is big, heavy and almost impossible to get to fall over. The designers went to town when designing this product. They seem to have got everything right.
My problem was a crappy Lenovo computer. The computer is another story. I love this microphone which now can be used. I was almost believing that the good reviews were wrong or I had a faulty microphone.
I would certainly buy another one. (But not the same make of computer.)
A great piece of kit, this is the second Yeti Blue I’ve purchased because I love my other one. Before buying the first Yeti I red the comments from other users and last month in iCreate (MAC magazine) the Yeti was given 5 stars award as the group test winner and best value USB Mic.
The first is in my summerhouse computer and this one’s for my iMac. It’s big, really BIG but the design oozes quality.
The Yeti is one of the most advanced and versatile multi-pattern USB microphones available. Linking three capsules and four different pattern settings, the Yeti is the ultimate tool for creating astounding recordings directly to a computer and it has exceptional sound quality. The Yeti can capture whatever you chose to use it for with a clarity I’ve not found in other makes. It’s easy to use, plug and play with MS Windows, Linux (I use Mint and Mageia) and MACs with its USB connection. I’ve tried other manufacturers in the past, but the Yeti is simply a dream to set up and use — simply plug it in and WHOW, it works, no drivers required.
The Yeti features pioneering triple capsule array that allows recording in stereo or a choice of three unique patterns, including cardioid, omnidirectional, and bidirectional, thereby producing recording capabilities usually requiring multiple microphones.
The Yeti utilizes a high quality analog-to-digital converter to send astonishing audio fidelity directly into a computer, a built-in headphone amplifier for zero-latency monitoring and simple controls for headphone volume, pattern selection, instant mute, and microphone gain located directly on the microphone.
Would I recommend the Blue Yeti to my friends? Oh yesI already have.
I would recommend the Yeti to anyone wanting to get the most from a recording device and a great price. Because of the ability to change from stereo to cardioid, omnidirectional and bidirectional the Yeti could easily be used for vocals, choir, instruments, podcasts, voiceovers, conference calls, interviews, dictation or voice commanding a computer.
Hi.
I had this on my wishlist for a while and I finally treated myself.
I don’t really use it for any professional tasks yet, but I think it might propel me in that direction soon.
I am absolutely amazed by the clarity of this microphone.
In my default setup I have some fairly high end headphones, which do not feature a microphone – until now I have been using some cheap one.
With this microphone there is nothing in front of my face and it picks up the sound better than any head or desk microphone I have ever had.
I typically use for Skype and it has made a world of difference as well – what I previously attributed to problems with Internet Connection, were clearly problems with microphone input – now gone.
Other things to consider are the very handy knobs on the mic itself – you can mute or adjust the levels very quickly – there is also a headphone jack which I personally find very handy, finally I like the different modes that the microphone has – one that I like the most is the bidirectional one, excellent for interviews – it amplifies the sound from you and you interlocutor and attenuates sounds from other directions.
Finally the build quality is excellent – it is very heavy and the base is built from metal.
As described – it works flawlessly on Windows and Mac.
The Snowball used a large USB plug that was placed at a slightly odd angle and I have a feeling that it may have been too sensitive, thus causing my PC to not recognise it. The Yeti uses a mini USB that you’ll find on PS3 controllers amongst other devices. This stays firmly in place and no issues so far. The build of the Yeti is considerably bulkier, sturdier, and heavier and may be a bit larger than you’d expect. Personally, I love it but if you’re after a small microphone, this isn’t it.
I use this to record Youtube videos and the quality has gone up a notch. You can adjust the settings of the Yeti with ease and the box shows which ones are best for your situation. You can also adjust the gain a lot better on the Yeti as it’s on a volume nob, rather than the three presets on the Snowball which I never found a comfort zone with. There’s also a handy Mute button.
A worthy side note is that the Yeti can also be registered as Speakers. This had me confused for a minute, so if you are in Windows, make sure to disable the Yeti in your Audio Devices settings.
Overall, I’m glad I bought this microphone as it solved my previous Snowball issues and comes with plenty of useful features.
Firstly it is a brilliant product, however I have not yet experienced the full thing because a few months after getting one, my friend told me there was crackling and popping noises. At first I thought it was due to the sensitivity of the mic, but after emailing Blue, they told me it was defective and sent me a replacement. The replacement came within 2 days but on opening the package the box was crushed. All seemed fine after discovering the polystyrene had absorbed all the impact, so that is good packaging on Blue’s half, and bad handling on Amazon’s half.
The new one seemed fine at first but I noticed the same crackling again, and after a very quick response from Blue they said get another replacement.
In the end I have decided to try and get a refund for the mic and purchase a Nessie when it is released, or one of the other popular alternatives.
To conclude, good product from what I experienced, great customer service from Blue, but at the end of the day going to have to ditch the Yeti and go for something else.
My Yeti was bought for a static placement with podcasting / voice over / audible books type use in mind. It was chosen after a great deal of research and deliberation, both on and off the internet. During these investigations the price dropped dramatically and my choice became a very easy one – I am now the owner of my very own Yeti.
So, am I happy with my decision now that I have used it for real? Absolutely – it’s a great piece of audio equipment. It is not just really solid, and physically heavy, it captures sound with wonderful clarity – the most important function.
The working bit of the Yeti is attached by two screws to the heavy, solid, stylish stand which has a neoprene type mat affixed the the bottom. Although it can be tilted on the stand, since it is a side-faced mic (i.e. the mics are designed to pick up best from the sides), there is no real advantage to this except it does make is easier to insert the USB & headphone connections. The ‘Blue Thepop Filter’, bought separately, fixes nicely to the back of the stand (with a small bit of rubber backed carpet or mouse mat – see my review of Thepop filter) allowing the metal pop filter to swing round gracefully from the back to a functional position in front of the mic.
The stand itself, in spite of the mat, will easily pick up and transmit sound from any surface it is placed on – as such mics do. For this reason mine is placed on a separate wheeled chest of drawers next to my desk. It is isolated from my working desk top and it works well from there. Other people use anglepoise type arms and isolation cradles to solve this problem but my unit works for me and uses what I already have.
Apart from the sound quality (though if this was not very good to start with the rest would not be valid) the multiple pick up patterns are a positive advantage. Cardioid for front of mic sources, bidirectional for face to face across the mic, stereo for left / right placement of sources, omnidirectional for round table meetings etc. Just select the pattern required using the knob at the back and ‘go’ – they all work well.
The sensitivity of the mic(s) is adjustable via the gain control knob on the rear of the mic. This is something you’ll need to test properly before serious use. Too much gain and it’ll pick up everything – even things you cannot ‘hear’ at the time. Too little gain and you have the reverse. There is no shortcut, you have to adjust this for/in real life situations – unfortunately the Yeti cannot predict which level of sound you require and for what purpose.
One element understated in the literature is the quality of the headphone playback output from the Yeti. Headphones sound great through the Yeti … even good ones sound better.
An excellent piece of equipment well suited to its purpose.
I wanted to get a good quality microphone for recording guitar and vocals for home music production and this has served perfectly so far! It also works great with Skype which is a bonus.
The mic turned up quickly and well packaged, the box has a clean modern design and the inside housed the mic in shaped polystyrene so it wasn’t moving anywhere in transit. The microphone itself comes attached to a weighted stand which feels very solid (pictured). The Yeti stand screws on at the sides but can be detached so the mic can be screwed onto a standard mic stand from underneath or placed in a holder.
There is a mute button, and a monitor volume knob on the front for when you want to listen to your input directly (3.5mm jack socket underneath) very useful if you find input delay through your DAW an issue. On the back there is an input gain knob and the 4 way selector for the various directional settings. The microhphone’s build quality is solid, the knobs feel a bit grindy as you turn them, although that isn’t an issue unless you plan on changing the input volume mid recording. The supplied USB cable is thick and a good length for home recording.
I use this microphone with my XP desktop and my Win7 laptop and they both accepted and installed the mic within seconds of plugging it in problem free. The only thing you should be aware of is your OS might try to default to using the microphone’s output instead of your speakers. You’ll need to go into you computers sound settings and tell it to default back to your speakers.
Other than that, the sound quality is beautiful from this thing, it’s very sensitive and the multiple diaphragms also allow for 3D sound recording which is incredibly fun to play around with and listen to.
All round great microphone, I highly recommend it to anyone!
I did a lot of research and it was the Yeti that stood tall – quite literally. I must admit that I wasn’t prepared for its substantial weight and height. It’s a veritable miniature R2-D2 that more resembles something out of a trophy cabinet.
However, none of that matters when you hear its remarkable sound reproduction. The Yeti’s sturdy construction includes a soft base that absorbs vibration, despite the microphone’s sensitivity. It features a mini-USB port for connection to the regular-sized one on your PC/Mac (a two-metre cable is included) and a 3.5mm headphone jack. On the front are both a mute button and headphone volume control, while the back has a recording level dial and a selector for four modes: stereo, omnidirectional, figure-8 and cardioid. For my purposes, the latter will be the most used – neatly cutting input to all areas around the microphone save the front.
Set-up was simplicity itself: a quick alteration to the sound input/output preferences on the Mac, load up GarageBand and it’s there. It took a while to find the ‘sweet spot’ that offered a good balance of bass and treble but once that setting had been saved, it was just a matter of plug and play. Headphone monitoring is in real-time with no delay.
To be on the safe side, I wanted a pop filter and The Pop , also made by Blue, is recommended. Many have had trouble fitting it but there is a very straightforward solution. Check out my review of it for more details: if you follow those instructions it mounts with the minimum of fuss. You could probably get by without it if you keep your distance but despite being sat a foot away, I found that any ‘p’ sounds left a soft thud on my recording as the air hit the microphone grille.
After now having put the Yeti through its paces and exported the files as MP3s, I’m extremely impressed with the fidelity and life-like resonance it gives to my recordings. It really does make them sound as though they are professionally-produced.
Yeti is very sensitive, my co-presenters could hear my chair squeaking via Skype and it has meant me rearranging things to get the best possible sound quality to avoid hum from hard drives etc. I can’t be any more positive about this mic.
So, why didn’t I give it five stars? Because it was supposed to be able to connect to an iPad via the iPad Camera Connector kit. It doesn’t. It seems an Apple firmware update put paid to that a few months back and now the iPad complains that the device needs too much power.
I read one report that someone had worked around this by using one of those dual-power USB cables you sometimes get for portable hard drives and providing more power to the mic. I tried this but still no luck.
So, it seems I won’t be using my Yeti+iPad for mobile recording, but hey, this is still an awesome mic, the best I’ve ever used.
The quality of this microphone is incredible. I’ve done a course in music production and used a lot of varying microphones at much higher prices than this, but this easily matches them at a fraction of the cost.
I do a lot of acoustic recording with this, generally using it on the “Stereo” setting, plugging my headphones straight into the Yeti to monitor the levels.
Also found out that your computer will register the Yeti as an external speaker, so if you select the Yeti as your default speaker when it’s plugged in, you can listen to anything your computer plays (videos, games, music) through the headphones that are plugged into the yeti, and still be able to hear yourself speaking too! Fantastic little feature, was genuinely impressed.
I cannot rate this microphone highly enough, but 5/5 will have to do.
Also, purchased on Friday morning, arrived on Saturday morning. How’s that for service!?
It is, of course, a huge beast of a thing (and solid too; I daresay you could knock out a burglar with it then record a statement for the police), but the size brings it up to the right level for recording when you’re sitting at your desk. It also feels very radio-DJ, in a good way. Is it worth a hundred quid? No idea, but you clearly get what you pay for.
I need to place the Yeti and stand on a sponge mat because the Yeti picks up the vibration of my hard drive through my desk. I am pleased with the sound quality. The mic is too big to be comfortably placed on my desktop and record screencasts which is what I bought it for. The build quality and material finish is not as high quality as I had expected. In this I was slightly disappointed but it works.