On this Blue Yeti evaluation, I needed to learn the way the abominable snowman received so chilly regardless of having all that fur.
However you’ve apparently landed on this publish to be taught extra about his microphone namesake, so I suppose we should always in all probability discuss that as a substitute.
The Blue Yeti from Logitech is among the hottest starter mics for podcasters and content material creators. It’s additionally probably the most misunderstood.
Right here, you’ll get the information you might want to allow you to determine whether or not or not it’s the best mic for you and your podcast. We’ll additionally contact on how you can get the perfect out of your Yeti, as a result of it’s very straightforward to make use of it incorrectly.
Sound good? You’re about to seek out out. Let’s dive in…
Who Would Use the Blue Yeti?
A lot of individuals, in response to our 2024 Podcaster Gear Survey…
I’d say the Blue Yeti’s goal market was aspiring and early-stage podcasters—of us who know little or nothing about audio and are simply trying to get good-sounding content material on the market and not using a steep studying curve or advanced setup.
The best use situation for the Yeti is for solo recordings and online/remote conversations. It can be utilized in extra methods than that – simply not very effectively. Extra on {that a} bit later.
The Yeti can be a helpful mic for reside streams and convention calls.
The mic’s field is effectively illustrated with easy diagrams and explanations of its capabilities. The purpose is for a whole novice to take a look at it and really feel assured that they’ll set it up and start utilizing it immediately.
Regardless of that, nonetheless, many individuals don’t use the Yeti in its finest setting for their very own use case. I utterly perceive that. I’m responsible of opening up and utilizing new gear with out even a quick squint over the directions or how-to stuff.
So we’ll take a wee take a look at the pitfalls of the Blue Yeti, and hyperlink to some follow-up assets beneath. That manner, if you happen to do purchase one, you’ll be utilizing it correctly and getting the perfect sound from it!
A fast heads up: Our link to the Blue Yeti is an affiliate, which implies we could earn a small fee must you select to purchase by way of it. Relaxation assured; that is by no means at any additional price to you, and associates by no means cloud our judgement when giving our sincere opinions 🙂
Establishing the Blue Yeti for Your Podcast
The Blue Yeti is a USB mic, so it plugs immediately into your pc. You don’t want an audio interface or digital recorder to run it.
That is good for newbies however could be limiting for many who’d prefer to step by step hone and enhance their audio expertise.
There are a whole lot of mics available on the market that work as each USB and XLR (the Samson Q2U, Shure MV7+, and Samson Q9U, to call simply three), and these mics can develop with you if you wish to find yourself operating a mixer and a number of mic setup. Once more, although, that route positively isn’t for everybody.
The Yeti is a handsome microphone. It feels sturdy, sturdy, and well-weighted. You could be set as much as report with the Yeti in beneath a minute.
It’s a easy case of taking it out of the field, setting it in your desk, after which connecting it to your pc utilizing the USB cable offered. Your pc will detect it fairly shortly, and you can begin utilizing it as a recording system in any audio software program, like Audacity, Audition, or Alitu.
Mounting the Yeti on a Stand
The Yeti comes by itself stand, a giant plus for a lot of. There’s no must personal a growth arm or mic stand to get began. The underside of the stand is cushioned with rubber padding. This, mixed with the mic’s weight, means the Yeti feels mounted in place when you begin recording.
On the draw back, the stand doesn’t precisely put the mic within the ideal recording position. Should you place it immediately in your desk, it’ll are typically comparatively low, so I usually see individuals propping it up on a stack of books or a field when recording. Not precisely a dealbreaker, however value noting.
If you wish to get the Yeti into a super place each time, then you definitely may need to mount it on a separate stand. It has a screw thread gap on the backside which can simply connect to any commonplace mic stand or growth arm.
To maintain my Blue Yeti evaluation concise, I’ll not go too far off monitor right here, however you’ve got many choices for add-ons. Should you’re interested by including extra bling, you may see our full article on Blue Yeti accessories right here, which incorporates issues like Yeti-specific growth arms and pop shields.
Options of the Blue Yeti
Let’s discuss options, then. What choices, dials, and ports do we discover on the mic itself?
Headphone Jack
There’s a 3.5mm headphone jack on the underside of the mic, so you may plug in your earbuds or headphones and monitor your recordings. This implies you’ll hear precisely what’s being recorded, as you report it.
Dials & Controls
There are three totally different dials on the Blue Yeti.
- Headphone quantity – unsurprisingly controls the amount of the audio you’re listening to coming again out by way of your headphones. You may seek advice from this as your ‘output quantity’. Rising or reducing this received’t have an effect on the audio you’re recording.
- Achieve – this dial controls the sensitivity of your mic. You may seek advice from this as your ‘enter quantity’. Rising or reducing this will have an effect on the audio you might be recording.
- Polar sample – often known as “pickup sample” – sample choice permits you to select a recording technique that most accurately fits your recording setup. We’ll discuss polar patterns in additional element shortly, as they’re an enormous think about how your Blue Yeti will sound.
The Blue Yeti additionally has a mute button, which can gentle up as soon as it’s plugged into your pc.
Should you press the mute button as soon as, it’s going to flash. This implies your mic has been muted. Should you press it once more, the sunshine will return to fixed, and the mic will decide up your voice once more.
Blue Yeti Overview: Polar Patterns
Polar patterns are settings that decide how the mic picks up all the sounds round it. The Yeti has 4 totally different choices right here, in addition to suggestions on which one to decide on.
- Stereo Mode – a music-intended setting for recording a singer or a few devices.
- Cardioid Mode – for recording a solo (or on-line) podcast – one particular person dealing with the mic.
- Omnidirectional Mode – for recording a number of individuals surrounding the mic. It information from all instructions. E.g. a roundtable dialogue. Preferrred for making ASMR.
- Bidirectional Mode – for recording face-to-face interviews, two individuals dealing with one another, both facet of the mic.
These settings ostensibly give the Yeti a whole lot of flexibility, however actually, I’d solely advise shopping for the Yeti if you happen to plan to apply it to its Cardioid sample. This implies you’d be recording solo eps into your pc or online/remote interviews and conversations.
Should you ever plan to report a number of individuals in the identical room, the Yeti’s not your man. Take a look at our guide to multitrack recording for all the perfect choices on that entrance.
Sound High quality
When used optimally, the Yeti has a fairly first rate stage of sound high quality and does a very good job of precisely capturing the voice.
One factor I used to be conscious of was that it did decide up the fan noise from my PC till I clicked it onto the cardioid polar sample setting (thus minimising sound from across the again of the microphone), so once more, that’s one thing to pay attention to.
Blue Yeti Frequency Response
Frequency response refers back to the vary of sound frequencies a microphone can decide up and reproduce. Identical to human ears can solely hear sure sound frequencies, microphones even have limitations. The frequency response of the Blue Yeti can rely upon a number of components, together with its polar sample, acquire settings, and the surroundings wherein it’s used. Typically, the Blue Yeti has a frequency response vary of 20Hz to 20kHz, which covers your entire vary of human listening to.
Price & Equipment
The Blue Yeti usually prices between $85 and $125 to purchase new on Amazon. There are numerous variations of it, and bundle packages can be found, with Logitech/Blue throwing in a few extras (like a boom arm and shock mount).
My High Blue Yeti Options
The Blue Yeti could be the preferred podcast mic, nevertheless it’s also the most commonly replaced mic. Lots of people purchase it, after which exchange it as soon as they begin to realise its limitations.
Should you’re beginning to suppose that the Blue Yeti isn’t for you and need to skip the “purchase now, improve later” stage altogether, then let’s allow you to discover one thing a bit extra appropriate. Listed here are my high Blue Yeti options:
- Samson Q2U – cheaper, and works as an XLR in addition to a USB mic.
- MXL990 – a less expensive condenser mic that additionally sounds higher than the Yeti does at its finest. It doesn’t work in USB kind, although.
- Rode Podcaster – usually cheaper than the Yeti, it is a dynamic USB mic constructed for podcasters
Getting the Greatest Out of Your Blue Yeti
Being the preferred podcasting mic, we’ve written a lot in regards to the Yeti through the years. Listed here are another avenues to discover:
Recording ASMR With Blue Yeti Microphones
This Blue Yeti evaluation has been written with creators of spoken-word content material in thoughts. We’re a podcasting website, in any case.
That mentioned, we’re all the time within the broader fields of audio, and just lately did a few write-ups on ASMR and Binaural Beats. Because it occurs, the Yeti appears to be a well-liked mic for creators of ASMR (AKA ASMRtists), and I can see why. Its Omnidirectional polar sample may not sound too intelligent when recording podcasts, however transfer some scissors round it, and also you’ll be recording your personal virtual barbershop very quickly!
Blue Yeti Overview Abstract: Podcasting With the Yeti
So, what’s the end result of our Blue Yeti evaluation? I feel it’s a advantageous sufficient standalone mic that may get you first rate outcomes when used correctly.
However, in 2024, there are simply so many higher mic choices on the market that it’s exhausting to justify recommending it.
My most beneficial starter mic is the Samson Q2U. When it comes to audio high quality, there’s not an excessive amount of between them, however the Q2U is often cheaper and has an XLR possibility, too.
The Yeti does have extra polar sample choices, however I don’t suppose it’s value shopping for to make use of any of them apart from the Cardioid setting.
Should you’re nonetheless undecided on which mic will likely be most suited to you, try our best podcasting microphones, best USB microphones, and best budget mics articles. Or, you probably have one other mic in thoughts, you may seek for our devoted evaluation of it within the field, beneath…
And it doesn’t matter what mic you’re utilizing, you’re going to want some software program to report into. There’s a multitude of podcast software program choices on the market at this time. For the only doable method to report, edit, and publish your present, although, go for Alitu (which has a 7-day free trial).
Lastly, as for determining why the abominable snowman is so chilly, we by no means managed to sort out that, did we? To not fear, although. Be sure you be part of us once more subsequent week once we reply the query, “Why is Bigfoot sweating?”
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