Blue Yeti Microphone: The Most Versatile USB Mic

Blue Yeti microphone is an amazing microphone, certainly one of the best in its category. If you are new in the world of content creation or just want a mic that is easy to use and works well in video conferencing, reliable and robust, so this microphone is for you.

This is the ideal microphone for anyone who doesn’t want to spend too much time searching about the microphones. If you’re looking for a microphone that will give you a nice and clear sound for your podcasts or streaming then you should check this comprehensive Blue Yeti microphone review.

Blue Yeti Microphone

Specifications

  • Power Required/Consumption: 5V 150mA
  • Bit Rate: 16-bit
  • Capsules: 3 Blue-proprietary 14mm condenser capsules
  • Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
  • Max SPL: 120dB (THD: 0.5% 1kHz)
  • Polar Patterns: Cardioid, Bidirectional, Omnidirectional, Stereo
  • Sample Rate: 48 kHz
  • Dimensions (extended in stand): 12.45 x 11.94 x 29.46 cm
  • Weight (microphone): 1.2 lbs (.55 kg)
  • Weight (stand): 2.2 lbs (1 kg)
  • Price: check on Amazon

Headphone Amplifier

  • Impedance: 16 ohms
  • Power Output (RMS): 130 mW
  • THD: 0.009%
  • Frequency Response: 15Hz-22kHz
  • Signal to Noise: 100dB

System Requirements

WINDOWS

●  Windows 10 or higher

●  USB 1.1/2.0/3.0

MAC

macOS 10.13 or later

USB 1.1/2.0/3.0

Blue Yeti Microphone: Design

Blue Yeti Microphone

The Blue Yeti mic is available in three colors: Silver, Black and Blue. It is made of a solid metal and overall build is very firm. It has a mini-USB port and a 3.5mm headphone jack that allows you to hear exactly what’s being recorded. On the front it has a volume control and a mute button that indicates LED light.

At the back side of the microphone, there is a gain control knob that controls the mic’s sensitivity, and a pattern pickup selector with this you can switch between the four-position patterns (cardioid, stereo, bidirectional & omni-directional).

Blue Yeti provides a stand and a 6 feet long USB cable. When it is secured in its 2.2 pound, bottom-padded desktop stand, then the iconic design is nearly a foot tall.

You can rotate the microphone in the stand to reposition it, but for added flexibility you can remove it from the base and mount it on a standard microphone stand or boom.

Blue Yeti Microphone: Sound

The Blue Yeti mic provides superb sound quality for its cost. This mic is a sensitive mic, which means it will pick up both wanted and unwanted sounds. However, if your mic is positioned in the front of the audio source then you will get a perfect sound also with the right pickup pattern it can help you to get a good level of noise cancellation.

The Blue Yeti offers four different recording modes or patterns that help you to enhance the sound quality. You can change the pattern by turning a dial that is given to the back side of the microphone.

Let’s have a look at how the four patterns work: the cardioid mode is perfect for podcast teleconferencing, and the bidirectional and omnidirectional work very well when sound comes from the sides. If you play an acoustic guitar, then the stereo mode is very helpful, stereo mode makes the sound more natural.

The one thing that makes Blue Yeti stand out is the THX certification, which ensures the quality and the frequency range is delivered correctly.

Blue Yeti Microphone: Features

USB plug-and-play

Blue Yeti is a simple mic, you don’t need any drivers or special software to use the mic. Just plug the included cable into the USB port and start recording.

Blue Yeti Microphone

Headphone jack and headphone volume knob

Yeti has a 3.5mm headphone jack and controls for headphone volume. This feature allows you to monitor your live streaming or recording.

Mute button

Blue Yeti gives a mute button with an LED light indicator, so you know at a glance where the microphone is.

Gain control

The gain control dial on the back allows you to set how sensitive your microphone is. This is a useful feature, this dial quickly adjusts gain levels without any additional software.

Multiple pickup patterns

The Blue Yeti has a pickup pattern dial, with this dial you can select the polar pattern that fits your needs.

  • Cardioid
    Cardioid mode is focused on the sound that comes in the front of the mic and mute all the other sounds. It is perfect for podcasting, streaming, webinars or calls.
  • Stereo
    Stereo mode provides you a clear separation of left & right sound, it works well for recording musical instruments.
  • Omnidirectional
    The Omnidirectional mode, records the sound equally from all around the mic. It is great for conference calls where sound quality isn’t critical.
  • Bidirectional
    This mode picks up the sound from 2 opposite sides of the microphone. The Bidirectional mode is best for interviews.

Mic stand

Blue yeti offers a solid yet nice looking desktop stand, which allows you to adjust the position of the microphone.

Size and weight

The Blue Yeti is a small, but relatively heavy microphone, so this microphone does not work with any stand.

Blue Sherpa Software

The Blue Sherpa Software is a free desktop software, this gives you the power to control your microphone’s settings like volume, gain and polar patterns.

Blue Yeti Microphone: Pros & Cons

Pros

  • THX certified
  • Excellent sound quality
  • 4 polar patterns to give you the best recording quality
  • Affordable
  • Solid full metal body
  • No need to require additional equipment or software
  • Plug and play
  • Handy headphone output

Cons

  • No-standard size
  • Flimsy buttons and controls

Conclusion

The Blue Yeti microphone is perfect for streamers, gamers and podcasters. Blue provides a strong desk stand with this mic, so if you are a beginner then you can choose this microphone, because it is easy to use.

It’s a simple plug-and-play functionality microphone and doesn’t require any software or additional equipment, also it is affordable, so this is ideal for those who wants a microphone that is inexpensive but provide high quality sound.

If you want a comparison and know the list of the best USB microphones, please read this article.

Have a good time!

Dr Walnut

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