Blue Yeti USB Microphone Review and Price
If you read my previous article on how to choose the proper home studio equipment then you know that the microphone is the first piece in the recording chain and you should choose it carefully. If you decide to go with a USB microphone then you probably are on a tight budget or you need it for limited projects. Don’t get your hopes down yet, there are still few budget USB mics out there that are perfect for a small home studio, and Blue Yeti microphone is definitely in the top of the list.
Why should you buy a USB mic?
If you’re working in small music projects or if you are in podcasting or voice-overs, a USB mic is the perfect choice. It’s really easy to set up, you need no additional items like an audio interface, phantom power or a preamp and it’s much better than any built-in mic.
Yeti USB Features
The microphone is packed in a bright color package, allowing you to see all its feature. According to Yeti’s own description, the Blue mic is the ultimate professional USB microphone. I’m not sure I would go that far, but this mic has a lot of feature that will put a shade of shame on many professional mics. Among its features we find the 4 polar pattern selection and many on board controls. The included USB cable is nice and pretty long. Once you open the box you’ll learn that Yeti is a large microphone. You don’t need an additional mic stand for it, since it comes with a solid high quality heavy base. If you want to use this microphone with a standard mic stand, you can (since it features a common stand mount under it).
On the base of the microphone you will find the USB input and the headphones input. On the front side, just under the Blue logo you will find the volume control for the headphones and a “mute” button that will stop the mic from recording for as long as you’ll keep it pressed. If you look on the other side you will understand why this USB mic is so praised by musicians all over the world. There are placed the pattern switcher that allows you to choose one of these 4 patters: cardioid, bidirectional, omnidirectional & stereo. Above the pattern switcher you will find the gain control which allows you to change the level of the pickup. The headphone connector is an important feature of this mic, since it allows you to listen to what the mic is recording with no latency.
The audio test
The microphone looks imposing on any type of desktop, it has a lot of features and it’s made of good quality. But enough words, let’s see an audio sample recorded with it:
Price
You will find Yeti USB Platinum Edition on Amazon for $99. There’s no better bargain for a mic with so many features.
Why is Blue Microphones Yeti USB Microphone the best USB microphone you can buy?
I have studied many reviews and websites before concluding that buying this mic is the best in its class. The features, the exquisite sound quality and the unbeatable price make it the undisputed winner of USB mics. There are many mics with similar features in its price range, but you will find none with all these features and the audio quality. The mic is perfect for home studio projects, podcasting and voice overs. You can check more features and price on Amazon.
