In the midst of burying myself in all manner of microphones for work, I developed a fondness for the $169 HyperX QuadCast S, a similarly high-quality mic that features some snazzy RGB lighting. While I still swear by the Blue Yeti to this day, I’ll admit that it hasn’t been my only go-to microphone as of late. The competitors that almost stole me away It’s also a pretty chunky mic at just over 3 pounds and almost a foot tall, so those looking for an especially travel-friendly option may be better off with the smaller (but still great-sounding) $99 Blue Yeti Nano. As such, I tend to keep it close to my mouth with the gain as low as possible. As a condenser microphone (which are considered more accurate but also more sensitive than dynamic models like the Shure MV7), Blue’s microphone can pick up a fair amount of background noise. The Blue Yeti isn’t without its cons, of course. The fact that the Yeti is equipped for various solo and group scenarios gives it a bit more overall value and versatility than competitors like the Elgato Wave:3 and the Razer Seiren X, which only record in cardioid mode. But the Yeti’s bidirectional mode has come in handy on several occasions when I recorded a two-person podcast with a friend, and I’ve taken advantage of stereo mode when playing live acoustic guitar for my Twitch viewers. I admittedly use the Yeti almost exclusively in cardioid mode, since I’m typically streaming, recording or conferencing by myself in my room most of the time. Part of what makes the Yeti one of the best mics in its class is its four recording modes, which include cardioid (for recording right in front of you), bidirectional (for recording in the front and back at once), stereo (for capturing a wide left-to-right soundstage, especially ideal for music) and omnidirectional (for recording in every direction for things like conference calls). It’s also incredibly well made, with a rubber underside that keeps it from sliding around on my desk and a weighty aluminum build that’s survived many trips in my backpack. The Yeti’s simple controls - a light-up mute button and volume knob up front, and knobs for gain and recording modes in the back - are still some of the best around, and I like that it’s tall enough to get close to my mouth without me needing to buy a separate mic arm. And if you want your Blue Yeti to pop more on your desk, there are plenty of attractive two-tone color options out there, including Midnight Blue, Satin Red and the gray-and-black Slate. I opted for the all-black model, which has blended seamlessly into various versions of my home office setup without looking distracting or tacky. There’s also something to be said about the Yeti’s understated design. Whether I’m streaming on Twitch or recording voice-overs, I’ve found the Yeti to pack the most professional-sounding audio you can find for its price, and it sounds even richer than some rivals that are more expensive, such as the HyperX QuadCast. Blue’s USB microphone consistently picks up my voice warmly and accurately, producing crisp recordings that are largely free of any fuzzy distortion. There are a few reasons why the Blue Yeti has stayed in my setup for close to four years, chief of which is that it simply sounds great. Here’s why the Blue Yeti is the best gadget I ever bought, and why it’s still the best overall mic for most people. And when the pandemic forced my colleagues and I into permanent work-from-home life, I was more than well equipped to lead meetings and cut high-quality voice-overs for videos.Įven when I tested more than a dozen alternatives for our best microphone roundup earlier this year, the Yeti still emerged as the most impressive of the bunch - beating out mics that are much newer and flashier. When I decided to get more into Twitch streaming a few years later, I already had an excellent microphone for laughing and shouting along with my viewers while losing at Mortal Kombat. What I initially bought as a tool to make better podcast recordings eventually turned into one of the centerpieces of my digital life. I didn’t know it at the time, but I had just made one of my best tech purchases ever. I had been eyeing the universally beloved $129 Blue Yeti microphone for a while, and as soon as an Amazon Prime Day deal hit, I pulled the trigger without thinking twice. I was a few episodes into starting up a new podcast and decided it was time to step up from my dependable but tiny Samson Go Mic in favor of something a little more professional. Your CNN account Log in to your CNN account
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