While I don't think the Yeti deserves all the criticism is gets, there are some great alternatives out there. Here are a few that I recommend (Amazon links): •Blue Yeti Nano: geni.us/nanoyeti •Samson Q2u: geni.us/YRdp4 •Samson Q9u: geni.us/samsonq9u •Elgato Wave 3: geni.us/elgatowave •Rode NT-USB: geni.us/2V3BG •Rode NT-USB Mini: geni.us/8rkLh7 •Fifine K669b (or almost anything from Fifine): geni.us/sGs1mZ
I subbed because you went and bought a new one, that's doing things well. I would sub again because you went and bought another new one. You've done me a huge favour with a very fair review. Thank you.
To me, the reason why the Yeti is going to remain a popular choice forever, is because it's so frigging darn hard to actually figure out what to buy. The Yeti just 'works' and for many budget buyers, that's all they know. The common person isn't going to know much about microphones. You can tell a person that 'there are many better alternatives', but without knowing what those are, they will just simply default to Blue Yeti.
That is the exact reason why I went with a Yeti. I am not an online gamer nor a RU-vid content creator, I am just a guy needing a microphone to talk via online zoom meetings. And for the price to sound quality ratio this was a good decision. I know there are other microphones out there but I do not know how well they work for my needs.
Listening on my relatively decent speakers, I couldn't really tell the difference between the Blue and your usual microphone setup. I could tell the difference with some of the others though.
The problem lies, I think, the blue yeti has 2 gains: one in software and one physical if the user is not careful you can introduce a lot of noise into your recording as it brings the noise floor up. I see this all the time with ASMR videos, NT1 is always all pleasure to listen to, that mic is so smooth and quiet.
8 years ago I started my podcast with an OG Yeti. I have since graduated to more prosumer gear. Most folks who complain to me about the Yeti are annoyed that it "picks up everything" - including every bit of room noise. It doesn't make the mic bad, it just means that they need to do some treatment to their space OR switch to a dynamic. AND YES! If I see one more person talking into the wrong part of a Yeti, I will scream!
Room treatment isn't the most exciting thing, but it really is the true solution 90% of the time (and I say this while being fully aware that I myself should invest more in treatment than mics haha).
And treatment doesn't have to be in the form of ugly sound panels, bookshelves, carpeting, furniture, curtains and even clutter can all break up sound really well.
I live in a very hot location so I need to have an AC running constantly. Nothing I've been able to do will suppress the sound of the ac when the mic activates when I speak into it. Everything else about it so far is great just that last obstacle. I've played around with so many different settings for noise suppression but it evades me.
I just wanted to say that I have more than a little professional production experience, and the Blue Yeti is what I would call an 80/20 mic. The Yeti will get you more than 80% there when placed correctly in an acoustically treated space for most people. Placement and treatment can be close to free cost-wise. Also, add a $10 pop filter, and you'll be fine. If you are so fortunate to be a working professional making location sound for television and film, you have the experience and budget to be a snob. By the way, I once saw Oprah using the Yeti on a Zoom broadcast for Weight Watchers. I think she sounded just fine.
The yeti got me doing voice work when I couldn't afford to get started. I happened to get one at a pawn shop. Sure I'd like a newer microphone, but for now I'm going with what I know because life.
Hi Tom. I'm a music producer and I watched through this video in it's entirety with a pair of KRK Rokit 6 and a pair of Event ASP 8s. Maybe it's my trained ears, but there is definitely a discernible difference in between your original Yeti and the new Yeti. Your voice with the original Yeti has more mid range body, which is the stuff that really differentiates between voices of different individuals. The new Yeti has less mid range body, but more accentuated highs and mid-lows -- essentially a slightly "scooped" frequency response. As a mixer/producer I would find the original Yeti's sound to be a much higher quality source to work with.
You could use EQ like Voicemeeter to shape the sound signature of the microphone to your liking. I do it with my Fifine T669 to give more mid range body.
This review is so awesome! Its like I'm watching a TV show rather than a soulless review from Tech RU-vidrs nowadays. Its so entertaining and educational at the same time!
As a 30+ year veteran of radio broadcasting, I was astonished at how thorough your review was. Congratulations on a wonderful review. I Really appreciated it.
The Blue Yeti may not be a great microphone in terms of technical quality, but in terms of total impact - in terms of how many people it has brought into this new media landscape - it might just be the greatest microphone of all time. ... well, that or the SM57.
bought my yeti for $100 and haven't thought of needing a different mic ever since. I have it on a $60 boom arm and, with some audio adjustment, the microphone sounds gorgeous to me..
@@googleinc6033 i know this is 3 months old but its just a store that people that arent in very great financial position to go buy stuff for cheap and i think it has some ties to religion but the best way to understand it is to think of it as a thrift store
Honestly, thank you for providing more modern solutions. I bet 80% of the people that are watching this are looking for potential alternatives. I've had my Blue Yeti since 2016 and I've never had a problem with it, but that was 2016. It's always a good time for an upgrade. Thank you for the thorough and in depth explanation of the settings, history, and pros and cons of the Blue Yeti!! this is like the first time I've made a RU-vid comment in like 4 years lol
Welcome to the YT comment section 4 years later. Now you can’t say anything negative or bad without your comment being removed by the auto bots on RU-vid, so beware. Much diff website than 4 years ago :(
I think I'll stick to the Blue kiwi. Gorgeous quality. Probably a legit contender to the U87. Blue are kind of sneaky with the design of their microphones, though. They give them such a shape that they're only really compatible with Blue's own shockmounts, so they charge extortionate prices for them. The kiwi literally can't fit in _any_ shockmount besides its own because it's so big.
I have owned a Blue Kiwi as well. It's really a different sonic signature altogether as it lacks a transformer and is more airy compared to the U87. So it's definitely a world-class mic in it's own right! Your channel's audio sounds great btw 👍
I've had an XLR Blue Yeti since 2012 and I really like it. I've used it to record vocals, piano, drums, acoustic and electric guitar, violin, atmospheres like thunderstorms, and more. I really like the build and sound quality, along with the stereo option and high gain ceiling. The live monitoring though headphones without needing a separate interface is also great. I honestly can't think of a single bad thing to say about it.
honestly, a microphone's age doesn't really mean as much as it does for any other piece of technology. I've owned and used multiple ANCIENT microphones that sound incredible, or at least "good enough." in fact, some of the best mics available are much older than the Yeti.
@@doohresarf321 correct. Professional quality USB audio interfaces around 2010, even though we have 100 year old songs that sound very nice. Microphone age is more like camera age: it can really enhance the experience sometimes
Bought mine around 2011. Descent quality, don't need anything else :) Used it daily for 11 years, mounted head-down on a Rode PSA-1. It survived 4 moving, 3 PC, 2 desks, 2 miniUSB cables, 4 mouse, 2 wacom tablets, and the store I bought it in.
As someone who loves the current Blue Yeti, when I first went to get one, the one I bought was also broken. Not quite as egregiously as that, but rather the USB mini connector at the bottom was noticeably loose and in certain positions would just register as not plugged in similar to a short with a really old audio cable or the like. Best buy's return policy is great and I had a working one within the day, but seems like a bit of a red flag that Blue's current QC might not quite be up to snuff.
I have a pre-Logitech Yeti, and while it was a definite upgrade from headset mics, I always struggled to get a clean crisp sound on Twitch, no matter how much I tinkered - for literally over a year, and I tried every trick in the book. I was never happy. One day I impulse bought a HyperX Quadcast. The perfect sound I always wanted and never achieved, right out of the box - no tinkering. Yeti now lives in a box.
And yet in almost all those videos the sound quality is almost identical to their new mics, you need to listen very closely to differentiate. To me the Yeti still sounds pretty good. If you get it on sale (which they are almost always anyway) they are indeed VERY competitive around the 100€ mark. I would not really buy it again for the price obviously due to newer products on the market but on sale I see very few alternatives that are just "better". I would say the AT2020 USB Is on par in the price range, so I would go for that if I would to decide for a new one. If you have an XLR interface than surely the 2020 cuz of the much lower price tag.
During comparisson all the mics demoed were placed very close to the mouth, but yeti was just chilling on the table and producing the same sound quality. Sounds like yeti is better than any other comparisson to me
I still have no regrets burning a Yeti in my fire pit. It made a great Yule Log. Solid video Tom. Awesome! Do you have an affiliate link to the dubstep edition?
>figuratively and literally burns the blue yeti >uses ATH-m50 i ain't trying to talk shit or anything bad, I just find it ironic that you use the m50 when the m50 is pretty much the blue yeti of the headphone space
I love my Yeti X and I typically can't tell much difference between it and other mics out there. I don't know if I just can't hear well but it works for me and I love how it looks.
I still have my pre-Logitech Blue Yeti and never had an issue with it's audio quality, are there better options nowadays? Absolutely but it's not a horrible sounding microphone by far. I really wonder if their Quality control is a big issue and that's part of the reason for all the hate as you demonstrated in the beginning with your buzzzzzzing 1st one, and that's why a lot of people dislike it as maybe they also got a dud to some degree. When I first got mine, it was a smart choice for it's ease of use but yet, in 2022 better options. Thanks for taking the Yeti apart to show the internals.
QC would make sense- if a lot of people experience issues with recent ones then that would definitely cause a negative opinion. Next time I’ll need to, buy 10 of them and see if they all work 😁
So not gonna lie but since 2013 the Behringer U-Phoria UMC22 is out with Midas Preamps actually they are the same preamps as in the goxlr but with the difference in cost the UMC22 used to cost in germany 40 euros now its 50 but not much more and add the Behringer xm8500 for 22 bucks euro which also used to be cheaper at 13 euros also the xm8500 has been around since 1999 so even in the early 2000 u could have gotten better audio with another interface from the time ofc xm8500 + UMC22 is not high end shit but for what most people use mics at the pc like gaming, streaming and podcast the xm8500 is a really good mic for the money als its not crazy sensitive like most usb condenser mics because the xm8500 is a dynamic mic like the sm7b or the podmic tom bucks uses so lets say add a 5 euro cable and 20 mic boomarm and ur at the same price of the yeti but with a better sounding mic and better suited mic for what the yeti is marketed towards which is pc gaming and streaming.
@@commenter2346 i use an sm7b xd better plosives and shockmount as well as a bit cleaner ifu have good enough ears to hear the difference sadly sm58 and sm57 only get very close but not the same D:
I've had a blue yeti for a little over 12 years and it's worked wonderfully. Recently in the past couple days during editing on a video it finally died on me. Going with a Blue Sona now as an upgrade and I'm super excited about it. All in all the old blue yeti just sounds much higher quality to me then the newer ones. Wonderful video man :)
I loved it when I originally bought it… then I bought an audio interface and I then I realized that I owned lots of really great mics that sound better. The Yeti served its purpose.. thanks Tom as always.. great content!
Unlocking the world of XLR mics is definitely a huge step. It's not for everyone, but it can be really fascinating! I actually still clearly remember the first time I used a "real" mic. It was during a play in my 3rd grade class. I was Samuel Adams and I got to hold a wireless mic (whatever Shure mic that would've been in 1993 or 1994) and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I've been interested in mics ever since!
To be fair, I bought a cheap 5$ condenser mic (as a temporary mic) and with the right tools, it made it actually feasable to use and actually does not even sound bad. It honesly suprised me how good even a cheap mic could sound, I think people overstate how important the mic is when the setup is also as important.
I'm not an expert (I just play one on YT), but I think the changes to the internal components has more to do with switching to a new OEM or just revisions and shrinking of the components as manufacturing processes improve; kind of like how Sony is able to shrink Playstations over time through streamlining of its manufacturing. I would imagine a change in the capsule design would affect sound much more than the logic board
As you mention, video game consoles are an excellent example of this. Often times a manufacturer will attempt to reduce the number of components on a circuit board, usually to save money, or perhaps based on availability. It’s also possible that as the microphone itself became more popular, it became more cost-effective to use different chips or even to put in a custom order for a more specialized component.
My wife teaches voice for a local University. All during the pandemic she used the Yeti I bought back in 2015 or 2016 to teach online. It’s simple for her to setup and use and, like Tom said, it still is a good sounding mic - beats the heck out of most laptop internal mics. And while there may be a lot better bang for the buck (get it? Buck . . . Ok , never mind) we own it and it serves the purpose! Once again, Tom has delivered another “real person” review. And I loved the flashbacks to earlier years haha! Thanks again, Tom, for making all this real, interesting and very understandable for the average person that may or may not have expertise in these fields.
This is great…sent this video to a friend of mine who bought a Yeti recently for voiceover…his first mic. I jumped on a Zoom call with him the other day, and the only suggestion I had for him was treating his space…otherwise it sounded great. And Im using an sm7b into a mixpre 3 for comparison…and in our recording test they meshed together decently…$100 setup vs. $1100 setup. I personally wouldn’t buy a yeti, but I do recommend it for people starting out who need an inexpensive solution. Still a good option in 2022…except the micro USB…
I've been using the Blue Yeti X for quite some time for voice acting and it is absolutely fine for me! I just manually lowered the gain in my settings and ran it through audacity and it serves me just well
@@kokaboba Ah well thanks for the tip! I changed the gain setting manually on my pc so it's not so noisy, and it picks me up just fine. Not to mentions voice meters and and audacitiy's noise removal feature which help tremendously. Been using it for a year or two now and I've had no real issues- it gets the job done
I do have an old yeti (pre Logitech). I’ve downloaded the software but it doesn’t work with my Blue Yeti. It probably works only with the newer version.
@@bertolbretch Really? That's odd. Mine is also from the Pre-Logitech era and it works fine with Logitech G Hub. I will say though that for some reason the drivers wouldn't install right away, so I had to restart my PC for it to work; maybe it works with only a few of them 🤷🏽♂️
I used the yeti for several years and it did the job fairly well for me I would say. Excellent review/ tutorial on pick up patterns and all the rest.... Thanks Tom!
It maybe outclassed nowadays, but I can't deny my Yeti has been a great workhorse since 2013. Yes, I did buy it based on RU-vidr recommendations, but coming from crappy headsets, it was a real upgrade. I wonder if there's anything out there on the market that has the multi-pattern selector? I feel that's one of the most defining features of the Yeti, even though most will stick to the cardioid pattern. Case in point, I've been using it as my microphone for my Zoom calls where there are multiple people in a roundtable. It was better than using a conference phone, and for something I bought in 2013 it was a nice surprise.
I find it hilarious that the Yeti gets so meme'd on now, there was a long time where RU-vidrs/streamers had heard of nothing else and thus kept calling it the best mic ever lol
@@Mictian For an USB mic at least it was back when it came out. Today we have much better options. At youtube lots of people have upgraded from their built in mics already but in business I would highly appreciate if people would at least have a Yeti.
We just inherited an original Yeti and are trying to figure out if it is better than an iPhone 14 Pro mic in 2023! Loved your narrative, story telling and presentation! We're trying to make father/son gaming commentary content with a good quality single source mic while we both play!
One of my friends uses a yeti to talk to us when we play video games, almost every day it peaks over 20 times, completely distorts his audio, and picks up his breathing and desk sounds. glad you made this video, maybe he'll spend the time to watch this and learn more about his purchase.
It seems like sometimes the Yeti really does have super high gain. The insrtructions say to start with the gain dial at 11 o'clock and then raise or lower it depending on your voice, but I've found that I typically keep it in the 9 o'clock position.
What a great video! I used to love my blue yeti. Mostly because it got me started. But I’m happy to have moved on the my shure SM7B. It’s a major upgrade in terms of sound quality.
My issue is that it was over-hyped and often the wrong piece of equipment for their space. The Yeti, as a condenser microphone, hears a *ton* of room tone. It is even evident in both Tom and his wife's videos. While having high fidelity is a great thing for music recording and/or in a treated studio, almost everyone who is using this for podcasts or streaming are in untreated studio or random space in their home. This leads to a very open and echoing sound... By understanding microphone tech, even at a 40,000 foot view, and choosing a dynamic mic, USB or XLR, the creator will have clear-enough audio and mostly eliminate echoing room tone and outside distractions. I've been a fan of Behringer's Podcastudio package. When I bought mine in 2007 or so, it had the Xenyx 502 mixer (1 mic and 2 stereo inputs), the XM8500 dynamic mic, a UCA200 USB duplex DAC/interface, headphones, mic stand, and all the cables needed to make it work. With about 15 minutes of setup the first time, it was possible to get high-quality clean audio with little room tone and *very* little background noise. Now, the package comes with a Xenyx 302 with built-in USB and everything else, reducing the number of devices by one. By using a package like this (starting at something right around $100), each component is able to be upgraded one piece at a time. If the mixer/interface is too small, it is easy to swap out for a larger mixer. If the XM8500 is not right for you, any XLR mic will generally work these days. Want more separation between the mic and the mixer? Place the mic on a boom arm? You could swap out one component at a time, starting at a *very* small price point and then scale as needs and desires want.
You're confusing capsule type with polar pattern. The polar pattern determines how much off-axis sound is rejected. Broadcast microphones tend to have cardioid pickup pattern, which means it picks up sound from the front while rejecting sound from the rear and sides. Condenser and dynamic microphones alike come in multiple polar patterns. Most people who use the Yeti aren't speaking directly into it. It's usually on a desk or a table a foot or so away from the speaker. There is more room noise because the gain has to be higher for the level of the vocal to be acceptable.
My brother-in-law was cleaning out the garage and decided to give me his old Blue Yeti to me because he doesn't use it anymore. I haven't plugged it in yet because I wanted to see what I could find on RU-vid about it first. Pretty straight forward, but your video was by far the most informative of several that I watched. Thank you for taking your valuable time to inform us so well! 👍🤙
Thank you Andy! I really appreciate that! This video was quite a bit of work, but it was also really fun to make. It was one of those ideas that I'd had for a while but didn't quite know how to approach.
It's pretty rare that I will sit through a whole video, especially one of this length. My attention is not easily kept. But, sit through this whole thing I did. And subbed. I look forward to checking out some of your other work!
A thoroughly enjoyable video, which had me grinning ear to ear on many occasions. As for the fun voice changers in the Blue Yeti program, it's almost worth buying the microphone just for that. Fantastic Tom, a truly and genuinely great watch.
It's not the video I wanted, it's the video I needed. I like my Yeti, for my usage... it's fine... Originally hoping to start of some podcast, I'm a bit disappointed that the outer build quality does not reflect it's internals. Although, it was a gateway for me to learn more about microphones. But I do feel bad for overpaying a bit (early 2019). I'm also generally satisfied with Logitech's stuff, but the quality varies a lot... too much to rely on just the name. Anyway, that's my 2ct's. Thank you for the review and your thoughts.
When my partner and I record lines of dialog for our audio drama, we sit at a small table and put our Yeti on a boom arm and place it equidistant between us. Honestly, I think it sounds fine. Even the most rabid Yeti hater wouldn't know we're using it just by listening. But, if we were to replace it, what other bidirectional mics are there other than the multi-pattern Samson C03U? I'd prefer to use only one mic because it saves time & effort--no need to deal with mic bleed.
What you're looking for is called an X-Y Stereo Condenser. If you're looking to upgrade from the Yeti you're far better off buying a separate USB audio interface and microphone. While there are better sounding USB microphones, they're usually cardioid pickup pattern which wouldn't work as an overhead mic for two people.
The Blue Yeti was good enough for Nirvana, Green Day, and The Foo Fighters. Let me explain. I'm a full time producer and former E3 presenting game dev. I got into music with an incredibly objective mindset. All I really am doing is rendering a .wav file. It's worth the same 99cents on iTunes and 0.0035 of a penny per stream on Spotify, as any .wav file uploaded there is worth. I wrote my first song homeless, people had to die for me to find that song, and yet, it's not worth more, because of what it took to write, just cold hard facts. Butch Vig praised my song "Rewind" because he said it reminded him of Wake Me Up When September Ends. He produced that track, so, he would know. That's why I say it's good enough for those bands. James Sanger of Vibey Studios liked my guitar work, and he recorded U2, and many other massive acts. I could list you a lot of industry legends with set ups like Chris Moon, these million dollar home studios. Yet my Blue Yeti and Copy of Reason 10, running on a $600 Walmart Laptop in an untreated room seems to get the job done just fine. People get lost in gear, and plugins. Again, it all comes down to rendering .wav files. If the music supervisor green lights that wav file, that's all ya need. If a fan saves the track, you're good to go. If your backing track is leased on beatstars or bought exclusively, you did a good job. I actually have downgraded to an Amazon Basics, which is like a poor mans Blue Yeti. Works just as well, and again, nobody ever complains about my music's quality. Hate on it all ya want, if your work is suffering from using it, you just might not know what you're doing. It's like a guitar. A $,5000 Martin in the hands of a novice is useless. A $250 solid top in the hands of an expert will always sound amazing. Some guy here reviewed a $37 viola off eBay and was shocked how great it sounded (He's a pro of 20 years, he can play well, that's all) The only people I don't work with are the ones who say "I'm waiting until I get a studio before I do x y and z" like ugh. IT'S A .WAV FILE lol. Focus on rendering .wav files people like. Literally all any of this is.
I only bought the yeti because I heard it was the best microphone for streaming and voice chat back in the early days of its inception. I broke it, then repaired it by soldering a new usb port on it, and it's served me very well for being so cheap (and I got it at a discount with a free game included)
I used the yeti early on but it's just soooo sensitive. You really need a treated room if you're going to use it properly...which really isn't beginning friendly. I'm glad I discovered dynamic mics for VO
It's not surprising that the internals are different. I bet they revise the boards every few years to use different components (cheaper, more available, etc.) or processes (smaller PCB costs less, placing components on a smaller board is faster, etc.). At the scale of the Yeti, these changes will add up to a nice improvement in profit margin, or let them do sales like the one you missed :).
I'm sure this is true, it's just something I know nothing about, so it was really cool to see how things have changed internally over the years. Super neat!
I worked with Allen on a few TV shows and his response to your questions about the Yeti were hilarious and thoughtful. Allen's a great dude, very respected out here in ATL film and really knows his stuff. Great video, Tom! 🎉
First time watching your videos and wow, I’m blown away by the quality of your content. Really nice work in every regard: lighting, audio quality, well spoken, etc.
This is spot on. I literally just got rid of my blue yeti that I've been using for the last 8 years. It's was great for what I needed at the time but as time goes on it became less viable so I've upgraded now ☺️
@@tombuck Which makes it a bad fit for what a lot of people buy it for, video game streaming. The default stand both gets in the way and it will pick up so much keyboard noises.
...which would be a problem with any desktop mic. You can get a shock mount. It's definitely not practical on a desk if you're resting your arms/hands on it because it will pick up awful vibration and sound.
Great vid, glad your old Yeti survived the operation! I had a Blue Yeti some 10 years ago or so now (pre-Logitech) and like you said at the time it was the only plug-and-play fuss-free USB mic. I always hated how much background sound it picked up in my untreated room (basically my living room), but with some post processing it was ok. Once the Shure MV7 came out, I got that and sold the Yeti and I’M SO HAPPY with the sound from a dynamic mic - cuts down so much time from my workflow… and my meditation recordings sound so much better. It was definitely worth the price upgrade for me! 👍
I couldn't tell much of a significant difference when you switched from your normal set up to the Yeti at the beginning. I ended up buying a Tonor USB mic for like $40 when I started to use Discord more for D&D and gaming with friends so they wouldn't have to suffer through my headset mic lol but I have been thinking that I'd like to upgrade again at some point and was semi looking into a Yeti. I love the fact that it has the app to have the crazy voices and change the sound on the spot. I could probably really use that for my D&D campaigns... but yeah nice review!
I've had the yeti for some time but only discovered the companion app a couple days ago when I bought a logitech keyboard (they use the same app) and now I will absolutely use this setup for DnD. Since I can even put different effects/presets/samples on the Macro keys, it's very easy to switch between.
Here I am, watching this after so many video reviews on the Yeti and after having payed for the Silver one about 7 hours ago. I thank you so much for this review. It's, for me, the best review I have seen about the Yetis that I have seen. So, congrats on that. Regarding the sound, well, for me, even the new logitech one sounds better than the Rode mini and the Shure one you tested. The only exception, for me, was the Sennheiser, that has a great sound. Thank you again. I'll receive mine tomorrow and I'm way impatient to try it out.
Thank you Ruben! I'm happy it was helpful. I hope you really like your mic! The Yeti is super capable as long as you take a bit of time to learn about the settings and positioning (which is true for every mic). And the silver has always caught my eye 👍
@Tom Buck hi again. I already recorded yesterday two episodes on my Yeti and I am really happy with it, even without any edition whatsoever, the sound is just great. So, yes, for me, the notoriety of the Blue Yeti mic is well deserved. All the best for you!
Bought the first desktop about 6 years ago, then the version with boom kit came on sale so I bought that and sold the desktop. Though I have all kinds of pro mics now -- camera-mount and studio shotgun -- I still use the Yeti for voiceovers in cardioid pattern. It is, or at least was, a good mic for the price.
Thank you for this video. Ever since I was a kid, I have received comments and compliments on my voice, and I figured it’s finally time to explore that. Actually, I had this thought about seven years ago and I picked up one of the original Blue Yetis but never got around to doing anything with it. I’m now in the process of starting a channel that will document everything from day one and I figured I would touch on the fact that I will be using this microphone and see what limitations it may bring as someone starting out. If you don’t mind, when I get to making that video, I will mention you and this video. Again, thank you for the info.
I won a blue yeti in a contest and it broke after a few weeks because of its fragile MicroUSB port. I sent it back and the replacement they sent me was defective with crackling audio. After extensive trouble-shooting with support they sent me a second one free of charge and it was fine for about a year. Now it is no longer recognized by my iMac or Windows laptop.
That's frustrating. I've definitely seen the USB port become a weak point on Yetis over the years. It's very easy to bend the cable by accident in a way that damages the port.
It's weird that people are complaining about the price tag to me, the "hyped" AT2020 USB costs the same retail and is really at best marginally better but probably equal. Sure if we get to XLR versions for like the AT2020 those are much cheaper but they require an interface that very few want (non-professional). After all the Yeti was so loved because of the accessibility. The Yeti had and has great quality for a plug & play USB mic in the price range and dismissing it because it's "older" speaks really for itself. Yea, there are a lot more contenders now but they simply aren't just straight outclassing the existing products. The Yeti is also almost always somewhere on sale and then it gets hairy. I listen through the AKG 702s and a FiiO E12 and it's difficult to even tell when you switched the main microphone to the Yeti. The MV7 sounds worse in every aspect IMO that's the only one I didn't enjoy out of the bunch shown.
I recently bought a umc22 since the um2 wasn't available, I remember watching a video years ago on linustechtips about buying an interface and using a xm8500 mic. I finally decided to try it out and I honestly think audio interfaces at this price point are easy. They're just plug and play and they look really good too.
I got my Yeti in 2015. It is important to understand how to use it properly.... settings, mic positioning and wind screen accessories, etc.... I'm not a pro creator. I have not found a compelling reason to upgrade. I guess I am glad I got a pre-Logitech version(?). Interesting to see the tear-down.
I actually got one of these for Christmas and I absolutely LOVE it to say the least. It's amazing and the sound quality on my content has improved MASSIVELY for all my content as well too. Nice video though here about how to use it better and other alternatives for people that work just as well.
I went from a headset to blue yeti and for the price point I think it’s great. Even in this video when you swapped mics, the difference to me was barely noticeable.
upgrading from a Yeti after about 5 years of use. I made it work with the gain on the mic being cranked to max but Windows setting so about 30. I found that gave the best result.
That was my thought too, but I've also heard it's possible to simply make improvements with boards so they have the same functionality while being built differently 🤷🏻♂️
So seems like a situation where people have a misconception about how words work. Just because there are better options doesn’t mean the Blue Yeti is bad, only that there is better. It’s a solid starter microphone that can do a lot of things, however there is likely a cheaper microphone that is better at the thing you want to do. It’s kind of like the Jack of all trades of microphones. You will probably want to graduate from the Yeti, but it is still a good microphone to have on-hand.
That’s actually pretty cool 😎 The change in the circuit board is certainly due to the app integration. I have absolutely no need for the variable pattern BUT it might be fun to remove the three capsules and go to a single 26mm or even a 34mm cardioid capsule. It would still have all the functionality of the app with a better capsule. Have a great day and be safe out there!
Hah, what an interesting way to keep all the app functionality. I figured you might also be able to modify the software/USB VID so it would work with any mic, since USB mics all use the same standard protocol.
For me the Yeti is still miles ahead of the new hyped mic, the Hyper X Quadcast, and for streaming and for voiceovers, is a good sounding mic, has a fair price and doesn't sound like you are clipping on high frequencies like the Quadcast. And for a budget option, the Yeti Nano is even a better value, has only the Cardioid and Omni patterns, and sounds just as good as the Yeti, but costing way less, with a smaller footprint, being way more friendly to use external stands. For me is a great value.
Great review! I am considering purchasing a Blue Yeti and got nervous based on the title of the video. After watching your review I am still confident the Yeti will be a purchase I wont regret. Thank you.
I'd be super interested to know if anyone can explain the differences between the boards of the new vs. old Yetis. I put a folder of several screenshots here if you want a closer look: geni.us/yetiboards
Hi Tom, I love the vids. I'm an electronics engineer by profession, and took a quick look at the photos you posted. My gut reaction is inspite of the boards being a very different shape, the circuits don't look super-different. Certainly, some of the components have changed, but I can't quite tell, the pics aren't clear enough to do a deep-dive. The big thing is the change of the board shape, and the new boards are smaller and rectangular. They 100% made this change to save money during the assembly process. Circuit boards printed and assembled in panels, and then when theyre ready for use in a product, the board assemblies are broken apart from each other and assembled in to their device. By sticking to rectangular boards, they are allowing themselves the cheapest method of separation available (called "V-Scoring"); by using small boards, they fit more assemblies on a panel, further driving down costs. That really doesn't change the quality of the circuit though. If you want to do a deep dive, let me know, it might make for some interesting content. I'm not sure how youtube contact works, but just let me know.
Does the app change (and remember the change after you exit the app) on the pre-logitech version? My first thought was that they changed the board for the app.
You need to take a picture where the parts codes are readable on all the black square/rectangular chips to be able to make any comments on the board differences. Or otherwise write it down and post them. You may need a loupe to see some of them
As with the above comments, the main things are most likely going to be differences in the ICs present on the board. Ultimately it's not the end of the world if the board is smaller and more densely populated or larger and more sparse in most cases, and ICs have come a fair way over time. The one real problem is that if the ICs on the board are programmable, a lot of the time the OEMs we work with won't release any more than they absolutely have to. But without the numbers as described by Konrad, it's hard to even tell what they're doing. Because these are digital microphones, whatever onboard signal processing they have is going to be incredibly important even if the capsules they have are similar or even if they're wildly different. (After all, look at how BOSE uses DSPs in their hardware! You've likely heard more than a few things in the back and forth regarding Sennheiser equipment...) Sadly, though, the workshop I work at hasn't had many yetis in to poke at - the only couple we've seen have needed replacement USB sockets and since we aren't a Logitech agent we don't have access to their schematics to poke about at. Sad day, that.
I had to also listen to the podcast before I made up my mind to leave a comment with my perspective: I know many top-tier voice actors who use a Yeti as a backup, or even as a main mic at home. And you know what? They. Sound. Fine. Yes, there are better mics out there. But some people in the industry find it to be good and that’s important to me. Some sound engineers even prefer its sound to that of Neumanns at homes because it’s more forgiving! So I hope nobody is discouraged for owning one. Love the video, I actually thought your voice sounded great on the Yeti! ❤️
It's funny but this was the microphone I longed for back in the day, but now I've been lucky enough to play around with lots of others I can't imagine dropping that much money on something when there's so many other fantastic options... How times have changed! You hit the nail on the head by specifying this was the mic before mics were a thing. I'd LOVE to see a side by side with the Yeti and the NW-800 if you still have it sitting around somewhere?
I started off creating online content 7 years ago with the Blue Yeti (technically the Snowball but quickly switched to the Yeti after a Black Friday special - $80!). It served my purposes very well since it combined a good quality large diaphragm condenser microphone, DAC, and USB interface into an easy package. While there were other mics available, to me the Yeti is the OG USB mic. I have since moved on to other mics - even multiple mics for different scenarios - but the Yeti still has a special place in my heart for helping me get started at a reasonable price. Would I recommend the Yeti for anyone starting out today - unlikely. There are too many other, better choices available - and it also greatly depends on the recording environment. I've actually spent WAY more treating my recording area than the Yeti (or any other recording equipment). Like many condenser mics, the Yeti picks up everything - so you have to keep that in mind. I've since switched to the Shure SM7B + Zoom F6 or the Rodecaster Pro if live streaming. BTW, my original Yeti is now dead, the micro-USB connector finally gave out - I have no plans to replace it.
The yeti is a fine microphone for what it is. I honestly think many people think they "need" an SM7b for their streams (that they often have no idea how to get the most out of) because it's the "meta" at the moment. And it's a good mic, but it's way overkill, and most people could get the sound they want out of a much cheaper mic if they understood how to do some EQ and processing. Most people who just need a decent clean capture of their speaking voice would do just fine with a Yeti. And if you need more than that, then it's maybe not meant for you anyway.
Hey weather you see this comment on RU-vid studio or just scrolling through comments, I just want to say your videos are long BUT the way you put them together and all your talking points, it just makes me want to sit here and watch the whole 30 minute video. I appreciate the production quality of your videos and I hope this video was a 1/10 if when it came out 😮💨🤝
My biggest issue with the Yeti is the price, had they dropped the price down to entry/budget level it would certainly be one of the best in that segment. but at lower end mid-range level there just are too many better options around these days.
@@smithydll yes, however the point stands. When it was newer the price the Yeti has was cheap for the quality it provided. However since it released microphone tech has gone up significantly, there are $30 microphones with the quality of $200 15 years ago. Even budget microphones from brands hardly anyone has heard of are starting to sound really, really good, and that is alongside the fact that the prices for such quality are going down. The Yeti has good sound quality, especially considering it's capsules are on the cheaper end the sound is actually quite good, but it's price point now is up against much tougher competition. the $100 range for microphones now has many, many other options for microphones that are comparable is not better quality and often have additional features on top of that. If the Yeti was positioned to compete with more like $$70-80 microphones it may not draw as much ire from some people. In the last decade prices have gone down, quality has gone up, the Yeti has stayed more of less where it was in price and quality and thus is in an awkward place from a price to quality perspective.
I don't typically press "like" on RU-vid videos. I'm the guy that comes for what he needs, then leaves. But the amount of effort you put into this video is honestly the most next-level thing I've ever seen and I just had to tell you. Here, take my comment and like.
I find it has a nice sound for ASMR which is one area it excels, so application matters a lot, for me the Yeti with a bit of subtractive EQ, compression then back into parametric EQ to bost what I want to.
Re: the internals. Almost every long running electronic product with good sales numbers will go through a number of revisions. Usually the number of custom components increases meaning that fewer (and thus cheaper) components can be used because they are assured that volume numbers will make up for initial investment. Good companies use these revisions to improve quality and reliability as well as just saving money.
This is interesting to me. Totally makes sense but I guess I just always assumed a released product was "finished" and that there wouldn't still be changes/revisions.
Amazing content! Came for a refresher on the mic after not using it for almost a decade and planned to just skim. Ended up watching the entire thing and actually laughed out loud a few times XD great work! Looks like the you've done a lot to level up your productions since 2018 too -- A+++
I just tested myself on pickup patterns when you said not to use an "end" to address the microphone. For Cardioid, often, and figure of 8, almost always, the mic works in side address. In Omni it works equally well from front, rear or either side. In Omni it also works equally well as end address. A boom operator has a specific job on set - to capture sound from a distance without getting in the shot. So, an end address condenser cardioid is a good choice. Of course any mic could be used in some specific situation, but sensitive pickup from a distance and rejection of sound from the rear or sides is usually the selected operation. I've been using and studying microphones and their applications since the mid 60's. I've worked from mono cassette recorders in the outback with a one dollar dynamic mic to million dollar studios with Neumanns. I make less mistakes than I used to. But still have to adapt to the situation to deliver what the producer wants. Adapt or die human. I also noted Tom worked directly into the mic. If you note when many on air personalities use the mic it is at about 45 degrees off axis. This often will minimize or eliminate plosives with a little testing and you don't need a popper stopper or a wind sock which, IMO give a cleaner signal.
