Blue USB Microphones

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lhopper
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Post by lhopper »

Hello! :D

I have read the Yeti is far superior to the Snowball. Can anyone attest to that?

Thanks!

Lyman
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Post by TriciaG »

Hi, Lyman!

I'm moving this over to the Need Help? Got Advice? forum. I think it'll get more attention there. :)
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Post by sjmarky »

If you do a search on "Yeti" you'll find previous discussions on this topic. (The short answer is yes, the Yeti is much better than the Snowball according to users, which I'm not.)
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Esky
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Post by Esky »

The question I'm trying to resolve in my head is whether or not the Yeti is better than the AT2020. Decisions, decisions....
lhopper
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Post by lhopper »

Thank you!

Lyman :D
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Post by philchenevert »

Just buy them both and enjoy the resonance !!! :D :D
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sjmarky
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Post by sjmarky »

I've never used a Yeti myself, but I've had the AT2020USB for over a year. You can hear a test here:

http://forum.librivox.org/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=19694&start=15

The 2020 is about $55USD cheaper (street price). Sound is excellent, although a little on the bass-y side (typical of AT mics). Picks up almost no noise sitting directly in front of my iMac. Comes with a cheesy stand - you'd want a decent desk-top mic stand for about another $10 or so. Does not have a headphone jack, while the Yeti does. Yeti comes with a solid stand, although it doesn't adjust for height. Multi-pattern pickup a waste - you'll never want to use that.

Bottom line - you'll probably be happy with either, so it comes down to some of those features and budget.
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Esky
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Post by Esky »

I took the plunge yesterday and ordered the AT2020 along with a few accessories. I'll probably finish up my current project with my old mic (a Logitech headset) to keep the sound consistent. But I'm very excited to start using the AT2020.
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Post by sjmarky »

Congrats! Be prepared to sound very different from the headset. For best results, adjust the height (assuming you can) so that the capsule is about eye-height, and between 6 and 12 inches from your mouth, and 6 inches to one side. I flip my mic horizontal so the stand is a little more out of the way and to my left, since I'm right-handed. Condenser mics have a "proximity effect", in that the sound changes if you are closer or farther from it, even a little bit. It helps to lean back slightly if talking louder (shouts, etc.) and turning slightly away. Leaning-in makes for interesting effects, in that your voice will become even deeper-sounding and intimate.

Have fun with it.
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Esky
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Post by Esky »

sjmarky wrote:Congrats! Be prepared to sound very different from the headset. For best results, adjust the height (assuming you can) so that the capsule is about eye-height, and between 6 and 12 inches from your mouth, and 6 inches to one side. I flip my mic horizontal so the stand is a little more out of the way and to my left, since I'm right-handed. Condenser mics have a "proximity effect", in that the sound changes if you are closer or farther from it, even a little bit. It helps to lean back slightly if talking louder (shouts, etc.) and turning slightly away. Leaning-in makes for interesting effects, in that your voice will become even deeper-sounding and intimate.

Have fun with it.
Thanks for the advice! The mic came in the mail yesterday and I had fun testing the environment, moving the mic here and there. I've quite excited to start using it for recordings.

Do you use a boom microphone stand? I use my laptop to read from, but I'm having difficulty positioning the microphone at a comfortable spot. I purchased a desk stand, but I'm thinking I should probably go with a boom stand simply to have it better positioned without obstructing my view of the reading screen.

Thanks again!
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Post by sjmarky »

I do use a boom-type stand and record and read from a laptop. I set the laptop on top of a pair of ring binders to raise it up at the back so the screen is a little higher and the keys more accessible. The stand is immediately to left and set so the mic hangs down. I've also turned the mic sideways and set the stand more to the left. Either approach gets it out of my way and out of the way of the keyboard and screen. Think it was about $29 several years ago from Guitar Center.
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JillianPress
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Post by JillianPress »

Hello, yes, I recently purchased the BLUE Yeti microphone. I was using a USB desktop similar to the logitech one that was inexpensive. The Yeti is much more expensive!

I like the Yeti, but boy does it have a lot of power. I have to turn the thing down to record and record away from the mic, and even doing that I still get echos and things....so I am learning how to use it...still have not figured it out yet.

The desktop almost seems easier to use and record with...but am not sure overall my preference.

Overall I believe the blue microphones are very professional and great microphones!

Thanks much.
~JillianPress~

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earthcalling
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Post by earthcalling »

Jill,

An obvious question, but are you using it on the 'cardioid' setting? That's the one I'd suggest, for one person talking into it. If you had it on 'omni', it would pick up sound from other directions than just you.

If it's picking up echoes, that's perhaps to do with the acoustics of your room, which your other mic might not have had the sensitivity to pick up. But by backing away from the microphone, you might be making that worse - getting a more 'roomy' sound. You could try turning it down a bit more, and getting closer to it.

What I find useful with a new microphone is to record a sample while moving around the mic, talking from different angles and distances, describing what you're doing as you go along, then listen back and see what gives you the best sound.

Here's one of the first recordings I made with my Blue Yeti a few weeks ago:-

http://ia600403.us.archive.org/5/items/noteven_whenfirst_1102_librivox/notevenwhen_moore_drb.mp3

David
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Post by JillianPress »

Hi David:

You sound great! You are a good reader!

I like your suggestions on moving around the room. So far, I have done samples but sitting at my desk, but will need to do more testing.

Yes, the Yeti is on the cardiod setting (the symbol that looks like a sideways heart).....

I am having some good success but am lacking in consistency.

Thanks again and happy recording!
~JillianPress~

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Post by Peter Why »

I use a Yeti, too, and had trouble with it being over-sensitive when I started using it.

I played with the gain setting on the mike while I was recording through Audacity, and watched for a nearly clean base line on the display as a sign of a reasonable level of background noise. I record at perhaps 50% gain (with the pointer at about 11 o'clock).

I record about seven or eight feet away from the computer (perhaps 2½ metres); when I want specially clean sound I put up a barrier of cushions and duvet behind the microphone, to try to escape the fan noise.

Peter
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