Product Review: Yeti Mic from Blue

Blue Yeti Mic (front)

One of the biggest mistakes that I hear people make when they start a podcast is using their laptop's onboard microphone as their recording device.  Sure, it's free and available to you but the sound quality is awful.  You can't get up close and personal with that mic, therefore you sound like you are 20 feet away, which results in really poor audio.  Unfortunately, (and predictably), bad audio quality can be an instant turnoff for your potential audience, no matter how good the content is. 

If you plan on taking your podcast (or any home recording) seriously, you need to invest in a microphone.  But that doesn't mean spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a studio quality mic, preamp, mixer, phantom power source, etc, etc.  Enter the Yeti USB microphone from Blue.  

Now if you are an audiophile, you may be cringing at the mere mention of a USB microphone, but for amateur/beginner podcasters out there, this one stop solution is perfect for when you are getting started.   

It's durable, compact, easy-to-use and delivers rich sound that the average person would consider high quality.  I simply plugged this device into my computer's USB port and after a couple of minutes all of the drivers were downloaded and it was ready to go.

Blue Yeti Mic (back)

What's more the Yeti mic offers some versatility for people who want to do more than just record themselves.  It comes with 4 different recording settings (controlled by the bottom knob on the back of the mic) that allow you to focus on just you, capture the audio of the entire room and even focus on two individuals for an interview style recording session. 

And what's more, this microphone is durable and portable.  Perfect for those people who really are road warriors and want to be able to record when the moment strikes.  Just make sure you remember to bring headphones and the USB cable. 

The basic Yeti Mic retails for $149, but I was able to order one through Amazon Prime for just $119.