3 reasons we don’t recommend Blue Yeti mics
It’s four years ago, and everyone is suddenly and frantically on the hunt for microphones. There had been a, uh…notable shift in the way people work and communicate and deliver content, and suddenly my phone was lighting up like a Christmas tree with people asking what microphones they should buy for their Zoom meetings, webinars, and livestreams.
Now, I should note, I do not (nor did I ever) work in consumer electronics. But for a surprising number of business owners, lawyers, speakers, doctors, and authors, I was still the best option they had readily available in their rolodex. So, in the interest of professional decorum, I spent a whole bunch of money and tested out a whole lot of equipment.
Then–and ever since then–the following situation occurred several dozen times.
Associate: “What mic should I get?”
Me: “Well, that really depends on your needs. There’s no one right mic for everyone, and it depends on how much you have budgeted and how willing you are to go through some setup hoops. What you really want to look at is–”
Associate: “My friend said I should buy a Blue Yeti.”
Me: “Oh. I mean, it’s fine. We actually don’t really recommend them in professional settings for most people because–”
And then they’d buy the Blue Yeti. And then I’d get a text months later asking why it wasn’t working.
Listen, I’m not making any universal statement here. Some people have had fine experiences. Many have dealt with frustrations. At the end of the day, I speak primarily for myself when I say this: If you have a laptop built in the past few years, buying a Blue Yeti USB mic is not going to be a notable step up overall. Why?
They can be frustratingly finicky. Blue Yeti mics plug in via USB. In theory this should make them simple to use and relatively dummy-proof. In reality, they kind of end up being the printers of the A/V world, if that makes sense. Why isn’t your computer recognizing it? I don’t know. Yes, I know it recognized it an hour ago. Have you tried restarting the computer? Have you tried unplugging it and plugging it back in?
They’re a strange middle ground. Any pro-level setup is going to output through an XLR, then run through a bunch of devices to convert the audio into a digital signal. For people spending the money–people who make their money or build huge audiences via podcasting or virtual speaking–these mics are worth investing in. On the other side, onboard mics have made big strides in the past couple years. This leaves the Blue Yeti (and its competitors…don’t want people to think I’m just picking on one conglomerate) in a strange neither-hot-nor-cold position. And besides–
The audio quality is middling. Some of this is opinion, but some of it is just objective. The standard hundred-dollars-or-so Blue Yeti option is not an incredible mic. It pics up a ton of ambient noise. It’s made with cheap components. And audio recorded on it produces notable audio hiss.
So what to do? Unfortunately, there’s no slam dunk answer. If you’re using a cheap-ish usb mic and like what you’re producing with it, great! If you’re hunting for a new setup, it gets more difficult. To a certain degree, it’s a you-get-what-you-pay-for scenario. I use this one. It works admirably.
The things that have been exciting me most recently are lav mics. What used to be cumbersome by nature now comes in a very small and sleek package. I recommend these DJI mics to pretty much everyone I come across these days. Just clip the mic to your collar, plug the receiver into your phone or computer, and you’re good to go.
These are great, because they pic up your voice in a nice, crisp way–and that’s pretty much ALL they pic up. Great for people doing virtual speaking who don’t care to have their refrigerators and dogs coming through. Plus, they’re simple to throw in a bag when you’re on the road.
Audio can be frustrating. Fortunately, there are a ton of opinions out there available for you–way more than there were at the beginning of 2020. Here’s hoping you find the right one for you.
