Is the Blue Yeti Actually Terrible for Podcasters?
There have been countless times in history where the lesser tech won out. BETAMAX was much better than VHS, but VHS became the standard.
Those who are around my age might think about how much better life would have been if the Sony MiniDisc won out — maybe fewer skips and MUCH smaller player to carry around vs. portable CD players.
And while the Blue Yeti’s success isn’t as decisive or monopolistic as VHS or CDs, there’s still a surprising number of podcasters using it, despite the experienced podcast community screaming not to.
But is the Blue Yeti really as bad as some claim? Let’s explore.
The Blue Yeti: Unpacking the Controversy
The Blue Yeti microphone, now owned by Logitech, has become somewhat of a heel in podcasting. That’s partially because of its popularity, but also because of its claim that it’s super easy to use.
Its sturdy, metal construction makes it look great, and because it’s a simple USB mic, it’s easy to get started with, and very affordable — you don’t need to buy an interface or any additional cables. You’ll find it in setups ranging from beginner to advanced.
But part of the problem for seasoned podcasters is the claimed “ease of use” is misleading. Sure, you can plug it in to start, but you need to do some pretty significant tuning to get it to a place where you’re getting good, quality audio.
About the Blue Yeti
There are a few things to note about the Blue Yeti:
- It’s a condenser mic, which means it’s more sensitive to sound (something you’ll see — and hear — in the video).
- It’s heavy, so if you’re going to put it on a boom arm, it needs to be a strong, sturdy one.
- You can plug headphones into it, which means it can be used to monitor your voice, or for computer audio
- It has 4 buttons/knobs: volume (for output), mute (for input) on the front, gain, and pattern on the back.
Since it’s a USB mic, you plug it in, and it’s ready to go. No software, cables, or extra devices needed.
Out of the box, the settings for the hardware knobs were volume and gain all the way down, pattern all the way to the left, unmuted.
Let’s dive deeper into the gain and pattern settings, since those have a considerable effect on the audio (and watch the video to actually hear the difference!).
Gain, Pickup Patterns, and Effects on Sound Quality
Let’s start here: the Blue Yeti is a front-address mic. Do not talk into the top of the mic. You will not sound good. This is such a common problem, they actually include this graphic in the instructions:
Now, let’s talk about gain. This is essentially how sensitive the mic is to sound. It’s a power boost to the input to make it louder. The less gain, the quieter the audio. The more gain, the louder the audio.
Since the Blue Yeti is a condenser mic and already sensitive, podcasters should not need to turn the gain up much, if at all. In fact, in my tests, with the gain all the way down, I was still blowing out my audio (called peaking), making it sound distorted.
Note: You cannot fix that distortion in edit.
Blue Yeti Pickup Patterns
OK — now onto the pickup patterns. Understanding the Blue Yeti’s pickup patterns is essential if you’re going to get good sound from the mic.
There are 4 pickup patterns:
- Stereo: So we’re already off to a weird start because “Stereo” isn’t a pickup pattern for mics. This tells you the Yeti will record in stereo, meaning the sound in the headphones will match the side of the mic you speak into (left of mic is left speaker only, right of mic is right speaker only, front of mic is left and right speaker).
- Omnidirectional: This will pick up sound coming from every direction equally. That means whatever sounds are happening in the room will be picked up just as easily as your voice (think fan noise, echoing, other people talking, etc.).
- Cardioid: This will only pick up sound in front of the mic. You still may hear other things because it’s a sensitive mic (especially if the gain is turned up) but it won’t be as loud as if it were coming from the front of the mic.
- Bidirectional: This will exclude sounds coming from the sides of the mic, only picking up the front and back. If you have two people speaking into the same mic, this is the optimal pattern (though each person should really have their own mic).
If you’re podcasting, the best possible settings are gain all the way down, using the Cardioid pickup pattern. This will ensure, as much as possible, that you’re only getting your voice on the audio.
A Note on Good Room Acoustics
The problem you’ll run into with the Yeti, even if you have perfect settings on the mic itself, is the room you’re in.
Again, this mic is especially sensitive. So if you don’t have good room acoustics, you’re still going to echo and a ton of noise. My friend recently shared with me that her Yeti picked up her clock ticking.
A lot of environmental factors go into getting great audio, and sadly, the Blue Yeti isn’t very forgiving of environments.
Real-World Testing: Blue Yeti vs. Shure SM7b
I will recognize that this wasn’t even remotely a fair test. They are two different types of mics. The SM7b is dynamic and purpose built for vocals, 4x the price of the Yeti, and it was plugged into my Rodecaster Pro II, giving it better processing on input.
I had 0 processing on the Blue Yeti, and in the video, I didn’t do any post-production processing on either mic.
However, in a side-by-side sound test with the Shure SM7B, the differences were stark. The Yeti, using my suggested gain and pattern settings, tended to pick up more background noise and was more prone to distorting the audio — even when I wasn’t speaking that loudly…and my office is treated for good room acoustics.
This test reaffirmed the necessity of proper microphone technique and settings adjustment for optimal use of the Blue Yeti.
But more than that, it affirms the fact that it’s not as easy to use as advertised.
Conclusions and Recommendations
So, is the Blue Yeti as bad as everyone says it is? I’m probably splitting the baby here, but it can be good in the right circumstances. It is easy to get up and running — it’s plug and play. And I have no doubt that there are many podcasters who feel it has served them well.
However, if you don’t already have a podcast mic, or are in the market for a new one at the $75-120 price point, these alternatives are better:
And if you’re looking to upgrade your USB mic, you won’t go wrong with the Shure MV7.
What to do if You Still Want to Use the Blue Yeti
If you already own a Blue Yeti, don’t despair. Proper technique, gain adjustment, and the right pickup pattern can significantly improve your audio quality:
- Address the mic from the front, not the top. Keep it about 4 fingers away from your mouth — maybe a bit further since it’s so sensitive.
- Set the gain all the way down.
- Set the pickup pattern to cardioid.
- Do everything possible to deaden sound in the room where you’re recording. Carpets, blankets, being away from walls all help.
If you want to see the mic in action, take a look at the video above. And if you have thoughts, please let me know!