There are a lot of audio recording devices available to consumers today. The choice between which microphone to get has always been accompanied by confusion and uncertainty. Those feelings have been replaced with confidence and satisfaction by the Yeti microphone by Blue Microphones . If you use your PC to record audio or to talk with friends and family, you will definitely want to continue reading about the Yeti below.
Attractiveness / Build Quality
One of the first things you notice about the Yeti when you take it out of the box is the high quality of workmanship that Blue has put into this device. The Yeti has a study design with its solid, removable base. Removing the base allows you to attach the Yeti to a microphone stand or boom arm.
The Yeti is also really attractive to look at with its retro-looking design and polished chrome upper. This is really important when you consider that the Yeti will be taking up a permanent residence on your desk or workstation.
Performance
A great thing about the Yeti is that it connects to your PC or Mac via a standard USB connection, which eliminates the need for any extra pieces of hardware such as an audio mixer. The front of the Yeti features a mute button with LED indicator and an headset volume control knob that works with the 3.5mm headphone jack found on the bottom of the microphone itself.
The backside of the Yeti features two more control knobs. One is a microphone gain knob and the other is a recording pattern knob which allows you to choose from 4 possible recording patterns supported by the Yeti. This flexibility in recording pattern options really allows the Yeti to stand out against competitors by letting you select the appropriate setting no matter what you will be recording.
The 4 possible recording patterns are:
Stereo - Records from the front, left and right directions which makes it great for Vocals and recording instruments. Cardioid - Only records what is coming from right in front of the yeti at full volume. This setting is great for Podcasts and Voice Overs. Omnidirectional - will pick up everything from all directions at equal volume. This setting is good for conference calls and event recording. Bidirectional - will record from in front of and behind the microphone, good for interviews and vocal duets.
All of the recording tests that I conducted with the Yeti ended the same way, with great quality recordings with great sound and no distortion. Keep in mind that it is important to take environmental sounds into account when you select your recording pattern. That being said, I would recommend the optional Radius shock mount for the Yeti, as vibrations on your desk surface can sometimes be picked up in the recording.
Ease of Setup
The Yeti is very simple to setup. Simply plug the Yeti in to your PC or Mac via the supplied USB cable and you are able to start recording right away, there are no driver installations required. Plug your headphones up to the Yeti via a standard 3.5mm audio jack and you’re ready to go.
The Yeti will work great with any recording software you have including Garage Band , Audacity , Logic 7 , Sonar , Ventrilo , Team Speak and Skype .
Conclusion
The ease of setup combined with the quality performance and adjustable recording patterns makes the Yeti a great choice for the beginning and experienced users alike. Are you a gamer who chats with his guild over Ventrilo? Are you looking to start a podcast? Are you looking for a great microphone to use to talk to family and friends on Skype ? Whatever your reason is for needing a recording device on your computer, Blue Microphones Yeti will not disappoint.
The MSRP for The Yeti is $149.99 and can be ordered at multiple retailers online, including Amazon and Best Buy .
Overall Score 9/10
via Examiner National Edition Gadgets & Tech Channel Articles http://www.examiner.com/review/product-review-the-yeti-by-blue-microphones?cid=roadrunner