Blue has been producing the industry standard in USB microphones for streamers and content creators since the early days of video game content creation. The Blue Yeti is the brand's flagship product, but it still has room for improvement..
Since the release of the classic Yeti in 2009, Blue has continued to add new models to its Yeti product line. Today there are several Yeti pickups to choose from, so we've made a list to help you understand the differences between all of the options and help you decide which Yeti would be right for you.
Here are the best Blue Yeti microphones..
Blue Yeti
Image via Blue Microphones The list begins with the microphone that was the foundation of everything, the Blue Yeti . This mic is a big favorite with video makers, podcasters and streamers around the world.
It's a condenser mic with three proprietary capsules inside. The Yeti includes 4 pattern patterns to choose from: Cardioid, Bi-directional, Omnidirectional, and Stereo. The mic also includes an external headphone volume dial, mute button, and gain control. Without any headphone sound latency, audio levels and its quality can be checked live through the headset..
In terms of build quality, the Yeti is built like a tank. It includes a completely metal base, with a guard around the capsule at the top. All Yeti is sent with its base, but it is always possible not to use it and to take an arm in height instead, or another type of base. The design might look a bit dated now, but it gets the job done.
This microphone connects to the PC via USB, so there is no need for a Converter (DAC). The Blue Yeti is available in several colors including silver, black, white and blue. With a price of € 139.99, this is a very good value for money microphone for producing content.
Blue Yeti Nano
Image via Blue Microphones The Yeti Nano is Blue's latest offering. It's smaller than the standard Yeti, but brings the same audio quality as the original. Just like the classic Yeti, the Yeti Nano is a micro USB. The Nano interface includes a mute button and headphone volume wheel, but no grain button.
This microphone includes two capsules instead of three, so its audio quality is still a little lower than for the other model. It also offers only two choices of directionality: cardioid, which takes audio from a certain direction, or omnidirectional, which takes audio from all directions. The Nano has two directivity options while most Yeti models offer four.
Instead of a grain button, the Nano instructs creators to use the Blue Sherpa helper app to change gain and control other mic options, like popular patterns or sample rates. The Sherpa app also includes VO! CE, the vocal effects software created by Blue to enhance recording sessions and apply effects in real time to live. This software was previously only available on the Blue Yeti X.
At € 119.99, the Yeti Nano is the cheapest mic in the Yeti product line, while still delivering professional quality audio recording. The main frustration with this mic is the inability to turn a physical volume dial as is possible on any other Yeti mic.
Blue Yeti X
Image via Blue Microphones The Blue Yeti X is Blue's flagship micro USB for achieving the best possible quality. It was specifically built for podcast, streaming, and video game sessions. The main improvement in the construction of the mic is the number of capsules included in it. The classic Yeti has 3, while the Yeti Nano has 2, but it has 4 in all. In theory, this results in higher audio quality. It also includes the four directivity choices.
The overall design of the Yeti X has been improved over its predecessor: Blue's Yeti X has better quality, a smarter design, and better button quality. The front of the mic has the most advanced sound monitor of any Yeti mic, with an 11-segment LED sound meter. This makes it possible to inform the outgoing volume at any time, allowing to adjust live during live and meetings. This is a welcome additional feature that should become the standard for future yeti products.
This mic was the first Yeti product to gain access to the new VO! CE functionality in the Blue Sherpa help app. In total, this software currently includes seven broadcast vocal effects that can be used to warm, cool, or even adjust the tone and quality of the audio recording.
The Yeti X costs € 179.99.
In addition, there is also the World of Warcraft edition of the Yeti X , which adds gold and gray accents to the design, for 209.99 €. In addition to the different design, this version of the mic arrives with several modulations of WoW character voices and audio samples from Shadowlands and Warcraft .
Blue Yeti Pro
Image via Blue Microphones The Yeti Pro is the premium offering of the Yeti line with studio quality. The design of the product itself does not feature the improvements of the Yeti X, but it excels in delivering ultra-high quality 24-bit recordings instead of the 16-bit offered by other products in the Yeti line. The Pro also includes a USB socket and an analog XLR socket so that it can also be used as a DAC or preamp. It is sold with USB and XLR cables.
Next to the higher recording quality and the XLR jack, the mic looks a lot like the standard Yeti. It contains three capsules, 4 standard patterns, no sound latency, a volume wheel for headphones and a physical grain knob. If you enjoy streaming and gaming but also consider making music, this mic might be for you.
At the expensive price of € 264.99, this microphone requires a larger investment than the others, but it can allow you not to need to buy an XLR compatible microphone which will be more expensive, if you want to improve your gaming setup with a DAC or preamp.
