Blue Yeti Microphone, the Best Microphone for Webinars

Affordable Webinar & Podcast Microphone: Blue Yeti Review

If you’re diving headfirst into webinars, podcasts, or video conferences, you’ll need the right equipment. Hopefully you’ve already thought about the software you’ll need - here’s a nice guide if not.

But on top of a great recording and broadcasting platform, some good external equipment goes a long way. And particularly for audio recordings, a decent microphone is essential.

So in this review, we’re going to break down one of our absolute favorites: the Yeti from Blue Designs. As you’ll see, it’s one of the best entry-level options you can get. And really, calling it entry-level is selling it short.

Let’s take a closer look.

What is the Blue Yeti microphone?

Image source: newegg.com

The Yeti is a microphone for video conferencing that requires minimal setup or audio expertise. We’ll get into why that’s so exciting shortly, but here are the key differentiators:

• Plugs directly into your USB port
• Very affordable
• High quality audio, especially for spoken voice

If this is your first real microphone, you’ve made a great choice. Let’s explore a little more.

What’s it for?

According to Blue’s website, “you can record vocals, music, podcasts, audio for video, interviews, or even cryptozoology lectures” with the Yeti “with legendary ease.” Which is another way of saying it’s a microphone, so you use it to record sound.

But in our view, it’s best used by companies for podcasting. That’s because it really is easy to set up (more on this in a moment), and the quality for spoken word is very good.

It works well for just one person (they call this “cardioid mode”), but can also record omnidirectional sound if you have several people sitting around a table. This is obviously different from a pin-on lavalier mic or a single-direction microphone like a singer would use in-concert.

For new podcasters, it’s really nice to have these options from a single microphone. You can test out a range of different presentation styles with one small investment.

It’s also a nice microphone for webinars - something we’ve written about before. The Yeti does have one or two shortcomings for this though, which we’ll get to shortly.

Who’s it for?

If you’re new to podcasting or webinars and want good audio for minimal investment, the Yeti is for you. You’ll get a nice, warm sound without needing any technical know-how or other expensive equipment.

That’s important if you’re testing out a new strategy. You can focus on producing great audio content without having to worry too much about the return on investment just yet.

If you give it three months and decide not to keep going, you’ve spent less than $150 on a microphone. And sound quality definitely will not be the reason you give it up.

Seasoned audio professionals will probably want something a bit more robust, but this is nice for your marketing team projects and video sales meetings.

Why we love it

The absolute best part about the Yeti is how easy it is to use. That’s because it plugs directly into your USB port.

Most microphones require an external interface to connect to your computer. (We’ve recommended the Scarlett 2i2 mixer in the past.) That’s because mics are usually built to be plugged into mixing boards, not computers.

But every piece of extra equipment is another reason not to start your podcast or webinar strategy. So it’s so exciting to have a decent quality microphone that plugs directly into your laptop.

And you don’t even need to download a driver to operate it - another annoying step. It seriously is ready to use immediately.

And as we said above, it’s really hard to find this mix of convenience and sound quality, at this price. Usually we’d recommend spending a little more on a microphone because you won’t need to upgrade them often. But you get so much with the Yeti that it’s worth testing for sure.

And the fact that it has different functions is also really helpful. You’re basically getting three microphones in one, which gives you a lot of flexibility.

Finally, it looks really nice and comes in a few different styles. This never hurts, especially if you’re hosting webinars or any kind of video content that would likely require the microphone to be in focus.

What could be better

Obviously at such a good price, we can’t have everything. And there are one or two things that prevent this from being an overwhelming success.

A few plastic parts

While most of the Yeti comes in a nice chrome style, small sections of the stand and microphone are made from plastic. This doesn’t affect the look particularly, but these parts can be a little more prone to breaking.

If you take good care of the microphone, this won’t really be an issue. But if it’s going to be passed around the office and dropped from time to time, you may see some damage.

The stand is massive

The Yeti sits on a round base which takes up a lot of space. This doesn’t matter for audio recordings, but if you’re presenting a webinar or conference call it’s hard to keep the microphone out of your face.

To get around this, you can fairly easily attach it to a stand. (That’s what we’ve done at Livestorm.)

It’s not a big issue, but it’s something to be aware of. If you’re trying to go for a low-cost option, adding a stand will drive the cost up.

USB keeps changing

We love that the Yeti connects through USB, but the main port is mini-USB to USB-A. Your new Macbook Pro only uses USB-C, so you’re going to need an adaptor to plug it in.

And in two years’ time, we might be using something else altogether.

Still, a USB adaptor is much cheaper than an external mixer, so this is a small annoyance rather than a big issue.

Other Webinar Microphones to Try

After browsing the countless webinar microphones on the market, you might feel overwhelmed by all of your options. To help you find the best microphone for your specific needs, we reviewed a few other popular models. We evaluated these microphones based on criteria like sound quality, ease of use, portability and durability, aesthetics, and more. With a wide range of features and prices, you’ll be able to find a mic within your budget! And for more tips on webinars, read our webinar guide.

Samson Go Mic

If you’ll be recording webinars while you’re on the go, a small, portable microphone is a must. The affordable, pocket-sized Samson Go Mic fits the bill. This USB microphone was specifically designed with business travel in mind, so you’ll be able to produce webinars with great sound quality after you hit the road. It’s compatible with both Macs and PCs.

This mic provides omnidirectional and cardioid pickup patterns. Therefore, you can set it up to solely capture sound in front of the microphone, or you can pick up sound in a 360-degree pattern, which is ideal if you’re recording several people around a conference table.

You can easily clip it to your laptop for convenient recording. Alternatively, you can attach it to a standard microphone stand and set it on your desk. Since it’s significantly smaller than other webinar mics, speakers can pass it around while recording - it won’t feel too clunky or heavy.

Overall, the Go Mic is an especially good investment because it comes with user-friendly recording software. Once you have the mic, you’ll be able to start producing your first webinar, even if you’ll be traveling!

Blue Microphones Snowball

When you’re recording a webinar, a visual presentation is important. If you’re searching for a microphone that will look sleek on camera, the Blue Microphones Snowball is the perfect choice. The model comes with a simple desktop base and spherical microphone, and with eight different color options, you’re sure to find a hue that suits your preference. This mic provides good sound quality without sacrificing aesthetics. It’s compatible with Macs and PCs, and it’s quite budget-friendly.

The Snowball boasts a dual-capsule design, so whether you’ll be chatting with individuals one-on-one or joining in on conference calls, you’ll have no problem recording clear conversations. This condenser microphone will pick up on background noises fairly easily. Therefore, this mic is a good choice if you know you’ll be recording in an area with little audio interference. You can set it to omnidirectional or cardioid pickup, or you can use the cardioid with a -10db pad set up to lower mic sensitivity when you’re recording sounds from exceptionally loud sources.

This mic is exceptionally easy to use. With a convenient USB connection and plug-and-play capability, you don’t need to purchase any other special equipment to start working on your webinar - you can simply plug in the Snowball and begin recording!

Heil PR 40

If you’re particularly concerned with finding a mic that will ensure impeccable sound quality, the Heil PR 40 is a solid investment. This is a dynamic microphone, which means that it won’t record lots of surrounding noise. While this does result in a sound that isn’t as “rich,” it also means you won’t pick up much background interference, so your audio will naturally be crisper. The Heil PR 40 comes with an internal breath blast filter, which eliminates “popping” noises when recording people talking.

The Heil PR 40 is particularly popular because it is made with high-quality materials, including custom metal magnets. However, it’s worth noting that this particular microphone is fairly expensive. If you’re just getting ready to host your first webinar, and you’re not sure if you’ll be hosting more in the future, you may want to go with a more affordable option. But if you’ll be hosting plenty of webinars in the foreseeable future, this mic is a fantastic, durable investment. You can also choose from several different finishes to match the rest of your equipment!

RØDE NT-USB

While the RØDE NT-USB microphone is particularly well-suited for musicians who want studio-quality recordings, you can also take advantage of its many convenient features to record webinars.

This mic includes a premium pop-filter so that you won’t pick up plosives when you’re recording. If you want to guarantee pristine audio quality, this feature is essential. Because of the high sound quality, this is a good mic if you’ll frequently be hosting live webinars, since you won’t have to worry about interference. It comes with a zero-latency headphone jack so that you can assess the quality of your recordings, and it features dials that enable you to adjust the mic input as you record.

The RØDE NT-USB Mic also comes with a tripod desk stand for easy setup, as well as a ring mount so that you can adjust the tilt when necessary. For a reasonable price, you’ll get all of the basic equipment you need to start recording with this mic. That’s what makes the RØDE NT-USB such a good deal - with this package, you get plenty of value for your money.

Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB

Would you prefer to host your webinars with a handheld microphone? If so, the Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB would suit you. While some webinar hosts might be concerned that working with a handheld mic will result in subpar audio quality, the ATR2100-USB is a reputable, dynamic mic with extended frequency, enabling you to produce webinars with rich, clear audio.

With this mic, you can choose either a USB or XLR output - or you can use both outputs simultaneously! This mic is highly versatile, so if you’ll be producing webinars in a variety of formats like live and pre recorded webinars, you can rely on the ATR2100-USB. If you’re producing digital recordings, you’ll likely want to use the USB output, while the XLR output is the best choice for live webinars.

You can also connect it to built-in headphones, so you’ll be able to monitor the sound quality and make adjustments accordingly. This function is especially convenient for producing live webinars. Ultimately, if you know that you’ll be producing live and pre recorded webinars in the future, the ATR2100-USB provides all of the features that you need.