Anyone have a recommendation pro or con re the Blue Yeti Mic … I use it for recording books, periodicals, etc
I use it for recording books, periodicals, etc
Do you already have one? Or that’s what you want to do?
Koz
Thought I’d buy one and use instead of the set up I currently have (mic and mixer) which gives me fits … but I don’t know a microphone from a microwave so need some help and recommendations.
Thanx for whatever you provide …
We have posters who write like they’ve been reading for years and just have this one little problem… In fact, they can’t get their new inna-box microphone to work.
If you do get a Yeti, get it from someone reputable and save the receipts and packing. There are computer/Yeti combinations which don’t work together and will never work together. If you have one of those evil combinations you get errors like this.
We can help filter that out later in post production editing, but you have to filter everything you do until the sun cools off. No live performances, conferencing, or chat. There was a recent poster who got a half-broken Yeti from eBay. He’s stuck.
If everything works OK, they seem like a good choice and apparently, there are thousands in use all over the earth.
the set up I currently have (mic and mixer) which gives me fits
I’m much more interested in the fits. We may be able to save you some money. Describe it. Model numbers, connections, etc. A very common error is trying to plug a working mixer into the 1/8" headset connection of a laptop. Another one is not turning off “Widows Enhancements.”
Koz
For past 3 months I’ve been using a Pro FX6v3 mixer and a BCD-1 mic.
They work fine when they’re working … what has happened twice now is that the output via the mic/mixer is so weak it hardly registers on Aucacity. Unless I actually yell into the mic, there are no blips on the sound track. I did an RMS check and it showed something like -65.
The first time this happened, it somehow magically cured itself after a day or tw0 … but it’s occurred again and is still out.
Because of the complexity of the switches, etc on the mixer, and the obvious but true fact that I’m not a sound engineer, is why I am considering buying a USB mic and not using a mixer. I was leaning to the Blue Yeti for no particular reason but am open to other ideas and suggestions … budget wise for a USB mic, I could cough up $300-400 if it provides me the quality and simplicity I need.
Your thoughts???
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ProFX6v3--mackie-profx6v3-6-channel-mixer-with-effects
That one? You can get this with or without the USB digital connection. If you do have the USB version, let me read this back to you. You’re going to abandon the mixer with troublesome USB connection and buy a microphone to plug into your troublesome USB connection.
I’ve been using Mackie mixers for centuries with no troubles.
If you can get the Mackie green flashing sound meters to flash zero or 4 above, then there is sound going down the USB cable.
If you have a bad or ratty USB connection, that can cause very serious problems. The first time the USB connection drops for any reason, Audacity will lose the connection…forever. The only way to get it back is make sure the USB cable is secure and Windows can see the sound, and then restart Audacity or Transport > Rescan.
Do you have the USB Mackie?
Koz
You can trace your sound. There’s a little green light in the mixer upper left to set your mic level. The mixer has Line-Out bouncing light meters to the right, Windows has a sound meter and Audacity will monitor your sound if you click in the recording meters > Start Monitoring.
Does your Windows have a speaker symbol in the lower right? Right-click that and drill down to the Recording panels. There should be a panel with your USB listed and meters that bounce with the sound. That’s testing the step in the middle.
I’m not a Windows elf.
The mixer isn’t as bad as it looks. For a simple recording, you’ll be turning most of it off.
As we go.
Koz
I’ll play around this some more but I’ve checked the USB connection, rebooted everything, yadda, yadda, yadda …and just did another test recording with the same results … when I analyzed the RSM it showed -65.
The recording meter on Audacity shows recording between -54 and -48
It appears to be a lot simpler and, if the recording quality with a USB mic is good, then it would be easier for me since I’m not a technophobe .
I’m willing to cough up some more dough if a USB mic would work just fine for me and save me the frustrations I’m having with the current setup
Here’s the key question: What do I lose by going with a USB mic and jettisoning the mixer setup ???
What do I lose by going with a USB mic and jettisoning the mixer setup
USB microphones are not plug and forget in spite of what the makers want you to believe. If you answer a few questions we can find out if you can get anything to work.
Do you have the USB version of the Mackie? I need those words. It’s really easy for servicing to go off the rails if the elf and the poster suddenly start using different English.
when I analyzed the RSM it showed -65.
Baby steps. Do you get at least half-way lights on the mixer right-hand bouncing sound meter?
Koz
Yes, I have the USB version of the Mackie (I think) … the mic is attached to the mixer and also plugged into the USB port.
To the question ‘Do you get at least half-way lights on the mixer right-hand bouncing sound meter?’ YES
Also on Mic Line 1 (the only one I’m using) the GAIN dial is set at about 2 o’clock , just before it starts to squeal.
Yes, I have the USB version of the Mackie (I think) … the mic is attached to the mixer and also plugged into the USB port.
To the question ‘Do you get at least half-way lights on the mixer right-hand bouncing sound meter?’ YES
Also on Mic Line 1 (the only one I’m using) the GAIN dial is set at about 2 o’clock … just before the green light comes on and it starts to squeal.
The other day I had Mackie Tech Support on line and we went over all the settings … they thought there may be a problem with the drivers. That was an answer that was interesting but didn’t help me much since the only driver I have is in my golf bag and I don’t know squat about what to do about it (including the one in my golf bag)
just before the green light comes on and it starts to squeal.
Is there anybody around that can help you through this? I officially don’t know which way to go.
It’s possible you’re going to buy a nice Yeti and live happily ever after. But maybe not. The forum has well over 1800 postings from people having trouble with their Yetis. There is no doubt we can talk you through getting either one to work (or know why not), but it’s not going to be fast texting over multiple time zones. Weeks?
So it’s up to you. I think if we got the mixer to work, it will sound better than the Yeti. I like that style of microphone for voice work. There have been problems with Yetis sounding sharp and harsh. It’s important if you buy one, save the receipts and packing and make sure of a return policy.
Koz
Koz … if the Yeti is not the answer, is there another USB mike that DOES do the trick ???
is there another USB mike that DOES do the trick
Not that I know of.
Most of those microphones are not necessarily evil. They’re having trouble recording on a computer. You get Yeti Curse whine sound when the Yeti manufacturing shortcuts meet the computer manufacturing shortcuts. Most Ridiculously Overpriced Macs don’t have this problem.
I’ve been carefully avoiding equipment recommendations because stuff I can make work won’t necessarily work for my mum, for example, and I can’t tell ahead of time.
We are pretty clear when something fails on the forum repeatedly because of actual product failure.
There is one microphone clearly designed as a scam and almost always produces bad sound. Stay away from the BM-800 Professional Broadcasting Studio Recording Condenser Microphone Kit. Or any strangely “affordable” microphone with the number “8” in the title.
The last good quality voice track I recorded was made on a Zoom sound recorder sitting on a roll of paper towels in my quiet bedroom. No computer anywhere near. I have trouble recommending that because it’s not the easiest to use. The recorder, not the towels.
Have you tried recording on your computer built-in microphone? They can be pretty awful, but not always. Given your current lucky streak, that may actually be better.
Koz
I think it’s worth noting that the Blue Yeti is one of the biggest selling USB mics for voice over / podcast type recording. Although we see relatively high numbers of people having problems with this mic, it’s worth remembering that the vast majority of people that come to this forum do so because they have a problem. There’s probably many thousands of Yeti user that don’t have problems, and don’t come to this forum.
The other thing worth noting is that the infamous “mosquito whistle” sound is probably cause by interference getting in through the USB power supply. The USB power is much more noisy on some computers than others. It’s quite possible that a USB mic may work perfectly on one computer, and be noisy on another. Having said that, it does seem (based on user feedback on this forum), that Yeti mics are quite sensitive to noise, while some other mics may be better able to reject power supply noise.
More expensive “big brand” USB microphones (Shure, Audio-Technica, Rode, Sennheiser, …) are “likely” to be better at rejecting USB noise, though if the computer’s USB power is very noisy, then some noise may be picked up even by the best.
Although I’ve not used one myself, one USB microphone that always seems to get good reviews is the Audio-Technica AT2020 USB+ (not the USBi).
Personally I’m not a fan of USB microphones, other than cheap USB mics for Skype / Zoom / … where convenience outweighs quality.
There is a fuzzy rule in addition to price. Any interface or mixer with 48V in its services is much less likely to have USB problems because to get the 48v to work, they have to process and clean the USB service.
That’s from a random sound mixer, but my little USB interface has that, too.
Koz