Blue Yeti

[TJB]

Anyone have a recommendation pro or con re the Blue Yeti Mic ... I use it for recording books, periodicals, etc

[kozikowski]

I use it for recording books, periodicals, etc

Do you already have one? Or that's what you want to do?

Koz

[TJB]

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 .....

[kozikowski]

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.

https://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/cli ... neClip.mp3

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

[TJB]

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???

[kozikowski]

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... th-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

[kozikowski]

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

[TJB]

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 ?????

[kozikowski]

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?

GoodMeters.jpg (47.73 KiB) Viewed 137 times

Koz

[TJB]

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.