Why I hate the Blue Yeti microphone so much (#SorryNotSorry)
Now that online courses and virtual conferences are commonplace, more people than ever have been (and will be) presenting from their office.
It’s not an easy thing to just do. There is a big learning curve, and one of the main challenges is finding the right microphone.
Chances are you’ve stumbled onto my post for one of two reasons:
(a) you’re ready to buy a mic and you’re wondering if you should get a Blue Yeti, or
(b) you already have a Blue Yeti and you’re wondering why it picks up everything, has lots of background noise, and/or otherwise sounds bad.
…Option B is basically the TL;DR version of this article, by the way.
So let’s get right to it, shall we?
Let’s start by making sure this blog post applies to your situation.
This blog post is for academics, scientists, educators, and similar professionals who need to:
Create online course videos (asynchronous teaching)
Deliver live classes (synchronous teaching)
Give online webinars or conference presentations
Give other important online presentations (e.g., job talk and teaching demo)
Have good sound even with noisy backgrounds, and without having a sound booth
If you’re a musician or make ASMR videos, this is not the blog post for you. This is also not tailored to podcasters, because podcasters will want a much better mic than the one I’m recommending in this situation.
And, by default, this blog post is for people who already know that they need a microphone. If you’re still not sure whether you need one (you do), then read this detailed guide about microphones for professionals.
Still with me?
Sweet.
Let’s get started with a little context.
Why I wrote this blog post about my experience using a Blue Yeti Microphone
I never intended to write this blog post.
The focus of my blog/YouTube channel is to help academics, scientists, and educators end #DeathByPowerpoint.
My other blog posts focus on how to create engaging presentations.
Speaking of which, if you’d like help with creating engaging presentations then make sure you check out my FREE training video >>
I had been training professionals about presentation design for several years via webinars and course videos, so I decided to make some blog posts to help with that delivery format.
Right before the pandemic hit, I just-so-happened to create a couple videos about microphones for academics.
I made a video/blog about why professionals need a mic because after I train people to create well-designed, engaging presentations with data…it’s important that their beautifully-designed slides don’t go to waste because they were delivered via webinar (or recorded) with poor audio quality.
And in that blog/video, I just-so-happened to have mentioned that I strongly recommend against getting a Blue Yeti.
Instead, I suggested that academics should get a cheaper (and better sounding) mic called the ATR2100x.
Well that struck a nerve. (to say the least)
I've been involved in countless Facebook, Slack, Twitter, and Insta conversations about why I don’t think the Yeti is not a good mic.
It ended up being a running theme in my convo with Jon Schwabish, as part of his Data@Urban Digital Discussions series.
People had a lot of questions about how I could possibly not like the #1 most recommended mic out there.
I answer those questions (and questions people never asked) in this blog post.
I used the Yeti for 2 years and I’m not trying to shame or make fun of people using the Yeti. I am trying to prevent others from making the same mistake I did, and want people to choose a better mic so they SAVE MONEY and SOUND BETTER.
Why is the Yeti so popular?! I don’t get it.
When you search for a mic on Amazon, the Blue Yeti is very much shoved in your face. When you ask The Internet what mic they use, most of them say "A Blue Yeti and I love it!"
So when this weirdo (hi, that's me) comes along and starts telling everyone how much a Yeti actually sucks...it’s (unsurprisingly) met with resistance.
That’s okay. I’m ready for it. Just like I’m ready for pushback when I tell people that “1 slide per minute” or “using as few slides as possible” are the two worst pieces of presentation design advice that exist. Yes, for real. If that surprises you, then take this free training.
99% of the time, the people who recommend a Yeti have only used a Yeti, and have not used other mics.
Those of us who have used other mics are super confused about how the Yeti became so popular, because it's really Not. A. Great. Mic. when you need to record course videos or give webinars.
And if we’re moving to a more online world—more virtual conferences and more online classes—the LAST thing we need is for all these people to be using a Yeti. Ugh. Just the thought makes my ears hurt!
Let’s answer your #1 question:
“If this Blue Yeti microphone is so bad, Echo, then why does everyone recommend it?”
First, I want to be clear that I’m not saying the Yeti is bad in all situations. In fact, it’s a very popular mic among folks who make ASMR videos.
Which perfectly proves my point.
With that said, here are 9 reasons why I think the Yeti is recommended to academics so much even when it shouldn’t be:
1. When someone searches "computer mic" on Amazon, they see (approximately) a thousand Blue Yetis before anything else.
They get overwhelmed + assume that it’s popularity MUST mean it’s good.
They see the good reviews. It looks way cooler than the other mics (which 100% influences buyer behavior, by the way).
They've probably heard others say it's a good mic, and then they buy it.
2. This person then compares their audio quality to bad microphones
Bad microphones:
Apple headphones
Headsets
Webcam mics
computer mics
Those sound so bad that anything in comparison will sound better.
So, in comparison to literally the worst "microphone" options, a Yeti sounds pretty damn good.
They probably don’t know that if they were to use an ATR2100x (which is cheaper), they’d sound better, because they never used it before.
The next time someone tells you they love their Yeti, ask them what other microphones they’ve used.
3. Some Blue Yeti microphone users don’t know how bad they sound when using a Yeti.
Did you know what your voice sounded like before watching one of your course videos? Or, maybe you haven’t even done that yet and really don’t know what you sound like.
Exactly.
That’s probably the case with folks who recommend the Yeti.
For example, maybe they only use the mic for webinars. Or maybe when they record course videos, they never listen to them again. Or, maybe they do listen to them again, but they don’t do it carefully (e.g., low volume), or don’t even have headphones on while doing so.
This means they haven’t realized that they sound empty, distant, echoey, or are clipping. They don’t know they sound like they’re in another room (A good mic will actually make it sound like you’re in the room with the person).
Or, they didn’t listen enough to realize that we can hear every single thump of the keyboard, every single breath you take, every mouth smack, the background AC or heat, and every single background noise in your recording/website.
That is ANNOYING and NOT NORMAL.
4. Some people get REALLY lucky, and the Blue Yeti microphone sounds good for them without any work on their part.
I’ve noticed that this happens to almost entirely men who speak in a really quiet, monotone voice. Often, they don’t have sharp s’s and their voice is deep and boomy.
For men and women, sometimes a person is in a room with magically good acoustics and no background noise.
These evil-lucky people keep the myth alive that a Yeti can sound good for others. Don’t trust them.
By the way. Even when a voice magically sounds good on a Yeti, the fact that the Yeti picks up every single thump from the keyboard/desk and all of the background noise still means it’s annoying to listen to them talk on a Yeti.
Plus, these evil-lucky people would probably sound amazing on other mics—they sound good *in spite* of a Yeti, not *because* of a Yeti.
Related: It’s incredibly irritating that men (it’s always men) will defend the Yeti by saying things like “Well, it probably just works better for men. It’s probably your voice, little lady.” Um. I’m sorry, but isn’t that a sign of a sh*tty mic if it doesn’t work for half the population. Even if it’s true, why is that your defense? Ugh!
5. Some people can’t tell the difference between good audio and bad audio.
Not trying to be mean here, it’s just the truth. Look, I can’t tell the difference between good pasta and bad pasta. Slather a bunch of pasta sauce on it and I’m good. We all can’t be experts in all things.
In terms of audio, one example is that some folks think that LOUDEST is best. They’ll watch the video comparison I made and think the Yeti sounds better because it’s louder. Ugh. That’s not true—it gets irritating after a while.
Humans like dynamics, not just straight up LOUD for the entire webinar/video.
Don’t let how loud the Yeti is trick you.
6. Some people don’t care if the audio is irritating to listen to for the audience.
To them, it doesn’t matter if the audience hears the thump of the keyboard every time they move the slide forward, or the thump of them putting their elbows on the desk.
They don’t care if they clip and make their listener throw off their headphones in angst or if their audience has to listen to it with the volume cranked down just to tolerate it.
They don’t care if we can hear their neighbors shouting or cutting the grass or their dog barking.
Some don’t care if, when their dogs are walking around behind them, the listener hears every single thump of their paws on the floor or scrape of their nails on the floor.
They don’t care because they assume it doesn’t distract the audience and doesn’t impede the audience’s learning. This assumption is incorrect.
All those noises are 100% absolutely no-doubt distracting at least some of your audience, making it hard for them to understand your material.
If that sounds like you, and if you don’t care you’re making it harder for people to pay attention and listen to you… well, then you might as well stop reading this post right now. Because, this post is for people who want their listeners to have a smooth, positive experience while listening to them talk.
I’m guessing that’s not you, though, BUT, keep in mind that the person recommending the Yeti to you might feel this way.
7. “Someone in broadcasting” or an “audio expert” recommended it.
To be honest, sometimes this feels like code for “man.”
That’s important because, you see, I’m not a man. A main reason people probably don’t listen to me is because I’m a woman recommending tech equipment. Not much I can do about that, though.
So let’s say we took this comment at face value, then.
If they are actually a professional then they probably have a sound booth and probably don’t have experience with the context you’ll be speaking or recording in (e.g., office, home, and/or street noises in the background).
Or, they are recommending a beginner mic to you—one you can just plug into the computer and have it work—and the Yeti is popular (because of everything else above), so it’s an easy recommendation to give.
I’d be willing to bet a year’s worth of coffee that what they’re really saying is, “Let’s just say the Yeti is good enough for you because I don’t feel like getting into this and it’s at least better than Apple headphones!”
So, it’s path of least resistance for them. What they probably are NOT saying is “The Yeti is the best mic for your money.” Yet, that’s how people interpret the recommendation.
There are other beginner mics they could just as easily recommend (like the one I recommend for you, an ATR2100x), but honestly, I get why they might just say the Yeti and be done with it.
I’ve written this long essay + made 2 videos and I still have academics & scientists insisting on buying the Yeti even though they don’t plan on creating a sound booth.
I’m sometimes tempted to just give in and stop caring and let people spend more money to have worse sound, because the obsession with the Yeti is pretty intense.
But alas, I can’t do that because I want you to have excellent sound for a good price.
9. It’s all a NASA conspiracy?
A lot of people think that the Yeti just didn’t personally work for me, which is I why hate it.
I find that particularly offensive. First of all, that’s not my style.
Second, I am actually able to understand the difference between a personal experience or preference vs. when something doesn’t seem to work well across settings and people.
It’s incredibly patronizing when people respond this way—especially when they’re actually the ones who have had only one personal experience with one mic, in one limited context, and have never really paid attention to how people sound on other mics.
Or, worse, they have no experience with a mic at all. On the one hand, yes, this about my personal opinion…but my opinion is based on observing how the Yeti sounds with others, too.
I am in the unique position to talk about this because, for years, I’ve done tons of video and group calls with academics, scientists, researchers, and evaluators across the world.
I’ve talked to people using a variety of mics—default computer mics, Yetis, headsets, and good microphones. I’ve listened to webinars where people are using a variety of mics.
It is a consistent pattern that when I talk to someone using a Yeti, it sounds bad and there is an obnoxious amount of background noise and clipping. Oh, coffee, there’s so much clipping. I’ve also been doing webinars and recording course videos for 3 years now. I have literally recorded over 100 videos (closer to 200), using 3 different mics. I’ve tested 4 different mics so far.
Plus, I’ve done really basic things, such as watching HOURS of Booth Junkie videos and other videos about microphones.
This about the collective experience of both using and listening to a ton of people using the Yeti and other external microphones.
But sure. Trust the dudes on Facebook telling you the Yeti rocks, even though they’ve literally only used the Yeti…and probably only for a few months…and only in a limited context…all while doing little to no research on how to get good audio. Yes, that makes sense. 😭
Look. I'm trying to help you use a mic that will make your voice sound amazing, so you have an easier time recording & editing, and so your audience isn't so annoyed with your audio and the constant thumps we hear when you're doing a webinar/recording a video.
It takes a lot of work to make the Blue Yeti microphone sound okay
(aka tips for how to make your Blue Yeti sound great)
We searched the internet high and low for tips to make the Blue Yeti sound good.
And there are TONS of tips out there about how to do things like:
Get rid of background noise
Stop clipping and lower the volume of the recording
Get rid of that echo-y sound
Stop your keyboard taps and mouth clicks from getting picked up in the recording
Prevent your mouth noises from being in the recording
The frustrating part about these is that everyone seems to act like these are totally normal things to do while using a mic.
(narrator: they’re not)
This might be why you found my blog post, because you’re scouring the internet for help understanding why your Blue Yeti sounds so bad or is too sensitive.
It’s not you. It’s the Yeti.
Once I used a better mic, I didn’t have to actively worry about most of that stuff. I could not believe how much easier it was to record with other mics.
Yeti users will do all sorts of weird things to compensate for the Yeti’s faults, while pretending like these are normal things to do, and telling others these are just what you have to do when using a mic.
A sample of advice about how to make a Blue Yeti microphone sound good (with some sarcasm added in for fun):
Record only when the neighbors are perfectly quiet. Because that’s actually a thing that happens for some people? lol
Kill off your enthusiasm and speak in a monotone (boring) way. So what if the audience falls asleep.
Require all roommates or housemates to lay perfectly still on the couch, making no noise whatsoever. No, they cannot get up to use the bathroom or get a glass of water. They must wait. On second thought, just kick them out and don’t let them return until you’re done.
Turn off the heat/air first, and then record. No, it doesn’t matter if your toes start to freeze. You should have worn winter socks, you knew this would happen.
Lock your dogs in the basement or tell your partner to take them for a drive so the sound of them walking around isn’t picked up by the mic.
Record while under a pile of blankets or in the closet. Don’t forget to come up for air so you don’t start to sound high.
Push the Yeti (approximately) 1 mile away and whisper. You’ll still need to reduce the volume in post, but at least you wont clip!
Use a remote clicker or put your keyboard on your lap just so the recording doesn’t pick up you lightly tapping the desk or lightly pressing the arrow key to move your slide forward.
And then, if you have any standards at all, your video editor (which might be you), will also have to:
Reduce the volume of the Yeti. No…keep going. Lower than that. Yes, go into the negative. Mhmm, keep going.
Add noise reduction to the video file. But without making the audio sound like it’s underwater!
Conduct other audio sorcery to make it sound decent.
THESE ARE NOT NORMAL THINGS TO DO WHEN RECORDING VIDEOS OR DELIVERING WEBINARS!
Whoa, caps.
I know!
The Yeti picks up E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G, creates original files that are excruciatingly L-O-U-D, and still requires post-processing on the audio just for it to sound decent.
This is exactly what my video editor and I dealt with for TWO years. All while being gaslighted by The Internet, who continued to claim that the Yeti sounds great. (“Have you adjusted the gain, little lady?”)
It’s SO MUCH easier to just buy a new mic, but Yeti users insist on maintaining these elaborate schemes instead of getting a new mic (I should know, I did these elaborate schemes for 2 years instead of just buying a new mic!)
YES. I had it on the right setting. YES the gain was turned down to ZERO. YES I know about shock mounts. I swear to coffee if another Dudebro tries to mansplain this to me one more time I’m going to explode.
Look. I 100% fully acknowledge that a Yeti sounds better than an awful mic that’s normally painful to listen to (e.g., Apple ear pods, webcam mics, combined mic headphone/headsets).
In fact, that was the whole point of my first comparison video—to show how bad those mics are.
But, um. That’s a low bar, my friend. And if the Yeti was like $20, then I wouldn’t be writing this. But a Yeti is expensive!
This is why you need to be careful about crowdsourcing advice about microphones from people who have either never used a mic before, or have only used ONE mic in a limited context.
Plus, we haven’t even talked about how the position of the mic, and the equipment you use, can impact the audio quality.
There’s actually a number of components involved and if you just try to ask twitter for help, you’re going to get bad or incomplete advice.
The cheaper and better microphone alternative to the Blue Yeti: ATR2100x
One day, I listened to Lindsay Padilla’s podcast and it sounded really nice. I asked her partner, Derek, what mic she used, and found out it was an Audio-Technica ATR2100 (used with an audio interface). I bought it immediately.
When I recorded my first video with it, I can only describe my feelings as intense hatred for The Internet for gaslighting me combined with exuberant joy.
There was instant warmth and depth added to my voice!
Barely any background noise was picked up!! I could record while the neighbor’s dog was barking!!
I could record with the heat on!!!
My video editor was pleased with having less post-processing to do on the audio!!!!
So many exclamation points!
I was so mad about all the time I wasted with that Yeti. We could have, together, saved well over 100 hours of annoyance if we just bought a better mic to begin with. And just to add salt to the wound—the ATR2100x is a CHEAPER MIC THAN THE YETI.
The regular Yeti doesn’t even have all the same features as the ATR2100x
The ATR2100x is a wonderful little device because you can use it as a USB mic at first (meaning, you plug it into your computer and it works).
And if/when you’re ready to upgrade the sound, you can switch to using it with an interface (meaning, you plug the mic into the interface and the interface gets plugged into the computer; XLR cord required).
An interface will make the audio sound even better because it processes the audio while it’s recording! The regular Yeti does not have this feature. You need the “Yeti Pro” which is expensive.
In other words, you can start with the ATR2100x as a USB mic for about $80-$150. Then, if you want to upgrade the sound (you may not want to, but if you do), then you can spend about $150 more for an interface and still use the same mic.
That extends how long you can use the mic. It’s future-proofing, basically.
And if you can find the kit on Amazon where the mic comes with a desk stand and a boom arm, get it. That’s such a good deal. (I’m not linking to it because it gets sold out a lot).
You may be tempted to buy the kit that comes with their headphones, but I’d actually recommend against that one. Don’t include headphones with the kit because you might not like the headphones so then it’s a waste of money.
The headphones you use don’t matter — if you already have a pair you like, use those.
If you want more help with choosing and using a microphone, then check out my ultimate guide to mics for academics, scientists, and educators.
Those different audio settings are not actually worth it
One reason people tell me they like the Yeti is because you can choose from different audio settings.
They say they don’t like the ATR2100x because it only has 1 audio setting.
“But Echo, what if I need it to record courses AND record an in-person interview AND I want to record me playing an instrument!”
Is that…actually going to happen?
Let’s be realistic with ourselves.
And even if it was going to happen, then you should get a microphone for each of those purposes.
Think about it: If I told you about a 5-in-1 kitchen appliance that would replace your:
bread machine,
food processor,
blender,
mixer, and
pressure cooker!
You would know that it might do one of those things well, but would work like sh*t for all the others.
Same thing with a microphone.
Get one that does it’s ONE job really well.
Get an ATR2100x.
REMEMBER: I am trying to (a) save you money, and (b) help you have the BEST possible audio with the LEAST amount of wasted time or hassle/irritation. That is my only goal here.
Remember, the ATR2100x is CHEAPER than the Blue Yeti microphone
I know those prices might sound like a lot at first, but there are, like…$5,000 microphones out there that the real pros use (not kits: that’s the price of JUST the microphone)…so this is actually the budget approach.
And I’m recommending the ATR2100x for you even though I use a more expensive mic and setup now. So I’m not just recommending the most expensive thing I can think of.
The ATR2100x is a magical little microphone that balances affordability with quality—moreso than any other USB mic I know of.
The good news is that even these budget mics are pretty durable, so it should work for years. My partner has a 20 year old microphone that still works perfectly!
I mean no offense at all if even $120 is way out of your budget. That’s totally understandable and, tbh, in an ideal world your employer/chair/director would be buying this for you.
Besides, Yeti’s are obnoxious tanks of a mic. They are so heavy that it wouldn’t even work on the boom we bought. I guess you need to buy an official Yeti boom that is probably made of Vibranium or something, because those mics are brutes.
In contrast, ATR2100x mics are super light and worked with the boom we had. So that’s another cost savings by getting the ATR2100x—the accessories are affordable, too.
Don’t fall victim to the sunk cost fallacy like I did
I noticed problems with my Yeti early on, within the first few recordings I made.
And yet, I used it for two more years!
Why did I do that to myself?
I don’t know, so please don’t make the same mistake I did. Don’t fall victim to the sunk cost fallacy.
It is better to just get a new mic and have good audio instead of resorting to all of the previously mentioned “tricks” to make the Yeti sound better.
If you already have a USB mic, I don’t know if it would be worth changing to the ATR2100x. I can’t help with that. The only USB mics I’ve used are the Yeti and the ATR2100.
I guess just make sure it has an XLR output, so you can upgrade if you want. If your USB mic doesn’t have an XLR option, then an ATR2100x could be worth it.
If you have an ATR2100x and aren’t happy with the sound, then it’s probably your setup (e.g., how close the mic is to your mouth) or room acoustics (e.g., hardwood floors). Or maybe you have high standards, and that means it’s time to upgrade to an interface: Listen to an ATR2100 as a USB and with an interface in this video.
If you found this Blue Yeti microphone review helpful, then you’ll LOVE my free training!
Like I mentioned above, I don’t focus solely on technology.
My primary focus is helping academics, scientists, educators (and similar professionals) create engaging presentations.
Now that you know which microphone will help you have great audio, make sure your presentation slides look great too.
You can get started for free with my free training video >>
with joy,
Echo Rivera, PhD
Disclaimer: These are all my personal opinions based on my own experiences. NONE of the links in this post are affiliates. This post was NOT SPONSORED by any company. I have not received ANY compensation, of ANY type (financial or through free products, etc), for this post. There may be better mics than the ATR2100 out there, but I will ONLY recommend products I’ve personally used.
