The Blue Yeti has to be the USB microphone that has been ruling the market for the longest.
However, is it really that good? What about the Shure MV7? Is it a preferable choice?
Are the microphones comparable? What distinguishes the two, and which should you choose?
We’ll provide answers to all of these questions in this article. So let’s get started!
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Overview Of Blue Yeti
Blue Yeti is renowned for producing very pricey, high-quality, stylish microphones. Fortunately, Blue Yeti is reasonably priced.
Their most well-known microphone is plug-and-play and operates via USB, so all you have to do to use it is connect it.
It functions flawlessly both under Mac OS and Windows.
The construction quality is excellent; it feels quite sturdy and is not like a cheap microphone that looks like it will break at any moment.
However, we must point out to you that if you use the accompanying desktop stand to set this up on the desk, the huge microphone might be in the way.
ALSO SEE: Best Blue Yeti Mic Stand
The Blue Yeti condenser mic is incredibly versatile, particularly for the price, because of its four polar patterns, which include cardioid, omnidirectional, stereo, and bidirectional.
Not only is it a great microphone for YouTubers, podcasters, and voice actors, but it also works well for recording music. with a focus on quite decent
On the bottom of the microphone are a zero-latency earphone output, a mute button, and a gain control.
You can easily tell how much gain you are dialing in thanks to the simplicity of use of all the knobs.
In addition to having superb sound quality, Blue Yeti is a great choice for recording music because it can do it in stereo.
But why is the stereo patterning such a good thing?
The two pencil condenser mics we often use to capture acoustic guitars, pianos, and other instruments give us a pretty wonderful stereo effect.
Even though the Blue Yeti won’t produce results exactly identical to those of the two pencil mics, it will undoubtedly outperform utilizing a solo cardioid polar pattern mic, at least when it comes to the stereo sensation.
Additionally, if you currently own a cardioid microphone, you can utilize the Blue Yeti’s omni mode to record simultaneously with both of them using the mid-side approach, which is a great way to get stereo recordings.
Special Features Of The Blue Yeti Microphone
- Three condenser capsules are contained in a tri-capsule array.
- Cardioid, stereo, omnidirectional, and bidirectional patterns are all available.
- A mute button, a gain control, and a zero-latency headphone jack.
- Perfect for recording music, voiceovers, gameplay streaming, interviews, and podcasts.
- Compatible with Mac and PC, plug & play.
- Includes a microphone desk stand.
Blue Yeti Performance
The Blue Yeti is incredibly user-friendly and doesn’t need any technical expertise to configure; you can simply connect and use it without worrying about drivers or latency difficulties.
Given the budget, the audio quality is excellent, and the four distinct pickup patterns provide the product with a ton of variety.
Do you require recording several individuals for a podcast? Or perhaps all you want is a Skype conversation…
You can execute all of this without any problems using each of these pickup patterns.
We particularly enjoy it for voice-related activities but, as we already indicated, not so much for music recording.
This is due to the fact that, despite the fact that the stereo pickup design can be useful for recording a guitar, it doesn’t sound as vibrant as we had hoped.
However, it is a fantastic microphone and well worth the cost.
Furthermore, a person without a trained ear probably won’t even notice these details.
We believe the Blue Yeti is the best option if you want a high-quality mic for a podcasting venture or simply to record YouTube videos, especially if you plan to employ the various pickup patterns.
Overview Of The Shure MV7
The Shure is a newish microphone that appears to have been created to fill the void between the more reasonably priced USB mics and the powerful SM7B, the typical podcasting microphone that costs about $400.
The Shure MV7 is a good option for those who are attempting to run a podcast or gaming stream where there may be some noise because it has a similar appearance to the Shure SM7B (also see, ‘Best Microphone For Streaming‘).
It is also a dynamic microphone, which is uncommon for USB mics because the majority of them are condensers.
Dynamic microphones tend to pick up less background noise.
The Shure MV7’s most significant feature is that it has both USB and XLR connectivity.
If you’ve read any of my other articles on USB microphones, you know that while we appreciate mics with USB connection, they don’t offer an upgrade path, and you’ll ultimately spend a lot more money once you upgrade to a more specialist setup.
With the Shure, you can easily purchase an audio interface without worrying that you won’t be able to use it because you may simply link it up to the mixer with an XLR cable.
Its intuitive touch panel on top, which allows you to change the audio level, monitor mix, and mute/unmute the microphone and headphone volume, is another distinguishing feature.
Last, but not least, it includes the ShurePlus MOTIV software, which has a range of benefits that podcasters and gamers will like.
Special Features Of The Shure MV7 Microphone
- Both XLR and USB connections.
- A touch screen (no knobs).
- USB mic with an adjustable mic – much better for any background noise.
- ShurePlus MOTIV program for enhanced audio signal control.
Shure MV7 Performance
This mic sounds quite similar to the Shure SM7B, in particular in the low end, which makes your voice seem deep and rich.
For this reason, we believe it is particularly suitable for podcasters.
Other than that, it has a pretty great, open, airy sound, and it sounds really balanced.
However, there is one feature that we don’t particularly like: the foam pop filter.
Considering how costly the microphone is, we believe that it doesn’t actually reduce plosives all that much.
Final Thoughts
Since the Shure MV7 has an XLR connection, you won’t need to buy a new mic anytime the rest of your equipment is upgraded, saving you money in the long run.
The Shure MV7 sounds slightly better, especially when you’re up close, however the plosives may be an issue there.
The Blue Yeti is around $100 less expensive and does provide greater adaptability due to the several polar patterns.
Budget, upgradeability, and what will best meet your needs are the deciding factors.
More Blue Yeti Comparisons
- Blue Yeti vs Blue Yeti X
- Rode Podcaster vs Blue Yeti
- AKG Lyra vs Blue Yeti
- Shure SM7B vs Blue Yeti
- Elgato Wave 3 vs Blue Yeti
- Blue Yeti vs HyperX Quadcast
- Samson Q2U vs Blue Yeti
- Samson Q9u vs Blue Yeti
- Audio Technica ATR2100 vs Blue Yeti
