Pros
- Plug n play performance
- 1/4” thread mount for tripods
- Easy angle adjustment
Cons
- None worth mentioning
Blue have been playing (pun intended) in the audio technology and design industry for over 20 years. In recent years, they have launched a number of snow themed USB podcasting quality mics including Yeti, Snowball and Snowball iCE. Today we check out their newest edition to the Australian market, the Yeti Nano.
The first thing you notice when you take this out of the box is the build quality. This is one well-built microphone and leagues apart from the Snowball iCE we recently reviewed. Before we even plug this in you can get a sense of why Blue claim that the Yeti Nano is designed for “broadcast-quality podcasting, YouTube productions, game streaming, Skype/VoIP calls, and voiceover work.”
The top of the Nano features a two pickup-pattern (cardioid and omnidirectional mode) control that enables us to record from a single or multiple sources at a press of a button. We used the cardioid mode for our testing as that is best suited for a single person that is sitting directly in front of the microphone.
As you can hear from that recording (converted to MP3), the Yeti Nano has a very clear studio-like sound, despite the audio compressions applied during the MP3 conversion process. This is largely due to the two proprietary condenser mic capsules that are included. Even with one less microphone than big brother Yeti’s triple capsule array, the Nano did not disappoint.
Some of the features we liked about the Yeti Nano included:
- Easy to install
- Supports Blue Sherpa companion app (firmware updates, quick and direct control options from your desktop)
- Mute/unmute the mic and headphones
- Fine-tune gain and levels
- Supports high-quality 24 bit/48kHz recording
The Blue Sherpa companion application lets you have more control over your USB microphone. For example, you can use it to easily to adjust the sensitivity (gain), volume and mute. Similarly, the Blue Yeti Nano’s default settings should already be well optimized out of the box. So, if you use software like GoTo Meeting or Skype, ensure that Automatic Gain settings are disabled in the first instance. You should get clear audio without 3rd party intervention.
For the price this is one awesome microphone. If you are into creating podcasts, video voiceovers or authoring livestreaming and YouTube videos, this is one USB based mic that you should check out. The Yeti Nano is available in four colours including Shadow Grey, Vivid Blue, Red Onyx and Cubano Gold. You can get the Shadow Grey now either via the Amazon affiliate link below (for our American readers) or in store at JB Hi-Fi. The other colours with additional styles will be out soon. In short, this one’s a keeper so do yourself a favour and grab one today.
