I needed a voice friendly microphone for teaching online classes and rolled the dice on Logitech's Blue Yeti X.
Blue Yeti X World of Warcraft | On mic stand with illuminated level meter
Why Are We Here?
Why buy a USB mic like the Yeti X instead of a standard vocal mic? Indeed, mics like the Neumann TLM 103 and Shure SM7B are great choices for voiceovers and podcasting, but to get their signal into your computer requires an outboard audio interface with XLR preamps and analog to digital conversion. Mics are sold ala carte, so an XLR cable and mic stand will be necessary as well.
USB mics simplify digital life by being an all-in-one solution at a lower outlay than component systems. Mic, stand, preamp and analog to digital conversion are housed in one unit. Plug in a USB cable and go. While USB mic quality can be very good, they're beat by dedicated hardware components in sound quality and flexibility. If you need the best possible audio quality, stick with high-end large diaphragm mics and outboard components. For mere mortals, myself included, a good USB mic is a great balance of quality, convenience and cost for podcasting, gaming, video conferencing and YouTube.
Construction & Appearance
I prefer the subdued appearance of the Yeti X Blackout model, but bought the World of Warcraft version due to a half price Lightning deal at Amazon. What's the difference between the Yeti X and Yeti X World of Warcraft mics? Save for cosmetics—gray speckled finish, gaudy gold trim and World of Warcraft logo and pictograms—they are the same mic. On the software side, there's a special edition Blue Voice effects app for Yeti X World of Warcraft users.
The exterior of the Yeti X is metal and feels sturdy. Buttons are soft touch, but on the flimsy side. Mounted on the desk stand, the Yeti X is a desk hog and too low for comfortable use.
There's a standard 5/8" mic thread on the bottom, so I removed the desk stand and mounted the Yeti X on an InnoGear Mic Boom Arm. Thus, I can position for optimal sound and posture, but swing out of the way when not in use.
Blue Yeti X | Desk stand with World of Warcraft pictographs.
Ports
A 3.5mm headphone jack and USB mini port adorn the bottom of this mic but no XLR socket or optical out. So it won't work with most mixing boards or audio interfaces. The Yeti X is designed for direct connection to computers via USB.
I'm surprised it wasn't outfitted with a more universal USB-C port instead of a USB mini. It's not a deal breaker for me but it might be for some.
Controls
The Yeti X was plug ’n play on my iMac Pro. Not needing a software driver is important to me. I merely plugged it into a USB port, selected Yeti X in the Sound Panel or audio app preferences, and hit record. I was immediately using it for crystal clear voiceovers with Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro.
Levels
Yeti levels are easy to manage with the 11-segment LED meter up front. And what a wonderful feature to have visible and adjustable levels on the mic! The front button—the multi-function smart knob—has three functions accessible by press and hold: mic gain, headphone gain, and mic and headphone balance.
Pickup Patterns
While the Yeti X looks like a large diaphragm mic, its diaphragms are petite 14mm condenser capsules similar to those in pencil mics. The Yeti X differs from most mics in that insomuch as it features a four-diaphragm array under the grill. These diaphragms are aimed to the front, sides, and back, thus allowing bidirectional, stereo, cardioid and omnidirectional patterns.
Stereo: Left and right channel pickup for a sense of space and direction.
Bidirectional: Picks up sound in front and behind the mic.
Omnidirectional: records sound equally from all directions.
Cardioid: Mainly picks up sound directly in front of the mic.
Press the rear button—the pickup pattern selector—to cycle through stereo, omni, cardioid and bidirectional patterns. The default is cardioid and the pattern I use for voiceovers.
Blue Yeti X | The rear panel with pickup pattern selector on cardioid.
Buttons and knobs are loose as a goose: be careful not to accidentally change the pickup pattern while adjusting mic position!
Software
Yeti X includes several software apps, all available via download. This software is not necessary unless you wish to use Logitech's special effects or integrate Yeti X functions with Logitech lights and other hardware.
Blue Sherpa
The app, Blue Sherpa, duplicates functions of the physical controls: gain, pickup patterns, etc. If you're live streaming and need an adjustment, doing it in the software avoids mic bump noise.
Blue VO!CE | Screenshot of Blue Voice functions.
Blue VO!CE
If you want to change the character of your voice—sound like a radio DJ—or apply EQ, compression, noise reduction, gate, de-esser or limiter, the Blue Voice app has it covered. Nevertheless, features are bare bones compared to even a simple DAW.
World of Warcraft Presets
Special effects presets were a major advertised feature for the World of Warcraft variant of the Yeti X, but were not available for Mac OS early in the product cycle. I wasn't interested in sounding like a gnome or demon so no biggie. However, Logitech eventually got around to porting the app to the Mac. Here's a message to my students using a World of Warcraft preset:
Other Software
I record voiceovers with Logic Pro, TwistedWave and Adobe Audition. Audio is then synchronized with video footage in post-production. To use the Yexi X as an audio source in these and similar programs, you must select the Blue Yeti X in the app's audio preferences (not just the Mac OS system panel).
If you don't own pro audio apps, no worries. GarageBand and iMovie apps that ship with Macs are great for editing and effects. If you make software tutorials, Yeti X works with Apple's Quicktime for adding voiceovers to screen videos.
Sound Quality
Yeti X sound quality shines in voiceovers: mic response is well optimized for human voice. At 4 to 8 inches it renders a smooth, full and sweet timbre. Plus, the integrated pop screen (built-in metal grill) did a good job at nixing pops from plosives.
I'm not a streamer but I use the Yeti X for Zoom meetings and tutoring. It is fully compatible with Zoom and gave my voice a commanding presence. For teaching music over Zoom, the Yeti X is a big sound upgrade over built-in computer mics.
Yeti X 48 kHz and 24-bit analog to digital conversion is clean and pleasing in terms of timbre and detail. However, I would expect a 92 kHz option in this price range but that feature was saved for the Yeti Pro.
How to hold and sit with the guitar | The opening "talking head" is done with a Canon shotgun mic on my camera. Voiceover sections use the Blue Yeti X in cardioid mode. No processing applied other than normalization.
Isolation
The cardioid pattern—my choice for speaking—reject a modest amount of off-axis sound. However, rejection is not nearly as effective as common stage mics such as the Shure SM58, SM57, SM137 or Beta 57A. The Yeti X is not a mic for noisy rooms.
With the window in the next room open, the Blue Yeti X captures downtown Honolulu traffic and the neighbor's AC as a distant but ever present moan. In contrast, my Rode VideoMic Mic II is nearly silent in the same situation. Of course, if I close the window and draw the drapes I can make decent recordings with the Blue Yeti X. However, it still picks up irritating hum and taps from backup hard drives and computer fans. I was able to get a clean recording from the Yeti X by removing it from the desk stand and mounting on a boom arm with shock mount, isolating it from most vibration and sounds. The YOUSHARES Blue Yeti X Shock Mount worked well for me.
Stereo
The stereo mode sounds surprisingly good for guitar and ukulele. Unlike cardioid, stereo sound is directional: I can hear the ambiance of the room and placement of instruments and voices. However, compared to a typical two-mic stereo setup on boom stands, sound stage imagery is somewhat narrow. I normally use a pair of Neumann KM-184 for stereo recording, but it's nice to have the stereo option on Blue Yeti X for casual use and streaming.
Incidentally, when any of the mono modes are used, the Yeti X outputs a dual mono signal, filling both the right and left channels. Thus, audio is heard in both the left and right sides of headphones and stereo speakers.
Gain
The physical controls and gain meter make use more pleasant than messing with software. For typical voiceover use, I set gain at about 50%, resulting in levels between -12 and -6 dB. Output is significantly hotter than my Rode PodMic USB, Rode V-Mic Go II and Deity VO-7U. Even after normalization hiss is not evident through headphones during playback.
RFI Resistance
I live in the inner city where RFI is a problem, but I encountered no static, clicks or rogue radio stations using the Blue Yeti X.
Sound Comparisons
Below are sound samples of the Yeti X and a few mics I use for spoken word. Mics were on a boomed shock mount in a partially treated room and recorded into TwistedWave at 48 kHz and 24-bits. Gain was staged to hit -12 to -6 dB. No processing was used, not even normalization. I was about 12 feet (4 meters) from an open window with the neighbor's AC rumbling and downtown Honolulu rush hour traffic at full clip. I spoke 4 or 5 inches from the mic.
Blue Yeti X
Cardioid mode with mic gain at 50%. The Yeti X is smooth and natural sounding. AC hum and noise from traffic is audible but can be easily removed with SoundSoap or other noise reduction software. The Blue Yeti X retails for $169 USD.
Comica VM30
The Comica VM30 is a condenser shotgun mic designed for hot shoe or boom use. It supports TRS output for cameras, USB-C for computers and mobile devices and wireless via a built-in transmitter. A shoe mount receiver is included. It also features stepless gain control from 0 to 10 via a rear mounted dial.
For this example, I routed USB-C output to TwistedWave on my iMac. USB gain output is ample. With onboard mic gain at 9, levels averaged -10dB to -6 dB.
I spoke straight into the mic from 12 cm (5") away, resulting in smooth, clear and natural sound. A pleasant bass increase happens at 8 to 10 cm. The proximity effect becomes overwhelming if I draw much closer. About 25 cm (10") is the maximum speaking distance for really good vocal tone, albeit it is still usable at 50 cm. Beyond 50 cm, tone quickly becomes thin and farty. This mic is optimized for video blogging at arm's length.
Clarity is good and beats the mildly murky sound of the Deity V-Mic D4. Tone is a notch brighter than the MKE 400 and Rode VideoMic Go II but a pleasant and very usable sound.
The VM30 has a tight polar pattern, resulting in excellent off-axis sound rejection. Amazing, the Rycote style shock mount nixed external hard drive vibrations and I didn't have to turn off external hard drives.
With all of the above said, the real talent of the VM30 is its built-in wireless ability. Quickly go straight to camera, computer or audio recorder with no wires.
The Deity V-Mic D4 is a shotgun microphone optimized for close use such as video blogging. It has TRS and USB-C output for connectivity with cameras, audio recorders, mobile devices and computers. In TRS mode, the D4 suffers from high levels of RFI. USB-C was used for this test sample and is RFI resistant. The V-Mic D4 has adjustable gain from -5 to +10 dB. With gain at +10 dB, USB output is low, about 6 dB lower than the Rode VideoMic Go II.
My voice sounds slightly nasal, murky and compressed with the D4. The D4 has strong off-axis coloration. When recording at 25 to 45 degrees off-axis, high frequencies are severely rolled off compared to speaking straight into the capsule. For this test, I spoke straight into the mic.
Finally, the included foam filter reduced highs severely so I used a clip-on pop filter instead. I prefer the sound of the Comica VM30 and Rode VideoMic Go II over the D4. The V-Mic D4 retails for $100 USD.
Deity VO-7U
The Deity VO-7U is a dynamic USB mic aimed at YouTubers and gamers. It has a small EQ bump in the lower highs, somewhat reminiscent of Shure dynamic microphones, but with more strongly rolled off bass. Rejection of off-axis sound is good—better than the Blue Yeti X. The sonic character is okay but not as pleasing as similarly priced mics such as the Shure SM137, Shure Beta 57A, Lewitt LCT 249 Pro and PodMic USM.
While there is no controlling software, the VO-7U has a limiter and powerful built-in preamp. It is a looker and sports RGB lights for mic fashionistas. The Deity VO-7U kit retails for $199 USD.
Rode PodMic USB
I plugged the XLR output of the Rode PodMic USB into the Rode Streamer X and set gain to 63 dB. The Rode PodMic, along with the Shure SM7B, rule over the video blogging and podcast kingdoms. Of course, they sound good and offer excellent isolation but also are large and visually impressive status mics.
Although vocal tone sounds nice, I struggled with plosives and sibilance when using the PodMic USB. Somehow the Shure SM57 and 849 have fewer problems in this area. An external pop filter and 30 to 45 degree mouth angle were required to keep plosives and sibilance under control. I prefer the tone speaking straight into the mic but suffered too many do-overs.
Off-axis rejection of the PodMic USB is excellent and considerably better than the Yeti X. The Rode PodMic USB retails for $199 USD.
The PodMic USB retails for $200 USD.
Shure 849 with Shure MVX2U
I bought a pair of Shure 849 condenser mics in the late 1990s to record classical guitar. This is an instrument mic—looks and sounds similar to the current SM137—with small diaphragm and minimal windscreen protection. It was too bright in the lower highs for classical guitar and is better suited for miking guitar amps and percussion.
The 849 is flattering for my voice: smooth, warm, clear and very clean. With a foam windscreen or pop filter, it is surprisingly forgiving of plosives and small puffs of air. Because it was designed for isolating and miking stage instruments, off-axis rejection is excellent. Among the mics I tested, the 849, SM137 and the Beta 57A were the only mics that picked up no vibrations or hum from my hard drives and nearby AC units.
Rode VideoMic GO II
The Rode VideoMic Go II is a small aluminum shotgun mic designed for camera hot shoe use. Besides TRS analog output for cameras, it supports USB-C for computer and mobile devices. Unlike TRS output, USB-C is resistant to RFI. It is compatible with Rode Central for settings but I recorded without processing.
The Rode has a tight polar pattern, rendering excellent background sound rejection. Clarity is good and bests the slightly murky sound of the Deity V-Mic D4. Off-axis coloration is well controlled, so you can speak 25 or 30 degrees off-axis for plosive control if needed.
The USB output of this wee condenser mic is hot—gain was about 25% for -12 dB. It's also a tiny mic—size of a partially smoked cigar—and is at its best boomed just out of sight. The VideoMic Go II retails for $100 USD.
How to Play Etude in A Minor | Voiceover using the Blue Yeti X in cardioid mode. I applied room ambiance (about 15% wet) in Logic Pro, but no EQ or compression.
Cradle Mounting Screws
My Yeti X was mounted on a boom arm for several years and I lost the mount screws for the desk mount. Logitech doesn't sell replacements. The cradle attaches to the mic body via two 6mm metric sockets. I had a M6-10 screw but it was too short. I tried a M6-20 from Home Depot but it was too long to tighten snuggly. I guessed that the M6-12 would be the right length but couldn't find one in Honolulu with a T-head for hand tightening. Of course Amazon had them in abundance:
It tightens down perfectly. Plus, the black plastic t-head matches the mic design and is easier to turn than the original round heads.
Final Blurb
The hundreds of competitors that have appeared during the last few years bare witness to the success of the Blue Yeti series. Many of these new mics focus on specific sound niches—gaming, broadcast, streaming, ultra high audio quality, etc. While the Yeti X could use a few upgrades—especially USB-C connectivity, XLR socket and a tighter cardioid polar pattern—it's still a good general purpose computer mic and does well for podcasting, casual music recording, Zoom and streaming.
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Construction & Appearance
Ports
Controls
Software 
Sound Quality
Sound Comparisons
Final Blurb
Major Features
System Requirements
Reference