Hands-On with the Yeti Pro, the Most Versatile USB Microphone on the Market (Review)

By

post-92253-image-b72556c7c05f5d0b38c4b634a0894b07-jpg

In 2009, Baltic Latvian Universal Electronics (Blue) released the Yeti, a wonderfully talented little microphone that many, especially many podcasters, took notice of then proceeded to fall in love with. The Yeti was beautiful, dead-simple to use, and very Mac friendly. Yeti was also the first USB mic to allow users to record in any one of four different polar patterns (four I say!) making it incredibly versatile. And now, with the Yeti Pro, Blue is making their hit mic even better.

Versatility

I’ve been using the Yeti Pro for 4-6 weeks now, and in that time, it became clear to me that the Yeti Pro holds the title as the most versatile microphone around.

Why? Plug the Yeti into your Mac with USB. Plug it into a mixer via XLR. Record 24bit 192Khz audio (that’s 4x CD quality and much higher than the original Yeti) in any one of four polar patterns. Monitor your audio in real-time. Mute your sound with a digital mute button. There is simply no other mic that I know of that offers ALL of these options in one beautiful, easy-to-use package.

Audio Quality

Here’s the bottom line: in most situations, the Yeti Pro is going to perform like a champ. Use it for a Skype call, use it to record an interview. Your audio is going to sound rich, clear, defined, and balanced. Want to do a podcast or voiceover work for a video? Boom — Yeti Pro all day long, baby. You could even use the Yeti Pro to record instruments or singing, just keep your expectations in check though if you do. There are other microphones out there that are more suited to this purpose and would probably give you better results.

Ease of Use

I said it once and I’ll say it again: the Yeti Pro is as easy-to-use as it gets. It comes with everything you need right in the box. It is truly plug-and-play.

Useful Features I Love

Gain dial right on the mic so you can adjust the output level.

Headphone volume dial on the mic that allows you to adjust your headphone level independent from the gain — a nice touch.

Digital mute button. This may not sound cool, but it’s super handy to be able to quickly turn your audio on or off at the touch of a button. This is especially handy if you’re livestreaming or in a Skype call.

New to the Yeti Pro, an XLR out jack! Now, some may not think an XLR output is a big deal, but I think it’s huge. XLR is a standard in the audio world. XLR means you can use the Yeti Pro with professional mixers, digital video camera pre-amps — I could go on and on. XLR out means you can use the Yeti Pro in professional situations, and just this extra bit of functionality that makes the Yeti Pro immensely more usable.

The Verdict

If you’re looking for a mic for Skyping, podcasting, recording some music with Garageband, I’d highly recommend checking out the Yeti Pro. It’s feature-packed, easy-to-use and quite a looker. And at about $230 online, though it’s not cheap, I do think it’s a very good value and worth the cost.

It is worth mentioning, though, that if you don’t need 24bit 192Khz recording capability and don’t need XLR compatibility, you might as well save $130 and get the original Yeti instead. The original Yeti is an incredible value, it’s going online for about $100.

[xrr rating=95%]

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.