The Blue Yeti (not the nano) was the best for me and your voice. The Rode NT (not the mini) is a very close second and I believe it did justice to the poem the most. But they are all good and as you pointed out the built in mic in the Mac book is surprisingly good.
Superb comparison of most famous microphones. This is what I wanted. Very genuine and very clear. I liked the clarity of the Blue Yeti. It is just awesome. Thanks for the video.
I have seen other reviews where the nt mini (and presumably the yeti nano) is mounted on stand or arm bringing the mic much closer to the mouth, delivering much better sound nearly comparable to the full sized version. I think the main benefits of these smaller devices are in compact size for travel, being less intrusive for zoom calls and cheaper. Compact size at least is presumably immaterial for fixed studio settings.
Yes, even with the Yeti I currently use, I have it mounted on a boom arm with a shockmount. This allows me to bring it closer while still keeping it just out of view, but it also solves the main weakness of that otherwise excellent mic, I think, which is that the nice robust stand supplied with it can transmit a lot of noise from the desk it's standing on. Putting my coffee cup down could be quite dramatic for those at the other end when I first got it... :-) But you're right, almost any mic will benefit from being closer to you.
I have a macbook but since I talk softly I needed an external so I can bring it close to my mouth. I have the Mini Rode usb. If you bring it a few inches from your mouth it sounds really good
Thanks for the nice comparison! I have the impression from this video, but also from having heard a colleague online, that the Blue Yeti is quite noisy compared to the Røde NT-USB and NT-USB mini. Is that correct? Nevertheless most comparisons I found prefer the Blue Yeti over NT-USB or NT-USB-mini. Btw: The USB mini has 24 bit resolution while the NT-USB jsut has 16 bit.. Do you think that makes any difference? 16 bit is the resolution that CDs have. For private use I have the Røde NT1 & AI-1 Complete Studio Kit because I needed an XLR microphone for music. That’s about the mic with the lowest noise level you can buy for a reasonable price.
Hi Jens-Erik - I don't have the two side by side any more to do a comparison, so all it depends what you're likely to be using it for. As I mention in the subtitles, I wasn't very careful in this video to set everything at the correct level, and I may not have done justice to the Blue Yeti, in particular. I wouldn't worry about 16 bit vs 24 bit: you'd need to be in a very good studio with much more expensive microphones and even then I think you'd be unlikely to hear the difference. The only time I can imagine 24 bits being useful would be if you got the recording levels very badly wrong and had to recover a signal from a very very quiet recording, and you're likely to have problems from other sources if you're doing that. For my own work, I've been using the Yeti since making this recording and have been very happy with it. I think I could make a case that the Rode NT-USB might be slightly better, but when we were buying significant quantities a year ago, it was also quite a bit more expensive. The one feature it does have, which I would like, is a mixing control so that if you have headphones plugged in to the mic you can choose how much of your own voice to hear compared to the output from the computer: the Yeti only has an overall volume control. But in the end, it'll depend to a fair degree on your own voice and what makes you sound good!
At 10:49 it's weird 'cause in the Blue Yeti you have the microphone gain set to 0, it is not possible to get any capture signal from the microphone... I don't believe you...
Ah, well, you're very observant, if somewhat ill-mannered... 🙂 But on the Yeti you *do* get a signal even with the gain right down at the bottom -- I've just been and tested it again on my own one. It's just a very low signal, so I had to amplify it in the editing. This of course reduces the quality, and that's why I drew attention to it in the caption. But it's surprising, I think, how good the quality is, given that mistake.
@@quentinsf Quality would be persistent as your mouth is still good close to the mic.. Gain settings are done in case that distance goes more then 1.5 feet;. Lowest gain gives you best noise free voice.
@@Ady_Sr Hi Aditya... Sadly not. In general, when you amplify the weak signal to get it to a usable level, it'll amplify background noise as well as the signal, with the result that they'll probably be about the same as if you had set the gain correctly in the first place. But you will also amplify electrical noise which will then be a higher proportion of the overall signal. In addition, because these are USB mics, the signal that comes to the computer has been converted to digital, and so a quieter signal will be using fewer bits. So when you amplify it up (i.e. multiply the digital numbers) you'll lose resolution there as well. You are right, though, that if you *have* to turn the gain up because somebody is too far from the mic then it won't be as good as if they were close and you could keep the gain lower and still get the same signal. In my case, however, it was too low even when I *was* close!
This was quite funny. I'm in the market for a USB microphone and ... it's Quentin! I used to work for Newnham Research / DisplayLink. :) Anyway, this was a very useful review! I use an XLR mic at home, but I'm looking for a mic to use when I'm not at home.
Hi Jason! Good to hear from you! Have watched one episode of your channel and immediately subscribed. (It did take a bit of digging to work out who was behind it, though! It's a very long time since I've actually heard your voice, and I'm not on Facebook, so I was watching and wracking my brains... I know that voice...) Hope you're well! Off to watch another episode...
@@Angeloflight444 hi. Yes. This mic is really good. Drawbacks: need to have an arm otherwise you need to put books or something to get the mic close to mouth. No gain built-in but you can control via software which is ok. For the price I do recommend this mic. Tks for asking 😀👍.
Using the Rode NT-USB Mini right now and its really dang solid. Didnt think a usb could do it, especially one going for mini but its actually really nice with it having like no sibilance that iv been able to detect so far which is just so nice to know im not killing anyone listening to me, def its best feature. That and that its so easy to just have on the desk, do wish it had a mute button like its big brother though. Its actually kinda too bad, they just released a new X version of it but killed the sound quality (added tons of sibilance at least) so they could stick a couple streaming features on it for like 50 bucks more, definitely a downgrade.
That depends on your budget, whether size is an issue, and to some degree on your voice. But you do get pretty much what you pay for, so if money's no object, then the two most expensive ones are the best: the Blue Yeti and the NT-USB.
Ah yes, I think that was recorded on the little black thing clipped to my shirt: well spotted! It's an Instamic, and they're great, but they aren't wireless mics: they're little high-quality audio recorders - the sound is recorded on them and you offload it via USB later. So you do need to sync the audio up afterwards, which is just a couple of clicks in Final Cut Pro, but may be more awkward in other situations.
Every mic has it's own 'colour' (some might favour the high end, some the low end). Because your vocie is personal to YOU, you should really try a mic out.
Mmm. I haven't used either of them very much beyond this test, so I don't think I could do a good comparison! I think I would probably go for the Yeti Nano, but I also think that either of the bigger ones are significantly better, so if you have the money and don't mind the size, I think it's worth paying the extra.
@@quentinsf Thank you I’m looking for the small size due to limited space. In case of sound quality, I think yeti nano is better from your test, but nt mini has usb-c which probably compatible with future devices.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
8:44 Blue Snowball
9:29 Rode NT-USB Mini
9:51 Blue Yeti Nano
10:10 Rode NT-USB
10:48 Blue Yeti
Superb comparison, thank you. It’s refreshing to hear a genuine review with no attempt to sell the items.
What a great video and lovely host. My favorite was the Rode, then the Blue Yeti original.
Wow the full size Rode mic sounds amazing.
The Blue Yeti (not the nano) was the best for me and your voice. The Rode NT (not the mini) is a very close second and I believe it did justice to the poem the most. But they are all good and as you pointed out the built in mic in the Mac book is surprisingly good.
Superb comparison of most famous microphones. This is what I wanted. Very genuine and very clear. I liked the clarity of the Blue Yeti. It is just awesome. Thanks for the video.
Thank you for a good and comprehensive review. All schools and universities should care this much about the online lecturing experience.
Awesome comparison. You’re a really likeable guy Quentin!
I have seen other reviews where the nt mini (and presumably the yeti nano) is mounted on stand or arm bringing the mic much closer to the mouth, delivering much better sound nearly comparable to the full sized version. I think the main benefits of these smaller devices are in compact size for travel, being less intrusive for zoom calls and cheaper. Compact size at least is presumably immaterial for fixed studio settings.
Yes, even with the Yeti I currently use, I have it mounted on a boom arm with a shockmount.
This allows me to bring it closer while still keeping it just out of view, but it also solves the main weakness of that otherwise excellent mic, I think, which is that the nice robust stand supplied with it can transmit a lot of noise from the desk it's standing on.
Putting my coffee cup down could be quite dramatic for those at the other end when I first got it... :-)
But you're right, almost any mic will benefit from being closer to you.
I have a macbook but since I talk softly I needed an external so I can bring it close to my mouth. I have the Mini Rode usb. If you bring it a few inches from your mouth it sounds really good
You recorded yeti in stereo. Feels like you are present in front of the listener. Very surreal!
Thank you, sir. This is exactly the comparison I was looking for.
Perfect review! Thanks mate. You helped me out alot.
Thank you so much. You are a great person. 👍
I think the first is Rode NT USB Mini and the second is Blue Yeti 😄
That's a wonderful review. Thank you so much for recording
I loved the Yeti mini as it doesn't give so much bass. I think too much bass can get your audience tired.
UNBELIEVABLE that the Rode NT USB Mini sounds that good from that far. I have to eat the microphone to get it to sound that good.
It IS a nice acoustically-damped room, which probably helped!
@@quentinsf Great point! I get a lot of room noise when the gain is up.
Thanks for the nice comparison! I have the impression from this video, but also from having heard a colleague online, that the Blue Yeti is quite noisy compared to the Røde NT-USB and NT-USB mini. Is that correct? Nevertheless most comparisons I found prefer the Blue Yeti over NT-USB or NT-USB-mini. Btw: The USB mini has 24 bit resolution while the NT-USB jsut has 16 bit.. Do you think that makes any difference? 16 bit is the resolution that CDs have. For private use I have the Røde NT1 & AI-1 Complete Studio Kit because I needed an XLR microphone for music. That’s about the mic with the lowest noise level you can buy for a reasonable price.
Hi Jens-Erik - I don't have the two side by side any more to do a comparison, so all it depends what you're likely to be using it for. As I mention in the subtitles, I wasn't very careful in this video to set everything at the correct level, and I may not have done justice to the Blue Yeti, in particular.
I wouldn't worry about 16 bit vs 24 bit: you'd need to be in a very good studio with much more expensive microphones and even then I think you'd be unlikely to hear the difference. The only time I can imagine 24 bits being useful would be if you got the recording levels very badly wrong and had to recover a signal from a very very quiet recording, and you're likely to have problems from other sources if you're doing that.
For my own work, I've been using the Yeti since making this recording and have been very happy with it. I think I could make a case that the Rode NT-USB might be slightly better, but when we were buying significant quantities a year ago, it was also quite a bit more expensive. The one feature it does have, which I would like, is a mixing control so that if you have headphones plugged in to the mic you can choose how much of your own voice to hear compared to the output from the computer: the Yeti only has an overall volume control.
But in the end, it'll depend to a fair degree on your own voice and what makes you sound good!
@@quentinsf Hi Quentin, thanks a lot for your detailed answer!
Rode NT-USB far ahead!
The Blue Yeti is the winner for me.
This comparision it's incredible, thank you so much, it was very helpful
At 10:49 it's weird 'cause in the Blue Yeti you have the microphone gain set to 0, it is not possible to get any capture signal from the microphone... I don't believe you...
Ah, well, you're very observant, if somewhat ill-mannered... 🙂 But on the Yeti you *do* get a signal even with the gain right down at the bottom -- I've just been and tested it again on my own one. It's just a very low signal, so I had to amplify it in the editing. This of course reduces the quality, and that's why I drew attention to it in the caption. But it's surprising, I think, how good the quality is, given that mistake.
gain to extreme left doesn't mean its 0.. it means it has been set to lowest Gain setting.. easy common sense there
@@quentinsf Quality would be persistent as your mouth is still good close to the mic.. Gain settings are done in case that distance goes more then 1.5 feet;.
Lowest gain gives you best noise free voice.
@@Ady_Sr Hi Aditya... Sadly not. In general, when you amplify the weak signal to get it to a usable level, it'll amplify background noise as well as the signal, with the result that they'll probably be about the same as if you had set the gain correctly in the first place.
But you will also amplify electrical noise which will then be a higher proportion of the overall signal. In addition, because these are USB mics, the signal that comes to the computer has been converted to digital, and so a quieter signal will be using fewer bits. So when you amplify it up (i.e. multiply the digital numbers) you'll lose resolution there as well.
You are right, though, that if you *have* to turn the gain up because somebody is too far from the mic then it won't be as good as if they were close and you could keep the gain lower and still get the same signal. In my case, however, it was too low even when I *was* close!
@@quentinsf Thank you for your time and very detailed explanation; learnt it in a different way today.
Great indepth analysis and helping to choose the best one...
This was quite funny. I'm in the market for a USB microphone and ... it's Quentin! I used to work for Newnham Research / DisplayLink. :)
Anyway, this was a very useful review! I use an XLR mic at home, but I'm looking for a mic to use when I'm not at home.
Hi Jason! Good to hear from you! Have watched one episode of your channel and immediately subscribed. (It did take a bit of digging to work out who was behind it, though! It's a very long time since I've actually heard your voice, and I'm not on Facebook, so I was watching and wracking my brains... I know that voice...)
Hope you're well!
Off to watch another episode...
I would go for usb nt mini
Best usb mic comparison in great depth. Amazing 🤩
Test - 8:43
best review of nt usb and yeti
Great video!!! 👍 I just bought the Rode USB Mini. Let's see if the quality is good.
How did you find the mic? Was it any good?
@@Angeloflight444 hi. Yes. This mic is really good. Drawbacks: need to have an arm otherwise you need to put books or something to get the mic close to mouth. No gain built-in but you can control via software which is ok. For the price I do recommend this mic. Tks for asking 😀👍.
@@leonardobissoli7854 Thank you for answering! 🙂
Using the Rode NT-USB Mini right now and its really dang solid. Didnt think a usb could do it, especially one going for mini but its actually really nice with it having like no sibilance that iv been able to detect so far which is just so nice to know im not killing anyone listening to me, def its best feature. That and that its so easy to just have on the desk, do wish it had a mute button like its big brother though. Its actually kinda too bad, they just released a new X version of it but killed the sound quality (added tons of sibilance at least) so they could stick a couple streaming features on it for like 50 bucks more, definitely a downgrade.
can some body help me please
which one is better for recording vocal
blue yeti or rode nt usb mini
nice video sir but can you please compare boya M1000 vs Blue Yeti
So which is the best
That depends on your budget, whether size is an issue, and to some degree on your voice. But you do get pretty much what you pay for, so if money's no object, then the two most expensive ones are the best: the Blue Yeti and the NT-USB.
@@quentinsf but blue yeti has lots of ambience sound like when u put ur arm on thr table.. It can hear those sounds
@@JessieOng029 Yes, that's true. I use a Yeti at home now, but I have it in a shock mount.
@@JessieOng029 thats because
1. Gain was 60%
2. No shock mount like elastic bands..
Kipling?
🙂 Rupert Brooke
NT-USB hands down
The Blue Yeti is the winner for me. Thanks for the video. 👍
Im kind of interested to know what mic did you use to record for the introduction stage. Is it a wireless mic attached to your shirt?
Ah yes, I think that was recorded on the little black thing clipped to my shirt: well spotted! It's an Instamic, and they're great, but they aren't wireless mics: they're little high-quality audio recorders - the sound is recorded on them and you offload it via USB later. So you do need to sync the audio up afterwards, which is just a couple of clicks in Final Cut Pro, but may be more awkward in other situations.
They kinda look like Starwars droids.
Very imformtive and a very good video!
9:30
Every mic has it's own 'colour' (some might favour the high end, some the low end). Because your vocie is personal to YOU, you should really try a mic out.
Sound advice here! They should let us try them out like shoes of sorts 🙂
Blue Yeti Nano is the best
Amazing video
Nice video, thanks!
9:51 10:47 9:28 10:10
Great review! thanks
Between rode nt mini and blue yeti nano
Which one do you buy?
Mmm. I haven't used either of them very much beyond this test, so I don't think I could do a good comparison! I think I would probably go for the Yeti Nano, but I also think that either of the bigger ones are significantly better, so if you have the money and don't mind the size, I think it's worth paying the extra.
@@quentinsf Thank you
I’m looking for the small size due to limited space. In case of sound quality, I think yeti nano is better from your test, but nt mini has usb-c which probably compatible with future devices.
Thank You!
Excelente, parabéns!
This video proves only one thing. Content is the gold, delivery is silver and interface (Instrument, software etc. ) is Bronze.
I think the original yeti sounded the worst.
10:47
Woops no Samson G Track Pro the best USB Mic. lol
bravo!
Do not put mics onto a table... *sight*
Don't use any of these.