Blue Microphones Snowball USB Condenser Microphone Review

www.bluemic.com/
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www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002...
Follow me on Twitter: @TGITechday
Blue Microphones Snowball USB Condenser Microphone Review
Blue Microphones Snowball USB Condenser Microphone Review
Blue Microphones Snowball USB Condenser Microphone Review

[@DoppsPkin]

Mic test at 10:32

[@BeepSterr]

Thanks

[@Oscar_Armstrong]

thanks

[@gutierre6626]

Thanks

[@ActiveAthleteShorts]

Thanks

[@austinbennett5481]

At 9:10 When you're screwing in the stand, your thumb man, it can FLEX....

[@acarrotcrusher]

my thumb does that, it's fucked up

[@ActiveAthleteShorts]

It's gunna break off!

[@yanickdijk3956]

This is one of the best reviews I have seen in a while. A lot of people sound boring in their video but you make it sound interresting. And also I would like to thank because now I'm sure that I will buy this microphone.

[@ThatOneGuyDoesMC]

I agree

[@BSGentertainment]

Great video! This really helped me to get get some background information about this microphone considering I have just ordered it off amazon and it should come tommorow! Once again awesome video man and you have earned a deserved subscriber :D

[@TechReviewsUWant]

I want to take the time to thank you for this very helpful review as I am a beginner KZbinr trying to find a good microphone for my videos!

[@CarolineMitchell]

I just bought this item for my new podcast so this review is really helpful, thanks.

[@BryanTaylorbrytay82]

Enjoyed this commentary. Planning to purchased the black one pretty soon if I'm lucky.

[@MattHalpain]

I currently have a usb mic in my logitech webcam that I use to record my voice into my mac mini. But I have been investigating the blue snowball microphone, and your video really helps me out in the deciding factor of what is great and not so great about the blue snowball microphone

[@TypesOfMe]

Good Job man :D Very basic and very clear explanation. This video can teach anyone who doesnt know about the Snowball everything there is to know

[@TGITechday]

@Taketentot Yes. This will fit on any standard microphone stand.

[@jamescc2010]

What will a good all around affordable Blue Mic for vocal (with piano, guitar), talk over for making equality utube vids etc? btw how did you make 2 screens in one like that, look cool?

[@mysimsaddiction]

bro, your thumb is severely double jointed :D sweet

[@proofsinpuddin]

I'm just happy I wasn't the only one that noticed it lol

[@TGITechday]

Depends on your placement. I generally have my microphone placed 2-3 feet away from my computer and have the back of the mic pointed at my computer. Turning this microphone on 1 - cardioid will naturally not pick up anything behind the mic. Check to see if your Snowball ICE can record with the cardioid polar pattern and not omnidirectional.

[@xAustishx]

I just picked up this mic, and was wondering a few things... What would you recommend of it? What is a good a height and length to talk near it? What is a good angle for someone ( 5,7to5,8) like me to have it? And where is a good environment to have it? Right now record in a basement room which somewhat conceals outside noise, and its on a big desk. Thanks.

[@TGITechday]

Ideally you'd want to speak with your mouth directly facing the microphone from about 1 foot away with a pop filter halfway between you and the microphone. This distance will reduce the chance of popping/clipping and it won't give a signal that's too hot/loud. So long as your recording environment is quiet to your ears, you should be fine. Just be aware of computer fans which are generally always nearby when you use this microphone.

[@aztroy5129]

I have this mic , i had it for a month now but i have a big issue with it, that i hoped u maybe could help me with. sooo my mic worked fine the first week of use but suddely i got complains by my friend over skype, because my voice kept stopping when i spoke.. so i can`t use it because of that. it stoppes every 2-3 seconds . and sometimes it won`t even capture my sound, i searched alot, ALOT, but i can`t find anything that helps me. i tried everything i can. I`ve uninstalled and reinstalled it several times 2.. Plz help me. it would meen the world 2 me. Thx

[@mauricemarsh5338]

so how do you get one of those.

[@thetruebause3122]

I'm trying to figure out what to use. I was using a turtle beach ear force X12 headset and was like "Ew this quality is dog shit" You can hear it on my Gaming pilot episode, it doesn't sound good. How is the quality from a mic like this compared to a turtle beach headset? I've heard some videos where someone says they are using a turtle beach and it sounds just fine so is it the mic? Is it maybe just me needing to learn to do proper post production on audio?

[@TGITechday]

Sorry for the somewhat late reply, but I forgot that Blue recently released their Nessie microphone. It's essentially an upgraded version of the Snowball but it's equipped with things more useful in a studio setting. It has a mute button, so if you're looking for a cheap, yet good microphone with a mute button, you can check that out.

[@JehVolta12]

so you think I could buy this microphone to start singing and to record my songs?

[@TGITechday]

If that's the case, you might want to recheck your export settings for your audio.

[@TGITechday]

Glad you found it helpful. You're very welcome!

[@TGITechday]

It should work for that purpose, yes. Just set it on the omnidirectional polar pattern and you should be able to hear people around the microphone well as long as they're talking either about 1 foot away from the microphone or from slightly farther away but talking loudly you should be fine. If you have people talking directly to the left and right of the mic, have them talk pretty loud though because you'll notice there are no speaker grilles to the left and right of the mic.

[@LiverpoolLFCForLife]

What number shall I record on for gaming commentary? what do u suggest is the best

[@TGITechday]

Hello! What you're looking for is called a zero latency monitor. The Snowball itself doesn't have that; however, I do have a video on my channel titled zero latency monitoring with the Blue Snowball or something like that. It shows the setup I use. It's pretty good, but not necessarily perfect. If you absolutely need the real deal, take a look at the Blue Nessie or Yeti mics. They all feature monitoring ports for applications like yours.

[@MattHalpain]

I like your videos and am happy to have come across your channel.

[@giswhey]

is there any differance between the two other than that

[@TGITechday]

@crazyfooInc You're very welcome =] Glad I could help you decide on a microphone! The brushed aluminum would have been my choice but the white was cheaper at the time so eh can't complain haha =P Oh and thanks for the subscription! =]

[@KanyeWestLyricalGenius]

Whats the difference bettween the pro and the normal blue snowball. Which one is better?

[@GhostFireGamingSubscribe]

Will this pick up background noise? I've really thought about using this for my PS4 gameplay, but would it pick up ONLY my voice on a certain setting? I'd like it to buy a microphone that does that. Nice review! Very detailed.

[@TGITechday]

+Live My Legacy If you are planning to do a live commentary while the game sound is being outputted through external speakers (like your TV ones), it will pick up some of the gameplay audio even on the cardioid setting depending on how close the mic is to the TV. You could always alleviate this by using headphones when you play.

[@TGITechday]

Depends on what video editing software you have. Just do a quick Google search for your editing software and audio export settings or something like that.

[@TGITechday]

Definitely! The Snowball was the first microphone I purchased when I started making videos, so it's definitely something that will last. If you decide that you don't want to video edit anymore, it's still a great general purpose mic for gaming or for Skype or other similar things.

[@farpuisi]

@TGITechday Hmm, I'm using this for home recording, do you think this is durable and good ?

[@TGITechday]

@RippeDisc Does the Snowball register on your computer as an audio source? If it does that means the red light just stopped working but the mic should still function. If it doesn't light up and doesn't show up as an audio source, contact Blue and they'll most likely send you a replacement or work with you somehow to get it fixed.

[@TGITechday]

It depends on how spread apart everyone is from the microphone. On the omnidirectional option, I wouldn't be more than 2-3 feet from the microphone. I know that is rather cramped for a conference/group setting, so I would recommend a microphone meant for conferencing. They cost maybe a little more than what the Snowball retails for, but it is made for that application so it's better suited.

[@Bauey]

Is the Yeti Better? I'm willing to spend more But I want the Best Microphone... Also does a pop filter make it a little better?

[@TGITechday]

It depends on where your fans are relative to your mic. If they're about 2 feet behind the mic, you should be fine. If they're on the side or in front of your mic (for some reason) then I'd suggest be farther away (4ft maybe). At that distance, you can still hear the fans if you try but you can edit that out in post most times without a lot of distortion.

[@TheRainbowBrony]

I have a Blue Snowball Ice, but it picks up so much background sound. Like my laptop's fan, which is barely hearable. And my desktops fan, which is louder. Will the normal version stop this better? Or how can i prevent the mic from picking up the background sound?

[@PROGAMINGEUROPE]

Hey man thanks for the review,but is the iCE good as the normal version is?I mean I want it only for gaming commentaries so I don t really care about the omni function I just care if it has a high quality sound :) ?

[@HaloReachMasterForge]

is the red led supposed to stay on or are u suposed to pull the usb connection out to shut it off if not will it do anything to the microphone so what im trying to say is do u need to shut off the mic when not in use

[@TGITechday]

Depends on your call program. Some will automatically switch to the next available mic so it might just switch to the internal mic if you unplug it. To mute it, you probably have to go into the program itself and mute the mic. Most call programs like Skype allow you to mute your own microphone.

[@DirteeMilk69]

I was wondering if it is good for recording voice with a headset on? ( like while gaming / live coms )

[@TGITechday]

While there is no low-cut/high-pass filter option for the Snowball, the fact that it's a cardioid condenser microphone usually cuts out unwanted background noise so long as it's rather distant or not too loud. However, I would suggest you record in a rather quiet room regardless of the microphone you're using.

[@Andrea-ti5js]

Hi Can you record your voice from half meter distance? Thanks a lot

[@MatrixCoolGames]

would you recommend this mic for when you are doing a gameplay and talking at the ame time u play?

[@Videoorchard]

Hey I was planing to buy this,this weekend,just needed a word from you,is it really WORTH? or shld i go for someothr microphone such as blue SPARK! :)

[@TGITechday]

Glad I could help! If you're interested in more updated (studio) features like a monitoring port and a built in shock mount (among other things) check out Blue's Nessie microphone. It's basically like the Snowball but upgraded with more features.

[@nickydrifts]

I can just add a gain onto the sound when i record, and bulk isnt much of an issue, but since my desktop has separate input / output ports, the last issue you had wouldn't be a problem right? Please respond!

[@TGITechday]

I can't promise anything since I don't own this pop filter myself, but from the looks of it, Nady sells some pop filters with smaller mounting mechanisms than the one I use. I use my pop filter on a microphone stand, so it doesn't really affect me in terms of the bigger mounting mechanism, but if you're trying to go compact, the Nady filter should do the trick if you set it up properly. I also have a video called Tech Tips: Pop Filters if you want to learn more about them :)

[@TGITechday]

Make sure you're using the cardioid polar pattern. Either option 1 or 2. If you are and it's still not clear, you might have interference with the cable or something (not likely but possible). Try moving somewhere else to record.

[@TGITechday]

I was recording in close proximity, but you were right in saying that I was not isolated. I made this review over two years ago before I had a lot more knowledge about audio and video quality, so this probably isn't the most accurate review in terms of the audio samples, but my thoughts and opinions on the sound haven't changed all that much since then. It's still a great introductory level microphone.

[@crayons71]

Can you buy one of these at like best buy?

[@AToThaZEntertainment]

Thx...& Thx 4 Da Quick Reply...& Do You Know Of Any Good Programs For Video Editing & BEat Making Tht Arnt Much Expensive?

[@UKDUBRX]

what program should i use for it?

[@LetsRollUpStonerDDC]

Could I buy this if I wanted to sing and rap in one of my songs well it sound good? Also should I use a pop filter while I record? Thanks.

[@KenshoYama]

Would you recommend using this mic for outdoor filming? Great Review btw!

[@TGITechday]

It depends on how close and loud the fan or TV are. It can do a very good job at canceling noise if you speak close to the microphone and if the noise is rather quiet. I would recommend turning those things off when doing a recording, but if you have to have them on, just be sure to have them turned down low and speak close to the mic.

[@ojman369]

does anyone know how this woks in places that have a little more ambient noise

[@FezzNG]

Not only a good review, but very informative. Thank you buddy.

[@KristinaKelava96]

ordered this yesterday, hope it ships fast!

[@DrumandBassJB]

Will this suffice for a drum cover? I'm on a tight budget so i need a quick 1 mic usb solution.Please reply someone who knows what i'm talking about

[@GhostSamaritan]

If it would stand on my computer, (wich makes some noise) will it pick up the sound of my computer?

[@FoulPlayGamingHD]

Alright so I want to use this for gameplays and funny moments, but I cant record with my nice pc cause Im selling it to my brother. when I record with my laptop my mic (not usb) makes this weird sound every 10 secs. will it do the same with a usb mic?

[@jamesjayden6637]

Thanks

[@markw464]

Is it compadable with consols ?

[@sfl981]

Can i use my mick and my headset at sametime?

[@TGITechday]

Which issue are you talking about specifically?

[@TGITechday]

Depends on how close you have the mic to your keyboard. I think in your setup, you'll have the mic next to/near the keyboard. In that case, the Snowball probably will pick up on the sound since it's a higher frequency sound, but it shouldn't be all that bad.

[@TGITechday]

@1995epiphone You can. You have to buy the Apple camera adapter but yes, it is possible.

[@HonorBoundBurus]

so would you recommend this for like game recording with audio or do you got something else you would recommend

[@niurp1089]

Does it pick up keyboard (the computer thing, not the instrument) sounds easily?

[@LiverpoolLFCForLife]

How do I do that? and thanks for letting me know, but can you please tell me how do I check that

[@TGITechday]

If you have the mic right next to your keyboard, yes, it will pick up some of the noise. However, if you the mic a foot or so in front of your keyboard, you shouldn't hear much of it at all. It also depends if you're the type of person who smashes your keys when you type or if you're a relatively quiet typer. Either way, you can position the mic so that it doesn't pick up much of the typing noise.

[@farpuisi]

Can We Used Other Microphone Stand ?

[@digginthrutime]

On windows, in the sound options you can choose to listen to the audio device.

[@TGITechday]

It really depends on how much you care about audio quality and if you have the money. The Spark costs almost double the Snowball and requires an XLR input I believe so you'd have to judge what your audio needs are.

[@RossRossiter]

does it need a pop screen or does it have some foam damping in it?

[@DrumandBassJB]

if not could you suggest a usb mic that will record my drums clearly, thanks

[@ThaPufface]

my pc havent got a mic input, so this is usb so i can use it? (dont know why it doesnt have it, but its my school pc..)

[@TGITechday]

No problem! Glad I could help!

[@TheSneaselWeasel]

Which microphone has better and clearer sound? The Yeti, Snowball, or Spark?

[@WISKYgaming]

But do I need to download anything to actually have my voice captured, saved, then edited into a video. And will this work for better quality skyping or other webcam communications?

[@XxSkunkeNxX]

I have read on some videos that it doesn't. I hope it does. SInce I ordered it. Btw your videos are great. You have one more subscriber :D

[@Michael_brian]

it is echoing on the first setting, is that normal and does it always echo?

[@742DOWTR]

Would you consider it for hip-hop type of music recording?

[@Ba-Lak-Ee]

what size are the threads? 5/8??

[@iceshard989]

how much better of a mic is it for doing commentaries over using a PC headset mic?

[@LiverpoolLFCForLife]

which number to use for gaming commentary?

[@twaltxn]

I can't wait for mine to arrive tomorrow I can't wait to record some live commentarys with it

[@ImMrIFlux]

please reply asap ive just bought a blue snowball mic and when i try to record audio i find that the audio levels are very low and doesnt pick up my voice all the time even though im speaking straight into it but the levels are low do you know how to fix this

[@mainebornsinner3744]

For rapping, what number should it be on, 1 2 or 3? thank you.

[@TGITechday]

You can plug headphones into your computer if you want to monitor the audio coming in from this mic, but it requires some fiddling around with software and stuff.

[@1995epiphone]

Can you plug it in to your iPad

[@TurtleMatey]

Does this mic pick up a lot of unwanted sound?

[@FordAlvan]

So is this a mic you would recommend? or do you recommend any other mic?

[@BlueSKy-uw7et]

Hey Quick question, What's the difference between the snowball condesnser and the normal snowball?

[@jonilarsen-haikarainen8733]

Nice review. Although I already got mine before watching this :) I do not as you experience it as a low gain on polar pattern 1. But I have it set to Mono in my sound settings. So that might have something to do with it. (I saw in your Audacity that you used the stereo setting) Here in Sweden the cheapest I could get it for was around 100 USD though. But I think it was worth it :D

[@TGITechday]

Indeed! When I said there is no "no latency monitoring" I meant there's no specific monitor output directly built into the mic but yes you can monitor yourself through the audio recording software.

[@WISKYgaming]

Is there anything I need to download?

[@MrSwedCrafterGames]

Does this microphone work for windos 8?

[@SqChubbyNinjas]

is it sensitive?

[@widdleberry]

Thanks for the review!