Resources Before you buy the Blue Yeti or Snowball...

StringStorm

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Click HERE to listen to the audio version of this thread. Just to give you a better grasp on how the mic I'm going to recommend is going to sound like. Links on where to find them are hyperlinked in the text below.

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Before you buy the Blue Yeti or Snowball, I'd like to turn your focus on a much more affordable mic that sounds far, far superior.

And when I say "sounds far superior", I am intentionally foregoing the technical details of both mics and simply focusing on sound quality. Because at the end of the day, sound quality is the only thing that matters.

Now, the microphone I want you to turn your attention to is the CAD GXL2400 USB. Its a condenser mic like the Blue Yeti or the Snowball BUT it has a large diaphragm capsule. Now why does the capsule matter? Because the Blue mics use a smaller capsule which results in a much harsher sound in the higher frequencies. Large diaphragms would sound more balanced, and even better when you do some post processing.

Now, you're probably wondering how much is this going to cost you. Thirty bucks. Its going to cost you thirty bucks free shipping. But let's not stop there. Let's give you a full and proper recording setup. If you're willing to throw an additional 15 bucks, you can get a scissor arm and a popfilter.

So you have in total.. 45 bucks. Now compare that price to the Blue Yeti which is what? 120 dollars for for just the mic? Sure, it comes with different polar patterns but let's be honest. You're not going to use those patterns nor will you ever find use for it. And even if you do, you're better off just grabbing an XLR setup.

Now, you're probably skeptical as to the sound quality of a 30 dollar mic. It probably sounds like crap given the price, right?

Well, what you're hearing from the beginning is recorded using the CAD GXL2400USB. So there you go.

So before you buy the Blue Yeti, consider looking up the CAD GXL2400. Its a good mic. I wouldn't use it for voice acting BUT for YouTube commentary, its way overkill in sound quality (and that's good).
 
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Zach Stearns

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I am planning on buying the Snowball sometime in November. I have already bought the scissor arm for $12 on Amazon.
Until I get the Snowball, I am stuck with using a built in mic on a headset I got for $20.
I did take a look at the CAD Mic But I feel like, since I haven't heard about that company, it may have a lower reliability rate.
I'm probably just being super dumb but I feel like I should stick with my gut feeling to go with the Snowball.
That mic sucks and I don't know how I have been using it for at least four years.
 
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Geist

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WanderingVA
Still, for those who are still new the whole world of voice work and audio. A snowball is a step up from a simple headset microphone, for some it's better to crawl before running with the more expensive pro setup. Some don't even to know how to -3 Normalize or noise removal. People need to find out what works best for them, be it hardware or content.
 
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StringStorm

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I did take a look at the CAD Mic But I feel like, since I haven't heard about that company, it may have a lower reliability rate.

Quite the contrary. CAD is known as one of the biggest sellers of audio gear. They're in the same tier as Marantz, Audio Technica, Grado Labs, etc. I've used their CAD e100s and it is probably the best mic I've used in the in the midrange costs. It has an insanely quiet self noise and its sound is very flattering to any voice. But as for the CAD GXL2400, I've auditioned for gigs for it and have won and recorded commercials on it.

But at the end of the day, its your money and you do what you think is best. I'm just throwing some better options.

Still, for those who are still new the whole world of voice work and audio. A snowball is a step up from a simple headset microphone, for some it's better to crawl before running with the more expensive pro setup.

Sure, the Snowball is a perfectly serviceable mic if you already have it. I'm not downplaying the quality and ease-of-use it provides to whoever has it. I've done auditions for these mics and have gotten roles for it. But for those who haven't and are looking for a mic and the Blue USB microphones is something they've set their eyes on, I would personally advise against it. Again, if they already have it, no problem. Its just that the CAD setup is still a far more affordable than the snowball. On top of that, the snowball still uses a small capsule as opposed to the GXL2400's large diaphragm, so this pretty much guarantees a better sound. And then there's cost where you get a scissor arm, shockmount, a popfilter, and then the mic for a total of $45 as opposed to the Snowball which runs at retail for $50 with only the mic.

I personally use a Marantz MPM 2000 powered by a DBX286s (though, I sometimes bypass this when the engineer requires me to have it completely raw) and then hooked to an Alesis Multimix 4 to interface with my PC all while being recorded in a Whisper Booth so my standards for recording quality are ridiculously high. But even then, I was impressed, borderline shocked, at how well the GXL performed. It is a bit bass heavier than the Marantz but even so, for that price, its really REALLY good. So much so that I've been using it as my portable mic for when I need to record for clients on the go instead of using my Samson C02 and Zoom H4n setup.
 
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Geist

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I don't disagree with you in the slightest. As you might of guessed some might be just equipment illiterate then it comes to recording hardware. Still with all things said, I did enjoy your audio work with Bruva.