This is my second article related to Life at my desk (see article 1, here). As you can see in the picture below, I have a lot of stuff on my desk. Some of the items are just to bring some of my personality to the room, but a lot if the things are there for good reason.
Blue Yeti
Today I wanted to discuss the Blue Yeti mic and why it is taking up coveted space on my desk.
I actually bought the microphone because Amazon had it on sale and a podcaster ( I think it was Andy Ihnatko) posted a link on Twitter. To be honest, when I bought it, I didn't really know what I would use it for, but it has proven to be very useful.
Note: I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.
I actually bought the microphone because Amazon had it on sale and a podcaster ( I think it was Andy Ihnatko) posted a link on Twitter. To be honest, when I bought it, I didn't really know what I would use it for, but it has proven to be very useful.
Note: I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.
Features
Themicrophone has multiple uses. It has a knob that can be turned that affects the way it records audio. The multiple pattern selection includes cardioid, bidirectional, omnidirectional & stereo. The mic also has gain controls so you can manually change the recording volume from the mic. It is also equipped with a headphone input and a separate volume control for monitoring your audio. I also like the mute button, so you don't have to worry about your computer recording your voice when you don't want it to.
Stand
The Yeti comes with a heavy stand that helps it avoid moving around when you use it on a desk or table. The mic can be rotated in the stand, so you can point it straight up, toward you, or away. For most people, this will be plenty.
RODE PSA1 Swivel Mount Studio Microphone Boom Arm
I used the stand for a while and it is fine, but I recently decided to put it on the RODE PSA1 Swivel Mount Studio Microphone Boom Arm. The main reason is that it is easier to move the mic around. It can be put above head, below my mouth, and it can be put closer to my face without it getting in the way. It simply adds a lot more flexibility that you can't get with the included stand.
The PSA1 is a high quality mount, so it feels sturdy, even with the weight of the Yeti. The arm can be mounted to the edge of a desk or, if your can put a hole in the desk, it can be mounted anywhere. I chose to put to mine on the front right side of my desk to give me more options for where I can place the mic. A lot of people put it behind the monitor and have the arm extend over top, but I often like to lean back in my chair with the keyboard in my lap, so I wanted to be able to extend the mic to that area and mounting it to the back of the desk would have limited the way I could use it.
The PSA1 is a high quality mount, so it feels sturdy, even with the weight of the Yeti. The arm can be mounted to the edge of a desk or, if your can put a hole in the desk, it can be mounted anywhere. I chose to put to mine on the front right side of my desk to give me more options for where I can place the mic. A lot of people put it behind the monitor and have the arm extend over top, but I often like to lean back in my chair with the keyboard in my lap, so I wanted to be able to extend the mic to that area and mounting it to the back of the desk would have limited the way I could use it.
How I use it
I have mainly used thYeti for voiceovers on the few videos I have up on YouTube, but Sierra (the Mac's new operating system) on the iMac has given it a more useful, daily application. With Siri, I can have the mic nearby if I want to do one of the following suggested tasks that I pulled from Apple's website:
“Show the PDFs in my Downloads folder”
“How much free space do I have on my Mac?”
“Play the top 40 jazz songs”
“What’s the weather in Lake Tahoe?”
“Show me all of the files I shared with Cecilia last week”
“Search the web for images of the Eiffel Tower”
“Find tweets from José Bautista”
“FaceTime Victoria”
"Add Laura to my 10 AM meeting”
“How do you spell broccoli?”
“Show my photos from yesterday”
“What time is it in Monterrey, Mexico?”
I find that having theYeti mic near my mouth, rather than using the mic built into the iMac, makes it easier for Siri to understand what I am saying. Using it with Apple Music is something I do every time I am at my desk. However, using to find things like "Photos of Schnauzers" in my collection, launching apps, telling it to search wiki for Schnauzers, or sending a message to a loved one about my schnauzer (noticing a theme?) all work to perfection. I am just starting to use Siri on the Mac, but the Yeti has made the experience a thing of beauty.
“Show the PDFs in my Downloads folder”
“How much free space do I have on my Mac?”
“Play the top 40 jazz songs”
“What’s the weather in Lake Tahoe?”
“Show me all of the files I shared with Cecilia last week”
“Search the web for images of the Eiffel Tower”
“Find tweets from José Bautista”
“FaceTime Victoria”
"Add Laura to my 10 AM meeting”
“How do you spell broccoli?”
“Show my photos from yesterday”
“What time is it in Monterrey, Mexico?”
I find that having theYeti mic near my mouth, rather than using the mic built into the iMac, makes it easier for Siri to understand what I am saying. Using it with Apple Music is something I do every time I am at my desk. However, using to find things like "Photos of Schnauzers" in my collection, launching apps, telling it to search wiki for Schnauzers, or sending a message to a loved one about my schnauzer (noticing a theme?) all work to perfection. I am just starting to use Siri on the Mac, but the Yeti has made the experience a thing of beauty.
The Wrap Up
TheYeti can be used for many more things than I mentioned here, but it has proven to be worthy of the space it occupies in my office setup.
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