Nova Zhang
The Yeti microphone is a highly-rated USB microphone that is widely used for podcasting, streaming, and home recording. However, one of its drawbacks is that it is prone to picking up background noise, which can be an issue for users. While it is not possible to completely eliminate background noise when using the Yeti microphone, there are several techniques and software tools that can help reduce it. This includes adjusting the microphone's gain settings, using noise reduction software, and employing noise cancellation techniques such as using a pop filter or a noise gate. In addition, physical adjustments such as recording in a quiet space, using heavy curtains or blankets to muffle sound, and positioning the microphone away from speakers or other noise sources can also help reduce background noise.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Software | Blue VO!CE |
| Software capabilities | Noise suppression, broadcast vocal effects, managing voice level, modifying unwanted low-frequency noises |
| Microphone settings | Cardioid, Omnidirectional, Bidirectional |
| Microphone positioning | 6-8 inches from the mic |
| Microphone gain | Turn down the gain |
| Microphone volume | 50% |
| Microphone distance | Not too close or too far |
| Microphone accessories | Pop filter, shock mount, boom stand |
| Room accessories | Heavy curtains, carpets |
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What You'll Learn
Adjust microphone positioning
The Yeti microphone is known for being overly sensitive and picking up too much background noise. To adjust the microphone's positioning to reduce unwanted noise, follow these steps:
Firstly, if you are using a desktop, mount the microphone on a boom stand instead of a desk stand. This will help to reduce any unwanted vibrations that a desk stand might pick up from your desk. The ideal distance between your mouth and the Yeti microphone is about six to eight inches. This will ensure that the microphone captures your voice clearly without picking up excessive background noise.
Next, ensure that the microphone is not too close to any speakers or other devices that operate within a similar frequency range, such as a laptop fan, PC, or air conditioner. These devices can interfere with the microphone's pickup and cause unwanted noise. If possible, move the microphone away from these devices or turn them off while recording.
Additionally, consider the room's acoustics when positioning the microphone. Reflective, smooth, and hard surfaces can reflect sound and cause echoes. Position the microphone in an area with rough and soft textures, such as heavy curtains or carpets, to help absorb sound waves and reduce background noise.
If you are using a laptop, select the Yeti as your input device in your sound settings and lower the volume to 50%. Then, adjust the gain knob on the microphone until the audio is clear and free of background noise. Remember that the gain knob controls the level of allowed sound input to the microphone. Reducing the gain will help to suppress background noise, but be careful not to lower it too much, as this can result in quiet and unusable audio.
By following these steps and adjusting the positioning and settings of your Yeti microphone, you should be able to effectively reduce background noise and improve the overall sound quality of your recordings.
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Use noise reduction software
Yeti Blue microphones are widely popular for podcasting and home sound recording. However, they are known to be overly sensitive and can pick up a lot of background noise even when the gain is turned down. While some people suggest turning the gain knob down to the minimum to avoid picking up background noise, this can result in quiet and almost unusable audio. Others suggest turning the gain knob higher and lowering the input level on your computer or software, which can produce richer sound without the background noise.
To further reduce background noise when using a Yeti microphone, you can use noise reduction software. This type of software reduces unwanted noise below a user-defined threshold, subtracting specific types of noise from the audio track. In contrast, a noise gate acts as an on/off feature, clamping down and eliminating any signal below a certain threshold.
There are several noise reduction software options available:
- NVIDIA Broadcast: This software offers noise removal, but it has been noted to use a large number of resources, which can cause the program to malfunction and exclude microphone audio from recordings.
- Krisp: Krisp is an AI meeting assistant that offers noise cancellation, transcription, meeting notes, summaries, and accent conversion. It removes background noises, voices, and echoes and is compatible with various communication apps.
- CrystalSound: CrystalSound is mentioned as one of the biggest names in noise suppression software, but it requires a subscription after the free version expires.
- SoliCall Pro: This software is mentioned as a preferred option, but specific features are not discussed.
- ReaPlugs VST Plugins: These plugins are recommended for their user-friendly GUI, making it easier to understand and adjust settings.
- AMD Noise Suppression: This technology enables noise suppression for input, output, or both, and can be customized to process noise suppression through the CPU or GPU. It works with AMD Ryzen 6000 Series processors and newer, as well as AMD Radeon RX 6000 Series desktop graphics and newer.
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Choose the right polar pattern
The Yeti Blue microphone is a popular choice for podcasting and home recording. However, it does have the drawback of being overly sensitive and prone to picking up background noise. This can be mitigated by adjusting the microphone's polar pattern settings, which determine how much background noise is captured.
The polar pattern settings on the Yeti Blue microphone allow users to select from four pickup patterns: Cardioid, Omnidirectional, Bidirectional, and Stereo. Each pattern has a different level of sensitivity and directionality, and choosing the right one can help reduce background noise.
The Cardioid pattern is ideal for voice recording as it only captures sound directly in front of the microphone, making it the best option for reducing background noise. This pattern also has the least background noise of the four patterns and is recommended when the speaker's voice is being drowned out by ambient sounds.
The Omnidirectional pattern captures audio from the room in front of and behind the microphone, while the Bidirectional pattern records sound from both sides of the microphone. These patterns are useful for recording musical instruments or a band but will pick up more background noise than the Cardioid pattern.
The Stereo pattern captures a wide stereo image and is ideal for recording multiple sound sources or creating a spacious sound. While it may pick up more background noise than Cardioid, it can still be a good option for certain applications where a wide sound field is desired.
In addition to choosing the right polar pattern, there are other techniques to reduce background noise with the Yeti Blue microphone. These include adjusting the microphone's gain settings, using noise reduction software or noise gates, and improving room acoustics by using sound-absorbing materials like heavy curtains and carpets.
By combining the right polar pattern with these additional techniques, users can effectively minimize background noise and achieve clear and high-quality recordings with their Yeti Blue microphone.
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Reduce room echo
The Yeti Blue microphone is a popular choice for podcasting and home recording. However, one of its drawbacks is that it tends to pick up a lot of background noise, including room echo. Here are some tips to reduce room echo when using a Yeti microphone:
Positioning
The closer you are to the microphone, the less room echo there will be in the recording. It is recommended to keep the microphone between 12 and 18 inches away from your mouth.
Pickup Patterns
If your microphone has adjustable pickup patterns, choose the cardioid pattern. This pattern is shaped like a heart and is the most sensitive to sound coming from the front, while rejecting audio (including echoes) from the back and sides. To select this pattern, turn the knob on the back of the microphone to point at the heart-shaped icon.
Room Acoustics
The acoustics of the room can also impact the amount of echo in your recordings. Box-shaped rooms with hard walls tend to create more echo than spaces with softer surfaces. To reduce echo, you can acoustically treat the room by placing foam panels on the walls to absorb and diffuse sound waves, preventing them from bouncing around the room.
Gain Settings
Adjusting the gain settings can also help reduce room echo. Lowering the gain can reduce the sensitivity of the microphone, but it may also result in quieter audio. Experiment with different gain settings to find the optimal level that reduces echo without compromising the overall volume of your recording.
Pop Filters
When using the cardioid pattern and speaking close to the microphone, you may experience more pronounced plosive sounds, known as "p-pops." These can be limited by using a pop filter or pop screen between your mouth and the microphone.
By following these tips, you can significantly reduce room echo and improve the audio quality of your recordings when using a Yeti microphone.
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Use a shock mount
A shock mount is an excellent addition to your Yeti microphone setup. It is a tool that attaches your microphone to the microphone stand and protects it from vibrations and noise passing through the stand or the table. Without a shock mount, you may hear banging, rubbing, or rustling sounds, which are conducted through the stand and into the microphone.
A shock mount holds the microphone in a soft mount, often made of rubber bands, so the noise can't reach the microphone itself. There is an official Blue Yeti shock mount, the Blue Radius III, which is guaranteed to work well with your microphone. You can also purchase a shock mount as part of a bundle, such as the Luling Arts kit, which includes a boom arm.
Shock mounts isolate your microphone from vibrations and impacts that might cause unwanted noises in your recordings. They can be beneficial in minimising the noise caused by computer fans, typing, or other vibrations.
In addition to a shock mount, a boom arm can also be a valuable investment. It lets you position the microphone at the ideal distance from your mouth and helps eliminate vibrations from your desk or other surfaces. When capturing high-quality audio, the distance between you and the microphone plays a critical role.
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Frequently asked questions
There are several ways to reduce background noise when using a Yeti microphone. Firstly, ensure that the microphone is not too close to a speaker, and that there are no other devices on your computer with similar frequencies, such as a laptop fan. You can also use noise reduction software, such as Blue VO!CE, which comes with the Blue Yeti X. Additionally, you can adjust the gain settings on the microphone, turning it down to minimise background noise, and using the cardioid pickup pattern to further suppress noise.
The best spot for mic placement is about six to eight inches from your mouth. If you are too close to the microphone, it will pick up mouth and breathing noises, and if you are too far away, there will be more background noise, reverb, and harsh tones.
If you only want to capture the sounds directly in front of your microphone, set the polar pattern to Cardioid. This setting will also help to suppress background noise.
If you are unable to control external noise, such as people chatting or traffic noise, you can try to muffle the sound by closing windows and using heavy curtains. You can also use a different microphone with a very tight pickup pattern or noise gates to avoid picking up unwanted background noise.
To avoid picking up unwanted indoor noise, such as keyboard clicking, you can try mounting the microphone on a boom stand instead of a desk stand, using a shock mount to cut down on vibrations, and recording by standing up away from the desk.
