What we purchased: How the Blue Yeti Nano lastly earned a spot on my desk | Engadget

Despite primarily working from house for years earlier than the pandemic hit, I hadn’t thought an excessive amount of about my WFH setup earlier than 2020. I went so far as investing in a solid monitor, principally as a result of I used to be sick of squinting at a 13-inch laptop computer display screen for eight hours every day. It really wasn’t till earlier this yr that I made a decision to improve my workspace in a significant means.

I chalk this as much as being somebody who always talks themselves out of shopping for issues. I’m a reasonably frugal individual, however I’ve no drawback shopping for issues that I do know will make a huge impact on my day-to-day life. So, I invested in pair of ANC headphones once I might snag them on sale; a full-sized mechanical keyboard for a extra snug (and extra enjoyable) typing expertise and the Blue Yeti Nano microphone for more and more extra frequent video calls.

I’ll admit the Yeti Nano was in all probability the bottom precedence merchandise out of these three issues, regardless of being a long-time favourite within the microphone area. However, it’s confirmed to be a wise funding, principally as a result of I’ve extra video conferences now than ever. In pre-pandemic instances, I had perhaps one video convention per week, and that was through the busiest of instances. But now, for a lot of causes starting from the vast acceptance of distant work and the development of my very own profession, I usually have numerous video calls every day. And I consider in placing my greatest face (and voice) ahead as a lot as doable: I attempt to flip my Logitech Streamcam on for many each video name I take and I wished the standard of my voice to match that of my video feed.

The Yeti Nano mic delivers on this in a implausible vogue. In my preliminary messing round after I unboxed the factor, I might instantly hear the distinction in my audio once I recorded a number of take a look at samples in Audacity. My voice sounded clearer and stronger and the audio lacked the subtly fuzzy high quality that I usually hear once I use my laptop computer’s microphone.

The Yeti Nano helps cardioid and omnidirectional polar patterns, however I often maintain mine on the previous since I’m the one one utilizing it on the day by day. However, I like the truth that I’ve the choice to begin a roundtable podcast sooner or later while not having to spend extra money on a greater mic. I additionally like that the Yeti Nano will come in useful through the few instances a yr I get to be a visitor on the Engadget podcast. Previously for these events, I’d use an exterior mic that I acquired years in the past, however it didn’t include a sturdy base just like the Yeti Nano. It can be a wrestle to get that mic in the precise place on my desk for optimum podcast efficiency, and I don’t anticipate the identical wrestle with the Yeti Nano.

I’ve identified for some time how in style Blue microphones are with budding podcasters, recreation streamers, distant employees and the like, so the model was the primary I turned to once I went in search of an improve. Out of the numerous gadgets within the firm’s lineup, I in the end determined to purchase the Yeti Nano partly due to its design. It’s simply compact sufficient to sit down on my standing desk converter subsequent to my monitor with out obscuring the display screen an excessive amount of, and it’s nonetheless in a terrific spot for video calls. Initially I waffled between the Nano and the full-sized Yeti, however I in the end determined that the few additional bells and whistles that include the latter – specifically stereo and bidirectional modes – weren’t mandatory for my common use. I used to be additionally in a position to decide up the Yeti Nano whereas it was on sale at Amazon, so as an alternative of spending $100, I solely dropped $80 on it. That means I can put a number of additional {dollars} towards the following piece of tech that I resolve will make my desk setup much more useful.