Specs
- Capsules : 2 x 14mm
- Bit-rate : 24-bit
- Polar patterns : Cardioid, Omnidirectional
- Frequency response : 20 Hz – 20 kHz
- Sensitivity : 4.5mV/Pa (1 kHz)
What’s in the box?
- Blue Yeti Nano
- 1x USB cable
- 1x Threaded mounting adapter
Accessories
The Yeti Nano really only comes with the bare essentials for setting up and using the device. There is unfortunately no pop-filter, but we do at least get a mounting adapter for attaching the mic to a boom-arm or other type of stand.
The USB cable has a decent length and feels to have about an average level of construction quality.
Design
The Yeti Nano looks, well, pretty much just like a smaller version of the original Yeti. It’s a condenser microphone which feature dual 14mm capsules which are proprietary to Blue. This is where we see the first departure from the original Yeti, as the bigger brother had 3 capsules.
The overall design looks high-quality and very sturdy. The metallic-grey paint finish is smooth to the touch and very well done. There is what seems to be some kind of chrome-plated accent, possibly made out of plastic which does look a little on the cheap side, but overall it’s an inoffensively attractive design.
On the front we’ve got a volume knob which allows you to adjust the volume output from the headphone jack, and pressing this button will also mute the microphone. A handy little LED ring is used to help indicate whether or not the mic is muted.
Over on the rear is nothing more than a selector switch which is used to flip between the omnidirectional and cardioid pickup pattern. Here we’ve also got 2 little LEDs which show which mode is selected. This is where we see another difference between the Nano and the original Yeti as the Yeti had 2 additional pickup modes. The lack of these extra modes is probably due to the exclusion of the 3rd capsule. There’s also no gain adjustment knob.
Flipping the whole thing over to check out the bottom reveals the micro-USB input, the tripod mounting threads, as well as the 3.5mm headphone jack.
The microphone has quite a lot of travel within the stand, but for the most part this will be of very little use. As the stand is rather miniscule the mic will be tilted up for most scenarios when using the stand in order to get the best sound capturing.
Functionality
Using the Yeti Nano is rather straightforward as you just plug it into your Mac or PC and then fire up your favourite audio recording programme or app.
You can also download the Blue Sherpa app which will allow you to upgrade the firmware and adjust and monitor the recording and playback levels.
Overall, the Blue Yeti Nano is an easy-to-use mic which comes with a reasonable price-tag of $100.
It performs reliably and sounds pretty good of you orientate it properly.
These types of mics, especially in cardioid mode, require you to talk straight-on and into the side of, in the case the side being where the headphone volume control / mute button is. You also need to be fairly close to it to get it to sound best and to minimise how much environmental noise it picks up.
The biggest issue here is just with the size. Because it’s so small you either have to elevate it or you have to talk down into it. Or, of course, the other alternative would be to use a broadcast boom.
Value
Overall I’d say that the Yeti Nano offers very decent value and it performs respectably considering its mere $100 price-tag.
The question you would probably be asking yourself is whether to get the Nano, or the original, larger, Yeti. Well, that’s going to depend on a few things.
First, what’s the price difference? You can often find the Yeti coupled with various bundles for around $120. Would the Nano be worth that $20 saving? It might, but the original Yeti, because it’s larger, allows you to address the mic in perhaps a more natural manner. This is of course only valid if we’re talking about keeping the mic planted on your desk.
If, however, your setup consists of a boom arm, then you can orientate the Nano to exactly where it needs to be, in which case the extra height of the original Yeti would be of little to no use.
In that case, I think the Yeti Nano is a great little mic which offers a quick and affordable way of upgrading your audio recording, especially if you’re just getting into streaming, making podcasts, or voice-overs.