How To Change Blue Snowball Settings

For those who take been effectually music and recording for more than years than we wish to think, things have inverse. They accept changed beyond what we could e'er have imagined.

Now, we have computers with mics that directly plugin for recording at a decent quality. 1 of those mics is made by a company called Bluish. They telephone call information technology the Snowball. And it plugs directly into a figurer.

Contents

Can we get a good sound from it?

Once Upon A Time
And Then One Mean solar day…
Still, There Was a Problem
Moving On
Allow's Non Pretend
The USB Mic
Setting Information technology Up
Here We Go
The Settings for Recording
- Position One
- Position Two
- Position Three
Using the Optimal Blueish Snowball Mic Settings
For Vocals and Speech
For An Acoustic Instrument, like a Guitar or Violin
Electric Guitar and Bass Through an Amp
Drums
- Varying Audio Loads
Other Help For The Mic
The Microphone Stand
Looking for more than bang-up Microphone options?
Optimal Blueish Snowball Mic Settings – Final Thoughts

Tin can nosotros get a good audio from it?

Before I go through what might be considered the Optimal Blue Snowball Mic Settings, but commencement, it is worth taking a look back and asking how did we go here?

Once Upon A Time

If we wanted to tape, then we had no choice. It was a recording studio or nothing. There were skilful ones, bad ones, and and then in that location were the pros.

Many of us could just afford the bad ones, which fabricated usa sound worse than we were, if that were possible. We were not going to go very far similar that and get whatever sort of worthwhile product at all.

And So One Day…

Computer power was increasing, and more things were becoming possible. Music took upward the challenge. By the early on 80s, the Digital Audio Workstation, or DAW, was on the drawing board. The early on ones were clumsy and experimental and pretty awful. Just they were getting better.

In 1992, at that place was forrad movement when Steinberg released Cubase for the Mac. Bones it might have been, only information technology proved it could exist done. Now the race was on.

Nonetheless, There Was a Problem

It was synthesizer and MIDI only. To exist a fully functioning portable studio sitting on your desk, it had to exist better than that. There had to be a manner to plug in guitars and microphones.

It was in 1938 that British engineers developed PCM or Pulse Code Modulation. A fashion of converting analog information to digital. It is all the same the basis for all digital recording today. Over the years, it was refined. Enter the Audio Interface.

Now nosotros had it all. A way of plugging guitars and microphones into our computers and using our Digital Workstations to produce music.

Moving On

Fast frontwards to today, and in that location are plenty of choices. Purchase a Mac, and you lot get Garageband pre-installed. Non the apex of quality, I would agree. But, enough born that y'all can add stuff on to do some good work. And, of class, it will link upwardly with Logic Pro, which is a pro standard.

Engineering has adult and has taken us fifty-fifty farther. Now, you don't need an sound interface to plug a microphone into a computer . There are USB mics. Mics that get straight into your laptop or recording device. A arrangement that has become hands transportable, opened more doors, and created jobs and activities where earlier there were none.

Let's Not Pretend

Merely let u.s.a. not child ourselves thinking that a USB mic is going to give you a stunning operation. It volition requite y'all a expert performance and will satisfy many requirements. But don't think that they are a Neumann U87 or an AKG C414. They aren't.

Simply, they do serve a detail market, and they do it very well. And they are getting better, as you lot would wait. Right at the forefront of the all-time USB mics is the company, Blue, and their Snowball model. We are going to wait at setting it upwards to go a corking sound.

The USB Mic

Do you need a mic that is ready to utilize instantly? Are y'all having a hard time with computer connections? The USB mic might be the way to go. USB mics have come a long style since their start appearance.

Information technology is fair to say they can at present compete with some of the lower-level XLR mics. The Snowball is i of those mics. It is easy to utilise as it is purely a plug-and-play microphone.

Furthermore, USB mics don't demand an sound interface . It is quick and user-friendly and gives a decent reproduction. And importantly, they are not going to break the banking company. For certain recording requirements, they tin can exist a great solution. I will come up back to those options a fleck later.

Setting Information technology Up

Equally we accept already said, this is a plug-and-play mic, so initially, the setup is… plug information technology in. In the most basic format, that is it. And so even if y'all've never touched a mic before, its employ is immediate. At that place are no drivers or actress software to download. Then abroad you go.

All the same, this mic, while being easy and convenient, has some useful features. To get the best out of a Blue Snowball USB microphone , it will exist worth spending some time to acquire how the settings work.

Here We Get

Brand sure that the cablevision into the Snowball is connected properly with a good house fit. Then plug the USB cord into the USB socket on your computer. As yous plug into your estimator, a red light will glow on the top of the Mic.

This light is to tell you that power is going to the mic and that it has connected to your computer. If you lot look at the back of the mic, you will see a switch covering three settings. You need to look at those next and understand what they do.

The Settings for Recording

Before you lot can use the mic, y'all volition demand to select one of the settings. These are part of the process of making certain y'all get optimum performance from the Blue Snowball mic . Each setting is related to an activity yous may undertake with the mic.

Making your option just involves sliding the switch to one of the choices, which are labeled, 1, two, or three. But, what do they mean?

Position I

This utilizes a Cardioid Polar Pattern for the audio drove process. This is the pattern that most of the top mics accept, and information technology is expert for anything to practice with the vocalism. Whether a vocal, or a voiceover, or but speech communication at an interview.

This pattern is focused on collecting sound from the front end of the mic. It is designed to reject sound coming from the sides or rear, so ambience noise rejection is good. Not only good for voice-based applications, but it also works well when recording instruments.

Position Two

This setting besides has a Cardioid pattern but is fitted with a -10dB pad. That makes it suitable to record sounds that may be louder. Live performances and other loud sound sources are recorded clearly. This is because the sensitivity of the mic is reduced slightly by the pad. In plough, this reduces potential overload and distortion.

Position Three

This has an Omnidirectional polar pattern instead of a Cardioid. The omnidirectional pattern means you lot can record different sources inside a full 360-degree field instead of the target beingness correct in forepart of the mic. That makes information technology ideal for interviews, where more than than one target source is involved.

Whereas a Cardioid design will record the voice in front of the mic, the omnidirectional will tape other voices around the mic. That makes the pickup less full-bodied only allows equal sound drove from all sides. It is also ideal for meetings and conferences, singing duets at the same time, and recordings where you want to capture the sound of the room as well as the musical instrument.

Using the Optimal Bluish Snowball Mic Settings

Setting it up a mic is one thing, but there are also some practical applications to consider when recording. They vary depending on what y'all are recording. Let's return to look at where and how the Bluish Snowball microphone is best used .

For Vocals and Speech

Set the mic most four to five inches from the target source or sources if more one user.
Angle the mic slightly upward towards the target'due south forehead.
Even though there is a built-in filter, still utilize an external pop filter to remove the possibility of plosives. I recommend the excellent Rok-It Single Layer Microphone Pop Filter with C-Clench .
Use position one, or if the vocalist or speaker has a powerful voice that may vary in volume, position two.
Set the volume command on the computer to ensure the peaks are not as well high.

For An Acoustic Musical instrument, similar a Guitar or Violin

The Snowball has a naturally neutral tone. That will help you capture the true sound of the instrument with no extra boosts practical anywhere. Any tonal adjustments you can make after the recording. That said, here are the optimal Blue Snowball mic settings for recording acoustic instruments.

Place the mic to confront the instrument where the neck meets the trunk.
Tilt the direction of the mic slightly from that position towards the soundhole.
The more towards the soundhole you lot become, the meliorate it picks upward lower frequencies.
Too, bending the mic away from the soundhole if you need higher frequencies.
Keep the instrument at a regular distance from the mic.

Electric Guitar and Bass Through an Amp

Normally, you might record a guitar or bass directly into your DAW using an Audio Interface. But there are some advantages in audio to using a mic in front end of an amp and cabinet.

You certainly get a choice of the sound generated from guitar and amp. And that will be closer to the audio you prefer rather than relying on the sound created from the software. That applies especially in the case of overdriven or distorted guitars.

Again the neutral response of the mic will help in recording.
Identify the mic about twelve inches from the speaker cabinet, directly in front.
Angle the mic towards the middle of the speaker for higher frequencies.
Angle it towards the edge of the speaker cone for lower frequencies.
The outer edge of the cone is also better for recording distorted sounds.

Drums

At present, I am not going to say that the Snowball is a cracking mic for recording drums. Information technology isn't made for that, and mics that work well for drums are designed especially for that job.

Having said that, the mic has a good transient response. I am not going to go into the technicalities of that. Merely, the meliorate the response rate, the better it will handle sudden changes in volume.

Varying Sound Loads

The beats betwixt strikes on a snare or bass drum might exist a good way of describing the varying sound loads. One second very loud, the next tranquillity.

Positioning the mic nearly four to five inches from the rim or the skin of the pulsate should let you a reasonable capture.
Moving the mic closer will give you lot a little more low-end focus.
Moving it away will react more with the surrounding environment giving y'all an "airier" audio.

Other Help For The Mic

The ambiance of the room and the environment is going to bear upon the quality of the recording. I haven't got the infinite here to go into particular about what yous can do to affect this. But in that location is a list of things to consider when recording.

Use a Noise Gate Filter on your software.
Add together on to that a Noise Suppression Filter if you accept one to reduce any external racket the mic cannot dissipate.
Use the above with sympathy to where you are; in a room, you lot will need less, outside more.
Use the microphones own menu using the Filters Box option to add extra dissonance suppression.

The Microphone Stand up

The mic comes with its own hinge tripod stand up, which is reasonably stable. But adding a shock mount volition give it simply that extra bit of security and stability. And if you want to reduce the potential for depression-end rumble, you lot can utilize a Blue Ringer Universal Shockmount .

If you are thinking of ownership a USB mic, hither is the Blueish Snowball USB Microphone we accept been looking at. For vocal work, take a look at this Blue Snowball Pop Filter . And equally we mentioned, the Blue Ringer Universal Shockmount .

Looking for more than great Microphone options?

Then check out our in-depth reviews of the All-time Live Song Mics , the Best Vintage Microphones , the All-time USB Microphones , the Best Dynamic Microphones , the Best Snare Mic , the Best Kick Drum Mic , the All-time XLR Microphones , and the Best Microphones For Recording Vocals you can buy in 2022.

Also, every bit you probably know, Blue makes a range of awesome mics. So, accept a look at our detailed Blue Yeticaster Review , our Blue Yeti Nano Review , our Blueish Snowball USB Microphone Review , our Blue Snowball water ice Review , our Blue Yeti X Review , and our Blue Yeti USB Mic Review for incredible microphones currently on the market.

Optimal Bluish Snowball Mic Settings – Final Thoughts

The skillful affair about USB mics is that they brand the process of recording to a computer that much easier. They plug straight in. No need for extra equipment. And they have come a very long mode since the very showtime fifteen or so years ago.

They can't compete with the XLR mics yet, and they may never practise that at the highest level. But, they exercise serve an important purpose in some home recording, podcasting, and interviewing environments. For those that utilise mics in that way, they are a huge plus and well worth considering.

Until side by side time, make yourself heard.

Source: https://oldtimemusic.com/optimal-blue-snowball-mic-settings/