Best Blue Yeti Settings For Streaming – (Tested Settings)
If you’re looking for the best Blue Yeti settings for streaming, you’ve just discovered them!
We understand that your Blue Yeti microphone might not sound right if you’ve tested streaming, so it’s natural to seek the best adjustments.
Well, this guide will cover everything you must know and all the software settings to tweak to drive your Blue Yeti microphone input quality to perfection.
The best streaming settings for the Blue Yeti mic involve your Windows system options, the streaming software input settings, and the physical knobs on the mic.
So, for perfect recording quality on Blue Yeti, you need to adjust all these settings.
Let’s get right in!
Best Blue Yeti Settings for Streaming – All In One Place!
To configure your Blue Yeti mic for streaming, you need to go over the general mic settings in your preferred software and of course, tweak the Windows settings.
The guide below includes the best settings of the microphone itself and the best Windows, OBS, and Discord options.
1. Best Blue Yeti Mic Settings for Streaming
So, based on what software (audio interface) you use for your Blue Yeti microphone, you need to set up the essential settings first.
Those include the physical knobs on the mic itself, and the Gain/Equalizer typically found within the software you use for configuration of your microphone.
1.1 Microphone Knobs
On your Blue Yeti microphone, you’ll see two knobs (Gain and Pattern), both of which you need to carefully adjust before streaming.
- Gain – We recommend rotating the Gain knob while recording to catch your sweet spot, where your voice can be heard loud and audible. Well, you won’t have to touch this knob again, so verify not to go to the extremes and find a balanced option that you’ll additionally enhance later via your streaming software.
- Pattern – The best Blue Yeti Pattern is the “Omni-Directional”, or “Cardioid”, which is perfect for recording yourself in a quiet environment.
Quick Tip: The “Omni-Directional” pattern on the Blue Yeti mic looks like a little hearth!
1.2 Microphone Gain – 50–60%
The microphone Gain is the general strength of your recording and how loud your voice will sound when you’re streaming.
Over-increasing this option will lead to hissing and buzzing, so we recommend setting a balanced option at about 50–60% Gain for a good recording quality.
1.3 Microphone Equalizer
The equalizer is one of the most important options you need to configure in your audio interface software, which will have the greatest impact on how your mic sounds.
- The best equalizer must be high in the low-frequency (+6 dB), neutral in the mid-frequency (0 dB), and high in the high-frequency (+6 dB).
If the software gives you options for all different levels of frequency, make sure to set up the equalizer following a nice and smooth curve.
2. Best Blue Yeti Windows Settings for Streaming
The next instance for adjusting Blue Yeti’s microphone settings is the Windows system options, which have a huge impact on how you sound on your streams.
- So, to access these settings you need to go to Start → Change system sounds → Recording → Blue Yeti Mic → Properties.
When you get into the properties of your Blue Yeti microphone, configure the following settings:
2.1 Microphone Volume – 50%
The mic volume is a well-known option for everyone, located under the “Levels” tab, and pretty much boosts the strength of your voice during your streams.
We recommend setting this option to 50% for a nice and balanced volume while streaming.
2.2 Default Format – 2 Channel
Well, going to the “Advanced” tab, you will notice the “Default Format”, which is the number of channels and bit rate of your recordings.
We recommend setting this option to “2 channel, 16 bit, 48000 Hz (DVD Quality)”.
2.3 Exclusive Mode – Enabled
Again in the “Advanced” tab, you should also find the “Exclusive Mode” options, that provide apps with access to your microphone.
You should enable both checkboxes, allowing exclusive control and providing priority to exclusive mode applications.
2.4 Signal Enhancements – Enabled
Lastly, at the bottom of the “Advanced” tab, you will notice the “Signal Enhancements” that we recommend enabling.
This option will automatically increase the clarity of your voice during your streaming sessions and finish the Windows settings configuration for the Blue Yeti microphone.
Those were the best settings for Blue Yeti streaming, so let’s continue with setting up OBS!
3. Best Blue Yeti OBS Settings for Streaming
Considering that OBS (Open Broadcast Software) is the most popular streaming platform, we are going to show you the best configuration for your Blue Yeti mic.
So, begin by opening OBS, and clicking on the Blue Yeti microphone in the “Mixer” to select “Filters” and reveal all options.
When you’re ready to configure the settings, follow the instructions below:
3.1 Noise Suppression – (-45 dB)
The noise suppression aims to eliminate unwanted noises picked up by your Blue Yeti, such as buzzing, hissing, and other background sounds.
We recommend setting the noise suppression to about -45 dB, which is going to eliminate unwanted sounds but won’t affect the mic’s quality.
3.2 Noise Gate
The noise gate in OBS generally prevents the microphone from spiking when transitioning from high-frequency sounds to low-frequency audio.
You must set up a Threshold (activation point), Attack (engagement delay), Hold Time (delay in milliseconds), and Release Time (fade out).
Here’s the correct configuration for a smooth-sounding Blue Yeti:
- Close Threshold – (-38.00 dB)
- Open Threshold – (-30.00 dB)
- Attack Time – (25 ms)
- Hold Time – (50 ms)
- Release Time – (50 ms)
When ready, you can proceed with the compressor settings!
3.3 Compressor
The compression settings in OBS should balance out your microphone’s inputs by reducing loud sounds and flattening out high-pitch noises.
These settings will contribute a lot to your mic’s streaming quality, and provide you with a balanced audio input without unpleasant audio spikes.
Same as with the Gate, there are a lot of settings to tweak, so here is the correct configuration:
- Ratio (X:1) – (+10.00 dB)
- Threshold (dB) – (-6.00 dB)
- Attack – (1 ms)
- Release – (15 ms)
- Output Gain – (0.00 dB)
- Sidechain/Ducking Source – None
That’s it. Your OBS settings are now best configured for the Blue Yeti microphone, and you can start streaming to test out your enhanced input quality.
Tip: There is also a Compressor (Limiter) option that you can tweak to control the compression even further if your mic still doesn’t sound the way you want.
4. Best Blue Yeti Discord Settings for Streaming
If you’re streaming in Discord with your Blue Yeti microphone, there are quite a few settings that you need to pay attention to.
By having the correct Discord configuration, your Blue Yeti mic will start sounding smooth, and you will get rid of all automatic enhancements that affect your input.
- To access the microphone settings in Discord, click the User Settings (cogwheel), and go to the “Voice & Video” tab from the left side.
Here are the best Discord settings for Blue Yeti Microphone:
4.1 Input Sensitivity – OFF
The input sensitivity is the setting that determines how loud you need to speak to activate the microphone’s hearing.
We recommend setting this option “OFF” to prevent a misconfiguration that can make parts of your speech muffled out.
4.2 Noise Suppression – OFF
The noise suppression is a setting in Discord that can automatically reduce background sounds, but while streaming you may want to set this feature “OFF”.
This is because, if you’re going to stream, you need to ensure a quiet room without noises, and don’t rely on settings, which can affect the quality of your microphone.
4.3 Voice Processing – OFF
The voice processing is an entire tab in the microphone settings in Discord, which contains Echo Cancellation, Noise Reduction, and Automatic Gain Control.
We recommend setting all these three options to “OFF” to prevent software intervention to your microphone’s inputs.
Again, if you have a quiet room to stream in, your Blue Yeti mic doesn’t need software options to reduce sounds, which can negatively impact the input.
So, that’s it with configuring Discord settings for the Blue Yeti mic, so test how it sounds now!
Wrapping Up
Hence, to achieve the best Blue Yeti settings for streaming, you must adjust the knobs on the mic, tweak your Windows settings and configure the streaming software.
Also, if you use audio software, make sure to set up your Equalizer.
We hope this guide was helpful, so follow us for more Blue Yeti guides!
Finn Wheatley, a Master’s graduate in Computer Science from UCL, London, honed his skills at small data science consultancies. There, he helped large corporations enhance their data capabilities by deploying cutting-edge machine learning analytics and resolving technical hurdles.