Why Does My Blue Yeti Mic Keep Cutting Out? (Quick Fixes!)

If you are wondering, “Why does my Blue Yeti mic keep cutting out?” during recordings or calls, the problem is most often related to USB blunders, software conflicts, or incorrect settings.

We’ll provide straightforward steps to diagnose and fix the problem to ensure a consistent audio input for your recording sessions or online conversations.

Let’s get started!

Why Does My Blue Yeti Mic Keep Cutting Out? – Proven Solutions

Note: Have you tried testing the Blue Yeti microphone through the default Windows recording program or at “Test” under the audio settings?

1. Inspect the Blue Yeti USB Connection

A USB connection problem might be the cause behind the constant input drops of the Blue Yeti.

Some of the reasons include unstable ports, bandwidth overload, or interference from another USB-connected device, disrupting the audio signal.

There are several different things you can attempt:

Reconnect the USB Cable:

A loose or faulty USB connection can cause audio interruptions, so unplug the Blue Yeti USB cable from your computer, wait ~10 seconds, then plug it back into the same port. 

Now, use the Sound Recorder app on your Windows PC, or test under “System” → “Sound”.

Test a Different USB Port:

The current USB port might be causing issues, so disconnect the Blue Yeti and plug it into a motherboard port (rear of the PC) instead of front panel ports or hubs.

Test again to see if the Blue Yeti captures clear input audio, with no disruptions. 

Reduce USB Bus Overload:

High-bandwidth devices like webcams or external drives can overload the USB bus, causing the mic to drop out.

So, disconnect these devices, set any webcam to MJPEG encoding to lower USB power consumption, then reconnect the Blue Yeti and test for stable audio.

Note: An underlying USB problem could also lead to device recognition issues!

2. Update/Reinstall the Blue Yeti Mic Drivers 

If the cutting out of your Blue Yeti persists, outdated or corrupted drivers might be to blame.

So, updating or reinstalling the drivers through Device Manager can resolve these problems, ensuring stable audio performance for your recordings or streams.

2.1 How to Update the Blue Yeti Mic Drivers:

• Access the Device Manager by typing it in the Start Menu.
• Expand the “Sound, video, and game controllers” section.
• Right-click the Blue Yeti Mic and open the“Properties” tab.
• Now, go to the “Driver” tab and click “Update Driver” below.
• Click “Search automatically for drivers” and follow the steps.

2.2 How to Reinstall the Blue Yeti Mic Drivers:

• Right-click the Blue Yeti Mic and select “Uninstall Device.”
• Confirm the removal by clicking “Uninstall” in the prompt.
• Unplug the Blue Yeti, wait 10 seconds, then plug it back in.
• Wait for Windows to automatically reinstall the mic drivers.

Note: Verify your computer is securely connected to an Ethernet or Wi-Fi network before the driver reinstallation. 

3. Optimize the Blue Yeti Mic for Recording

Another reason why the Blue Yeti is cutting out could be interference from a third-party program or improper recording settings. 

Adjusting the encoding settings, disabling audio filters, and checking for external software interference can help stabilize the output and achieve the best Blue Yeti microphone settings.

Switch to NVENC Encoding:

Using CPU encoding can cause performance spikes that interrupt the Blue Yeti’s audio.

To change that, open your streaming software (like OBS), go to Settings, select Output, and change the Encoder from CPU (x264) to NVENC (if you have an NVIDIA GPU). 

Then, apply the changes, reconnect the Blue Yeti microphone USB cable, double-check the gain and volume of the microphone, and test.

Disable the Audio Filters:

Any audio filters like noise gate, suppression, or gain in OBS or Discord might cut off the Blue Yeti’s input.

Hence, access your audio settings in the software, locate the Blue Yeti mic, remove any filters applied (noise suppression or gain), and test the microphone to ensure steady audio.

Check for Interference:

Third-party software can impact the functionality of the Blue Yeti in various ways. That’s why you must always test the mic using the default input settings of the computer via the Recording app.

Lower the Sample Rate:

A high sample rate can “mismatch” the resources of your microphone and system, leading to audio drops.

Access your PC sound settings, select the Blue Yeti, and set the sample rate to 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz (instead of 96 kHz), and test the mic to check for input.

Optimize Audio Capture Settings (OBS):

So, audio buffering in OBS can lead to persistent input cuts of the microphone, so in OBS, go to Settings, select Audio, and set the Sample Rate to 48 kHz to match the Blue Yeti.

ZontSound also recommends lowering the Audio Buffering to 20ms under the Advanced settings pane.

Reduce OBS CPU Usage for Audio Processing (OBS):

High CPU usage in OBS can have an impact on the audio processing and cause the Blue Yeti to drop out.

So, in OBS, go to Settings, select Output, lower the Output Resolution to 720p, set the Frame Rate to 30 FPS, and apply the changes to reduce overall CPU load.

4. Reduce the Background Utilization

If your Blue Yeti mic keeps cutting out, especially with Discord or game audio, it could be due to excessive background CPU utilization.

Reducing the load on your PC’s CPU can free up the resources necessary for the normal functions of the Blue Yeti microphone.

Let’s review some tips to reduce CPU stress:

• Close unnecessary applications like browsers, media players, or background apps to lower CPU and RAM usage.
• Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) to monitor system utilization and identify high-resource tasks to end.
• Stream or record lighter games that demand less GPU and CPU power to reduce the overall utilization of the CPU.
• Lower game settings (e.g., resolution, graphics quality) to decrease system resource demands during streaming.
• If your system is older, consider upgrading RAM or using an external audio interface to set up offload processing.

Note: Keep checking the CPU usage in the task manager after each successful step.

5. Deactivate Windows USB Selective Suspend 

The USB Selective Suspend of your Windows PC might be interrupting power to the mic during low activity, causing audio drops.

Disabling this setting ensures all USB ports remain active, regardless of activity or an active device connection.

Here’s how to disable the USB Selective Suspend on your PC:

• Open the Control Panel from the Start menu.
• Click on “Hardware and Sound” in the menu.
• Now, go to “Power Options” from the settings.
• Click “Change plan settings” under your plan.
• Choose “Change advanced power settings”.
• Expand the “USB selective suspend setting”.
• Next, set the drop-down menu to “Disabled.”
• Click “Apply” to save the changes and close.

Note: At ZontSound, we recommend reconnecting the microphone after disabling the USB Selective Suspend and testing in a different input.

6. Fix Corrupted System Files via SFC & DISM

In case the Blue Yeti cutting out persists, corrupted system files might be disrupting the audio files and causing the mic to drop out.

Running system repair commands in Command Prompt as an administrator can fix these issues, restoring proper audio functionality for your Blue Yeti.

• Launch the Command Prompt as an administrator (search “CMD,” right-click, select “Run as administrator”), then type sfc /scannow and press Enter.
• After the scan completes, in the same Command Prompt window, type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and press Enter to update corrupted files.

Before testing the microphone, reboot the system and reconnect the USB cable of the Blue Yeti.

At Zontsound, we advise against testing in any third-party software.

7. Disable All Unused Audio Devices

Multiple active audio devices might be interfering with the input of your Blue Yeti microphone and causing conflicts in audio routing.

Disabling unused devices ensures the Blue Yeti is the sole input and output device, reducing interference and stabilizing performance.

Here’s how to disable audio devices on Windows easily:

1. First, you must right-click the sound icon in the taskbar and select “Sounds,” then go to the “Recording” tab.
2. Right-click and disable all unused mics, including built-in laptop mics, leaving only the Blue Yeti active.
3. Switch to the “Playback” tab, right-click, and disable unused playback devices to avoid output conflicts.

Note: Regularly check for newly enabled devices after system updates to maintain the performance of Blue Yeti.

8. Test on Another PC or Laptop Device

If you are still wondering why my Blue Yeti mic keeps cutting out after attempting all solutions, you can determine if the issue is PC-specific by testing the Yeti in another device.

Reconnect the Blue Yeti to the USB of another PC or laptop, install the necessary drivers, and test via the default recording application.

If the mic works without cutting out on the new device, the issue likely stems from your original computer’s settings or hardware.

But if the problem persists, contact YETI customer support.