Podcasters need look no further

 When I first saw the Snowball from Blue I had to check my boxers afterwards for traces of man mayonnaise. There aren’t many things that tingle the loins of a tech-enthusiast than pieces of high quality gadgetry with bespoke design and that is exactly what Blue have made with their USB condenser microphone. Sure there are competitors on the market such as the Samson CO1U but it doesn’t come with a stand and it doesn’t boast the features of the Snowball. Admittedly, the Samson is very impressive and it can be argued that on the whole it has a slightly better audio quality for a lower price, however once you outlay a cradle and anti-shock for it, it becomes more expensive and it doesn’t have the same level of  Omni-directional support of the Snowball either.

The Blue Snowball is a pleasure to use. Its plug and play functionality is so easy to use that even the most novice PC users can use it and the results are exceptionally audio quality that adds a whole layer of professionalism to both your, podcasts, music recordings or video narration. Because the USB microphone has 3 different settings it’s easily adaptable for the method of use at hand. The microphone is Omni-directional whilst also keeping the cardioid feature to ensure full volume is heard speaking directly into the Blue Snowball. There’s more, the mic’s third setting is cardioid -10db which is perfect for recording instrument recordings that are beautifully crisp and not overpowering to an amount that would ruin the playback experience.

So it sounds great, it looks great, but what about the quality of the build? The version we have here comes in silver, but it’s also available in Snowball white and also black. I prefer the chrome version as it sparkles off the light and has a certain regal quality about it. The design of the Blue Snowball is both a mixture of futuristic in its spherical quality, but also a throw back to the microphones of the 60’s with its grilled front and iconic branding. The Snowball also has a nice weight to it, you can feel it’s going to give you the quality you need. A feeling you don’t get with microphones that are light as a feather. The six inch stand adds real stability and allows full directional movement to point the cardioid at anyone you please.

What we have here then is the Rolls Royce microphone for the home user, without the Rolls Royce price tag. It looks great, feels great and most importantly sounds great and for anyone that has any semblance of taking their music or podcasting seriously, you need look no further than the Blue Snowball. Please read below for technical specifications, compatibility and a little more information about the guys at Blue. 

Technical specifications

Acoustical operating principle: Position 1-3: Pressure gradient
Polar Pattern: 102: Cardiod; Position 3: Omnidirectional
Frequency response: 1 – 3: 40 – 18000 kHz
Sample/Word Rate: 44.1 kHz/16 bit
Weight: 460g
Dimensions: 325mm (circumference)

 System requirements

Mac computers require MAC OS X, USB 1.0 or 2.0 port and a 64MB (minimum) Ram.  PCs require Windows XP Edition or XP Professional and a USB 1.0 or 2.0 port.

The snowball comes with a 6 inch stand and USB cable. 

About Blue Microphones

Founded in 1995 by Skipper Wise and Martins Saulespurens, Blue has grown from a desire to refurbish vintage high-end microphones for fellow musicians into a unique, multi-faceted audio company with a prestigious line of award-winning microphones and accessories. Headquartered in Westlake Village, California, with onsite engineering and manufacturing facilities in Latvia, Blue Microphone’s current projects include the building of a state-of-the-art recording and training facility and capsulate testing area located at its headquarters.  

We Do Tech score this product: 4.9 out of 5