Audio-Technica AT2035 vs Blue Yeti are two microphones that have become the primary choices of many podcasters around the world. Audio-Technica AT2035 offers outstanding performance and sound quality, whereas Blue Yeti is more about versatility and practicality. Continue reading to find out which mic that will suit your needs better.
We are going to discuss everything about:
- The build quality of Audio-Technica AT2035 and Blue Yeti
- The features and included accessories on Audio-Technica AT2035
- The unique capabilities of Blue Yeti
- The sound quality of Audio-Technica AT2035 vs Blue Yeti
- Which microphone that is better suited for you
Audio-Technica AT2035: Design & Build Quality
This is the sibling of a microphone that we have discussed previously in Audio Technica ATR2500 vs Blue Yeti. Audio-Technica AT2035 has become the gold standard for recording, and one of the reasons is the excellent build quality. It combines high-strength plastic with metal for its body. It feels solid and robust, yet without a significant weight.
The mic measures 170mm in length and 52mm in diameter. The weight is approximately 403g. Audio-Technica AT2035 looks stylish and professional in the black finish.
Near the bottom of the mic, there are two switches for the attenuation pad and low cut filter. Then, you can find the mic’s balanced XLR output connector. This is a nice choice for people who want to upgrade from USB mics to XLR mics, as the XLR connection is generally better than USB. However, note that Audio-Technica AT2035 requires phantom power between 11V and 52V.
Included in the box are the stand threaded adaptor, shock mount, and vinyl storage pouch. These are useful accessories. The adaptor will allow you to place the mic easily and safely on a stand. The shock mount is of high quality, as it is very effective for eliminating mechanical vibration.
Audio-Technica AT2035: Features
When comparing Audio-Technica ATR2035 vs Blue Yeti, some people may say that Audio-Technica ATR2035 is not as versatile as Blue Yeti due to its fixed polar pattern. Audio-Technica ATR2035 is a cardioid microphone, which means that it only picks up sound coming from the front while rejecting sound from the sides and rear.
| HyperX QuadCast | BLUE Yeti | |
|---|---|---|
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| Product Dimensions | 10 x 4 x 10 inches | 4.9 x 4.7 x 11.6 inches |
| Shipping Weight | 3.7 pounds | 3.85 pounds |
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The cardioid polar pattern is ideal for singers, musicians, solo podcasters, and pretty much any situation where the sound that you want to record comes from a single direction. However, it is not very good for recording interviews and capturing room ambiance.
Audio-Technica ATR2035 is a powerful mic. It can handle sound levels of up to 148dB. Furthermore, if you enable the attenuation pad, you can increase the maximum SPL handling to 158dB. Loud instruments won’t pose a problem to this mic.
The low cut filter will minimize sounds in the 80Hz frequency and lower. It is useful for reducing LF noise, such as mechanical vibration, wind, and breath. The mic’s self-noise level is impressively low, only 12dB. So, you don’t need to worry about humming.
Audio-Technica AT2035: Performance
With a frequency response range of 20Hz – 20kHz, Audio-Technica ATR2035 can easily handle a wide range of vocals and instruments. However, it is particularly great for vocals, as it has a presence boost around the 13kHz frequency. This will help vocals to soar above the other instruments.
The sound quality is outstanding. Audio-Technica ATR2035 has a neutral and well-balanced sound character with a slight warmth. It suits the human voice very well. This is also the reason why the mic has been widely used for podcasting.
The sound is exceptionally crisp and clear. Between Audio-Technica ATR2035 vs Blue Yeti, one must admit that Audio-Technica ATR2035 is superior in terms of detail and clarity, although Blue Yeti is not bad at all in that regard. One reason for this is the fact that Audio-Technica ATR2035 relies on an XLR connection, which is less prone to noise than USB.
Another nice feat of Audio-Technica ATR2035 is its ability to work well with a wide range of instruments. Since the mic can easily handle high SPL sounds, don’t be surprised to find Audio-Technica ATR2035 working on a drum or guitar amp in a home studio setting. The results are remarkable.
Overall, Audio-Technica ATR2035 wins on the musicality ground. It may be less versatile than Blue Yeti, but if you want to record sound with the best richness, detail, and clarity, Audio-Technica ATR2035 is the way to go.
Blue Yeti: Design & Build Quality
Blue Yeti is meant to be the modern podcast microphone. It has a sleek style and is available in nice color choices: Blackout, Whiteout, Vintage White, Platinum, Silver, Space Grey, Slate, Satin Red, and Midnight Blue. The construction is mostly plastic. In general, the build quality is good, but the plastic knobs are a little bit wobbly, so you don’t want to abuse them.
The mic comes with an integrated stand. This is possibly beneficial for many people, especially those who want to sit in front of a table for recording or podcasting. You won’t need to buy any kind of boom arm or mic stand to start working. The bottom of the integrated stand has a rubber pad, which will prevent the mic from moving around.
Unfortunately, if you are quite a tall person, you may find the integrated stand of Blue Yeti to be too short. This issue can be easily solved by putting a stack of boxes or books under the mic, so this is not a real deal-breaker. The mic itself is quite compact and lightweight, so portability won’t be an issue.
Blue Yeti provides output via a USB port. This will allow you to work easily on any computer or laptop. Everything is plug and play. Once you have connected the mic properly, your computer will automatically detect it, and then you can immediately use it for voice chat, live streaming, podcasting, or recording.
Blue Yeti: Features
Feature-wise, Audio-Technica ATR2035 vs Blue Yeti are very different. On Blue Yeti, you can find a bunch of features that can be quite handy in various situations. This is a well-rounded microphone, very flexible and versatile, suitable for a wide range of purposes.
There is a 3.5mm output for direct monitoring with earbuds or headphones. This is useful if you want to hear in real time what’s being recorded. There is also a mute button, which will allow you to quickly pause the recording without having to unplug the mic. Then, there are three on-board dials on the body of the mic.
The first dial is a headphone volume control. This will allow you to increase or decrease the volume of the 3.5mm output, so that you can adjust it to suit your preference. Adjusting this dial won’t alter the recorded sound.
The second dial is the gain control. This is used to increase or decrease the sensitivity of the mic. This will affect the actual recorded sound. You can increase the gain when recording soft sound, and decrease the gain when dealing with loud sound.
The third dial is the polar pattern selector. One reason why Blue Yeti is very versatile is the fact that you can change the polar pattern to suit a particular condition. There are four options:
- Cardioid: captures from the front only, good for singers, solo podcasts
- Omnidirectional: captures from any direction, good when there are people around the mic
- Bidirectional: captures from the front and rear, good for interviews and two-people discussions
- Stereo: captures sound with a stereo image, good for vocals and some instruments
Blue Yeti: Performance
The overall performance of Blue Yeti is good. It has a frequency response range of 20Hz – 20kHz, so it can handle different kinds of sounds quite well. The results are mostly good and satisfying.
However, this mic outputs digital sound rather than analog sound. Blue Yeti outputs a 48kHz/16-bit signal through the USB connection. If you want to fine-tune your recording in post-production, digital sound will have less adjustability than analog sound.
In terms of clarity, Blue Yeti is good. It has low self noise, although the specific level is not mentioned. Nevertheless, the results are consistently clear. Perhaps the fine details are not as meticulous as Audio-Technica ATR2035, but still good nonetheless.
Not to mention that the mic has a lower maximum SPL handling compared to Audio-Technica ATR2035. Blue Yeti can only handle sounds of up to 120dB. So, this mic is only suitable for vocals, speeches, and instruments that are not too loud.
But, then again, Blue Yeti is one of the better USB microphones that can capture vocals and musical instruments with pretty good richness and detail. There is some good dynamic range. This is a mic that can do a little bit of everything, and do it well.
Audio-Technica AT2035 vs Blue Yeti
Conclusion
In general, Audio-Technica ATR2035 is more recommended because of the superior build quality and performance. This is an excellent XLR mic suitable for people who want to upgrade from a USB mic. The sound has plenty of detail and clarity. On the other hand, Blue Yeti is very flexible and easy to use, but the sound quality is not as good.