Reviews for Blue Microphones Snowball Microphone

This is much bigger than I expected. It stand 9-10 inches tall, and the ball is about 4" in diameter. So, when I unpacked this my first thought was that it's ridiculously big. But it's very handy, and built well. I use it with a desktop MacPro, which doesn't have a built-in microphone. I do wish, for the size and price, that it had a built-in video camera.

Plug it in. Pick an application. Point to it when you need it. Record. It doesn't get any easier than this.

I purchased one of these from the apple store and used it exclusively with Garage Band. As one of the other reviewers mentioned, it had some sort of usb-related problem where it would inexplicably stop sending a signal to Garage Band. The only way I could wake it back up was to add a new track representing the mic. This would work until it too would eventually stop. Too much fussing around required. The build quality was very good although I wondered whether it had been returned before since the box was not sealed, nor were the very ruffled looking plastic bags inside--except the one with the usb cable. It seems to be a very good product that was released ahead of getting the quality right on the software/firmware.

I heard may things with the Blue Snowball and I went ahead and got it. I have not been happier with it. It has a very good pickup and dose not over drive while talking. It has very good rejection from the back so to only hear the person that is sitting in front of it. It is worth the price go out and get it.

i thought this mic was cool looking and wanted to consider it when i built my studio this past march. then when i bought an iskin for my keyboard the other day i was like let me go back and pick it up to record ideas at home or maybe for a control mic. I should have kept walking. buy a $30 Sony Mic from Best Buy. This mic suxx!

Hi guys:

I have to say out of the gate that you’ve got to ignore the negative reviews of this Mic as there are a couple of things going on with those people. Either they themselves are doing something wrong or they didn’t download the Firmware updates, (which I did and the MIC worked fine) or they got this Blue Blood thing going on.

A lot of it is the Blue Blood attitude that is out there in the whole multimedia industry. They’ve made an exclusive Blue Blood Country Club of the industry and companies like Apple and Blue Microphone threaten their monopoly. They don’t want the rest of us with talent being able to do what they do and their attitude is unless you spend hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars on your equipment and studio. “You’re nothing more than so much gutter trash not worth the time of day.” Final Cut Studio, JVC’s GY-HD250 (High Quality HD Camera for the masses), and of course products like Blue Microphone’s Snowball shatter their monopoly. So they bash it.

Like Steve Jobs and the boys at Apple. The founder of Blue wants to bring the best possible technology to the masses at a price we can all afford. Or reach. The Blue Microphone entire Ball line is just awesome and the sound quality is great. IMHO for the price and what it does for a Digital USB MIC the Snowball can’t be beat, but if you want to kick up the vocals even more. Get an 8 Ball with an digital interface or even a FireWire mixer.

Bottom line... “THIS MIC IS TOTALLY AWESOME AND WELL WORTH THE MONEY!” Especially if you’re starting a Podcast or just getting started with Logic and Soundtrack Pro. I GIVE IT FIVE STARS.

i sure was skeptical of buying this thing upon reading a few reviews on this page. most of the negative feedback comes from people saying that the signal is too weak. perhaps i got a factory gem when i ordered mine, but its signal is so hot that i had to download a pad to keep it from peaking. this mic is awesome, especially for $100.

Even after downloading the firmware update, the microphone does not send a strong enough signal to the computer. I've cranked up the "input" setting to the maximum, and put my lips about as close as one can to the microphone, but it just doesn't send a strong enough signal.

Now I'm looking for something with a pre-amp or other "booster." It's too bad, because it's big enough that it should provide great quality.

I just bought this at my local Apple Store and was a little dubious after reading some of the negative reviews. I have several very expensive pro audio mics for use with my Sony Z1u high definition camera, but I needed something for recording voice over stuff for use on the web--a USB mic that I could easily hook up into my laptop and take to my tiny recording studio in the basement. The Snowball's sound quality is outstanding and the strange shape really does encourage people (especially kids) to speak in an uninhibited way. I would post a link to a sample recording but Apple won't let me in this review.

I have been part of professinal theatre since the age of eight years old. I have performed at Carnegie Hall, The Delaware Theatre Company, and many professional theatre's. I have always hated going back and fourth to the studio in New York City. The Snowball Microphone has made my life so much easier! It sounds just like the studio! Amazing!