Table of Contents
Snowball has produced some of the best budget microphones and has gained a lot of popularity over the recent years. With that said, the quality of audio they produce is not comparable to the premium microphones from other brands.
Some users have complained about static and distortion in the sound as well. The question is: How to make blue snowball sound better? And it is exactly what we would address in this article.
If you own the blue snowball and are thinking of dumping it to get a new one, wait and try the techniques mentioned in this guide. We assure you that you would experience an improvement in the audio quality. So, without further ado, let’s answer how to make blue snowball sound better.
The most common problems that the users have complained about are:
- Sound is hollow and lacks bass.
- Microphone picks up every little puff of breath making the audio full of popping noises.
So, can you make blue snowball sound better and work around these problems?
Yes, for sure. These issues can be addressed with simple solutions and it does not need a lot of money or a whole new setup. Here is what you can do:
Addressing The Bass – How To Make Blue Snowball Sound Better
To address the problem related to bass you would have to look for the bass-reduction switch at the bottom of the mic.
Once you have identified it you can change the bass setting however you like. If there is too much bass you can completely turn it off as well. And if you want the bass in the sound, turn it up and use the mic like that.
You can also tweak some settings in the computer to work around the bass. You have to open the control panel and click on sound. Within the sound tab, you would find a recording, clicking on it would open another pop-up.
In this pop up you have to choose the option of “Mic Boost Prevention”. This can be used to either turn on or turn off the bass that the microphone is catching.
Once done, you can adjust the microphone volume via a slider that is available at the bottom right corner of the windows.
Avoiding Popping Noise – How To Improve Blue Snowball Quality
What makes the Blue Snowball a great microphone is it is highly sensitive. But this sensitivity can also backfire and produce a lot of popping sounds by capturing the sound of breath. Unfortunately, there are no settings that you can tweak or modify to address this problem. And thus, you have to opt for old school technique of moving the mic or yourself away while heavily breathing during the recording.
We know it is not as easy as it sounds but it is the only way to work around the problem. It would be a little challenging at first but once you are used to it, things would get easier. In our testing, this technique reduced the popping sound in the audio by 90%.
Tips To Improve Audio Quality – How To Make Snowball Mic Sound Better
The previous section addressed only two specific and niche issues. But the users who are looking to make the mic overall a better unit can use the tips mentioned in this section. So, here is what you can do.
Record in Quiet Area – How To Make The Blue Snowball Sound Better
Blue Snowball is a condenser microphone. Such microphones are designed to capture every little detail in the voice. While it is good for vocal recordings, it can also capture even the delicate and quietest sounds in the recording room. And these sounds collectively make the noise that appears in the final audio.
In some situations, it also comes in handy for example while recording an acoustic melody or overall ambiance of the room. But for the most part, you want the surroundings as quiet as possible.
Recording in the quiet area would eliminate the unwanted noise in the audio and deliver a clear output. You must eliminate all the other sound sources in the room even if they make very little sound. Devices like mobile phones, tablets, and laptops do not produce much noise. But because the microphone can capture even the faintest of sound, having these devices in the room would make the sound noisier.
Thus, to get premium audio, you must remove all the devices from the room before hitting the record bottom. And if there is nothing that you can do about the noise, for example, the noise of traffic and other outdoor sounds, try to record when it settles down.
Right Placing of Microphone – How to Make Your Blue Snowball Sound Like a Studio Mic
Once you have eliminated all the noise in the area it is equally important that you place the mic at an optimal place. The location should be such that the mic is able to pick up the sound effects. And the placement of the microphone plays a key role in that.
We know that the mic can pick up the sound even when you speak in it from a distance. But that does not necessarily deliver the best of results and seems as if you are speaking from across the room. To ensure it does not happen, place the mic almost 5 inches away from your chin.
When you are this close to the mic, it not only picks up your voice efficiently but also blocks the noise around you. However, remember to keep the distance of 5 inches because if you move any forward the sound would begin to muffle and distort the audio quality.
Positioning Yourself Right – How To Make Your Snowball Sound Like Studio Mic
Just as the placement of the mic is important, positioning yourself is equally important as well. You are the sound source for the mic and you need to ensure that you have positioned yourself right. Correct mouth position can improve the sound quality significantly.
Even if you are near to the mic but your mouth is not correctly directed the mic would not be able to catch all the sound waves. Therefore, you must speak towards the microphone and make sure your mouth is rightly directed at the mic.
It is even more important when you are using the mic with a unidirectional or cardioid polar pattern. Such microphones capture the sound from only one side. And it is important to identify the right side otherwise the sound would not even make it to the final audio owing to off-axis rejection.
READ:) The Best Desktop Microphones
Selecting The Right Settings – How To Make Blue Snowball Sound Better
Once you have corrected all the external factors you must select the right settings in the microphone as well. The blue microphone comes with three different settings each designed for a unique scenario. It is important to know which setting suits the particular situation that you have at hand.
The selection of the settings depends on the area where you are recording and the kind of output that you want. So, let’s find out what these settings actually are:
Cardioid Recording
Cardioid or omnidirectional recording is essentially the polar pattern of the microphone. Such a pattern demands the sound source to be directly pointed towards them. And the microphone then captures only the sound that is coming directly towards the active site of the mic.
With these settings, the users can block the ambient noise as the mic captures only that sound that is directly pointed towards it. This helps the users while speaking for the voiceovers or recording the vocals for the music. You can also use it to record musical instruments in great detail.
-10dB Pad Coupled with Cardioid Pattern
Generally, the condenser mics are not that great at recording loud sounds. However, thanks to the -10dB pads this problem can be addressed. Coupled with a Cardioid pattern, you can use the microphone to record loud vocals and even instruments like guitars and pianos.
These pads can also be used when you are recording when there is noise around you. Pads reduce the sensitivity of the mic and consequently decrease the ability of the microphone to capture the ambient noise.
Omnidirectional Recording
The omnidirectional recording is essentially the opposite of cardioid recording. While the cardioid picks up sound only from one direction, the omnidirectional recording picks up sound from all directions.
You can use this setting while recording the podcasts and there is only a single mic. The omnidirectional pattern of the mic would ensure that it catches the sound from all the speakers. This pattern can also be used while recording the vocals, particularly when you want to capture the ambient environment as well.
Use The Right Applications – How To Make Snowball Mic Sound Better
The mic only records the sound, it is the computer software that processes the sound and produces an output. And that makes the software just as important as the mic itself. This is why we recommend Adobe audition; it is one of the best audio processing applications on the internet.
You can use other applications as well but just remember that each application is slightly different. And these applications use different codes to process the sound. You may not find the right fit on the first try but keep looking until you find the one that provides the option that you want.
Some premium applications provide you with tailormade settings for different scenarios. You would have one that is the best fit for the podcasts and others that are great for vocal and voiceover recording. The point is, it is up to you to find the right application to go with the blue snowball microphone.
Get Yourself a Pop Filter – How To Make Blue Snowball Sound Better
Let’s be honest, no microphone in the same price tag as a blue snowball can deliver complete noise-free audio. It is expected but you can reduce the noise problem by getting yourself gadgets like pop filters.
Such noise-reducing equipment ensures that you are not picking up any ambient noise. And maybe it is exactly what your audio recording is missing. Those who have just started out might not know exactly what the pop filter is but you must have seen it in videos.
This filter is placed on the diaphragm of the microphone and looks like a round screen that shields the mic. The filter reduces the noise by decreasing the capability of the microphone to capture the breath sound and removes the pop from the recording.
These filters also reduce unwanted feedback and make the sound coming out from the noise more premium. You would find plenty of pop filters and it is you who has to ensure that you are getting the right kind of pop filters to go with the microphone.
Use Noise Gate Filter – How To Make Blue Snowball Sound Better
If using all the mentioned tips has not worked well enough to reduce the noise, a gate filter might be the last resort for you. Noise Gate Filter is also a piece of noise-reduction equipment and it essentially blocks the sound above a certain frequency.
Selecting the right type of noise gate filter would help in reducing the ambient noise. But the key to making it successful is the selection of the right gate filter. Because otherwise, it would also block some parts of the vocals as well. And that is something you do not want.
Conclusion – How To Improve Blue Snowball Quality
Blue by Snowball is an excellent value product but like all the budget devices it has certain shortcomings. Using the techniques mentioned above you can overcome most of these shortcomings. And it is not necessary to use all of them. Even one of the mentioned strategies can be enough for you. But it is important to point out the problem and use the solutions accordingly.
This is all that we had on the “How to make blue snowball sound better”. If there is anything that you would like to add or ask about the particular subject, let us know in the given section. We would love to respond. Thank you!
The posts you may like:)