This is another benefit of using an XLR connection. ![]() Since the Ember connects to an interface, the bitrate and frequency it will transmit depends on what you’re connecting it to. If growth is something you’re interested in, you’ll pay a little more up front but save money down the road by not having to buy a whole new mic in the future. The point is, since the microphone is XLR and made to grow with you, you should really only look at the Ember if you are prepared to upgrade your setup in the future. If you want to pick up a shock mount and pop filter to protect your stream from any bumps or puffs of air, that will be another $30 or so (though you don’t exactly need either). After picking up an affordable arm, cable, and interface, you’ll easily be spending another $50 or more. The Ember is a great mic but you shouldn’t consider $99 the total price if you’re just starting out. A mic stand adapter (below) is included, however. That said, a boom arm is a large and expensive accessory, so I can understand why Blue would leave this out of the package. The lack of a stand leads me to believe that you’re supposed to use this with a boom arm instead of a desktop stand.Ī small tabletop stand is usually included with USB mics and they don’t have to be fancy to get the job done - just ask the Audio-Technica AT2020USB+. It’s affordable at $99, but I would really like to at least see a stand included, or a cable, to make the mic usable out of the box. I would really like to at least see a stand included. Inside the box you’ll find the mic itself, a mic stand adapter, and some documentation, and that’s it. What’s included in the package is a bit sparse, though, especially for entry-level streamers who might need a bit more than what’s delivered. The grill surrounding the mic capsule is also heavy duty and didn't flex when I tried to push it in. I really like the slate grey, almost blue color of the main cylinder combined with the darker burnished nickel of the ends. It’s entirely metal, so it has a satisfying feel for a mic at this price point, and the smaller diameter makes it feel almost indestructible in the hand. Because of it’s smaller size, the mic weighs just 380g, a full 170g less than the Yeti, though is still much heavier than the waif-like 254g HyperX QuadCast. Compared to the Yeti, which is shorter but more than double the diameter, it definitely takes up less space on your face cam. There are no controls whatsoever and no headphone jack to break up its vintage finish. The Blue Ember has a simple design with a slim, pencil-like body that's meant to be unobtrusive, visible on your stream but not distracting or covering half of your face. Thankfully, there are some great affordable options like this one from Behringer. The downside is that you’ll have to buy an interface. The plus side to this is that as your stream grows and you upgrade your equipment, your Ember will be able to grow with you, plugging into any mixer or interface you might decide to try. It also uses an XLR connection, so it can’t connect directly to your computer and will instead require an audio interface. ![]() ![]() That means you talk into the side rather than the top. Title=More%20Expert%20Tech%20Roundups&type=articles%2Cvideos&tags=tech-roundup&count=6&columnCount=6&theme=article This not only makes the microphone more useful for streamers, but also helps drive the price down since streamers aren't likely to use more than a Cardioid pattern anyway. Polar patterns are the regions that the microphone will “listen to,” and “cardioid” indicates unidirectional, so it only captures sound from one spot your mouth right in front of it, which is where you’ll be sitting during a stream. Unlike a mic like the Yeti or the recent HyperX QuadCast, it features a single cardioid polar pattern. Condensers, including the Ember, are known for offering clear, natural recordings with a high level of sensitivity. The Ember is a condenser microphone, which is popular among streamers and podcasters, but also within the recording industry. At $99, is it worth becoming your next mic? Blue Ember Condenser Mic – Design and Features It's small, thin, and purpose-driven with only a single recording pattern, but, most importantly, it drops USB support in favor of a more sophisticated XLR connection. I'm reviewing the Blue Ember (See it at Amazon), which is a microphone also intended for streamers and gamers, but one that’s quite a departure in several ways. If you’ve watched more than a handful of Twitch streams, you’ve likely seen their wildly popular and bullet-shaped Blue Yeti or the more recent Blue Yeti Nano. In the world of streaming mics, there may be no more well-known company than Blue Microphones.
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