New York, Yes, it has a decent build quality and is easy to set up, and yes, it is cheap. The only noticeable control is the socket for the USB on the back. Big fans of Fallout 4’s Codsworth will likely already have the Snowball Ice set up on their desks, but for everyone else the radical spherical design is a divisive move. The Snowball lacked serious gain, so no one ever used the pad, and the omnidirectional option was never really that good or appreciated by users. If you can see yourself getting into recording instruments or multiple people at once though, spending a little extra for the Snowball is a no-brainer. There have also been some other little tweaks, in that the sound is now very mid-range heavy. Then they could have added to that mic and made the iCE the better version. However, we call into question how well-equipped a newcomer might be to hitting on these rather finicky settings. Just to complicate matters, a non-icy Snowball is also available for $80, and that features an additional omnidirectional mode. The mic is also prone to popping plosives, so with no pop shield included you’ll need to aim your voice slightly above the mic. The Snowball was an acceptable mic in many ways and certainly had its supporters. With their range of USB microphones, things became possible that weren’t before. Affordable. Not the strongest you will come across. The subject of this Blue Snowball iCE Review is one of them. Black Friday Deals Week - Save Up to 96%! We cannot really see any reason why you would not spend a little extra and get the “professional quality option,” as Blue describes the original. No DSP means pure signal. That’s really all there is to the Snowball Ice on the physical features front too -- a USB connection and a red indicator light at the front. It is a traditional Blue design and a carbon copy of its predecessor. In the absence of any other polar patterns to switch between or a mute button, all you need to worry about is placing it. That is great news for vocals. Tom's Hardware is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. If you are looking for a bit of quality, then maybe the original Snowball is going to suit you better. We wonder why the original Snowball was not left as the basic option, given it has a base of user support. That’s not a problem for streaming over compressed formats like Twitch, but outside of real-time broadcasting the keen-eared will hear a difference. The original Snowball has been with us for over 15 years. Plug-and-play ready. While that stripped-down feature set might feel limiting to experienced streamers or home sound engineers looking for studio-quality instrumental recordings, the simplicity will feel welcome to newcomers. However, it is still an easy plug and play device with no drivers to install and a USB 2.0 connection. Bringing the iCE out as a cheaper version smacks of a little desperation that sales are down. You can knock it around and it won’t show damage. However, for around $10 more, the non-icy Snowball seems to melt into the Snowball Ice’s appeal. Yes, it has Blue’s reliability. As we have already said, this has been scaled back from the original Snowball. But especially when you start downgrading its features, justified or otherwise to make it a cheaper buy. Receive mail from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors? USB mics are rather prone to failure if they fall over with any force. The last thing you want before the first time broadcasting yourself is to spend half an hour googling what ‘cardioid’ means. They are a unique design but always interesting. We have always appreciated Blue’s efforts to be different and to produce a decent, not high, quality mic at a reasonable price. Blue’s family of USB microphones has shaken up the streamer gear market like no other brand, finding their way onto gamer desks and podcast studios the world over. So at least in part, the appeal of the Snowball Ice is that it’s a known quantity in the market. Blue’s Snowball Ice is a really affordable little soldier of a USB mic. The Snowball has only got an extra condenser capsule and the pad after all, as well as offering three polar patterns, not one. Snowball became popular because you no longer needed to go to an expensive recording studio to record a quality vocal, you could do it at home. You just get a mini-USB cable leading out to your PC. But they are the only recommendations we can give it. So what is this mic capable of? Your email address will not be published. Receive news and offers from our other brands? If you’re further out than about 8 inches, you lose the focussed sound and too much room reverb creeps in. It is a one condenser mic with a cardioid pattern. And it has to be said that they can never be as good as expensive studio-level mics. With a cardioid and only cardioid polar pattern to work with, you should be able to point the mic in your vicinity and get something decent. It now offers a single recording option. It still has that strange appeal, though, especially for a mic you will mostly use at home. Blue was set up in 1995 by a Latvian and an American. You can argue it is half the price. You will receive a verification email shortly. There are, therefore, no harsh, sharp sounds. We mentioned earlier about the mid-range – this mic is all mid-range. We hope that isn’t the case as Blue has an important place in recording. For those users who might want a little more from their mic, this is a backward step. If you want just a cheap mic that doesn’t do an awful lot, and you are not relying on decent sound reproduction, it will suffice. This mic without any top or bottom frequencies is just lifeless and very dull. There was a problem. Future US, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, It does have a sturdy grille and behind that a filter to reduce plosives and other unwanted noise. It needs some coaxing to achieve the best results. It was developed after Apple gave Blue a bit of a nudge to manufacture a low-cost condenser mic.
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