Blue's latest microphone gives streamers an XLR option
The $100 Ember is designed to reduce background noise.
With the rise of livestreaming, easy-to-use audio gear has become a staple among YouTubers, podcasters and more. Blue has been catering to that group for a while now with its line of plug-and-play USB microphones, but at CES 2019 the company has a new XLR option aimed at streamers and professional recording environments. The Blue Ember is a $100 mic that's designed to cut down on background noise thanks to its "tight pickup pattern." Basically, the cardioid pattern of the microphone focuses on what's right in front of it to minimize any room noise.
A thin, almost stick-like design means the Ember won't take up too much screen space during a livestream. Compare it to a larger Blue mic like the popular Yeti and you can see the difference there. For non-streamers, the compact design will still save space in a studio or production setup. Like a lot of XLR gear, the Ember runs on phantom power and offers high-output gain that can handle speech, vocals and instruments with ease. It comes with a mount for any standard microphone stand, and works with Blue's S3 Shock suspension mount and Compass boom arm -- if you have a need for such things.
If you're looking to upgrade your production suite for SoundCloud, YouTube or other audio recording needs, live or otherwise, the Blue Ember will go on sale in February.
