Very Quick
"Here's what I have to say about the iCE Snowball: PROS: -Comes with a nice stand that you can utilize, stands great on my desk and doesn't fall over if you don't hit it."
"Also, this mic is not like the higher-end Snowballs that allow you to switch from Cardioid to other settings, allowing you to record two people on either side of the mic."
"They say in their Q&A section for this item that there are no user-adjustable settings, if the audio geek in you is aroused, but once you hear what it can do, why would you want to adjust anything?"
"But if you're in need of higher quality sound and are willing to spend a bit more money, you can get much better microphones than this for under $100."
"I'm going to change it up a bit, and give my Pros & Cons on this product, since I really like it, but I want to make sure I have everything down, I need to have to make sure this is a fair and square review of the item: Pros: - The Item is a Microphone."
"It is also quite nice that it is quite directional so if something is going on at the other side of the room it doesn't pic it up, but I can lean back in my chair and still be heard."
"It picks up conversations in the other room sometimes, so it's best to have control over your environment when recording."
Blue Microphones Snowball iCE Condenser Microphone, Cardioid (Compare Deals from $49.00)
Quick
"Here's what I have to say about the iCE Snowball: PROS: -Comes with a nice stand that you can utilize, stands great on my desk and doesn't fall over if you don't hit it... -You can add many additions to the microphone such as a shock mount, pop filter and/or hood with ease... You can definitely use this to record music, whether it's guitar, drums or vocals, but make sure that you have some sound-reducing foam or padding of some sort around your environment when doing so unless you want to hear the reverb."
"I love the way it looks, and the great quality is good enough for vocal recordings for music, commentaries, voice chats, and anything else you may need it for... Firstly, the actual mic itself is basically plastic, and although that does not matter to me, I'm sure others would feel it is cheap material for a condenser microphone... Also, this mic is not like the higher-end Snowballs that allow you to switch from Cardioid to other settings, allowing you to record two people on either side of the mic."
"After seeing a friend of mine with a Blue Snowball USB Mic and hearing the sound he was able to achieve with it, I HAD to have that... Another drawback was that the closer I got to the mic, even with headphones on, the sound was tinny with no real bottom end, and feedback - while minimal - could still be heard... They say in their Q&A section for this item that there are no user-adjustable settings, if the audio geek in you is aroused, but once you hear what it can do, why would you want to adjust anything?"
"I returned it and bought myself another MXL 990, which, for only $40 more, sounded ten times better. In conclusion: If you're just starting out and want a cheap condenser mic, you'll probably be okay with this one. But if you're in need of higher quality sound and are willing to spend a bit more money, you can get much better microphones than this for under $100."
"I'm going to be straight forward and say that this mic is no Blue Yeti, it's a standard microphone for people who want to speak and maybe sing, I'm not too sure... I'm going to change it up a bit, and give my Pros & Cons on this product, since I really like it, but I want to make sure I have everything down, I need to have to make sure this is a fair and square review of the item: Pros: - The Item is a Microphone... Those are the PROS & CONS on this BLUE Snowball ICE Condenser Microphone, If you liked the review & I helped you, please let me know."
"After looking around I found the snowballs to be almost universally well rated, used by many different youtubers, and pretty cheap for a stand mic... It is also quite nice that it is quite directional so if something is going on at the other side of the room it doesn't pic it up, but I can lean back in my chair and still be heard... The only other complaint is since I have my computer set up in my room, it has a bright red light that is always on (even when the computer is asleep or shut down) so I constantly have a red light coming from one corner of my room."
"I can HIGHLY recommend the Snowball to anyone that does voiceovers for media... The tripod stand is lighter than I would have liked; the microphone itself is so solid it easily outweighs the stand... It picks up conversations in the other room sometimes, so it's best to have control over your environment when recording."
Less Quick
"I purchased this microphone a few months ago, and decided to wait until I had used it for a little while until I wrote a review. Here's what I have to say about the iCE Snowball: PROS: -Comes with a nice stand that you can utilize, stands great on my desk and doesn't fall over if you don't hit it... -You can add many additions to the microphone such as a shock mount, pop filter and/or hood with ease... (Happens with nearly all microphones) -Cord is a bit longer than it needs to be... -Unlike the original Snowball, it only has one recording option... The microphone is great for what I use it for, except for the fact that it catches a lot of background noise. You can definitely use this to record music, whether it's guitar, drums or vocals, but make sure that you have some sound-reducing foam or padding of some sort around your environment when doing so unless you want to hear the reverb."
"I love the way it looks, and the great quality is good enough for vocal recordings for music, commentaries, voice chats, and anything else you may need it for... Firstly, the actual mic itself is basically plastic, and although that does not matter to me, I'm sure others would feel it is cheap material for a condenser microphone... I opened up the stand and saw that they were simply held in place with very small pins that are very easily broken and hard to fix... Also, this mic is not like the higher-end Snowballs that allow you to switch from Cardioid to other settings, allowing you to record two people on either side of the mic... Naturally, the quality decreases as you move the mic farther away, however I feel that the dropoff was more dramatic than it should be... However, if you want a mic that you will be using frequently and will be sitting on your desk every day, go for something better... You can get some good quality, metal, cardioid condensers for the same price but way better."
"After seeing a friend of mine with a Blue Snowball USB Mic and hearing the sound he was able to achieve with it, I HAD to have that. After working with a client who needed streaming audio for her event at our local hotel, and hearing the sound this little baby put out, I thought this would be an excellent all-purpose mic... Another drawback was that the closer I got to the mic, even with headphones on, the sound was tinny with no real bottom end, and feedback - while minimal - could still be heard. That said, when put through its paces in recording various musical instruments and as an area mic for a slam poetry setting, this thing ROCKED... They say in their Q&A section for this item that there are no user-adjustable settings, if the audio geek in you is aroused, but once you hear what it can do, why would you want to adjust anything?... Just be mindful that it has to be plugged into a NATIVE USB port; most hubs won't provide the power this baby needs to work optimally. Also, as rough and rugged as they want you to believe it is, at the end of the day, it's STILL a pressure-gradient condenser mic, and if you want it to last, constant dropping or klutziness isn't gonna help your case much."
"Once it came in the mail, I set it up, recorded my first voice over track, and listened to it back... The sound was not at all robust and didn't pick up lower frequencies very well. Honestly, this mic didn't sound much better than the gaming headset I had been using. I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn't. I returned it and bought myself another MXL 990, which, for only $40 more, sounded ten times better. In conclusion: If you're just starting out and want a cheap condenser mic, you'll probably be okay with this one. But if you're in need of higher quality sound and are willing to spend a bit more money, you can get much better microphones than this for under $100."
"I'm going to be straight forward and say that this mic is no Blue Yeti, it's a standard microphone for people who want to speak and maybe sing, I'm not too sure... You can expect good mic quality, background noise and a broken stand possibly, Who knows? I'm going to change it up a bit, and give my Pros & Cons on this product, since I really like it, but I want to make sure I have everything down, I need to have to make sure this is a fair and square review of the item: Pros: - The Item is a Microphone. - Sounds Normal, but better than Laptop Mics & Generic Logitech and Other brand Microphones. - Comes with a stand... - Pop Filter inside, will cave in, if you touch it..... Those are the PROS & CONS on this BLUE Snowball ICE Condenser Microphone, If you liked the review & I helped you, please let me know."
"After looking around I found the snowballs to be almost universally well rated, used by many different youtubers, and pretty cheap for a stand mic. Since buying it, I have found the sound quality to be just what I had hoped both from my own tests, and the opinions of my friends. It is also quite nice that it is quite directional so if something is going on at the other side of the room it doesn't pic it up, but I can lean back in my chair and still be heard. In combination with a nice pair of headphones I think I get better sound in both directions for the price I paid than I would have with a good headset. I have only two minor complaints, first, it is larger than I had expected, not a fault of the product, more a lack of research on my part... On a related note the stand is rather flimsy plastic compared to the quite durable looking snowball itself. The only other complaint is since I have my computer set up in my room, it has a bright red light that is always on (even when the computer is asleep or shut down) so I constantly have a red light coming from one corner of my room."
"I can HIGHLY recommend the Snowball to anyone that does voiceovers for media... Unpacking was a bit of a chore, but you can rest that blame on the plastic packaging industry... The tripod stand is lighter than I would have liked; the microphone itself is so solid it easily outweighs the stand... When plugged in to your USB port the microphone is automatically powered... It picks up conversations in the other room sometimes, so it's best to have control over your environment when recording. A closed room would work perfectly, however where we have the computer is in one of the open areas of the house... I wish the little tripod stand was of a stronger material, but it is stable all the same."
