One of the most overlooked technical aspects of in-office or at-home online teaching is audio capture. AV folks are quick to recommend $100-$200 webcams to significantly improve the video quality and flexibility of the teaching environment. But, when it comes to audio, many seem content delegating the sound capture to the built-in microphone of the webcam… or worse, the built-in microphone of the laptop or desktop (shiver!). The reality is, in most online teaching environments, the audio is as important, if not more so, than the video. Consider this, if you are watching a do-it-yourself YouTube video and the video is “OK-ish” (good enough to follow along), but the audio is good, you are still likely to follow along and learn from the recording. But, if the video is amazing, but the audio is poor, it doesn’t take long before you move on to the next offering. The same is true for online teaching.
If you ARE looking to enhance your audio (psssst, your students will thank you), Blue now offers the Blue Yeti Nano. The Nano a stylish desktop USB microphone designed for those that desire high quality (24-bit/48kHz) audio for quasi-professional recording or streaming podcasts, vlogs, Skype interviews, and online teaching (via WebEx, Zoom, etc.). At 75% the size of the original Yeti and Yeti Pro, the Yeti Nano is a bit more “backpack friendly.”
How will this improve my online teaching?
The Blue Nano has a few key features that will significantly improve your audio. First, the Blue Nano has a condenser microphone vs. the dynamic mic you’ll find in your laptop and webcam. Without going into too much technical detail, the condenser mic in the Nano is more complex, offers more sensitivity, and offers a more natural sound. Needless to say, this will blow your laptop’s built-in mic away.
Second, your built-in mic is most likely omnidirectional (it picks up sound in every direction). The Nano CAN be set to omnidirectional (ideal for when you have a conversation with 3+ people around a table, but it also offers a cardioid polar pattern. This means that when you are in front of the mic, you sound amazing, and sounds that aren’t in front of the mic are less prominent (ideal for teaching).
Third, the Blue Nano has a built-in mute button on the front of the mic. This may seem rather basic, but fumbling around for a virtual mute button when you have a PowerPoint, chat screen, etc. etc. open can be a pain. One quick tap of the green circle button on the front and the mic mutes.
At $99, the Blue Nano is a bit of an investment (one that you won’t really notice), but the people on the other side of the conversation will thank you.
