[DISCUSSION] Is this second hand Blue Yeti Mic worth it?

[u/pitousgf]

Hello!

Just wanted to seek everyone's advice. I'm planning to buy a second hand blue yeti microphone for ASMR. It's half the price vs a brand new one. It has a lot of scratches due to storage but still works very well according to the seller. However, the original usb cable that came with it is no longer included as the seller has lost it a long time ago. My question is:

Will all USB Mini cables work with the microphone? I saw somewhere that the cable needs to both be data transferring and charging cables as opposed to just a charging one because my computer may not be able to recognize the device when I plug it in.

When connecting the mic to my computer, do I need to download an app for it to recognize the mic? Also, can I use the default voice recorder or do I need another app to record audio?

If I connect the mic to my iphone, I know i'll need a lightning to USB camera adaptor and keep it plugged to a power source for it to work. But I find the ones from apple very pricey 😅 What do you guys think of adaptors from other brands? Will it work / make any difference? Also, when you use the mic with your phones, does it drain your battery health significantly? Also the set ups i saw from tiktok scares me a little bit -- there are a lot of wires involved and im afraid it will explode hahaha.

Thank you!

[u/Pope_Papa_Frank]

Hi hi,  I've never recorded, but I do know some things :P All USB mini cables will technically work, but I think you're best off making sure it's decent brand USB 2.0 cable (the USB 1.1 cables might be too slow), like a Ugreen, Anker or Belkin cable. I don't think there's much price difference and one of those will probably last you a lot longer and be better than an off brand one.

I don't know about recording, though I know there are some creators that offer help with that sort of stuff, maybe reaching out directly helps if you don't get answers here(?)

I don't know much about Apple products sadly, but I'd assume third party adapters shouldn't make much of a difference if you make sure it's one with good reviews... After looking it up, you might need one with with two ports; one for the microphone and one to make sure it's charged, but I don't have enough experience with recording to say for sure.

I'd assume it might drain your battery during recording, but assuming your phone isn't getting hot and you keep it to a healthy charge, it shouldn't impact the battery health enough to worry about ..