Blue Yeti X vs Samson G Track Pro (2021): Which USB Microphone Should You Get?

Right off the bat, the Blue Yeti X and the Samson G-Track Pro are two excellent USB microphones with a solid reputation. While it’s hard to go wrong with either one, each of them has its own strong points that make them suitable for different kinds of users.

Put simply, the Yeti X is a feature-packed mic that delivers a full user experience. Meanwhile, the G-Track Pro is designed with recording artists in mind. On that note, we compare the two in terms of design, performance and more to get a closer look at how they stack up against one another.

Blue Yeti X vs Samson G Track Pro Comparison Chart

Design

With fewer knobs and a sleeker body, the Blue Yeti X is more streamlined than the Samson G-Track Pro.

Without a doubt, the Blue Yeti X is a beaut. It sports a black coat of paint and silver accents to match, and it’s got curves that give it a more defined shape, including a slightly sharp mesh dome. The stand it comes with is made from metal and has soft foam padding on its base so it won’t pick up noises from the desk it’s on. Design-wise, it’s best described as premium and modern.

On the other hand, the Samson G-Track Pro is also an all-metal affair with top-notch build quality, except for its dials, which are made from plastic. It has a pointed mic grille that makes a nice contrast to its round body. Moreover, it’s heavy in a good way, or in other words, it’s built like a tank.

Performance

The Blue Yeti X can reduce background noise better.

One undeniable advantage of the Blue Yeti X is it has more capsules and a slightly wider frequency response range. However, the Samson G-Track Pro does have the edge with its higher sample rate, but the difference is arguably noticeable only to the trained ear.

Now the G-Track Pro’s sound quality is exceptional, but the Yeti X does a better job at minimizing background noise, making for cleaner audio.

In a similar vein, the Yeti X also has more pickup patterns: cardioid for calls and streams, omnidirectional for ambient recording, stereo for isolating different sources of sound and bidirectional for face-to-face interviews. The G-Track Pro has all of those, save for the stereo pattern.

Both microphones also have 3.5mm headphone jacks for monitoring, but it’s worth mentioning that only the G-Track Pro has a switch to turn monitoring on and off.

Other Features

You can expect a more feature-packed experience with the Blue Yeti X.

As mentioned earlier, each one has its own unique offerings, and besides their price points, this is the biggest deciding factor. 

That said, the Blue Yeti X has Logitech G HUB support for aesthetic purposes and Blue VO!CE effects for advanced tuning, including a voice equalizer, de-esser, compression and more. What’s more, it features LED metering. Thanks to that, you’d know when the mic is peaking, and at the same time, you can also adjust gain level via its Multi-Function Smart Knob (more on that in a bit) and get a clean level easily.

In contrast, the Samson G-Track Pro has a 2-Track recording mode. Besides capturing from the microphone, it’ll also record whatever instrument is plugged into its 1/4-inch jack on its back. Needless to say, that‘s perfect for recording artists.

Controls

Keeping things simpler than the Samson G-Track Pro, the Blue Yeti X has only one dial and one button.

The Blue Yeti X has only one dial, and that’s the aforementioned Multi-Function Smart Knob. You can do pretty much everything with it. One press will toggle mute and one-second presses will let you switch between different modes, from gain to blend. On its back is the pickup-pattern button, which is already self-explanatory.

Compared to the Yeti X, the Samson G-Track Pro is more traditional in the sense that functions are divided among multiple knobs and buttons. On the front, you’ve got three dials for headphone, microphone and instrument volumes, as well as a mute button, pattern-pickup switch and the mono and 2-Track switch. On the back is its monitoring toggle.

Both are plug and play, for the record. That means you won’t have to tinker around with drivers and the like before you can start using them.

Verdict

The two are first-rate USB microphones in their own right, but the Blue Yeti X edges out the Samson G-Track Pro.

Choosing between the Blue Yeti X and the Samson G-Track Pro is really a matter of what features you’re looking for. After all, they’re more or less similar in performance and build quality, even though the Yeti X does have the upper hand somewhat on both fronts.

At that, the Yeti X is the better pick if you want more control over audio and nifty features such as LED metering. Besides being less expensive, the G-Track Pro is better equipped for musicians because of its 2-Track recording mode and 1/4-inch instrument input.

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