How to Connect a Blue Yeti Microphone to a Zoom Recorder

Since the Blue Yeti is a USB microphone, it is normally used to record into a DAW on a desktop or laptop computer. However, the Blue Yeti also has another audio output for zero-latency headphone monitoring. In this article, I show how the analogue headphone output can be used to record onto a Zoom portable digital recorder. If you own a different make of recorder, such as a Tascam, the method should also work.

In this article, any instructions that refer to the audio recorder are for the Zoom H4n/H4n Pro. If you have a different Zoom recorder or a Tascam recorder you will need to adapt the instructions to match your device.

Connecting a Blue Yeti’s headphone output to a portable digital recorder

When recording with a Blue Yeti onto a computer, the USB cable allows the transfer of digital audio to the computer and supplies 5V USB bus power from the computer to the Blue Yeti. Although Zoom recorders, such as the H4n Pro, have mini-USB ports, they cannot be used to record with a USB microphone.

Nonetheless, it is possible to record with a Blue Yeti onto a Zoom portable recorder. We can do this by using the analogue audio signal from the Yeti’s headphone socket. Unfortunately, this connection will not provide electrical power to the recorder. This must be done through the USB port on the base of the Blue Yeti, using a suitable USB power source.

Although there are various types of USB sources, only two will power your Yeti and allow you to record into a Zoom digital recorder. I’ll explain in the following sections

How to power the Blue Yeti microphone

To operate properly, the Blue Yeti requires a 5V power source to be connected to the mini-USB port on the base of the microphone. But the power source must be a USB port on either a computer or smartphone. I prefer using my smartphone (Samsung A53 5G) because of the greater portability. If you try using a power bank or a USB hub, the Yeti’s power light will come on, but the headphone output will not deliver any audio.

Now, you quite rightly might say, if I’m going to connect to a computer, smartphone, or tablet, I might as well record on those devices.

Yes, you can record on those devices, but there are times when you might also wish to record on a Zoom digital recorder. For example,

• You need a more portable Blue Yeti recording setup
• A backup copy of your audio is required
• You will be using the multitrack capabilities of your Zoom recorder

Using a laptop or desktop USB port

Most computers have USB-A type outputs. In this case, you can use the original USB microphone cable that came with your Blue Yeti. Connect the mini-USB connector to the Yeti and the USB-A connector to a USB port on the computer.

Alternatively, here’s a direct link to the Mini USB to USB C Cable on Amazon. Plug the mini-USB connector into the Blue Yeti and the USB-C connector into a USB-C port on your computer.

If you have not used the Blue Yeti on your computer before, your operating system will set up the microphone as a USB audio device. Once set up, the Yeti’s headphone socket will deliver an analogue audio signal.

Using a smartphone’s USB port

Modern smartphones and tablets have USB-C charging and data port connectors. Even new iPhones that use wired charging will also have a USB-C port sometime in 2023/24.

I’ve tested recording onto a Zoom H4n while powering my Blue Yeti from an Android Samsung A53 5G. Everything worked fine with the standard Camera app, the Open Camera app, and the Samsung Voice Recorder app. My preference is the voice recorder since less power is used.

Connecting the Yeti’s headphone output to the Zoom recording

Connecting to the 3.5mm EXT MIC input

Connecting a Blue Yeti to the Zoom’s XLR/¼ inch jack combo mic inputs

To use the XLR/Jack mic inputs on the base of the Zoom recorder you have two options. You can get an audio cable with a 3.5mm TRS jack at one end and a ¼ inch TRS jack at the other or use a standard 3.5mm aux audio cable with a 3.5mm to ¼ inch adapter at one end.

Next, with the Yeti powered from a laptop or smartphone, press the Input 1/2 buttons. Both will light up red when the XLR/Jack inputs have been selected. Your audio will only record on the channel that the Yeti is plugged into. If you want the Yeti’s audio to be recorded on both channels to produce a dual mono recording, you will need to make an adjustment in the menu system.

Press the Menu button on the Zoom recorder. Scroll to INPUT, and then ½ Link. Then select ON. Press the Menu button once and scroll to and select Mono mix, and again select ON. Finally, press the Menu button twice to exit the Menu.

What you have just done is sent the Input 1/2 to both channels and ensured that any use of the record level buttons applies to both channels. This will ensure your recorded audio files will be dual mono.

To record, press the Record button once to preview the audio level, and press the Record button a second time to start the recording.

Controlling the audio level

When using a Blue Yeti with a Zoom recorder, you have two ways of controlling the audio input level. You can use the headphone volume dial on the Blue Yeti, and/or the REC LEVEL buttons on the Zoom recorder.

If you have a Zoom H4n, you may know that the mic preamps are not as good as those in the H4n Pro. It just means the preamps are a little noisier on the H4n. To make your recordings as noise-free as possible, set the Zoom H4n record level low (below 30) and then use the headphone volume dial to adjust the audio level on the Zoom recorder.

Once you have set the input level set, start your recording.

You should be recording on both the left and right channels. If using the cardioid polar pattern, the recording will be dual mono, i.e., the same mono signal on both channels. If you choose the stereo polar pattern, the recording should be stereo.

Summary

Although the Blue Yeti has been designed as a USB microphone, it’s also possible to use the analogue headphone output to record onto portable digital recorders, including ones from Zoom and Tascam. However, you still need to connect the Yeti to either a computer or smartphone for power and to make it work. The only other thing you will need is an aux audio cable to link the Blue Yeti to the recorder.