Gadgetwise Blog: Nessie Surfaces to Make You Sound Better

Nessie stands about 10 inches high and plugs into a USB slot.

Blue Microphones has made a number of quality USB microphones for broadcasters, podcasters or anyone who wants their audio recordings to sound better than the typical laptop or desktop mic allows.

But to get that professional sound takes some accessories and post-production expertise. Enter Blue Microphones’ Nessie, a $100 mic that adjusts itself to give you professional-style sound at a moderate price.

Nessie, presumably named for its profile, which (if you squint) vaguely resembles the Loch Ness Monster, stands about 10 inches high and has a weighted base that makes it tip the scales at about a pound and a half.

It plugs into a USB slot and requires no special software drivers, although you will need a recording program, of course.

The mic has three settings, one for voice, one for music and one raw, enhancement audio. There is a 3.5mm plug so you can listen to the sound directly from the mic through your headphones (the fancy term is a “zero latency” connection), and there is a mute button. When it’s on, a light in the base pulses.

In a test, the voice mode certainly gave my speech a professional sound, deepening it and making it richer. The music setting was subtly sharper sounding, a tad more clear. The raw setting, which would be best if you wanted to add your own enhancements later, produced a less engaging sound.

There is some room for improvement. The built-in pop filter is good, but isn’t foolproof, so you do have to keep a proper distance from the mic.

In my test model, Nessie’s adjustable head would occasionally droop on its own – perhaps saying, “test, test” repeatedly lulled it to sleep. There was also a problem with an intermittent connection, causing Nessie to just stop recording.

The company said that mine was a very early model, and that they are working to insure the head’s hinge is as tight as a computer screen hinge. No one else had experienced intermittent sound, a spokesman said. In either case, I was told, the company would replace a faulty mic.

I can’t quibble about the sound quality though, droopy head or no.