In this article, we show you everything that you need to know to set up and connect your Logitech Blue Sona Active Dynamic Microphone to your Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Audio Interface.
Quick Answer: Position the Blue Sona 2-3″ away from your mouth. Connect the microphone to the Scarlett 2i2 with an XLR cable. Turn on phantom power. Increase the gain on Scarlett 2i2 until our voice peaks somewhere between -20 and -10db on your computer.
Price & Specs
- Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Audio Interface: https://currentprice.io/scarlett_2i2
- Logitech Blue Sona Microphone: https://currentprice.io/blue_sona
Scarlett 2i2 Setup
Before we connect the microphone, we need to look at the settings on the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Audio Interface.
Make sure that:
- The instruments and air mode is turned off
- The 48 V of phantom power is turned off
- The volume knobs are turned down to zero
- There is a green light indicating that the audio interface is currently connected to and powered by the computer.
Computer (OBS) Setup
We are using OBS studio on our computer. A free open-source software that is popularly used in streaming as well as recording.
Under the source menu, click the + (plus) sign to add a new source.
We want a new audio input capture, therefore type in Scarlett 2i2 and then hit ok.
Under properties, select the Scarlett 2i2 USB as the device and then hit ok.
Now you can see the Scarlett 2i2 has shown up underneath the audio mixer.
This means it is ready to connect to the Logitech Blue Sona.
Logitech Blue Sona Setup
This microphone is available in two color options: black or white. We prefer the black one because it looks more professional.
The Blue Sona comes with two different foam windscreens. We recommend you keep one of each on. There is no acoustic difference between each. Pick whatever color you like.
Make sure the switches found at the back of the Logitech Blue Sona are turned off. You need to be seeing black at the back on both switches.
Mic Stand / Boom Arm
There are two options when selecting which stands you should use with your Logitech Blue Sona microphone:table mic stand or boom arm.
Table mic stand
They are:
- Cheap
- Rugged
- Durable
- Well-designed
The downsides of using a table mic:
- They do not offer sound isolation against taps and shuffling that happens on the table.
- They take up valuable table space.
The boom arm
We recommend the Rode PSA1+ boom arm.
- Super-versatile
- Easy to use
- No tools required
- Can be configured to the way you want
Mount the Logitech Blue Sona by screwing it into the end of the boom arm.
Mic Placement
Position the Logitech Blue Sona Active Dynamic microphone about 2”-3” away from the mouth.
Point it straight to your mouth.
If it is too far away, it is going to capture more of the background noise.
If it is too close, it is going to be poppy and boomy.
XLR Cable
Logitech Blue Sona Active Dynamic > XLR cable > Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
Connect the XLR cable to the input on the Blue Sona
Connect the other end of the XLR to the first input on the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
We are using the Canare XLR cable with a male and female connector. Compared to connectors that have silver pins, the gold-pinned ones are resistant to corrosion.
We prefer having black connectors because they look better on camera. We like using cables with a variety of colors as well.
There are four cables inside the XLR cable. This is called the star-quad design. Because of this, such cables do a better job of rejecting background interference in a studio environment.
Make sure you run your cable nicely and neatly without any hanging. Take extra time to make sure it looks really nice on camera.
We recommend using cables that are between 6’-10’ long because they can run connections to the audio interface.
Phantom Power
Press the 48 V button to turn on the phantom power.
The Logitech Blue Sona microphone is unique compared to most other microphones in a couple of ways. It has a high quality dynamic microphone inside as well as a mic activator.
The mic activator boosts the volume of the microphone.
The Blue Sona will not work unless the in-built mic activator is powered. 48 V of phantom power is required.
Gain Setup
Turn up the gain on the Scarlett 2i2 until the level on the OBS is between -20 and -18dB.
The loudest you can go in a digital audio environment is 0dB.
We should aim for somewhere between -18 and -12 dB.
We want 12dB of headroom so that we can record anything without any distortion. In case we laugh, tell a joke, get dynamic or get close to the microphone, we are not ruining the recording. We want to make sure we have that 12dB of clean gain as headroom at the top.
As you turn up the gain, you will notice that the input starts to flash. You do not want it to go yellow. You can see here as we turn it up, it gets more and more solid. That’s a really good start.
On the computer, you will notice we are between -20 and -10. This is really ideal. We want to be somewhere between -18 and -12. The yellow meter in OBS is really close and that’s a really good guide for you to be going to.
Bass Cut / Presence Switches
For this setup, we kept the switches off.
The back of the microphone has two switches: a bass cut and a presence switch.
Here is how they sound:
Bass cut ON – This will roll off the lower frequencies of the microphone. This will remove your voice from the subwoofer of the listener of the microphone.
Presence ON – This gives more upper frequencies in the range of the microphone. It gives you more punch and more intelligibility.
Bass cut ON + Presence ON – This setting gives the audio a low cut and mid-frequency boost.
Scarlett 2i2 Air Mode
The Air button on the Scarlett 2i2 will give the audio some harmonic distortion. Similar to the frequency boost built into the microphone, air mode will add enhancements in the upper frequencies to give you more clarity and intelligibility.
Headphones
The only thing you need to add into this setup is a pair of headphones.
We recommend the Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 80 Ohm version or the 32 Ohm version because they are the best fit for this setup.
The Scarlett 2i2 audio interface is right there on the limit when it comes to powering the 250 Ohm version.
Scarlett 2i2 & Blue Sona | Setup & Demo | Price & Specs
- Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Audio Interface: https://currentprice.io/scarlett_2i2
- Logitech Blue Sona Microphone: https://currentprice.io/blue_sona
- Rode NT1 Microphone: https://currentprice.io/rode_nt1_kit
- Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro Headphones: https://currentprice.io/beyer_dt_990
- XLR Cable: https://currentprice.io/xlr_cable
- TRS Cable: https://currentprice.io/trs_cable
- Mic Stand: https://currentprice.io/desk_stand
- Rode PSA1+ Boom Arm: http://currentprice.io/psa1_plus
- Quality Acoustic Treatment Panels: http://currentprice.io/soundpanels
Scarlett 2i2 & Blue Sona | Setup & Demo | Topics
- 0:00 – Introduction
- 0:48 – Price & Specs
- 1:04 – Scarlett 2i2 Setup
- 1:35 – Computer (OBS) Setup
- 2:15 – Logitech Blue Sona Setup
- 2:45 – Mic Stand / Boom Arm
- 4:05 – Mic Placement
- 4:30 – XLR Cable
- 5:35 – Phantom Power
- 6:25 – Gain Setup
- 7:45 – Bass Cut / Presence Switches
- 8:50 – Scarlett 2i2 Air Mode
- 9:40 – Headphones
- 10:14 – Final Thoughts
