Samson Technologies C01

This is a condenser microphone primarily used for recording.  I guess you could use it live for a Bluegrass setup being that it is Omni directional.  Other than that though, it is definitely a studio microphone.

OVERALL OPINION

What I like most about this microphone is that it is not too expensive and provides a decent, usable recording.  I do a lot of mobile recording for samples and such.  If you live around Asheville, NC, you might see me on a trail in the mountains, or near a rushing river with my Macbook, Presonus Firebox and this mic.  I own a few nicer Condensers that I wouldn't dare stick near a river or take hiking with me, so I am glad to own this little guy.  Not that it is a poor mic, but the price tag is low enough that if something were to happen to it, I wouldn't be too upset.  Other things I like about this mic is the nice hard case it comes with.  I feel like the nicer the mic I buy, the less protection the company offers for it.  What I don't like about it I guess would be that it is not anything special.  If you are a serious recording engineer, than samson mics will most likely never make it in your recordings.  They don't come anywhere close to my Rode NT3's and are not even in the same galaxy as say a Neuman.  This is too be expected as you could buy 50 CO1's for the same price as a Neuman condenser.  If I had to rate the quality of this thing in the spectrum of all mics I have used, it gets around a 4 or 5.  It certainly isn't as good as the marketers would try and tell you, kind of like how Budweiser claims to be the King of beers when its more like the dirty, manure stained peasant of beers.  The only reason I own this mic is because it is expendable and I can travel with it and use it in precarious places without stressing out.  The bottom line is is you want quality, you have to spend more than $100 on a studio condenser.  The Rhodes NT3's are around $250, and they are sooooooo much nicer.  Of course, if you want really good mics, you better be ready to spend $1000's.  Yes, I would buy this one again if I drop the one I have into a river, or off a cliff.  (I am giving this a 7 because of its unfair to judge this mic against the nicer mics I have been able to use)

This is a Studio Condenser Mic.

OVERALL OPINION

SAMSON C01 STUDIO CONDENSER

I have a pair of these that I have had since about the year 2000. I bought them as vocal Mics for my home studio and actually used them as such for several years, albums and demos.

The Mics are pretty decent sounding. They are large diaphragms and give a decent enough sound for the price but they tend to distort fairly easily under load. So I would not recommend using them in a Kick drum or on a powerful male or female voice. You will get some distortion even with a pad on your pre-amp.

They require 48-volt phantom power as do all studio condensers and you will find, as I did, that they sound a little thinner than your average large diaphragm condenser Mic.

All that being said, these can be gotten at almost any music store for around fifty dollars US and when you look at them in that context. They are a great Mic.

If you have an average voice without a bunch of power and use some distance between you and the Pop Filter, you will get good useable results.

I have a low baritone voice and I need to stand about 3 feet away to not distort it. My wife, on the other hand with her higher female voice, uses this Mic and sounds great on it. So if you look over the response curve and try it on some real world situation tests, you should get a lot of good out of these.

The unit comes in a cheap plastic case; one of mine is still in great shape the other has pulverized. Invest in the shock mount, you will need it to save you from stand, floor noise.

I have since moved to a better Mic but keep the Samson C01s for drum overheads and they really ROCK there.

Studio microphone PRVU primarily for voice recording.

NOTICE GLOBAL

I use the microwave (I 2) from about ten months. When I see people who say that this mic is shit, made me even when good laugh. I agree to admit that we are very far from Neumann, or even a simple home Rode NT2, but must recognize that for the price, it's still the same lot at all. To put things in context. I think it's an excellent microphone for someone who wants to learn or Laying out home.
Personally I microphones much more expensive, and even when I use this mic frquement lil. Lately I used to make battery terminals (on the toms), and made the pretty good!
Voil in after me, micro try ... Really cheap. Report quality price more than correct.