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songboy
Published on 01/18/10 at 21:52
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)
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)