SeriesSamson Technologies USB Microphone

The Samson Go Mic is very affordable and very portable. It only cost 40 dollars and it is a lot better than other USB microphones. It records at 16-bit/44.1 kHz resolution and has selectable pickup patterns as well as an headphone output on it. When it comes to USB microphones I always tell people to be careful before buying because some of the USB microphones are horrible and cannot be used for anything other than chatting with some friends online. But the Go Mic has a solid quality to be a 40 dollar USB microphone. You could actually do some recording with it for a rough song draft. I would not plan on recording any of your master tracks with this microphone but it would be great for someone who has limited space like a dorm room or a apartment space to record with. OVERALL OPINION It does come with Music Creator Software which I do not recommend using; even if you purchase this inexpensive microphone do not use the software that comes with it to record with. You mine as well get your feet wet with a good software program that you can grow with (if you are a beginner). The Go Mic has no low cut filter, but it comes with a stand that will set it upright so you can record with it on your desktop. It also comes with a carry pouch to protect it from damage, it is small enough to slide right into your backpack or laptop case and you won’t even know it is there. The Go Mic is a plug and play USB microphone that will work in any program no matter what DAW or music creation software you use it will recognize the Go Mic. It is affordable and simple to use, it will sound great too for it to be such a small inexpensive microphone. Great for your rough draft recordings.

The Samson G-Track seems to be an all in one solution for recording for someone who is really one a tight budget. It is a large diaphragm condenser microphone with a 3 position switch for mono , stereo and computer monitoring. It is all powered via USB and it comes with a desktop stand. Don’t expect to be able to record high quality stuff that is master ready. You will not get that quality with the G-Track, it is more for demo purpose only. The neat thing about it is, you can switch the interface of the microphone to record instruments or vocals. This is like a home studio’s songwriter and producers dream. It can do a little bit of everything and it comes with Cakewalk Sonar LE so it has everything you need right in the box to start recording your songs right away. Setting it up is very easy and takes no effort at all. OVERALL OPINION It does come with a small manual, and you don’t have to use Sonar if you don’t want to it just comes with it, it is a perfect match for Garage Band on a mac too. Or you can use it in any of the DAW’s that you want just like it is a regular microphone. On the face or front of the microphone you have 3 knobs one for volume, one for instrument, and one for microphone. The Samson G-Track is really an all in one solution to recording at home. It only cost 119.99 and cuts out the need to purchase other gear like a mixer or interface because it is a USB microphone. This is a must have for a beginner who is getting into writing songs and recording. You will eventually need to upgrade and get a decent set up to be taken seriously because the quality will not get you to where you want to be, but it’s a great starting point!

The Samson Q1U is a USB dynamic microphone that comes at a very low price. But just because it is a low price doesn’t mean you should purchase it, though the sound quality really isn’t that bad because I have heard a lot worse. There are other USB microphones that cost twice as much as this one does but they sound so much better. If you can spend 50 on this microphone then you mine as well save up a 100 and get a better one. The best part of the Q1U is that it is plug and play via USB. Just plug it in and start recording right away. I have experienced a lot of external noise problems with this microphone and I only used it for about a week before returning it. It does come with a tripod stand for a desk, but that wont matter unless you live in a quiet area and have a very quiet recording space. When I was using this I was picking up so much external noise it was ridiculous and made it un unusable even for demo purposes. The Samson Q1U seems to be pretty well built and has a nice sleek design, and its not a bad microphone for 50 dollars but if you can save a little more money you will get a way better quality than the Q1U by Samson. OVERALL OPINION I have tried many different USB microphones that are out, and its kind of a tricky subject when talking about which one to get. If you absolutely can not afford to spend more than 50 dollars then this will be your best bet. But if you can spend more, do it. The difference in vocal warmth and clarity is huge between this microphone and one a couple steps up. I am not satisfied with the choice that I made to use this microphone that’s why I didn’t keep it. Its not a bad microphone but for a little more money you can get a way better USB microphone.

First things first. The reason I wouldn’t give the Meteor mic a perfect rating is because The included cable is horrible. Its very thin and was picking up a lot of interference in the form of a high pitched whine. Switched out for a better shielded cable I already had and viola! No noise and sounds great. Aside from the cheap cable this mic sounds great! Works perfect for my needs(Acoustic guitar, voice, basic drums and small guitar amps).The mute function is great as I don't want to hear anything but the playback from Garageband when I'm not recording. OVERALL OPINION It's really well build and has a nice weight to it, doesn't feel cheap at all. Even the volume knob is nice and solid feeling, unlike some USB mics with the same feature this doesn't feel like I'm going to break it. The mic stand mount on the bottom is a great thing along with the built in legs, and the placement of the USB and Headphone Jacks couldn't be better, their out of the way as they should be. Overall I love the Meteor! Best deal I have found so far this year! If you need a simple solution for recording and don't need a ton of gear buy the Meteor! Don't forget to get a better USB cable. But if you can get a better chord you will love this mic. I never thought a USB mic could be this powerful but its true, not to mention there is no latency involved. Most usb stuff that goes from hardware to software has some sorty of latency that’s why they say midi and firewire are better than usb. But with this I detect no latency at all and im very pleased with it. Might look into getting a second one of these in the near future.

This studio condenser mic is an affordable option for the musician looking for quality playback. A built in USB interface makes your life simple with a cord running from mic to computer identical to your printer cord. The 19mm diaphragm is equipped for sound pressure levels as high as 136db, yet contains the sensitivity to get the punch you want, as well as the subtle background sounds, equally as precise. Sound sources can be spread out and directed in all direction thanks to its wide spread hypercardioid pickup pattern. OVERALL OPINION The best part about this mic is its convenience and affordable price. For a hundred dollars or less, one can begin recording with the plug-in of a cord. I reccommend downloading the free software Samson offers at their website to go along with the USB interface to insure you are getting the most out of your recording. For the amateur or intermediate studio musician on a budget, this should tie you over for awhile. I personally recorded several songs with acoustic guitar and vocals with results good enough for me to post the songs online confidently. Although, I did deal with some minor phasing or wahing kind of sound with some of my recordings which could have been due to my product's old age. For the pro's, there is a whole other spectrum of quality microphones and this one may just be easy to skip by. The cheap built in USB interface convenience loses its attractiveness as the wallets get fatter. To conclude, I don't at all regret my purchase but I may have been more satisfied saving up and spending a bit more money on a higher quality Samson USB Microphone or even a Shure PG42USB Condenser Mic.