Samson Technologies C01U

The Samson C01U is a large condenser microphone with a 19mm diaphragm. It is pretty much just a plug and play type of microphone, as long as you have a 2.0 USB port than you are good to go. I only used this microphone for some small recordings and podcast while out with my laptop. It has a cardioid pickup pattern and does a great job of keeping off those background noises. It comes with Cakewalk which is a program that I already had, so I didn't have to install it again. But installing and working with CakeWalk Sonar LE is very simple.

OVERALL OPINION

The C01U comes with a microphone stand (desktop stand) a microphone clip, USB cable and a pouch to carry it all in. The recording quality that I experienced with this microphone was a little colored and unnatural, I expected it to be though considering it was a USB microphone and at this price I could not expect much more. But it was still pretty clear and clean, it did exactly what I needed it to do.
When it comes to USB microphones I always second guess purchasing them because I have had some really bad ones in the past. This C01U is definitely better than another other USB microphone that I have used because it does a great job of not picking up sounds from all around the room. Normally when I would record on this it would be in places where external sound is definitely a factor. The C01U does a pretty good job not picking up those sounds.
You can use this microphone in pretty much any program/DAW that you want to use it in. It will be plug and play no matter what software you use with it. It is very mobile and eliminated the need to carry around a preamp/interface which I was very fond of. I still own this microphone; I do not use it all the time though just when I am out with my laptop. I recommend it if you just want to do some small demo recordings or if you are very mobile. I would not suggest using a USB microphone as your main microphone though.

This product produces great sound at an incredibly low price. This mic produces sound that compares well with others costing hundreds more, and I'm quite fond of it. Cosmetically, it was perfect, no blemishes, dents or missing finish. Everything appeared aligned perfectly. It seems quite rugged and is heavy. I've had the product for about 90 days now and have had no problems, I use it nearly everyday.The software could be better, and because of no live playback, you have to watch your levels instead of listening for them. (You can use a software playback, but because of the disconcerting delay that it causes, I find it easier to watch.)

OVERALL OPINION

OVerall it is a great microphone for the price. For everyday use and for a portable setup I would look into buying this product. I would buy this microphone again if given the facts.

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.

This is a USB condenser microphone from Samson. It's got a USB connection, making the need for an external mixer, internal soundcard, or external interface moot. It plugs directly in as an accessory and is treated by the computer as so. There is very little latency.

OVERALL OPINION

What I like most about it is the USB connectivity. While it's not Firewire, there's very little latency, a surprisingly small amount of latency, for a USB device. It's great for people just starting out that cannot afford a mixer, soundcard, or interface, yet still wants the condenser-quality sound on the computer as opposed to using a 1/8" jack mic or the mic on the laptop screen to record. It's got a clean sound, unusual for a mic this cheap, and it comes bundled with some good software, namely, Sonar LE, a great little workstation. I'd recommend this microphone to anybody who's on a budget that doesn't include an interface or mixer.