Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This will be a nice semi-quick review with a little more technical perspective than a lot of the previous ones. I'm a big home recording nut, who's been on the road a lot the last year, mostly recording with my laptop, this mic, and a full version of Sonar.
First off, the audio quality:
Pretty decent. No noticeable glitches while using. Does sound a little tinny at times, but it's definitely on par with most of my other $100+ mikes (my most expensive one is a $200 Rode). Very usable for recording vocals (singing), but I haven't tried it with an acoustic guitar or other acoustic instruments. VERY-usable-plus for recording spoken words. Frequency range seems decent, but again, I haven't really ran the thing through a full range of applications.
Build quality:
Nice and solid. Almost too heavy though for easy lugging on small trips...but I keep it in the manufacturer's box and slide it in my suitcase, and so far it has made every trip just fine.
Ease of use:
Big plus here, despite a stable Windows OS possibly being as much responsible for the super simple use of the thing as the mic itself. Plug it in via USB, and you're ready to go. No special driver install or software required to get it working.
Extras:
- Line in and headphone out are constructed directly on the mic...this lets you use the mic as a line-in for recording an electronic keyboard or electric guitar directly into your recording software. And then you can use the microphone part of it to record vocals or any acoustic instruments. Nice double-feature to have in the same piece of hardware
- Comes with a very usable desk mic stand
- Comes with all the necessary cables to use right away
- Comes with some scaled-down Cakewalk recording software for your computer
I expected the sound quality would be usable and it is, but I admit the all-in-one extras and the acceptable price were what ultimately snagged me and prompted the one-click order.
Final thoughts:
If you're only doing podcasting (no music or instrument input required), you might consider a lower priced USB mic without the extras. BUT, if you're doing music with the thing, the line-in and line-out features and easy direct monitoring are way nice and worth the price.
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Samson G Track USB Microphone and Audio InterfaceThe G-Track is a total solution capable of taking you from your musical inspiration to your finished tracks. Samson's G-Track is the world's first USB condenser microphone with a built-in audio interface and mixer, allowing simultaneous input of vocals and guitar, bass, or keyboard while also providing monitoring through an on board headphone output.
Detailed Sound The microphone's 19mm capsule with 3-micron diaphragm is extremely detailed, and the super-cardioid pick-up pattern makes it ideal for recording vocals, acoustic instruments and just about any other sound source. On the road, in the studio, or in a fixed installation, the solid die-cast construction makes the microphone a reliable audio tool from venue to venue, day in and night out.
The on-board, high quality AD converters with 16 Bit, 48K sampling rate provide better than CD quality recording.
Record Vocals and Instruments Simultaneously The G-Track allows you to record vocals like a standard USB mic, or two mono instruments through the line/instrument input, or a mix of one mono instrument and vocal. Now singer/songwriters can directly record vocals and instruments quickly and easily with one device, making the G-Track a must have for any songwriter's home studio. And its ease of use and portability allows you to take it anywhere inspiration may strike you.
The Instrument and Mic input gain controls with Peak LED make it easy to set the proper clean signal when recording with the mic or line inputs. Connect electric guitar and bass, plus keyboards, drum machines, MP3 players and just about any other line level signal.
Onboard Headphone Amp The G-Track's onboard headphone amp with level control allows you to listen to the inputs and mix directly from the microphone, plus you can use the output to connect active studio monitors.
Ships With SONAR LE The G Track ships with Cakewalk's SONAR LE, feature-rich recording software for musicians using PC-based recording. SONAR LE provides a cutting-edge music production studio, giving users what they need to get started creating music on Windows XP, X64, or Vista PCs.
What's in the Box Samson G-Track, Desktop Mic Stand, Swivel Stand Mount, USB cable, 1/4-Inch Cable, User's Manual
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