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Provides: Portable USB audio recording
Developer: Samson
Minimum Requirements: USB port
Price: $59.99
Availability: Now

The Samson Go mic has most all of your mobile microphone needs covered. While an internal microphone might be a small step forward for recording ease, the Samson Go mic is a giant leap forward for quality.

The Samson Go mic is a portable mic designed to attach to your notebook (or sit on your desk) and provide the best audio quality available in a tiny package.  It has a black clip which is used to attach it to the edge of your notebook.  There is rubber on the inside of the clip, so you can rest easy at night instead of worrying about scratches.  While you can try to let the mic sit on a flat surface, it doesn’t work as well as I’d like because the mic hangs to one side of the clip.  The added weight and rigidity of the cable connected to it seem to eliminate its ability to sit tightly on your desk.  However, there is a standard mic stand hole, so you can screw it into a stand if you like.  You could also just clip it to something relatively thin close by.  The clip also serves another purpose; it protects the mic while in storage.

The actual microphone portion of the device is silver and sits on a ball socket attached to the clip.  This ball socket allows you to articulate the mic in almost any direction.  On the side of the mic is a switch to toggle between three polar pattern settings.  All three options serve their purposes well.  Omni picks up audio from all directions, and cardioid is better for up close, while the 10db pad allows you to pick up close audio that refuses to quiet down.  This is really helpful, since there’s no way to fix clipped audio.  There’s even a headphone out port next to the USB cable port.  In the box, you’ll find a CD with software, a USB cable, a neat little case and the mic itself.

In use, the Samson Go mic makes recording great audio simple.  I was very pleased, and surprised actually, by the quality of the audio recorded by this mic.  I can see this being an excellent tool for podcasters on the go, voip talkers, musicians and the like.  The main benefit of the device is that you can point it towards your audio source, but the mic is noticeably better than an internal mic as well.  For a sample of the audio quality, check out Samson’s site.  And just in case you want some numbers, the frequency response on this guy is 20Hz to 18kHz, and the resolution is 16 bit/44.1kHz.

There are only a few things about the device I wish were different.  I wish there was a screw, or other method, for easily tightening the ball socket.  It works great, but struggles to keep the mic exactly where you position it while a cable is attached.  This isn’t really a big deal since the mic still picks up great audio, it’s just a minor annoyance to me personally.  I also wish there was a way to hold the mic in hand without feeling like I’m using it incorrectly.  I blame my high school years in a band on my need to hold a mic in my hand when I speak into it.  One last personal annoyance; it bugs me that the mic is not symmetric.  Okay, I’m done nitpicking.  Other than that, I love this mic.

Samson’s Go mic is the ultimate in portability and quality.  It’s a small mic that picks up sound like a much bigger mic.  If you’re sick of the quality and functionality (or lack thereof) provided by an internal mic, the Samson Go mic is exactly what you need.  And if you don’t have an internal mic, the Go mic is an ideal solution for you.  Whether you use it for podcasting, vocals, voice overs, or just voice chatting, you won’t be disappointed.  And at $59.99, you can’t go wrong for this kind of quality.