Studio In A Box: The Samson CO1u Reviewed [Archive]

Vincent Ferrari

06-22-2007, 03:00 PM

<img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/media/users/2256/ferrari_co1u_fig0.jpg" /> Product Category: Microphone Manufacturer: <a href="http://www.samsontech.com/products/productpage.cfm?prodID=1810&brandID=2">Samson Technologies</a> Where to Buy: <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/digitalmediathoughts-20/detail/B000AP1RE8/103-3009331-5479863">Amazon</a> [Affiliate] Where to Buy: $79 USD System Requirements: USB Port, Windows XP SP2 / Mac OS 10.4 or later Specifications: 16-bit sample resolution, Supports 8 kHz, 11.025 kHz, 22.05 kHz, 44.1 kHz, and 48 kHz sampling rates, USB low-power device - draws 26 mA => 130 mW. In suspend mode 0.3 mA => 1.5 mW, Frequency response: 40 Hz to 18 kHz Pros<li> Very good sound quality; <li> Budget price; <li> No need for a separate XLR interface.Cons<li> Sounds "off" without the SoftPre App running; <li> Somewhat heavy; <li> Finding the "sweet spot" tends to be a bit difficult.Summary It's a podcaster's dream. A studio quality mic that plugs directly into your computer without an audio interface? Can it be? Is it the holy grail for podcasters? Read on for the full review!<!> <PAGEBREAK> Why Didn't Someone Think of This Before? If you've ever entertained thoughts of hooking up a mic to your computer, you've probably come across the same dilemma that many others have: who wants to spend a ton of money on a mixer or audio interface? If you go cheap with a USB interface, you lose a lot of gain and your recordings are flat. If you go pricey with a good mixer, you'd better take a course in engineering to know how to hook it up properly. Luckily, the fact that podcasting has come closer to hitting the mainstream means that more and more companies are producing solutions geared toward people who aren't ready to invest thousands of dollars in audio equipment. The CO1u is only $79, and aside from a stand, it has everything you need to start making high quality recordings right away. Surely It's Cheap Plastic, Right? One of the first things you notice about the CO1u is that it has quite a bit of heft to it. The weight of it does seem to fit in with the fact that it's made to be mounted in either a shock mount, or on a boom arm or mic stand. I use it with a Heil PL2T boom and it supports it quite nicely. <img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/media/users/2256/ferrari_co1u_fig1.jpg" /> Figure 1: The Samson CO1u mounted on a Heil PL2T boom with a generic windscreen and a Samson PS01 pop filter. The CO1u is made of plastic, but it definitely doesn't feel cheap. The mesh screen that covers the diaphragm is substantial, and the overall construction feels solid. Despite its low price, it certainly isn't a toy. Okay, It's A Mic. How Does It Sound? Actually it sounds really good, but with a big caveat. Out of the box, it doesn't sound very good. However, once you install the software from Samson's website, you're golden. Let me explain the way the mic works so that you understand why the software improves the sound. Mind you, I had this explained to me, so if I have it wrong, I do apologize, but based on my experience, I'd say the explanation makes sense. The CO1u, by itself, doesn't have a full frequency range. Instead, it separates sound into a left and right channel. The left channel picks up a majority of the frequencies, while the right channel is designed to pick up the remainder of the sound. To increase the dynamic range of the mic, SoftPre bonds the sound into one higher dynamic sound, giving you a much better frequency response. <img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/media/users/2256/ferrari_co1u_fig2.jpg" /> Figure 2: The Samson SoftPre software sports an intuitive and functional interface. Without the software, audio is skewed left and the right channel has a slight echo. <img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/assets/common/FileObject/mp3.gif" /> <a href="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/media/users/2256/ispn_sounder_raw.mp3">Check out this sample clip to see what I'm talking about.</a> (Size: 27.3 KB). Now, <img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/assets/common/FileObject/mp3.gif" /> <a href="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/media/users/2256/ispn_sounder_final.mp3">here's that same sound</a> (Size: 123.3 KB) with the left and right channel combined and (and a sounder added, sorry!) no other enhancements done. You can definitely hear the difference in the two recordings. As far as sound quality, it's more than adequate for spoken vocals, although I don't think it would be adequate for singing. I don't find the bass response to be great, but on the high-end, the sound quality is quite good. In the end, it probably depends on the song and vocalist, but I would go with a more traditional mic for that purpose. Other than that, the sound is good. I had a bit of trouble figuring out where the sweet spot is. As it turns out, the sweet spot is actually on the top. Like I said, this demonstrates its intended purpose, and that's being on a boom where the top of the mic is facing you. One thing I realized in using my CO1u is that you cannot underestimate the value of both a pop filter and a wind screen. Without both, your plosives (P and B sounds, for example) and your breathing (you do breathe, don't you?) will come across loud and clear. With both set up, you'll be pretty happy with the results. Conclusion If you're a podcaster like me and you don't have the cash for a mixer, mic, cabling, and a computer interface, this is the mic for you. I've been using it for podcasting since September 2006, and am very happy with it. I was so happy with it, I even bought my partner one so that he could share in the joy. In a field like podcasting where production quality differentiates you from the competition as much as the content you produce, every little bit helps. The CO1u is a great mic and with practice, you'll sound great on it. When you consider that for $79 you can have a complete podcasting studio in any reasonably new laptop, the barrier to entry has been seriously lowered. Vincent M. Ferrari is a blogger, photographer wannabe, digital media junkie, and Apple fanboy from the Bronx, New York. His most famous accomplishment is canceling his AOL account which got him an inordinate amount of fame, something he still brags about to all his friends. When he's not taking down multi-billion dollar corporations, he's writing on his <a href="http://www.insignificantthoughts.com">own blog</a>, <a href="http://www.theaterofmymind.com">taking photos</a>, and working as a Producer for the <a href="http://www.ilifezone.com">iLifeZone</a> podcast.