Anybody looking for a extremely portable USB condenser Microphone need look no further.  The Samson Go Mic is the ultimate solution for portable recording on a budget.

To start, the aesthetic of the GoMic is very Apple.  The silver and black microphone complimented my MacBook Pro as if they were friends who hadn’t seen each other in a decade.  The construction of the GoMic felt a bit flimsy as the USB jack was wobbly but the mounting base/clip connected to the Mic was weighted appropriately and sat with confidence.  The GoMic clamped beautifully to the top of my laptop and also was comfortable sitting unattached and to the side.  The clamp also allows for mounting on any standard microphone stand.

Right out of the box the Samson GoMic delivers plug and play accessibility with out the use of drivers or software.  I plugged in directly into my computer using the included extra long USB cable and my Mac and Garage Band recognized it immediately.

I used the Samson GoMic while recording vocals and acoustic guitar in Garage Band and while talking in iChat.  In both scenarios the GoMic performed better than expected especially when taking the price (under $50) into consideration.

Offering switchable cardioid and omni-directional polar patterns, the GoMic lets you tailor what type of recording you need to make.  Going a bit against the grain, I used the omni-directional setting for the vocals I recorded as and they turned out really wide and booming.  My acoustic guitar sounded better using the cardioid pattern and the GoMic picked up the sounds with ease and precision.

The GoMic was really capable of detecting distant sounds when set to omni-directional as I could hear sounds from the other side of the house as well as street noise.  The microphone is also really “hot” in terms of gain in that I found no problems getting quality signals in any scenario I tested it in.  Even when I distorted the signal it never really sounded all that peaked out.

Everyone I talked to in iChat remarked on how clear and loud I sounded.  The GoMic was also instantly recognized in iChat which is always convenient to those not apt to settings and preferences.

My only real problem with the GoMic was the actual plastic casing that the microphone is housed in.  It could have matched the heavy duty nature of the mounting clip/stand.  Other than that I couldn’t have been happier with the performance of the Samson GoMic.

For those people out there new to Digital Audio the GoMic includes some basic software to help you get started.  I did not use this software as I have Garage Band.

The Samson GoMic is a fantastic product in terms of design, sound reproduction, and price, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.  This is a great gift idea for anyone looking to get into Podcasting, audio recording, and more.  The GoMic even stows perfectly in your laptop bag making it easy to have with you at all times.

Pros:

• Awesome compact design
• Easy to use
• Sounds better than expected
• Very affordable

Cons:

• GoMic casing not all that heavy duty

Buy the Samson Go Mic here for $49!

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