Samson C02 Stereo Pair Condenser Microphones
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User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Great mics for a good price
I’ve used these in several applications for live sound on several instruments, they work well on an acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin as well as cymbals. For the price they are an excellent value, they appear to be well made (I haven’t dropped one yet). They come with a nice case that includes a windscreen and clip. I do sound for a local concert series and have used many different types of mics over the years and while you usually get what you pay for, I found these to work very well and I was able to get a nice warm sound on any instrument. They also work well for recording ambient sounds in a room or sound effects.
5 Stars Samson CO2 Condenser Mikes (Pair)
Great mikes at a great price. The case is nice & they come with wind covers when you buy them in the 2 pack. Item was shipped & received within a few days. I use them for my two sets of Hi Hats & they work great. I already had one CO2 & now I use that one for my Cowbells. Great for miking cymbels, cowbells or for overheads.
4 Stars okay for the project studio, but expect to outgrow them
I can’t bring myself to be super-critical of the Samson C02, because in spite of my occasional dissatisfaction it does have a lot going for it. I’ve had my pair for about a year, and I use them frequently as overheads on the drum kit, on acoustic guitar, and as “room sound” mics for vocals.
For the latter two applications they are totally adequate and I have no complaints. Unfortunately as overheads they have been a little disappointing, and this is what I primarily wanted to use them for. I think I’m not hearing enough sonic detail, and when there are lots of “things” going on that is important to me. I don’t have the technical vocabulary to really articulate what I mean, but to my ears the sound is a little thin and lacks the presence and clarity that I want to hear in drums, especially cymbals. I guess when it comes to overheads I still haven’t found what I’m looking for. The bad news is that the $400-$700 price bracket is apparently where I have to look next.
And maybe this the real reason it’s hard for me to say a lot of nasty things about my Samson CO2s. They are so, so cheap for what you get. My griping aside, they do work “well enough” as overheads that I (usually) don’t cringe when I play back the drums. In other applications, such as acoustic guitar, I actually prefer using one of these to a large-diaphragm condenser or a dynamic mic (like an SM-57). I would definitely recommend them to beginning engineers, people on a recession budget, or to anyone looking to keep a couple budget mics on hand. Nitpicky, OCD engineers, like I am apparently turning into, might want to save up for something a little nicer.
4 Stars Good set of condenser mics for the price
I have used these a couple of times as overheads on a drum kit and have had no issues. The cymbals sound better now than when I was using dynamic mics. I am recording an entire rock band’s practice (8 channels simultaneously), so the conditions are not optimal, but I am satisfied with the end result. For the price, I have no complaints and would recommend these keeping in mind the environment that I am using them in. These come with a carrying case and and mic mounts. All you need are the stands.
