So I may be getting one of these, although I have a Blue Snowball, which I like a lot.

From Amazon:
Samson CO1U USB Condenser Microphone

The C01U USB Studio Condenser Mic is the first affordable studio condenser mic with a USB interface.

For the first time ever, musicians who record music on computers have a simple, affordable way to capture high-quality vocal and acoustic instrument performances.

Seamless integration was the idea, and it was obtained by creating a studio condenser microphone that can be plugged into any computer with no in/out boxes, no expensive computer pre-amps, just a USB cable.

The C01U condenser microphone is based on our wildly successful C01. It features a 19mm internal shock mounted diaphragm with a cardioid pick up pattern ensuring pristine studio quality recordings.

The C01U works perfectly on any computer, Mac or PC, and with any DAW software program. It immediately solves a huge problem for users of many laptops, many of which have no other input method for audio devices.

It’s a must for any musician on the road or in the project studio, but the C01U is going to offer solutions to more than just musicians. The mic opens up possibilities for anyone who records audio—from Podcasters, journalists, students, and business people adding audio files to websites and multimedia presentations.

Feature List

• Large Diaphragm, 19mm, Studio Condenser with USB Digital Output.
• Compatible with any computer based Digital Audio Workstation.
• The extremely detailed sound reproduction makes it ideal for recording vocals, acoustic instruments and just about any other sound source.
• High Quality AD converter with 16 Bit, 48K sampling rate.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Nice low cost mic
It took just a little playing to get the mic placement figured out, but now it produces nice sounding audio. What works well for my screencasts is to set it on the table right in front of me at about a 60 degree angle tilted away from me. So the green light on the front is pointed towards my mouth, but I talk over it. I look at the computer screen, so the main acoustic energy is flowing about 5 inches above the microphone rather than aimed straight at it. I also bought the windscreen for it to help smooth any acoustic bursts.

It works perfectly with Windows and Linux. Supposed to also work with Mac. For me, a big concern before buying a microphone was that it works with Linux. I didn’t have to do anything to get it to work with Linux. I just plugged it in and used the ALSA mixer to turn it on and used it with Audacity and RecordMyDesktop.

5 Stars Great mic at a great price
I was looking for a good high-quality condensor microphone. This is it. USB connected for digital no-noise signal. Standard size fit my stand and vibration mount. The sound is clean and perfect for voice applications. Highly recommended!

5 Stars Received right away and works great!
This was sent out fast and we were very happy with the promptness and condition of the product.

Buy/More Info

The Nady USB-1C Condenser Microphone is perfect for recording studio vocals, acoustic instruments, podcasts, ambient instrument audio, or any audio source to your preferred DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). Just connect the mic to your computer’s USB port with the supplied USB cable and launch your DAW. You are now ready to record! Powerful and versatile, the USB-1C microphone meets the stringent requirements of even the most demanding digital recording and live broadcasting applications.

Buy/More Info

C01UPAK C01U Microphone and Podcast Pack comes with CO1U mic, Cakewalk Sonar LE software, Desktop mic stand, mic clip, shockmount, USB cable, aluminum case.The C01U works perfectly on any computer, Mac or PC, and with any Digital Audio Workstation software. It immediately solves a huge problem for users of many laptops, many of which have no other input method for audio devices. For the first time ever, musicians who record music on computers have a simple, affordable way to capture high-quality vocal and acoustic instrument performances. Seamless integration was the idea, and it was obtained by creating a studio condenser microphone that can be plugged into any computer with no in/out boxes, no expensive computer pre-amps, just a USB cable. It features a 19mm internal shock mounted diaphragm with a cardioid pick up pattern ensuring pristine studio quality recordings. It’s a must for any musician on the road or in the project studio, but the C01U is going to offer solutions to more than just musicians. The mic opens up possibilities for anyone who records audio from Podcasters, journalists, students, and business people adding audio files to websites and multimedia presentations.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Great Value
Just confirmed what most other reviews agree on: this is a high quality product for its price, while it’s only con is the software it comes with, which is not only bad, but also a trial version.

The voice over we recorded as a test came out clean and detailed, although I’m sure we still have to fine tune placement and levels to get the best out of it.

4 Stars Read this before you buy it
1. I found that I needed to remove the center insert from the stand’s tube with a small coin to unscrew the little inset. Had to call international long distance to get support on it.

2. I found that even if you plug it in, the Macintosh doesn’t automatically switch over to it, and I had to choose it in Preferences on the Mac.

3. The included software for the Mac was kind of inadequate.

Other than that, this product deserves its good rating! For me, RTFM the next time…

5 Stars Great Mic
Great mic i love it its bin working so good for me great sound its perfect

4 Stars A great product!
The microphone works great! It got a little banged up in shipping, however… it seems that the mic stand base shifted out of it’s place in the case (see picture)… it must of bounced around and hit the mic and dented it a little bit, but doesn’t affect the performance of the mic. It’s a solid, pro-quality microphone and very easy to hookup via the usb connection to your PC. I’m not fond of the recording software it comes with… there are better ones out there.

5 Stars Awesome studio quality mic!
I was looking for a good quality mic to do voice over work and play around with guitar recording just for the fun of it and wow did I make a perfect choice. I can’t tell you how high the quality of an acoustic guitar is over this mic! The overall quality of this product is ridiculous! Plug and go.

Now if I could just figure out how to get that bassy/warm radio announcer effect…

Buy/More Info

The Samson Q1U USB Microphone features a smooth sounding neodymium element, capable of handling high SPL, cleverly interfaced to an onboard high quality mic pre, A/D converter and USB output. The Q1U is perfect for recording your music, podcast or any acoustic audio source on your favorite DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). Just plug in the supplied USB cable, launch your DAW and start recording. For expanded control, download the Samson Softpre applet software from Samson’s website and you¨ll have additional features like programmable GAIN, Low Cut Filter, Input Metering and Phase switch. The Q1U faithfully reproduces a variety of sound sources including vocals, acoustic instruments and overhead cymbals, to name a few and because the Q1U can handle high SPL, you can use it on drums or in front of a loud guitar amp. The extended frequency and fast transient response insures an accurate reproduction with linear characteristics from bottom to top.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars The Samson Q1UCW USB Mic
The microphone is great and works well.

The Cakewalk software is a pain, however, and doesn’t work right with my computer for some reason. I ended up using another DAW which works fine, so overall I was pleased with the microphone.

4 Stars Good Mic
This is a good mic for a novice and for podcasting. Easy to use and works well. When using two or more for interview/discussion you either need to place them close together or do some serious post production as the pickup is not as directional as I’d like to see and you will get bleed from other speakers. For a novice like me, this means you will hear talker 2 on the mic 1 track. If mic 1 is too far away from talker 2 you will get an echo in your mix because the sound from talker 2 on the mic 1 track is out of phase with the sound of talker 2 on the mic 2 track. Again, this is a novice talking to other novices. For the experienced sound person, I am sure there are many ways to work around and I wouldn’t consider it a defect of the product just something to understand if you are doing a podcast and planning to have more than one talker.

5 Stars Great Mic!
My daughter gave this microphone as a gift to one of her friends, and she loves it! It hooks up easily to a Macbook (or any Mac or PC) and records well in Garageband. It picks up vocals and acoustic instruments exceptionally well. My daughter wants one for herself!

2 Stars microphone
Gave this microphone to my grandaughter. Although the microphone worked great the cakewalk software was very difficult to use. So the microphone is rarely used.

Buy/More Info

Record studio quality audio directly into your computers USB input and digital recording software with the Samson C01U!Some very clever Samson engineers managed to build the entire USB audio interface into the barrel of their best selling C01 Studio Condenser microphone. For the first time ever, musicians who record music on computers have a simple, affordable way to capture high-quality vocal and acoustic instrument performances. Seamless integration was the idea, and it was obtained by creating a studio condenser microphone that can be plugged into any computer with no in/out boxes, no expensive computer pre-amps, just a USB cable (includes 10 foot cable).The C01U condenser microphone features a 19mm internal shock mounted diaphragm with a cardioid pick up pattern ensuring pristine studio quality recordings. The C01U works perfectly on any computer, Mac or PC, and with any DAW software program. It immediately solves a huge problem for users of many laptops, many of which have no other input method for audio devices.Its a must for any musician on the road or in the project studio, but the C01U is going to offer solutions to more than just musicians. The mic opens up possibilities for anyone who records audiofrom Podcasters, journalists, students, and business people adding audio files to websites and multimedia presentations.The C01U comes bundled with Cakewalk Sonar LE, their vastly popular digital audio workstation software, giving users additional power and versatility to digitally record audio in any situation.Also available as a package which comes with a desktop mic stand, mic clip, shockmount and USB cable in a durable, lightweight aluminum case.Samson C01U USB Microphone FeaturesIndustrys first affordable USB Studio Condenser micPlugs in directly to any computer with a USB inputCardioid Pickup PatternLarge 19mm DiaphragmH

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Easy as pie
This is a USB mic. It plugs directly into the USB jack of the computer, thus bypassing the need for an audio interface mixer. That said this is a quality mic with good sound . The ease of use is it’s best selling point. As long as you don’t need to mix two mic inputs this does the job and can save you money. If you’re just getting into podcasting I highly recommend this samson mic.

3 Stars My Review
I got the mic from Amazon because it was the best price anywhere on the internet. Excited when it came, I later came to find out it was not compatible with my laptop because the soundcard did not support it. I returned the item, simple as that.

Buy/More Info