Samson Q2U Recording and Podcasting Pack REVIEW

Smart musicians multi-task their gear; a mic that works great live, should work great in the studio. And a lot of musicians sometimes bleed over into YouTube, Twitch, and podcasting, so a lot of the gear can easily be used in a different application, if you already have it. Even smarter is finding reasonably priced items. Samson has put a great little microphone kit together that covers everything above at a reasonable price. Now, this isn’t high-end stuff, but it’ll get you started. 

Staring with the mic itself, not only is an XLR connection there, but a mini USB connector and a 3.5mm headphone jack. So, what this means is, if you want to plug it into a standalone mixer or interface, no problem, or want to connect it to a computer via USB, or an IPad (with an adapter cable, not included)? Again, no problem. 

Included is a mic clip, mini tripod and extension, windscreen, as well as USB and XLR Cables. So for this price, the accessories may be worth the cost of admission alone if you’re setting up a streaming channel for, say, video game playthroughs. 

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Using it as a live mic there’s no problems at all, it works with the response of a great dynamic microphone, with plenty of depth and clarity. One slight quibble with live mics though are on/off switches. In the heat of performances, it’s really easy to inadvertently turn it off by accident. However, in a studio, having the ability to mute a mic at your fingertips easily, is a welcome feature.

In a small studio format, it works fantastic – for content creators who might want a great mic that isn’t big or in the frame of their shot, this can easily sit on a desk and with a normal speaking voice, the audio can be captured without coloring from the room, all while not picking up extra background noise. For interviews, using this connected to an iOS device is a no brainer, making it a remote podcast studio essential. 

Overall for the money, it’s a dual use mic that has all the extra accessories needed, and gives the option for traditional XLR use, or USB with no issues or worries. It’s great when a dual use item actually performs without sacrificing one of their worlds – and at $59 it’s hard to nitpick any of the features or quality. Vocalists/Twitchers/podcasters, this is a simple and easy solution that falls into that “no brainer” category. Or a perfect stocking stuffer for the budding content creator on your list. 

PROS:

decent sounding dynamic mic, USB & XLR connections, inexpensive

CONS:

none, especially considering the price

PRICE

$59

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