Samson C01 - One Thing That Makes This Mic Unusable (vs. Rode NT1) Budget Microphone Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ส.ค. 2021
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I've recommended the Samson C01 microphone in the past, and I really did have some nice experiences the few times I've used it. BUT, upon further inspection, theres one thing that makes it a poor choice for many situations, and no I'm not telling you it is in the description nice try!!
BUT in this microphone review lets hear how it sounds when we compare is to the Rode NT1, which doesn't have that problem at all :) Budget Microphone face off!! Samson C01 vs Rode NT1!!! (Although its a bit unfair ones way more expensive)
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These are amazon affiliate links, so I get a percentage of the sale if you buy from these links, it's a nice way to support the channel!
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Okay so after I edited this I learned my face was swollen too...thanks allergies. Help a sick audio nerd out by using these links :) Thanks!!
Samson C01 - amzn.to/3nH5f8a
Rode NT1 - amzn.to/2NUoBJK
Rode NT1a - amzn.to/3sojfoY
Hi. In the past I've owned the more expensive condenser mics such as the Audio Technica AT 4040 and also the AT 2035. I currently own Samson C01 (XLR version not USB) and have had it for about 2 years. I use a small Wharfadale Connect 502 mixer to power it up and use Reaper to record it. It being a mid size diaphragm mic I wasn't sure what to expect but I did see quite a few favourable reviews on it so bought one. In using it I would say in a blind test this $100 mic sounds a lot more expensive then I first assumed. I did quite a lot of extensive testing on it by getting isolated voice tracks of famous songs from singers such as Freddy Mercury, Lou Graham etc. Once I EQ'ed the vocal track to match the singers I then cleaned up the my vocal track and popped it into the instrumental version of some of those singers songs and was very surprised at how good and clear it sounds in the mix. The sound was very professional!! (I know Freddy was using the AKG C414 which is an excellent mic but expensive but I found the C01 when EQ'ed was right up there). And that's the key......the EQ ing of the mic by testing it to an isolated vocal track (I used the Butch Vig vocal plugin for eq, compression and saturation). Its a bright and open sounding mic but very natural and doesn't color the sound which is great as you have more room to color and give it character in post. And it is not just cardioid but Super Cardioid. This is a very important detail to consider because most of us are recording either in our bedroom or study room which is not the most ideal way. Because it rejects noise both from back and sides more then most condenser mics you get close to no external noise from your room. My office where I record vocals has no treatment except carpet and some curtains but being a mid size condensor and super cardioid it picks ups very little around it except the front. Its one of the best mic for noise rejection!! There will be noise floor on the C01 if you turn up the gain on the mixer to a hotter level. However this is not necessary in this day and age of using a digital DAW (back in analog days that was more critical and important). In conclusion in my testing this mic it has a very natural open sound. Crisp but not harsh. In a blind test its on same level with far more expensive mics out there. And it is Super Cardioid which is important because most of us are recording in untreated rooms. 😃👍
This was a very nice review! And once more it goes to show: I’m a sucker for the RØDE NT1. Sound. 😅 And I’m glad to somebody valuing self noise as it should be! ❤️
Thank you for the kind words as always Michael :)
I forgot this video was takin in my room... much love for you brother!
hahaha yeess indeed
I have some Samson mics, including the C01, and I will say that their self noise is their downfall. They could be so much better without that issue! With that said though, if you record drums, self noise arguably doesn’t matter given how loud the source is. That’s where this mic shines in my opinion. Put up a Pair of C01s as room mics up and they’ll sound great.
I can see them really shining there too, the mic really does sound pretty great! Its just I'm worried about its performing when processing and compressing it or in any quiet mix :/
@@AudioHaze I use a set of Samson C02s as my main overheads, and I’ll either use the C01 as a kick out mic or a room mic. I’ve never had any problems with noise or hiss when processing them for those purposes, even when doing massive top end boosts. But yea, I’ve had problems recording quiet acoustic guitar or piano parts on those mics because of the noise
I use a Samson for a back up when my old setup goes kaput. That's pretty much the usefulness of the mics they offer. But for a budget mic it's a good one.
haha yeah thats basically what I'll be using this one for too
it dropped my jaw when you switched to the rode nt1. man, the way it captures the low mids is just amazing
You saved me. Im using an at2020v the chrome version because its recommended by you and other audiotubers,,. Thank you 😅
After a couple of videos, it sounds like the NT1 works very well for lower/deeper voices. When you switched to the Rode it got quite evident
Nice! Yeah definitely great for that midrange smoothness :)
I find AT2020 a bit harsh on sibilance, at least on my voice. To be honest, I come from a world of dynamic mics, so that might be it.
I personally didn’t find it that bad, but what I loved the most was it’s midrange response, it actually sounded a lot like a condenser version of a dynamic shure mic to me
The AT2020 isn't great imo, BUT for the price it's arguably the best
@@adamgreenhill110 mmm, not anymore. put it up against a bunch of today's 100 offerings and the 2020 really starts showing its age. thin, clinical, cheap sounding. the 2035 smooths some of that out. A couple of 100 buck mics that perform much better: Blue Ember, Neat Worker Bee (1 and 2) sE Electronics SE XA
I agree. I prefer the C01 to the AT2020 for sibilance. You can always tame the self-noise with a simple noise gate and / or some downward multi-band compression. He mentioned that compression could potentially increase the self-noise but that would have to be upward compression for that effect and could still be eliminated by using a noise gate or downward compression first in your chain.
I have been using a Samson C01 but struggled with the hiss, and just ordered a Rode NT1, then came to this video for validation. 😆
Great video once again Ricky, I was hoping to get this mic on christmas lol, but I guess I shall look elsewhere.
Hahaha sorry for ruining Christmas, maybe try the at2020?
@@AudioHaze maybe lol, or I could take a gamble with a Neat Worker Bee, which is now at a fair price in my country
@@kickbuttowski6045 I stilllllll need to get one of those to try
@@AudioHaze same, it sounds amazing in reviews, it's like 120 dollars tho, in the US it's like 80 or 90
Do you think an eq or something could help it?
Thanks for the video :)
Do you think the Samson c01u pro will have the same issues? (Seems like the same mic but USB)
I'm not sure! Take a look at some forums and see if the internal components are the same. In general, USB mics do tend to have higher self noise though, so not promising
Oh my god, I bought one from B&H a few years ago and immediately sent it back. Worst self-noise I'd ever encountered, like, un-useable junk level bad.
This is a really nice review of the mic, from just a listening point of view. If you're curious here are a couple of links to singing on the Behringer C1 and the Audio-Technica AT2020. The C1 was fed through three separate EQs, boosting various parts of the spectrum. The AT2020 was fed through a single EQ with the lows bumped up just a bit, and mid/highs boosted more. I'd have to go in and attenuate the silibant spots (Which I didn't do), so keep that in mind. These are short clips. I hope this helps those who are shopping around for a mic. th-cam.com/video/1qmpG38-v3I/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/_ab-x4gdQU8/w-d-xo.html
What is the optimal mic volume setting and distance between mouth and microphone at Samson c01u? I feel like either my mic broke or something is terribly wrong with spacing I do nowadays, the voice is really unclear and full of bass
I'm going to do a video about this soon! But short answer, about 7-12 inches with a peak at around -12db in your DAW :)
Not sure what the price was when this video was recorded but the C01 is like a $50 mic. I would hardly argue that it's in the same class as $200 and $300 mics.
How about in rap vocals? Is it good tho?
The C01 was never really above 100 so this guy is just clickbaiting and comparing a fking low tier mic vs high class. Coincidence he never replies to such comments, right?
I want to ask, which is better
Samson C03 (USB) pack vs Shure sm58 for voice over / story telling? Only from Audio quality perspective.
Thanks!
I would go for the SM58 under the assumption you have an interface or something to process it through, sometimes I worry about Samson's control of noise is all. If you don't have an interface though, I'm not sure it would really help for fidelity.
@@AudioHaze okay thank you so much!
I also want to know how to blend (mixing) microphone for acoustic guitar? Maybe small diaphragm blended with large diaphragm?
Truthful review. The mic is not loud at all
Usb mic or the xlr for game streaming only? I wanted to switch to iem earphones so why not get a xlr mic too since im getting a audio interface 😂
It depends! I prefer xlr for lower self noise and upgradeability. Important to remember when it comes to streaming, at a certain level the microphone will likely top out on quality when it competes with game noise, stream fidelity, etc.
@@AudioHaze I’m a newborn in for these audio gears so i have no idea how to mix ?/adjust the low mid and high🤣. So i ordered fifine T683 just to try and play with it first and find what i need for my setup .
Of those mics I’d get the AT2020.
When I saw you had no glasses I assumed you were head banging to the new Limp Bizkit album. Totally understandable.
Maybe add a ferrite magnet to the microphone input on the board? If there is still noise then it’s generated by the A/D board and that’s very bad.
hahah, yeah there may be some modification in the future, I'm not super well versed in microphone mods but maybe :)
Crazy cause I recorded plenty of songs and I have had issues mixing in post production because of this. Soon as I turn on the monitoring in my headphones, all I hear is that hiss. And its ass cause you can’t EQ it out
Yeah, that build up form multiple takes can get rough!
Is there a Mic that has both USB and XLR that you would suggest? Or is there a USB only one thats best?
I love the Shure MV7!
@@AudioHaze Funny you mention, that's the one I am currently using and no joke it just broke on me. I hate that its Micro USB and not USB C, the connection keeps falling out. I am thinking its time to switch to a XLR interface soon. Just haven't gone down that rabbit hole yet.
We are Talking about 70-80 dollars mic c01 and 175 dollars microphone the nt1. In my opinion c01 its great for the price all tho the self noise is loud
I would say that this mic is the best sounding you tube mic I have heard. CO1. The NT1 Just sounds thin, and everyone wants thick, on you tube.
Ah okay, yeah I mean whatever works best for ya :)
You're clearly trolling for reaction because there is no way you are high enough to mean that.
@@AudioHaze The dude's high AF
This is one of the best mic inder 100. You have to do some tinkering to get that noise to go away. You got to open it up and make sure the grounds are not painted over. There are vids on TH-cam on how to do it
Hi. Would like to check the video you're talking about. I'm planning to buy Samson c01. Thanks
I can proudly say that iam the first one here
Rafay is truly the real mvp
@@AudioHaze Always waiting for your content.
I honestly think the Samson sounds better but that self noise kinda takes it down a level
I can definitely see that! The Samson sounded impressive, but that lovely little hum just does not do it any favors
Thanks
WOW thanks Michael!! I didn't see this comment last night, you're the first person to every give me a super thanks genuinely thank you so much!!
You’re welcome! I thought, since I never buy any equipment on Amazon, this could be just my way to support your great work and channel!
@@MichaelW.1980 Well thats just the nicest thing ever, thanks again dude :)
My C01u is very hissy, i thought it was something i was doing wrong. You can hear when the vocals are about to come in because of the high frequency noise
Interesting, yeah I didn't know until I did some testing for this vid :/
@@AudioHaze weird thing Is on my studio monitors it's not that noticeable but in the car, or on less bassy speakers you really notice it. I guess alot of consumer stereos have EQ that possibly has a high shelf, further enhancing the already enhanced frequencies 🤣. Good video any way bro
Does this mic pick up ambience? Does it pick it up easily enough? I looked for specs (sensitivity) but couldn't find it; anyone know? I'm not interested in recording or podcasting etc.
In my experience it was actually pretty good at environment rejection, the supercardioid pattern really helped with that.
@@AudioHaze Ahhh, bummer,. I want to pick up the ambience / environment,. I don't need or want a mic with noise cancelling or 'the best mics for X, Y, Z),. :D A mic that fails would be better,. ya know? :) I WANT ambient pick up. :)
Large diafragme condenser good room rejection?
If this is a question....in general no
@@AudioHaze Sorry, I heard wrongly that you pointed that as a negative. My NT1A pickups noise from out in the street so much it sounds like is done on purpose sometime. lol
@@nyambe hahaha nice
CO1 sounds more accurate, natural and warm and is quite a bit cheaper. NT1 sounds like boosted high eq, less accurate and natural and warm in this way...
The noice on samson is very noticeable
Absolutely
❤️❤️❤️
You are both speaking far too quietly into the mic (the co1) and positioned too close i.e the proximity effect. This is not to say that the nt1 is not a legitimately superior microphone, just that you can get alot more out of the co1 then is shown in this video. If you get some sound treatment, know how to position a large diaphragm mic, and throw on some eq, then you will be blown away with what you can get out of the sub 100$ co1.
My reasoning was self-noise, which has nothing to do with anything you just mentioned. The NT1 has a very low self noise, as a point of comparison. Nice meme though :)
@@AudioHaze maybe I was a bit rude lol.. no, I agree, the nt1 is literally the quietest microphone , but that isn't the only thing that matters. You can't even really get a room, even in a recording studio, to have a noise level much lower than -70 dB. Many legendary microphones do not have a s/n ratio greater than 70 db. I don't mean to knock the nt1's crazy low self-noise, just that (when properly utilized) the co1 doesn't have to have an unacceptably high noise level/ bad tone. All of the tips to get better results from the co1 apply to the nt1 too.
th-cam.com/video/UoKZlcidbms/w-d-xo.html look around 1:25 and see how they have the mic positioned. Slightly above the vocalists mouth and nose, but pointing down at their mouth in a straight line from the diaphragm. Also the co1 has great tone for close micing an acoustic on the neck
@@emmelinefengya He hasn't replied because you've caught him off guard!
I'm lucky, my samson c01 doesn't have any self noise, literally any
Aw lucky :(
I have Samson C01 and its fantastic for discord and zoom but not so much for recording anything, the Rode NT1 is a much much better mic.
Nice! Yeah for none pro audio use its just fine :) sounds pretty good too!
Does anyone else from average users hears nothing better on 2,5x pricier mic(Rode)?
This depends on your use case. If you are going to be making music, then if you can get a c01 without the noise then you'll love it. If you can't then you won't.
If you don't make music, and you're looking for a condenser, you'll probably like the c01.
Like the guitar better using the Samson😳
Uhm, do you know about price range difference?
6:35
Completely different price point
Don't head bang your microphone. Problem solved.
I am incapable
@@AudioHaze Then use a shock mount.
Help
Always :))
Rode nt 1 is suckssssssssss
ita happen because you dont have money to buy nt1🤣
Position the mic correctly.. problem solved !!
Mic position does not affect self noise...did you watch the video?
Buy cheap and complain .
Spend some real dollars and get happy .
These are good on cymbals