Samson C02 Reviews

Tony
from Tokyo, Japan
January 4, 2012Music Background:
Studio/Live Drummer, Student and Avid Enthusiast

Big bang for the buck!

As a drummer I am always looking for great overhead mics. I've used Shure SM 81s for the last 10 years. These sound equally as good as the 81s. I have also done side by side comparisons with these and the AKG C414 XL II. The CO2s may not have as many options as the 414s but what they do offer is a great quality stereo pair of mics for a great price! A must have for every home studio!

Joe
from MASS
January 20, 2010Music Background:
Musician, recording engineer

Can't beat em for the money

I am STILL blown away by these. Have had them for maybe 4/5 months. Recorded acoustic gtrs, congas, other hand percussion and they always deliver. Very clear crisp sound.

ryan
from davao city, philippines
August 23, 2009Music Background:
recording eng'r, studio owner, musician

great sound!

when i first used this mics as overhead mic, i thought i was having a new drumset. i cant believe what i'm hearing, for this price range. my overhead tracks never sounded this good before. i can really hear my cymbals crashing around. the output is also very loud. for me it's almost an all-around mic if you just know how to deal with it. No regret!

Erik D.
from Hillsborough, NJ
October 2, 2008Music Background:
Metal-Head - plays guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, and sing

Unbelievable

These are amazing. I'm using them as Overheads for my drums, and the clarity is unmatched for anything even double the price. The first thing I noticed was how the attack on the ride came out. When I heard that "tink tink tink" sound come out on my recording THAT clear, I was instantly motivated to just write a review about these. I can NOT wait to see how my acoustic guitar will sound when I aim one mic at the sound-hole, and one at the fret-board!

Jordan
from USA
September 15, 2008Music Background:
Recording Engineer and Musician

Samson C02s

I was looking for a good pair of stereo mics without breaking the bank. The Samson C02s are exactly that. I've mainly been using them to mic my acoustic guitar. These mics have awesome clarity and seem quite durable. Not to mention come with a case, shock mounts and windscreens. All in all its just a great deal. I highly recommend these.

TCM
from Saratoga Springs, NY
January 19, 2007Music Background:
Pro musician

Samson CO2 , super performers

Man I needed some real drum overheads to replace my 57's (not a good choice) and had tried some budget AT's that were dreadfull, but these are astonsihing for the money. I have a samson headphone amp that is also super. Much better quality so far than Berringer or Peavey budget gear. I have top quality Rode and other mic's as well.

Aaron
from USA
February 26, 2013

Great mics for the money

Really surprised at these mics at this price. Ive used them on acoustic guitar and drums so far. They have a nice fairly neutral sound, and EQ pretty well. They arent as bright as most budget condensers, so I find myself boosting 10k. They eq well though. Nice mics!

Dajrt
from
April 17, 2012Music Background:
producer, pro musician

Awesome!!! for the price

Good sound and gear for overheads and acoustic instruments

from
October 19, 2011

Great Bargain

I'm using these to mic marimbas and vibraphones for marching band. I've got a pair underneath each marimba, and one under each vibraphone, and they've been great. I get a very natural sound from the keyboards, the pickup pattern picks up the full range of the instruments fairly well, and while there are definitely ambient sounds picked up from the brass behind them, overall I'm getting what I want coming through my speakers. At this price, I'm really happy with their performance.

Dustin Chambers
from Van Buren, AR USA
June 14, 2011Music Background:
Director of Percussion Van Buren High School

Great for Front Ensemble Use

These have been a great buy for Van Buren High School. I have not had any trouble with these microphones through 2 seasons of work. You can't beat them for what they bring at the cost. I use 3 on each of my marimba's and 1 on each of my vibes. They pick up clearly.

micman
from
September 22, 2009Music Background:
Live sound, recording engineer, musician

Fantastic value

I have used these on numerous sources in live sound and studio scenarious (drums, acoustic guitar, percussion, mandolin, violin, ambient, etc..) and they have not disappointed yet. Just used them as overheads on a minimal drumkit mic setup: bass, snare, and two samsons for overheads. The sound was amazing, even using the digi002 preamps. These have quickly become the workhorses of my rig and you just can't the price. Good on 'ya, Samson!

Jacob
from Flagstaff, AZ
March 28, 2007Music Background:
Student and Hobbyist

Great Mics for the Price

Looking for a good pair of pencil condenser mics, I was lost by the choices on the market. I talked to my teacher about which type he would prefer and he told me about these mics. I was sceptical at first but then I had a chance to use them. I was hired to record our university's choir and my teacher recommended using them. After using them to record, I was amazed at the results I got using these mic. Great hi's and low's. The mics caught the clarity of the female voices and the lows of the male voice. Eventhough it's in a cardioid patterned mic, the mics caught the right amount of ambience in the hall. I have yet to use them as overheads but if their anything like what I experienced recording them then they should be great. In conclusion, great mics to buy and worth every penny.

Victor
from Amherst, Ohio
May 18, 2009Music Background:
High school band member. film maker

C02 mics

I bought two of these microphones to use on my new Yamaha mg124c mixer. At first I was really impressed. I bought a Samson C01u several years ago and the noise was terrible. It was the USB version of the C01 so I thought I could excuse the noise for a cheap A/D converter.

So after reading many promising reviews I decided to buy two of the single packs because they were cheaper. I used them with my mixer and thought wow what am improvement. I really liked the sound quality at first. I tried using it for vocals and that didn't go so well. They just sounded empty. So I tried using them on flute, trombone, trumpet and a live play. Overall they sounded very nice on loud sounds such as the instruments but I could detect noise in quieter sounds. Since these were my first microphones ever I didn't know if the mixer was noisy or if the mics were noisy. Several weeks later I bought the AT2035. What an improvement.

I can turn the gain all the way up with the AT2035 and not hear! any noise. I think if I were to go back and buy again I would have gone with the AT studio recording pack. It comes with the 2020 and a pencil condenser. Both of these I'm sure are higher quality then the Samsons for just a little more money. Also the shock mount on the C02s is kind of a joke. Its basically a rubber sleeve that goes around the microphone shaft. No rubber band suspension like most shock mounts. But for $50 each they will do a nice job for drum set micing and other loud sounds.

Ron Perrone
from Hinton, WV
January 29, 2013Music Background:
Home studio, live sound, retired musician

Surprising Performance

Been using 2 of these in an small acoustic open mic venue with good acoustics for more than 2 years. They've work well on ukelele, acoustic guitar, banjo, and cello. Because the venue is nearly ideal for acoustic music, we have been able to run at lower volumes. I don't know how they would work in a noisy or reflective environment, but for this kind of venue, they are perfect.

Ed
from Ohio
November 23, 2010Music Background:
Hobby recording and a drummer

The Samson C02

I bought a set of the CO2 mics last year and have generally had good luck with them. I have only used them as overheads on my drum kit. The money is right on point. I am now saving money for 2 Shure KSM32 mics. Bottom line is for the money they can't be beat.

Jon
from Plymouth, MA
November 23, 2009Music Background:
Owner, live sound production company; small recording projects; film audio.

Good sound, but stays true to the Samson name...

I've had a pair of these mics for a little over a year, and they've started to crap out. This didn't come as a surprise, since any other Samson product I've bought sticks to a strict course of working well for a short period of time, then failing (i've since stopped buying Samson mics).

However, I would still recommend these mics to someone in a similar situation to me when I bought them: I barely had any money, but I needed a condenser mic. While they were working, the CO2s worked well, with good sound quality. I managed to get great use out of them, especially for the price - I used them for recording and live overhead miking.

Bottom line: If you are looking for a quick, cheap condenser solution, definitely get these. If you are looking for something to last even a moderate amount of time, absolutely do not get these mics.

Jim B
from Plainfield Illinois
January 1, 2005

CO2

Bougtht a pair to mic 4 congas...
Great response and separation.
Very natural sound with excellent clarity and fairly low noise. I'm very happy with the purchase.

Ray Van Rant
from San Antonio, Tx
September 1, 2004

Samson CO2

Used in stereo on acoustic guitar and alone on mandolin, accordion, etc, for the cost, these mics are great....

iOS/iPad

Recording

Computer Audio

Guitar

Bass

Keyboard

Drums

Live Sound

DJ/Lighting

Accessories

Dealzone

inSync

SweetCare® 24/7 Tech Support

Customer Reviews