samson c02 is actually what i started with. i managed to find a single used one at a guitar center for about 40 bucks, in perfect working condition. fantastic microphones on a budget.
p170 had a nice powerful output, perhaps best for distances... But the high end was a bit searing. Samsons sounded really nice! Great review just what I was looking for with the shotgun comparison.
Thanks and I glad you found my review helpful! The CO2 have a tighter pickup pattern vs the P170 (CO2s are supercardioid) which can come in handy when background noise is an issue.
Thanks, Dr.TK for this great detailed mic review. I'm a video producer and in need of finding other mic options. Aside from the specs with the Samson CO2, the Neutron Preset Manager is something that's amazing. I like the way the audio sounds with the Podcast filter & the Big Podcast 3. Here's my question to the Dr. - Would you use this mic as your main go-to for corporate interviews, company testimonials, and dialogue for actors? If so why. If not why. Great channel!! Thanks again Dr.
Much appreciated and I'm glad you enjoying my review. Great question, I'm afraid my answer comes down to budget. In the price range for a pair of these microphones, the performance is difficult to beat for your applications, especially if your can setup your shots so the mics are within 35 cm of the subject's mouth. The CO2s are not the quietest microphones, however you can generally get enough signal to allow easy noise removal in post. In the unlimited budget category, at about $1200 USD each, I recommend (and have used numerous times) the Sennheiser MKH50 as it offers outstanding audio quality with almost no proximity effect - great for moving subjects / boom. Where the real value sits is with the Lauten Audio LA-120 pencil mics. At just around $400 USD for a pair, these JFET mics include both omni and cardioid capsules as well as windscreens. They are exceptionally clear, quiet, transparent, and have both low and high pass filters built in - great for hand boom and locations with AC running. I have used these for a few recordings in different locations (borrowed a set from a friend) and they are in my opinion the best midrange pencil condensers available - I have ordered a set for myself and will be doing a review. With proper setup, the LA-120s will provide professional quality audio whether the mics are in or out of frame. www.lautenaudio.com/la-120 Hope this helps out.
@@askdrtk Thanks for the direction. Yes, I'll research the Lauten Audio LA-120 pencil mics nice budget, and the Dr. seal of approval has been recommended. Thanks again Dr.TK New subscriber form Atlanta GA USA
Glad to help out and have you on board with the sub! As always, let me know if there is any topics you would like me to cover for AV production or streaming.
As with anything, we can spend more and get better performance, but there are diminishing returns... IMO this is a popular mic because it offers a good value, balancing price and performance. Your ID4 is a great interface with plenty of clean gain for this mic. Depending on the amount of room noise in your space during streams, the closer you have the mic, the better it will perform (max 16" from your mouth imo, but the closer the better). Dynamic mics generally work best up close to reject noisy environments, but if you want to keep the mic out of frame, the CO2 offers good value and should work well in most streaming setups. Hope this helps out and thanks for checking out my review!
Found the C02 to exhibit a LOT of self noise and the response is a bit crispy, especially if your talent is at all sibilant. Didn't like them at all. They sit in the locker as backups of backups Affordable? Sure, definitely. But because of that, they don't bring anything special to the table. Of course, I'm comparing them to MUCH better mics, but I still think if one can save just a little more, one might be better served investing in a slightly more capable option.
I agree. The CO2 are ok for what they are and not really memorable. Moving up to something like the sE8 (even the 7s if budget is tight) delivers significantly better performance. I also have a pair of Lauten LA120s that I find perform well above their price. In any case, if waiting is an option, saving and investing in good mid-range microphones is the best place to start imo, KM184, etc. will always be their later on...
What would we do with out the interwebs. But if consumers didnt research the affordable range wouldn't need to get better. But if one mic in a price range is way better but know one known. That price range wouldn't need to lift it's game. But high end stumps me as you still paying for names. That are well known but may not deliver at there price point. So I enjoy the tech channel. And I'm finding this one has more info and specs.
Thanks - with all the gear available it really is important to learn as much as we can about how it performs in an environment similar to our own before we decide what is right for each of us. There is no one perfect mic for everyone, but the more we all share, the better chance we have to find something that works well.
The m5 is a a very natural sounding microphone with only the slightest boost in the upper frequency range. It offers excellent clarity on a variety of sources (I have them in my shared studio space and they often get used as overheads for drums, other percussion instruments, and for a few string instruments). The m5 as a stereo pair also works well for choirs, but I generally don't use small diaphragm condensers for male vocal as they are overly sensitive to strong vocal projection. The m5 has a reasonably low self noise, given that it is a small diaphragm condenser which is very good for spoken word where the are periods of silence. Compared with the Q9U, the sound will be more natural and your words will come across with improved clarity. That said, there would be some drawbacks to switching. The m5 is far more susceptible to both plosives and room noise. If you are planning to boom the mic out of frame, plosives will not be an issue, but the additional gain required will result in the mic picking up more room reverb and other noise (PC fans, etc.) compared to the Q9U dynamic mic. If you place the m5 within 15cm of your mouth and use a pop filter, you would end up with very clear audio, require less gain, and therefore the mic would pick up less room noise relative to the volume of your voice compared to placing it out of frame, but still more than the Q9u. I know this isn't a specific yes/no answer, but I hope this helps out.
On the boom arm I used about 38dB and up close about 30. The mixer with 44dB should be enough as long as the gain is reasonably clean. If you let me know which mixer you are looking at I can try find some additional info.
The included rubber mounts are workable for the CO2s, but I am using a Lyrcro shock mount I’ve had for a while. This is a better option where a hand boom pole is required. (The CO2s are 20mm in diameter.)
I haven’t reviewed the C2 yet (more pencil condenser reviews are coming), however it has a cardioid pickup pattern similar to the AKG P170 I included in this video so I expect the C2s to pickup more room noise vs the CO2s. This may or may not be an issue depending on your space and use case. The C2s also begin to roll off the low end at about 300Hz, so I expect the C2s to be more mid/high forward. Again, I haven’t reviewed the C2 yet so I can’t make any specific recommendations until I do. Thanks for the question and for watching!
Yes, angled slightly in. I would recommend to try placing them together in an X pattern where the conductor stands to capture more of their perspective. Hope this helps out!
samson c02 is actually what i started with. i managed to find a single used one at a guitar center for about 40 bucks, in perfect working condition. fantastic microphones on a budget.
Now that’s a deal! This another one of those mics that’s better than it should be for the price imo.
Really useful with the processed sound segment. Not many reviews offer that at all. Most microphone users will process the sound in post.
Thank you for the detailed review. This is a very nice microphone for the price!
Glad you enjoyed it. This kit offers good value and an affordable way to get started with a matched microphone pair!
p170 had a nice powerful output, perhaps best for distances... But the high end was a bit searing. Samsons sounded really nice! Great review just what I was looking for with the shotgun comparison.
Thanks and I glad you found my review helpful! The CO2 have a tighter pickup pattern vs the P170 (CO2s are supercardioid) which can come in handy when background noise is an issue.
Thanks, Dr.TK for this great detailed mic review. I'm a video producer and in need of finding other mic options. Aside from the specs with the Samson CO2, the Neutron Preset Manager is something that's amazing. I like the way the audio sounds with the Podcast filter & the Big Podcast 3.
Here's my question to the Dr. - Would you use this mic as your main go-to for corporate interviews, company testimonials, and dialogue for actors? If so why. If not why.
Great channel!! Thanks again Dr.
Much appreciated and I'm glad you enjoying my review.
Great question, I'm afraid my answer comes down to budget. In the price range for a pair of these microphones, the performance is difficult to beat for your applications, especially if your can setup your shots so the mics are within 35 cm of the subject's mouth. The CO2s are not the quietest microphones, however you can generally get enough signal to allow easy noise removal in post.
In the unlimited budget category, at about $1200 USD each, I recommend (and have used numerous times) the Sennheiser MKH50 as it offers outstanding audio quality with almost no proximity effect - great for moving subjects / boom.
Where the real value sits is with the Lauten Audio LA-120 pencil mics. At just around $400 USD for a pair, these JFET mics include both omni and cardioid capsules as well as windscreens. They are exceptionally clear, quiet, transparent, and have both low and high pass filters built in - great for hand boom and locations with AC running. I have used these for a few recordings in different locations (borrowed a set from a friend) and they are in my opinion the best midrange pencil condensers available - I have ordered a set for myself and will be doing a review. With proper setup, the LA-120s will provide professional quality audio whether the mics are in or out of frame. www.lautenaudio.com/la-120 Hope this helps out.
@@askdrtk Thanks for the direction. Yes, I'll research the Lauten Audio LA-120 pencil mics nice budget, and the Dr. seal of approval has been recommended. Thanks again Dr.TK New subscriber form Atlanta GA USA
Glad to help out and have you on board with the sub! As always, let me know if there is any topics you would like me to cover for AV production or streaming.
Excellent Evaluation! Thanks for your work!
Much appreciated and I'm glad to help out! Thanks for checking out my review of the CO2's.
Love what I'm hearing about this mic. Great video. How well do you think it would perform would an Audient iD4 when streaming with OBS?
As with anything, we can spend more and get better performance, but there are diminishing returns... IMO this is a popular mic because it offers a good value, balancing price and performance. Your ID4 is a great interface with plenty of clean gain for this mic. Depending on the amount of room noise in your space during streams, the closer you have the mic, the better it will perform (max 16" from your mouth imo, but the closer the better). Dynamic mics generally work best up close to reject noisy environments, but if you want to keep the mic out of frame, the CO2 offers good value and should work well in most streaming setups. Hope this helps out and thanks for checking out my review!
Found the C02 to exhibit a LOT of self noise and the response is a bit crispy, especially if your talent is at all sibilant. Didn't like them at all. They sit in the locker as backups of backups
Affordable? Sure, definitely. But because of that, they don't bring anything special to the table. Of course, I'm comparing them to MUCH better mics, but I still think if one can save just a little more, one might be better served investing in a slightly more capable option.
I agree. The CO2 are ok for what they are and not really memorable. Moving up to something like the sE8 (even the 7s if budget is tight) delivers significantly better performance. I also have a pair of Lauten LA120s that I find perform well above their price. In any case, if waiting is an option, saving and investing in good mid-range microphones is the best place to start imo, KM184, etc. will always be their later on...
They don't sound to bad for cheap mics.
The CO2 is not the best or worst I’ve heard (subjective) - several more to test before I’m ready to comment on value imo. I enjoy the journey…
What would we do with out the interwebs. But if consumers didnt research the affordable range wouldn't need to get better. But if one mic in a price range is way better but know one known. That price range wouldn't need to lift it's game. But high end stumps me as you still paying for names. That are well known but may not deliver at there price point. So I enjoy the tech channel. And I'm finding this one has more info and specs.
Thanks - with all the gear available it really is important to learn as much as we can about how it performs in an environment similar to our own before we decide what is right for each of us. There is no one perfect mic for everyone, but the more we all share, the better chance we have to find something that works well.
Whats your view on the rode m5 matching pair for podcasting. Currently using the Q9Us.
The m5 is a a very natural sounding microphone with only the slightest boost in the upper frequency range. It offers excellent clarity on a variety of sources (I have them in my shared studio space and they often get used as overheads for drums, other percussion instruments, and for a few string instruments). The m5 as a stereo pair also works well for choirs, but I generally don't use small diaphragm condensers for male vocal as they are overly sensitive to strong vocal projection. The m5 has a reasonably low self noise, given that it is a small diaphragm condenser which is very good for spoken word where the are periods of silence. Compared with the Q9U, the sound will be more natural and your words will come across with improved clarity. That said, there would be some drawbacks to switching. The m5 is far more susceptible to both plosives and room noise. If you are planning to boom the mic out of frame, plosives will not be an issue, but the additional gain required will result in the mic picking up more room reverb and other noise (PC fans, etc.) compared to the Q9U dynamic mic. If you place the m5 within 15cm of your mouth and use a pop filter, you would end up with very clear audio, require less gain, and therefore the mic would pick up less room noise relative to the volume of your voice compared to placing it out of frame, but still more than the Q9u. I know this isn't a specific yes/no answer, but I hope this helps out.
@@askdrtk thanks broseph! Very informative!
How much gain in dB is that? I'm looking at a mixer but it only does 44dB gain. It's that going to be enough for a 3 for distance?
On the boom arm I used about 38dB and up close about 30. The mixer with 44dB should be enough as long as the gain is reasonably clean. If you let me know which mixer you are looking at I can try find some additional info.
What mount do you have CO2 setup outframe?
The included rubber mounts are workable for the CO2s, but I am using a Lyrcro shock mount I’ve had for a while. This is a better option where a hand boom pole is required. (The CO2s are 20mm in diameter.)
Which better compared to behringer c2?
I haven’t reviewed the C2 yet (more pencil condenser reviews are coming), however it has a cardioid pickup pattern similar to the AKG P170 I included in this video so I expect the C2s to pickup more room noise vs the CO2s. This may or may not be an issue depending on your space and use case. The C2s also begin to roll off the low end at about 300Hz, so I expect the C2s to be more mid/high forward. Again, I haven’t reviewed the C2 yet so I can’t make any specific recommendations until I do. Thanks for the question and for watching!
Could I use these for a choir microphone?
Yes, used as a stereo pair you can get very good results with these microphones.
So putting one on each side of choir should get great results ?
Yes, angled slightly in. I would recommend to try placing them together in an X pattern where the conductor stands to capture more of their perspective. Hope this helps out!
Yes, Thanks a lot!
Got them set up today! Will check back in tomorrow after Service!