Samson C02

[adgallant]

Has anyone had experience with these mics? Pretty cheap, the specs aren't too awful, anyone know how they sound, or weather they are worth the money? I'm looking for some overhead mics for under three hundred Canadian.

[nlmd311]

I read up a good deal on these before purchasing a pair of MXL 603s and didn't like what I read as far as reviews and first hand users thoughts on them.
In my opinion, if you are looking for a budget SDC, try the Nady CM-88. You can get a pair now from Musicians Friend for $99.99 with a hard case. I had a pair of these a short while ago that I had for a couple years before selling them to be able to fund buying the 603s.
I never had a problem with them and in my opinion they sound very good as drum overheads, and on steel string acoustic guitars. On nylon string guitars they can sound kind of thin, and very plastic like, but you may or may not be able to fix that with eq. Pretty cool on a guitar amp, or combo for a bluesy or slighty fuzzed out/overdriven sound ie. early Eric Clapton/Cream.
They were really the first condensor mics I had and originally started doing everything with them, and like anything else, if you use them enough you will get to know how to use them and what they work best on.
I got some great male vocal takes out of them also.
I really regret selling them, but at the same time, I really love my pair of MXL mics (except the fact I have had to send them back to MXL, I can't wait to get them back.).

all the best

-Darrill

[adgallant]

Thanks Darrill,
I do own a 603 right now, but I'm not that into it. The C02 has decent rear rejection compared to the 603 which is almost omni. I find it tricky to use the 603 successfully when the room isn't ideal. What style of music do you tend to record with the 603? And what did you use the C02 for mainly?
Thanks again,
adam

[nlmd311]

Hey Adam,
I haven't owned the CO2 mics, just read a great deal about them. I was referring to the Nady mics when I was doing all that describing. With those I was recording a little bit of everything imaginable.
I don't think the 603s have too much of an omni pickup at all. The only time I found that is if you crammed them in a corner or something were too close to the phase ports (or whatever they may be called).
I loved them (for the short time I got to use them) and can't wait to get them back. Like I said, they are at the Marshall Plant right now getting a once over and hopefully getting replaced. I seemed to have gotten a bad pair. I purchased a matched stereo pair and about a month after I got them one of the mics drop by about 10 dB and a good deal of the high frequency rolled off. Luckily I purchased them new (well, my girlfriend purchased them for us... have to give credit where it is due) so the warranty took care of any problems. I got a cool representative on the phone and sent them in. I should be getting them back early next week (hopefully!). I got them mainly for to be work-horse mics. I will end up using them as overheads and I really liked the way the scratched out my guitar tone. I thought they were great as room mics, and sounded excellent as stand alone bass guitar mics. I couldn't believe the range they had on them. The highs do peak out a little, but I like that. I have a feeling they will get alot of use on a noise filled garage/surf/rockabilly thing that is going to be getting recorded in the near future.

all the best

-Darrill

[texlop]

I have the Samson CO1's that I bought on Ebay. Both for just $69.99 and they work great. I like them a lot. But then again I don't have much experience with mics. I haven't owned enough mics to really be able to compare them to anything else. They do make nice over heads and vocal mics. They sound nice and clear to me, but I'm sure an experienced engineer could find something negative, most likely, to say about them.

[FNM]

They are pretty noisy compared to a lot of budget condensers.

[d-bolan]

I also have a pair of Co1's. I like them a lot. They are noisy but that doesn't bother me too much. I like them for drum overheads and on acoustic guitars, and low-key singing.

[nlmd311]

Yeah. When I was looking into them the noise comment was one thing that I kept reading about. That could be controlled I suppose depending on what you are recording and how it is going to sit in the mix.
The other thing I remember reading a good deal about, and maybe someone here who has them could comment more on was a "nasal" sounding midrange. Alot of people describe it as honky and nasal. ? If you already have the 603s, it probably wouldn't hurt to try to find one of these or a pair cheap on eBay. I know they used to go for really cheap. The Nady mic I was talking about earlier I think can be found on eBay by itself for about $40-50.
More mics, more choices.

-Darrill

[seriousbusinessmusic]

Hey. I've got a pair of Samson CO2s and I've got to say I think they suck real bad. I've tried them as overheads for drums and on acoustic gtrs and in both applications they've sounded flat and one dimensional. They work fine especially if you're recording something that sounds great in the first place but for low cost matched condensers I'd try somewhere else. The only success I've had with them is sticking them in wierd precarious places as experimental room mics (like across the hall, in other rooms or up my heinie). On the other hand, for 89 bux u can't go too wrong i guess.

[texlop]

On the other hand, for 89 bux u can't go too wrong i guess.

I bought two, count them two, of them for $69.99. At that price they are the best fucking mics ever created! Aaahahahaha

[texlop]

Please disregard that last post. That is the product of drinking too much coffee at work today. The CO1's are nice microphones in my opinion, especially since I only paid 69 dollars for two. Although after having read these posts and I listening to my recordings a lot of things sound thin. Like especially Vocals. Or that could be my engineering. I think with a little eq and these mics can produce some nice results.

[d-bolan]

or how about 89 bucks is a lot of money. A lot