The Samson G Track is one of the coolest devices I’ve seen in a while. There are a bunch of USB mics on the market, all of which provide a convenient way to record straight into the computer. But the Samson G Track does one better – you can connect additional instruments right into the mic itself. I think that’s pretty cool, and here’s why…

What makes the Samson G Track awesome?

When it comes to making music, it’s a little like sex. Once you get “in the mood” you don’t want to be fumbling around with “extra equipment” You just want to get down to business without anything getting in the way. Well the Samson G Track lets you do just that. You plug the mic in via USB, then connect any other instrument into the G Track. No other gear to deal with.

The Samson G Track as a master volume which controls the mic itself and the instrument. There are also independent volume controls for the mic and instrument as well so you can properly blend the two signals together.

Now let’s be honest here. The Samson G Track is no $3,000 microphone. You are getting a condenser mic with a built-in audio interface for under $150. There’s no doubt it’s a great value, but if you own other very expensive microphone and you have “golden ears” then don’t expect the G Track to sound like your U87

The Samson G Track is best used for recording demos, home recordings, and voiceovers.

If you need a solid, super convenient USB condenser mic to use with your computer – and you don’t want to deal with extra equipment – then click here to get your Samson G Track!

Here’s Amazon’s take:

Samson G Track USB Microphone and Audio Interface

The G-Track is a total solution capable of taking you from your musical inspiration to your finished tracks. It is the world’s first USB condenser microphone with a built-in audio interface and mixer, allowing simultaneous input of vocals and guitar, bass, or keyboard while also providing monitoring through an on board headphone output. Record vocals like a standard USB microphone or two mono instruments through the line/instrument input or a mix of one mono instrument and vocal. Now you can directly record vocals and instruments easily with one device, making the G-Track a must have for any songwriter’s home studio. Its ease of use and portability allows you to take it anywhere inspiration may strike you. The G-Track includes a desktop microphone stand, swivel stand mount, USB cable and all the cables needed to connect any musical instrument with a standard 1/4-inch or RCA output. Cakewalk’s Sonar LE is also included while the G-Track works brilliantly with Apple’s GarageBand.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars GREAT for laptop recording solution
This will be a nice semi-quick review with a little more technical perspective than a lot of the previous ones. I’m a big home recording nut, who’s been on the road a lot the last year, mostly recording with my laptop, this mic, and a full version of Sonar.

First off, the audio quality:

Pretty decent. No noticeable glitches while using. Does sound a little tinny at times, but it’s definitely on par with most of my other $100+ mikes (my most expensive one is a $200 Rode). Very usable for recording vocals (singing), but I haven’t tried it with an acoustic guitar or other acoustic instruments. VERY-usable-plus for recording spoken words. Frequency range seems decent, but again, I haven’t really ran the thing through a full range of applications.

Build quality:

Nice and solid. Almost too heavy though for easy lugging on small trips…but I keep it in the manufacturer’s box and slide it in my suitcase, and so far it has made every trip just fine.

Ease of use:

Big plus here, despite a stable Windows OS possibly being as much responsible for the super simple use of the thing as the mic itself. Plug it in via USB, and you’re ready to go. No special driver install or software required to get it working.

Extras:

- Line in and headphone out are constructed directly on the mic…this lets you use the mic as a line-in for recording an electronic keyboard or electric guitar directly into your recording software. And then you can use the microphone part of it to record vocals or any acoustic instruments. Nice double-feature to have in the same piece of hardware

- Comes with a very usable desk mic stand

- Comes with all the necessary cables to use right away

- Comes with some scaled-down Cakewalk recording software for your computer

I expected the sound quality would be usable and it is, but I admit the all-in-one extras and the acceptable price were what ultimately snagged me and prompted the one-click order.

Final thoughts:

If you’re only doing podcasting (no music or instrument input required), you might consider a lower priced USB mic without the extras. BUT, if you’re doing music with the thing, the line-in and line-out features and easy direct monitoring are way nice and worth the price.

5 Stars Awesome for me and my band
I got this for our band practice so we can review our parts. We play mostly rock & hard core so it can get pretty loud. The mic handled everything pretty well after setting the levels. Granted it wasn’t crystal clear as in a recording studio, but for practices and hashing out sections, it’s served us perfectly. I use Audacity to record. I think my next purchase would be the shockmount.

4 Stars Samson G Track USB Mic
The Samson G Track USB Mic is a well built mic that offers many options. The mic offers the ability to record vocally or through line inputs. It also offers a nice headphone input. Each input offers individual volume controls. It sounds great and works flawlessly with Mac products and Garageband. The software that comes with the mic is not usable by the Mac society. Overall, I think this is an excellent purchase for someone interested in podcasting and demo recording. It is certainly not the highest quality mic, however you end up getting a pretty decent mic for the money.

4 Stars Great microphone
I bought this to improve the quality of the audio voice-overs I do for eLearning classes. It does the job very well and produces professional sounding audio.

4 Stars Good Quality… Bad Software
The microphone has great record sound quality. The line in feature is great for recording my Taylor and my friends Fender, picking up every sound and showing how awful we really are at playing. The mics profile is good, picking up all sounds in front of the mic and none to the side, something like a super cancoid profile. We were able to record both of us playing in space, even picking up the birds chirping.

The problem I have with the package is the included software. It comes with Sonar 6 LE. I could not get this software to work properly, even after installing the ASIO drivers that the forums suggested on my HP laptop. I did not go to the manufacturer to solve my problem but I did go to the forums. What resulted from that was several unhelpful posts and one user bragging about his tutorial over other Samson mics. So using those forums, nothing was solved. I did however find a program that worked out of box for the mic named Acuostica Mixcraft. The program is very similar to Garage Band. Its easy to use and did not require any fumbling around to get started. The interface is simple and not cluttered feeling, which is how Sonar 6 LE feels, even as a LE version. Mixcraft will set you back 65 dollars to purchase but I think it is well worth it.

All in all the Samson G-Track is a great buy for someone who does not want to mess with the complexities of buying a separate sound card and several microphones. I recommend it.

Buy/More Info

A post from: Microphone Reviews

Here’s Amazon’s take:

M Audio MobilePre USB Mobile Preamp and Audio Interface

MobilePre USB is the perfect audio interface and preamp for your laptop recording needs. A total of three kinds of audio inputs and outputs provide maximum flexibility for any application – including two on-board microphone/instrument preamps and high-impedance instrument inputs ideal for connecting guitars and basses. MobilePre USB is completely bus-powered so you can take it anywhere you need to record and play music – including field recording and sampling expeditions with your laptop. (Of course, you can use it on the desktop as well.) And unlike many competitors, the zero-latency direct monitoring provides you with an easy and professional recording experience.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Excellent product; Vista users, beware…
Update: Beta drivers are out now on this product for Vista 64 bit, and they work pretty well.

I would have given this product 5 stars, but since switching to a new computer running Vista 64 bit, I have had some problems.

This is an extremely competent interface, and will do exactly what you need it to do. I have had it for over 3 years, and it has worked flawlessly throughout. It’s very simple: install your drivers, plug it in via USB, and you are ready to go. I used it as my mic input, and just as a regular sound card. Because it supports ASIO, I never had a single latency issue with this device, and I run a lot of taxing programs (FL Studio, SONAR, and Reason). It’s very solid and durable as well, almost feels unbreakable at times. I dropped it from over 10 feet, and it still worked perfect.

Now, if you are on Vista 64 bit, and considering this product, please wait. There are no current drivers available. M-Audio will tell you that it’s class compliant, and will work, which is only half true. It will work, but you will have to download a third party program that offers ASIO support, and maybe jump through a few other hoops to get it to work DECENTLY, and not have horrible latency problems. Just keep that in mind.

1 Star If you want something solid – do not buy this!
Bought one of these a while back. on my first system i was running windows xp pro, the drivers then were bad. since then I’ve changed to vista 64 bit operating system. big mistake m-audio has no support what so ever. in their forums they have lied to people that they would have a driver out in a couple of weeks. That was nearly over half a year ago. So their strategy is to say this every three or four weeks just to keep you on the edge of your seat. before you buy this just go to their forum on their website and search for mobilepre usb 64 bit and see for your self. stay clear of this company!

1 Star VISTA Support updated
Update: Looks like they actually came through with the VISTA drivers, which were released on 8/22/2008. Since I returned mine, I would love to hear if you have it working on Vista SP1 or better.

**** Previous review ****

Looked like a decent product, however…. Turns out that the drivers for VISTA are still in Beta after 1 year (last release of the driver is over a year ago). To make matters worse, it is known NOT to work with Vista SP1, as of May 2008. They don’t expect to have a driver update until October. However, since the last driver update is over a year ago, I put the chances of a real driver update at near zero. Too bad, looked like a good product.

Didn’t work on any of my VISTA machines. Sending it back.

2 Stars No supported by Windows XP Media Center
No supported by Windows XP Media Center. I finally found this on the manufacturer web page. Could be nice if the warning is on Amazon so, you don’t waste time ordering and returning

5 Stars great home studio builder
any electronic musician who wants to record some vocals and sequenced music will love all the features of this device. Plus the version of Live is great.

Buy/More Info

A post from: Microphone Reviews

Here’s Amazon’s take:

Samson CO1U USB Condenser Microphone

The C01U USB Studio Condenser Mic is the first affordable studio condenser mic with a USB interface.

For the first time ever, musicians who record music on computers have a simple, affordable way to capture high-quality vocal and acoustic instrument performances.

Seamless integration was the idea, and it was obtained by creating a studio condenser microphone that can be plugged into any computer with no in/out boxes, no expensive computer pre-amps, just a USB cable.

The C01U condenser microphone is based on our wildly successful C01. It features a 19mm internal shock mounted diaphragm with a cardioid pick up pattern ensuring pristine studio quality recordings.

The C01U works perfectly on any computer, Mac or PC, and with any DAW software program. It immediately solves a huge problem for users of many laptops, many of which have no other input method for audio devices.

It’s a must for any musician on the road or in the project studio, but the C01U is going to offer solutions to more than just musicians. The mic opens up possibilities for anyone who records audio—from Podcasters, journalists, students, and business people adding audio files to websites and multimedia presentations.

Feature List

• Large Diaphragm, 19mm, Studio Condenser with USB Digital Output.
• Compatible with any computer based Digital Audio Workstation.
• The extremely detailed sound reproduction makes it ideal for recording vocals, acoustic instruments and just about any other sound source.
• High Quality AD converter with 16 Bit, 48K sampling rate.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Nice low cost mic
It took just a little playing to get the mic placement figured out, but now it produces nice sounding audio. What works well for my screencasts is to set it on the table right in front of me at about a 60 degree angle tilted away from me. So the green light on the front is pointed towards my mouth, but I talk over it. I look at the computer screen, so the main acoustic energy is flowing about 5 inches above the microphone rather than aimed straight at it. I also bought the windscreen for it to help smooth any acoustic bursts.

It works perfectly with Windows and Linux. Supposed to also work with Mac. For me, a big concern before buying a microphone was that it works with Linux. I didn’t have to do anything to get it to work with Linux. I just plugged it in and used the ALSA mixer to turn it on and used it with Audacity and RecordMyDesktop.

The graphical mixer tools work well to turn it on or off, but to make sure I get the same a good volume setting each time, I made a couple simple shell scripts after experimenting with the right volume setting.

$ cat micon

amixer -c 1 set ‘Mic’ 48 unmute cap on

$ cat micoff

amixer -c 1 set ‘Mic’ nocap mute

Then in recordMyDesktop, either specify hw:1,0 in the device box (graphical version) or from the command line, use -device hw:1,0.

Here is a sample of one of my screencasts with this mic using recordMyDeskTop in Linux. My voice is pretty deep, so that’s just me, not the mic.

[...]

Here is one where I compare it to two other mics. I did this one right after I got it, and hadn’t figured out the mic placement yet. I did this one in Windows. You can also find this recording on YouTube.

[...]

2 Stars Does Not work with Vista
“Samson C01U USB mic records low volume on Vista.

This is a known behavior with the Samson Mic and the Vista operating system and is not specific with Camtasia Studio. Be sure to turn your recording volume up and speak directly into the microphone to obtain a good recording level. ”

The above is copied from the Camtasia Web site. This is apparently a well known problem with Vista. I’m encountering it too.

5 Stars Gain problem on Mac solved
On my Mac iBook G4 running 10.5.8 there had been a problem with these Samson USB CO1U mics that first came up when I switched them between laptops. The problem was there with Audacity and SoundStudio and it may be the same issue with other apps. I am using two of these mics for stereo recording, but the fix is the same for a single mic. The source of this problem is the fact that even though these are mono mics they have two output channels, and both channels must have their gain all the way up in order to have full gain from the mic. Setting gain in the system sound preference does not seem to accomplish this.

Go to the AudioMIDI Setup Utility in the utilities folder, select the Samson mic in the “Properties For” dropdown. Under “Audio Input” you will then see the option of 1 or 2 channels. Select 2-ch, then below to the left the L & R volume sliders for both channels should be all the way to the right. You can now put the mic setting back to 1-channel without affecting overall gain.

If you use two mics for stereo recording just set each mic like this individually, go to the Aggregate Device Editor under “Audio” on the menu bar, aggregate the two mics, and you’re done. If you need to balance the gain on them afterward you can do so by selecting them individually to make any changes. Make sure “Default Input” remains “Aggregate Device” (which BTW you can rename by going back to the “Aggregate Device Editor” and double clicking.) Unfortunately, on some Macs this resetting of mic gain has to be redone every time they are unplugged and plugged back in, but it’s quick and easy once you’ve done it. Hope this helps!

5 Stars Great mic at a great price
I was looking for a good high-quality condensor microphone. This is it. USB connected for digital no-noise signal. Standard size fit my stand and vibration mount. The sound is clean and perfect for voice applications. Highly recommended!

5 Stars Received right away and works great!
This was sent out fast and we were very happy with the promptness and condition of the product.

Buy/More Info

A post from: Microphone Reviews

Here’s Amazon’s take:

Samson C01U Podcasting Pack

C01UPAK C01U Microphone and Podcast Pack comes with CO1U mic, Cakewalk Sonar LE software, Desktop mic stand, mic clip, shockmount, USB cable, aluminum case.The C01U works perfectly on any computer, Mac or PC, and with any Digital Audio Workstation software. It immediately solves a huge problem for users of many laptops, many of which have no other input method for audio devices. For the first time ever, musicians who record music on computers have a simple, affordable way to capture high-quality vocal and acoustic instrument performances. Seamless integration was the idea, and it was obtained by creating a studio condenser microphone that can be plugged into any computer with no in/out boxes, no expensive computer pre-amps, just a USB cable. It features a 19mm internal shock mounted diaphragm with a cardioid pick up pattern ensuring pristine studio quality recordings. It’s a must for any musician on the road or in the project studio, but the C01U is going to offer solutions to more than just musicians. The mic opens up possibilities for anyone who records audio from Podcasters, journalists, students, and business people adding audio files to websites and multimedia presentations.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Great Value
Just confirmed what most other reviews agree on: this is a high quality product for its price, while it’s only con is the software it comes with, which is not only bad, but also a trial version.

The voice over we recorded as a test came out clean and detailed, although I’m sure we still have to fine tune placement and levels to get the best out of it.

4 Stars Read this before you buy it
1. I found that I needed to remove the center insert from the stand’s tube with a small coin to unscrew the little inset. Had to call international long distance to get support on it.

2. I found that even if you plug it in, the Macintosh doesn’t automatically switch over to it, and I had to choose it in Preferences on the Mac.

3. The included software for the Mac was kind of inadequate.

Other than that, this product deserves its good rating! For me, RTFM the next time…

5 Stars Awesome studio quality mic!
I was looking for a good quality mic to do voice over work and play around with guitar recording just for the fun of it and wow did I make a perfect choice. I can’t tell you how high the quality of an acoustic guitar is over this mic! The overall quality of this product is ridiculous! Plug and go.

Now if I could just figure out how to get that bassy/warm radio announcer effect…

4 Stars A great product!
The microphone works great! It got a little banged up in shipping, however… it seems that the mic stand base shifted out of it’s place in the case (see picture)… it must of bounced around and hit the mic and dented it a little bit, but doesn’t affect the performance of the mic. It’s a solid, pro-quality microphone and very easy to hookup via the usb connection to your PC. I’m not fond of the recording software it comes with… there are better ones out there.

5 Stars Great Mic
Great mic i love it its bin working so good for me great sound its perfect

Buy/More Info

A post from: Microphone Reviews

The Blue Microphones Snowflake USB Microphone is a great sounding, high quality USB mic that blows away your average compact microphone!

Here’s Amazon’s take:

Blue Microphones Snowflake USB Microphone

Featuring Blue Microphones’ renowned circuitry, the Snowflake is a professional quality portable mic that combines a USB bus powered capsule with a class compliant design to make the Snowflake truly plug and play on both Mac and PC. Not just an eye-catching design, the Snowflake is highly functional. The mic folds into a single compact case which also houses a USB cable for easy transport in a laptop bag or even a pocket. Unfolded, the case serves as a desktop stand or a laptop clip, making the Snowflake a natural for everything from podcasting, calling over the web, narrating a home video, or sketching out a song idea on the go.

Where Do You Put It?
The Snowflake’s unique design allows you to place it on a desk or flat surface near your computer, or mounted to the screen of most laptops. Gently grasp the top and bottom halves of the Snowflake mounting box and slide them away from each other (figure 1, on the right). You’ll find the USB cable snugly fit inside. The top half of the mount can then be positioned on any flat surface (figure 2), or hung over the back of most laptops (figure 3). The Snowflake capsule also pivots back and forth and rotates side-to-side for optimal positioning.

When not in use, just disconnect the USB cable and store it in the mounting box, sliding both haves together to close. When traveling with the Snowflake, gently swivel the active side of the round capsule head (with the metal grille) so that it faces down and into the box (figure 4). This will help protect the precision capsule from damage.

Technical Specs

• Transducer Type: Condenser, Pressure Gradient w/USB Digital Output
• Polar Pattern: Cardioid
• Sample/Word Rate: 44.1 kHz/16 bit
• Frequency Response: 35Hz – 20kHz

System Requirements

• Macintosh: Mac OSX; USB 1.0 or 2.0; 64MB RAM (minimum)
• Windows: Vista or XP; USB 1.0 or 2.0; 64MB RAM (minimum)

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Great Microphone!
I have pretty simple recording needs–I use my Snowflake microphone to record podcast material both in quiet spaces and in public spaces like coffee shops and cafes. So far the microphone has picked up the sound clearly, is portable, plugs and plays perfectly with my MacBook, and works seamlessly with my software. I took a look at more expensive microphones, but settled on the Snowflake, and I’m extremely satisfied with this product.

2 Stars Low output
I hung the microphone on the top of a notebook PC screen. I had the record volume turned up to maximum. My head was at a normal distance from the screen. The output from this microphone was so low that it was useless.

5 Stars Very pleased
Perfect for my application, recording music demo’s using my Macbook Pro in my recliner. Easy to use, plug and play. Well designed, matches the Mac in form and function.

4 Stars Blue’s SnowFlake USB Microphone
The packaging calls it a “Portable professional USB mic. When I think of a pro mic, I think mesh grill, great sound quality, extraordinary sound pickup – things like that. Low noise, hi-gain. It’s pretty much just that – though the gain could be better, the sound quality is far superior to most of the portable microphones you’re likely to encounter. I like the fact that I can use the Snowflake hooked over my flat screen monitor, or setting on a shelf or desk. There’s a spot on the back (white plastic) shell to plug in a standard USB cable (included). The case acts as storage for the USB cable, but also doubles as a stand for those times when it’s not hooked over something. To mount on a flat screen, simply slide the two halves apart to reveal the smooth loop.

The head of the microphone swivels 360 degrees – made possible by that USB port in the back. A very versatile recording device! To be fair, I didn’t expect such clarity nor the gain levels I’m experiencing. As a former SnowBall Mic owner, I loved the cool design, but was always disappointed by the low recording gain levels. Even the patches provided by Blue failed to improve it. The Snowflake doesn’t seem to have any of those problems!

This microphone, despite it’s size (the head of the mic is about the size of a golf ball), peforms very well for me. Even siting back in the chair with the device sitting back on my desk, pickup quality was excellent.

CONS: Only one con, which is why I gave this 4 stars (it should be 4.5 if the option were available) – is the slight echo exhibited under full gain settings.

It’s a great microphone and I highly recommend it.

3 Stars A very good mic with some flaws
This is a good mic. It is very portable, and it sounds great. However, there seems to be a minor wiring problem that causes it to malfunction if the mic is turned in a specific direction. That said, I do not regret the purchase.

Buy/More Info

A post from: Microphone Reviews

Here’s Amazon’s take:

Blue Microphones SnowBall USB Microphone Bundle

Finally, a USB mic that’s not only easy to use, but sounds as good on your desktop as it does in a professional recording studio. Meet the Snowball,™ the world’s first professional USB mic.

Whether you’re recording a guitar at your kitchen table or a complete band in the studio, the Snowball can capture it with detail unheard of before in a USB mic.

The Snowball is a direct plug n’ play mic that connects to either a Mac or PC – no additional software is needed. With its dual capsule design and unique three-pattern switch (cardioid, cardioid with -10dB pad and omni), the Snowball can handle everything from soft vocals to the loudest garage band — and it’s ideal for podcasting. Check it out and you’ll see why it’s the coolest mic in town.

The world’s first professional studio-quality USB mic, from Blue.

Features & Functionality

1. What exactly is this Snowball all about?
   The Snowball is a revolutionary microphone. Leave it to Blue to reinvent the wheel again with this microphone. With USB connectivity, it has never been easier to get live audio into your Macintosh or Windows desktop or laptop. Just plug it in, adjust your input level and you’re up and running.
2. Is The Snowball a dynamic microphone like the Blue Ball, or a condenser like the Blue 8Ball or Kiwi?
   The Snowball is a condenser, which, according to the audio wonks we know, has a smooth open sound with a nice, natural high-end.
3. I’ve heard that condenser microphones require something called phantom power. Do I need to concern myself with this? Does The Snowball need batteries?
   No. The Snowball derives its operating voltage from something called bus voltage, which is always present on your USB port. As long as the red LED is glowing, you know you’ve got power. The Snowball does not require batteries.
4. Do I need any special software to use The Snowball? Do I need any drivers?
   Technically, no. Depending on your application, your OS may have sufficient features to utilize the capabilities of The Snowball. But, to get the most out of your Snowball, you’ll want to have some kind of software that allows for digital signal processing and non-linear editing that will accept audio from the USB port. Some examples of these programs are listed below. As long as you are using Windows XP or Apple OSX, you will not need any drivers.
5. Can I use The Snowball with a traditional analog audio mixer?
   No. The Snowball features digital output only. It must be connected to a USB port in order to function.
6. What sample rate and word length does The Snowball use?
   The Snowball’s digital output is set to 44.1 kHz / 16-bit, just like an audio CD. But this is something that only audio geeks really need to worry about.
7. How can I select a different sample rate?
   Because The Snowball is designed for the greatest ease of operation and setup, sample rate / word length are not user-definable.
8. Can I use more than one snowball at a time?
   Some audio editing software allows for multiple USB connections. Check with your software vendor – they should have technical support staff who can answer all of your questions about their product.
9. What does cardioid and omnidirectional mean? Why should I care?
   These are the two polar patterns The Snowball is capable of producing. If you think of polar patterns as the shape of the area that a microphone “hears,” omnidirectional hears everything at equal volume from all angles (in a 360o sphere surrounding the mic), while cardioid only hears what’s right in front of it at full volume and other sounds at increasingly diminished volume as the sound source moves further away from the center of the mic (audio techs call this off-axis). You should care because one of the most useful features of a microphone is the ability to control its pickup. We like polar patterns so much, that some of our professional studio microphones have as many as nine different patterns! With The Snowball, we’ve given you the two most likely to be useful to you.
10. What is The Snowball used for? Is it a vocal mic, an instrument mic or both?
    The Snowball was designed to provide a wide range of applications where a high-quality transducer (a fancy way to say microphone) is needed, but so is ease of use and setup. Though most professional engineers prefer certain microphones for certain applications, we designed The Snowball for use with a wide variety of sources. Here are some suggested applications we came up with when we were locked in Blue’s patented anechoic think tank: instrument and voice for music production / pre-production / demos, DV-looping / dialog, podcasting, sound effects, audio sampling, interactive programming, video sweetening / post, internet telephony, internet conferencing, recording lectures, poetry slams, spoken word performances and speeches by your favorite politician – generally anywhere where you need an easy-to-use microphone and you have access to a computer with a USB port. Happy recording!
11. Do I need to keep The Snowball in the freezer when I’m not using it?
    No. This is one snowball that will not melt!

Please note: as there are so many different software packages that are compatible with The Snowball, we are compiling a list of software we’ve tested and assured compatibility. We will publish that list shortly along with detailed instructions explaining how to use The Snowball with each package because, as you can imagine, they are all different! In the mean time, we suggest consulting your software’s manual, user forums and technical help lines. Here are a few to get you started:

Software Setups
How to get audio from my Snowball with…

• Garage Band
  1. Go to Preferences->Audio and select the Blue mic as the input device (it will only show up when The Snowball is plugged in).
  2. Create a vocal track and select the Blue mic as the input device for that track.
  3. You may need to adjust the Snowball’s input level in the control panel if you experience any distortion (crackling).
• Logic 7
  1. Open the Audio and MIDI setup program in your Apps->Utilities folder.
  2. Create an Aggregate Audio Source (Audio menu – open Aggregate device editor).
  3. Add the devices you want to use to the aggregate device (Built in audio and Blue mic).
  4. Change the audio device in Logic’s audio preferences from Default to Aggregate.
• Sonar
  1. Select “USB Audio Device” ( 1, in, 0 out) from an audio track.
  2. From within that subcategory, there are 3 selections: Left USB Audio Device, Right USB Audio Device, and Stereo USB Audio Device.
  3. Select Left or Right for mono audio tracks.
  4. Press “R” to arm the track for recording.
  5. Roll disk.
• Adobe Premier Elements 4 (Windows Vista/XP)
  1. First, make certain that your Snowball has the latest firmware update. With this latest update installed, you’ll be good to go. If you should experience any problems getting the program to recognize the mic, Adobe recommends the following:If the device does not allow you to record, then your microphone is not being detected as a valid input device in Premiere Elements. You can use an open source program called ASIO4ALL, which is a device driver that essentially wraps existing WDM devices, like USB microphones, as ASIO-compatible sound devices. Use the following steps to utilize this tool:
  2. Quit Premiere Elements.
  3. Visit the following web page and download the latest available version of ASIO4ALL: http://www.asio4all.com/
  4. Install the software, and restart the system if asked to do so by the installer.
  5. Make certain that your microphone is plugged in.
  6. Launch Premiere Elements.
  7. Go to the ‘Edit->Preferences..>Audio Hardware’ menu option.
  8. For the Default Device, choose the ASIO4ALL option.
  9. Click the ASIO Settings button, then select your microphone from the list of devices, click Exit, and then click OK on the Preferences dialog. Close and then restart Premiere Elements.

Hardware Platforms

• Windows Setup Procedure
  1. Under START MENU open SOUNDS AND AUDIO DEVICES control panel.
  2. Select AUDIO tab; insure BLUE BALL USB MIC is selected as DEFAULT DEVICE.
  3. Click on VOLUME; select appropriate volume level.
  4. Exit control panel.
• Macintosh Setup Procedure
  1. 1. Open Apple menu -> SYSTEM PREFERENCES.
  2. Double-click SOUND preference file.
  3. Click INPUT tab.
  4. Double-click BLUE USB BALL MIC under CHOOSE A DEVICE FOR SOUND INPUT dialog box.
  5. Set input volume to the appropriate level.
  6. Exit SYSTEM PREFERENCES.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Perfect
The Blue Snowball was extremely easy to set up…just plug it in the usb port and that’s it. I use it in a group setting for webex. Picks up everyone’s voice clearly.

3 Stars Mixed Reactions
First, this thing is big. Think softball big. I wanted something I could take on the road with me. This aint it.

However, I’ll grant you that from my little bit of experience with it, the audio seems to be pretty good (tested on Sound Forge 9).

The problem this mic shares with about 95% of USB mics is that you are dependent on the monitoring audio of your computer/software. When I record, the headphones are on. The lag on my laptop made monitoring impossible. Some software doesn’t even support monitoring during recording.

This mic is going back — or going on eBay.

I’ve ordered a Samson G-Track, which supports real time monitoring.

I did order a Blue Snowflake…Yeah..I know…Same monitoring problem. But the same problem in a cardioid that’s golf ball size instead of softball size is easier to swallow.

4 Stars Good quality mic
I use this mic primarily for recording classes I teach. My students and I sit around a conference table and I set the SnowBall in the middle; it does a very good job picking up all of the voices. I have several students (teens) who mumble or are very soft spoken and the mic pics them up just fine.

I have also used this to record a lecture. I placed it below the podium, out of view of the speaker and the audience, and it captured the speaker’s voice very well.

I attach the mic to my MacBook and use GarageBand software for the recordings. I can record about 1.5 hours without needing to have the computer plugged in. The whole interface is very easy to use.

My wife thinks it looks big and ugly; others have found it cool looking. It is on the larger side, but because it works so well I don’t really care about the looks. It fits in my messenger bag with the stand, shielded USB cable, and laptop, so the size isn’t an issue for me.

5 Stars Blue “Snowball” Mic….
The Blue Snowball Microphone is great for an inexpensive mic…..but still sounds very high quality! It is a USB mic…so you just plug it in to your computer and it’s ready to go. (Of course you need to let your computer know it is the Blue mic you are using.) It is really a wonderful mic….the sound is clear….no static or crackling sounds. Too many great things to mention….

4 Stars exceptional
the sound sounds great and crisp. No noise is heard even if my ceiling fan is going. only problem I have had is that recording guitars sounds rather dull. This may or may not be because of my $250 guitar… Either way, not as good as a $1000 neumann but close enough for anyone who isn’t in a professional recording studio.

Worked instantly with my Mac.

Buy/More Info

A post from: Microphone Reviews