Go Mic

Summary: This small, portable, sturdy mic works great for video calls and computer voice dictation on a desktop or laptop computer. Dictation accuracy is equal to a high-end headset mic, with no discomfort or tether. They're sturdy: I've dropped a Go Mic folded into its protective clip on a concrete floor with no damage. And they last: I just replaced the Go Mic I bought in 2011 after its USB connector started getting flaky (it got plugged and unplugged a lot, for years) . The Go Mic I bought in 2014 for my other computer and use daily is still going strong.I bought my first Go Mic primarily for voice dictation using Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Dragon is VERY finicky about sound quality: If you use a mic it doesn't like, accuracy goes way down, and correcting mistakes can waste a lot of time. After trying high-end headsets (they hurt my ears after a few hours, and I hated being tethered) and a Blue Snowflake USB desktop mic (broke easily), I tried the Samson Go Mic, and found the sound and dictation accuracy BETTER than the high-end headsets. These days I use my Go Mics with Dragon on a Windows laptop, on 2 Macintosh computers using the Mac's built-in dictation (which uses the Dragon speech engine), and for video calls.For either dictation or calls, set the switch on the side of the Go Mic to carotid (directional), then point the silver side of the mic directly at your mouth. In a quiet environment, I've found that clipping the mic to a laptop screen works well. If the environment is loud (or the laptop's fan is running full speed), I get better sound (and dictation accuracy) holding the Go Mic in my hand, roughly 8 inches (200 mm) from my mouth and a bit to the side. For desktop use, I elevate the mic 6-10 inches (150-250 mm) by putting it on or clipping it to a sturdy object placed in front of my keyboard (clipping it to a vase, atop a coffee can, etc.), which puts it about 20 inches (500 mm) from my mouth. Elevating the mic gives better sound than placing it on the desk.When it's time to travel, unplug the Go Mic, fold it into its sturdy clip, and zip the folded mic into its case. The result is VERY well-protected against shock and vibration damage.I got tired of moving my Go Mic from computer to computer and now keep 1 plugged into my Mac (my main machine) and another plugged into a Windows laptop that runs Dragon NaturallySpeaking (for higher accuracy and transcribing recordings). The time savings pays for itself almost immediately.Conclusion: excellent mic at a great price, highly recommended.

UPDATE June 15: I've had this mic for over 3 years now and it's still going just as strong as the day I bought it. IF it ever breaks, I've already made up my mind to buy another just like it. Couldn't be happier with it.Original Review:I was sick of dealing with poor microphones from headsets and all the hubbub of headphone microphones and I simply do not trust logitech or many other big-brand companies to produce long-lasting quality microphones that stand alone on a desk. I then found the Samson Go Mic and thought it might be the best solution for my needs. I was definitely pleased to finally do some of my own testing and find out that it was all they said it is and more.My uses for this mic include voip applications like skype, mumble, ventrillo, and others, as well as for blog posts and even amateur voice recording. I also wanted something better than my laptop's mic to record lectures for class. Everything comes through crystal clear on this mic even at low volumes. For my voip applications, I actually let it sit behind my keyboard but directly in front of my screen. In normal cardioid mode, it picks up my voice perfectly. I can even whisper very quietly and it comes through on the other end loud and clear. I never have problems with people saying they cannot understand me no matter how low I'm talking. This is also great for me since I often like to chat late at night when my girlfriend sleeps in the next room. I'm no longer yelling and waking her up at night because I'm confident other people can hear me even with my mic so far away.For lectures, I switch to omni mode and it produces wonderful results. It's like having a third ear that records directly on to my computer. I also love how portable it is as I can just slip it into either my laptop bag or pocket without an issue at the end of class. The only complaint I might have is that I find the cord actually to be too long as I'm either plugging the usb cable into my keyboard's usb port or laptop's on my desk and the extra length is just wound up in a wad in its original twist-tie it came with, simply adding more bulk when it doesn't need to. Other people may need the extra length though, so this is somewhat of a non-issue.Lastly, the stand is a fairly heavy metal that has more than enough weight to hold the mic and is a pretty good mechanism for doing so. I simply wish the clip opened further to attach to bulkier monitors.Overall, I love this mic and I'm very happy I went with this one over one of the blue competitors I've been seeing on sale lately. Its cardioid mode is excellent and the omni mode is great for recording lectures and conversations alike. I just wish more people had this mic so they'd all be as easy to understand on my end as I am on theirs. I would recommend this mic to anyone who doesn't need super-high quality, studio grade equipment for professional recording as it does a great job of picking up voices and is very well-built and portable. Seriously: get this mic - it's more than worth the 40 clams you'll pay for it.UPDATE: Still loving this mic, and have yet to have many problems with it, except for maybe one or two, which I list below.The mic actually picks up on too much sometimes, so you have to be careful with it somewhat. Specifically, I had originally positioned this mic in front of my keyboard thinking it needed to be that close to me to pick up well. When I was on skype however typing on the keyboard, people would complain that my keyboard sounded like it was being pounded by the hammer of Thor. Easy fix though: I simply moved it just above my monitor and nobody has complained since.The only other thing with this mic I might complain about is that it picks up GSM interference somewhat badly. I've had my phone sitting on my desk in skype and gotten a call only to hear people on the other end screech in horror that my mic was beeping and buzzing out of control. I've found that using better shielded cable has helped (and attaching one of those little circular magnets to that as well) but the problem still somewhat persists sometimes. This is only a GSM problem though from what I understand, and so shouldn't affect people on verizon/sprint, and also fairly common in almost all mics of this size or larger.Still, these incidences are rare and correctable, but something to be conscience of. I would still like to say that this is the best mic I've ever used and am extremely happy with my purchase.I still only wish a few of my friends online had one!