The Q2U is a dynamic USB/XLR mic. See the post about Condenser vs. Dynamic Microphones to learn more about what a dynamic mic is. But what is a “USB/XLR” microphone? The Samson Q2U has a pickup pattern called “cardioid.” What this means is shown in the picture below.
The microphone is in the middle of this diagram, and it picks up sound from the upside-down heart-shaped area in black. This makes it good for picking up vocals and ignoring sounds around and behind the microphone.
Most people already know what a USB microphone is. They are really cool. To connect it to your computer, you don’t need a separate interface. You just plug the USB cable from the microphone directly into the computer. The sound quality is a million times better than with the old direct-to-computer mics. You know, the kind with the tiny 1/8-inch pin that you stick into your computer’s sound card?
Specifications
- Element Type: Dynamic
- Polar Pattern: Cardioid (unidirectional)
- Frequency Response: 50HZ-15 KHZ
- Bit Depth: up to 16 bits
- Sample Rate: 44.1khz/48kHz
- Digital Output: mini-USB
- Max. SPL: 148dB SPL
- Product Dimensions: 7.5″ by 2.2″ diameter
- Sensitivity: -54dBV/Pa
- Analog Output: XLR
- Microphone switch: on/off (USB and XLR)
- Product weight: 0.7lb (0.32kg)
- Headphone jack: 3.5 mm
Where to get Samson Technologies Q2U USB/XLR microphone?
The Q2U is a dynamic mic with a cardioid pickup pattern. This means that it can ignore background noise and focus on picking up the vocals of a live recording. This is different from condenser microphones, such as the Blue Yeti, which are harder to set up, cost more, and pick up more background noise. Dynamic microphones also don’t need phantom power, so you can use them with different audio interfaces.
In addition to sound quality, the Q2U has both micro USB and XLR connectors, which make it easy to use with a simple computer setup or with mixers and audio interfaces that are more complicated (more on this later.) Having the choice between a USB microphone and an XLR microphone is helpful for podcasters who aren’t ready to buy an XLR mic yet, and it also gives them a “plan B” in case something goes wrong.
If you’re using the mic’s XLR feature to record to a mixer and something goes wrong, you can easily connect the USB cables and record directly to your computer instead. USB mics are usually better for recording outside of a studio, which is helpful if you often record in different places. You can also use both outputs to record at the same time. This way, if something happens to one of your recordings, you’ll have a backup. You can use a headset with the mic’s headphone jack to check the sound levels and avoid echoes or delays in your audio.
