Appletell reviews the Samson G-Track USB microphone

Provides: USB microphone and instrument input
Developer: Samson
Minimum Requirements: USB port
Price: $232.49
Availability: Now

Choosing the right tools to capture audio can be difficult. An audio interface is flexible in that it can accept instruments and/or microphones—possibly at the same time—and likely separate them to individual tracks. Then again, USB microphones provide a much simpler setup, though obviously limited in that you can’t exactly plug a guitar into it. Or can you? Well, if it’s a Samson G-Track, you can. Samson might not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of USB mics, but with microphones like the G-Track, they’re getting closer.

The Samson G-Track starts off like every other USB microphone; it’s a large diaphragm microphone that comes with a stand and is both powered and connected by a single USB cable. You can use the mic as your input, and, like many other mics, it has an audio out so you can listen to the mic itself with minimal delay along with audio out from your computer. Where it differs is that the G-Track has an audio input that functions alongside the microphone. What I mean is that you can use the mic and the input at the same time and have them recognized separately in your digital audio workstation (DAW ie. Garageband).

This functionality is immediately apparent upon opening the box. There’s the usual (the mic, a stand, and a USB cable), and then there are the adapters (1/4 inch male to 1/8 inch male, 1/4 inch female to 1/8 inch male and RCA males to 1/8 inch male). Samson knows you want to use the 1/8 inch line in, and they’re nice enough to include all of the most common adapters that you might use with it. I found the first two to be the most useful. And yes, you can connect a guitar straight into this guy.

While we’re talking about the hardware, the stand is one of the better stands I’ve tried out with this kind of microphone. It’s a metal base with an offset stand. The stand has an arm on top of it that allows you to tilt the microphone. If you wanted to mount the microphone to a different stand, you’d still need to use the arm. Samson also offers a shock mount if you’re worried about the mic picking up any vibrations, though I haven’t noticed any real problems with this.

The bottom of the mic has three connections: two1/8 inch, one is a headphone out, and the other is a line in for use with the converters. The last connection is USB and is directly in the center. I like that these connections are easily accessible, yet still out of the way. On the front of the mic there are three knobs and two switches. The switches control what you are hearing and what feeds the computer (line in, mic, or both). The knobs control the gain/volume of each of these: one for the mic itself, one for the line in, and one for the headphone out. There are only two possible things missing: a switch for mic patterns (but that would require a different microphone capsule) and possible on/off button (but this can be accomplished by turning all of the knobs down). One quick note; if you don’t want the level of the mic to be changed, just set the level and press the knob in. It will reccess into the mic so it won’t move until you press it again to adjust.

How about the audio quality? Well, the audio input is great. The mic is among the best I’ve used, but it’s hard to beat a Blue microphone. Even still, the G-Track is good enough for most amateur musicians. You can find better quality elsewhere, but likely not at this price point, and definitely not with this much flexibility of features. What I really enjoy about this microphone is its ability to record with the mic and line input simultaneously and separately. If you’ve ever recorded anything with Garageband or the like, you’ll know that separation of audio tracks is an absolute must. And the G-Track covers the most popular musical combination: the guitar with vocals. This works best with an electric guitar since the guitar is less likely to bleed into what the microphone picks up. Still, you could connect just about anything to the audio input, so let your mind run wild with the possibilities.

There were very few things that bothered me about the G Track. First, the G-Track doesn’t identify itself as such to your computer. It’s input is called “USB Audio CODEC.” This is neither accurate nor informative. It should be called “G Track USB” or something similar. Other microphones do this, so I’m not sure why this one doesn’t. Second, you can’t record with the mic and a stereo input at the same time. The input can only be recorded in stereo if it’s the only thing you are currently recording. If you’re multitasking with this guy, it’s going to be in mono, which, admittedly, isn’t really an issue for most. And third, the task of adjusting gain is completely on you. Again, many will like this, but beginners and those who just don’t want to deal with setting gain would probably benefit from having their DAW adjust this for them via software. Again, other mics support this, but I think Samson gives you on mic knobs so that you have more physical control instead of virtual control. You win some, you lose some. Ultimately, none of these issues are enough for me to be concerned in the slightest.

If I had a wishlist for G-Track 2 features, I’d like to see the ability to record in stereo from the line input and the microphone at the same time. That means I’d like to see more mic patterns present too, like the Blue Yeti. That off button would be great too. And one last thing, I’ve yet to see a (mainly) USB microphone also support XLR output without being connected to a computer (and possibly adapters) other than Samson’s own Q2U. I’d like to see them extend that functionality to the G-Track in the future. But until then, the G Track is your best bet for a multipurpose microphone.

Simply put, the Samson G-Track is the singer-songwriter’s best friend. Not only will it accurately record your voice or instrument as a great large diaphragm microphone, it can also record instruments in stereo with its line in. And don’t let the MSRP scare you; you can find this guy online for a little over $100, which is a great deal for what this mic can do for you. In terms of microphone quality, the G-Track can’t do what the Blue Yeti can, but it’s certainly leaps and bounds better than your computer’s built in mic, and better than most USB mics on the market. But in my opinion, this mic more than makes up for its flaws with its line input. Even the Yeti doesn’t have that. With the G-Track, your musical creativity can be realized with few limitations.

Appletell Rating:

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