Customer Ratings & Reviews

This is my review of Samson Satellite USB/iOS Broadcast Microphone with Software. I record blogs weekly and I typically use built-in camera microphone or a lapel condenser mic that I use when on site at an industry event. I was looking for a microphone to add a more professional touch to my office for use in both video/voice conferencing and for recording YouTube videos. The product is advertised as "Samson Satellite is a broadcast-quality USB/iOS microphone designed for capturing high-definition audio on your computer, iPhone or iPad. As an essential piece to any streamer, podcaster or content creator's recording setup, Satellite offers plug-and-play operation, 24-bit/96kHz audio, three selectable pickups patterns and a fold-back leg design in a highly-portable package." First, the bad: - Software: The Satellite box says it "includes Performer Music Production Software. From initial tracking to final mastering, Performer gets you there with ease." I thought it a good idea to test the hardware with the recommended software. I am not a professional musician, nor do I work with audio mixing software daily but dealing with the MOTU software was painful. I followed the instructions on the box (see photo) and went to the MOTU website to download the software. After some time, I did find the link to DP-!0 (a little confusing) and downloaded it. The download is large: 1.3GB and it took over 10 minutes on a 42.5 Mbps wireless connection. Next I tried opening the Digital Performer 10.11 software only to have it ask me for a code. I called MOTU and immediately was talking to a person – good thing – who explained that I do not need a code because I am only supposed to get the Performer Lite version (free after registering). He guided me through the registration process, helped me find the software in My Account, and I proceeded to download it and remove the original Performer download. By now, I’m thinking, “That’s not what the box says!” but free is free, I guess. The Performer Lite download took less time, 1GB in size and about 5 minutes over the same WIFI network. Add another 5 minutes to Uninstall Performer. After struggling with the Lite software installation, I found it to be unintuitive and I did not want to take time to read the software manual, so I gave up and it was time to test the microphone. - The photo on the mic instructions is incorrect. It shows items 5 and 6 in the wrong place. It takes a few second to realize the error and work around it, but it does reveal a slight lack of quality control which may spill over into the product. - The mic offers three selectable pickup patterns for handling a variety of recording applications: “The cardioid setting is perfect for streaming, vocal performances, single host podcasts or Skype. For conference calls or multi-person interviews where many people are around a table, select the omnidirectional setting. The figure-8 (bidirectional) setting is great for 2-person interviews.” The callouts on the product image do not tell you, which is which and the icons are very small, so you can guess “top to bottom” and be correct. - Mute button: lots of latency that can cause you to toggle On-and-Off several times until you can be sure in which mode you are operating. - Background hum: I tried various options but could not make a background noise go away in Windows mode (it did not appear when recording to my iPhone). This alone would discourage me from buying the item. - But the worst feature must be the pickup range. I found I could not record using Windows Voice Recorder unless I was 8 inches or closer to the microphone – that is too close for my office setup and I do not think it would be practical for an interview or group use. - - Minor point: you need either long fingernails or a tool to pull out the legs from their storage position. The Good: - They advertise “Zero Latency” – I agree - Form factor: it is small, lightweight, and convenient for travel or a portable indoor setup. - Easy to set up and use with iPhone. Bottom line: for my office, I think I would much prefer an overhead form factor like the Blue Yeticaster or the AudioTechnica AT2020. Yes, there is a significant cost difference but I would rather buy a mic just once and be done with it.

Easy to use and hookup, good sound quality, nice looking. The only thing I wish the legs would lock into place once there extended down.

This mic is excellent for podcasting; extremely easy to use and has a nice sound quality. It doesn't make you sound super radio-ish, but there's a noticable difference between using the recorder on my laptop and having this mic plugged in. Your computer automatically recognizes the mic when it's plugged in. I was amazed at how simple it was to do my first recording.

Great build and quality. This USB microphone works right out of the box. Connects via USB to my Mac or iPad. The only issue I had was the sensitivity of the microphone. It picks up on any noise in the room. This mic is great for a studio setup where you can control the noise, but not as a mobile mic you can take to an uncontrolled location. I like the settings, the mute button and headphone output. It stands easily and can be tilted slightly. Feels solid and well made.

I needed a reliable speaker that would transmit to whomever I am having Zoom meeting with. This Microphone is easy to hook up, set on legs that I can retract when not using. Has nice cushion to protect speaker when not in use and bag to cover to keep out dust.

Great mic easy to use very sensitive it can hear the mice pooping lol. It get the job done great sound quality.

I got this microphone because I wanted something that I could use for doing VLOG's and Podcasts on the road. I particularly chose this one because it could connect directly to my iOS devices. It does a great job on Mac, Windows 10 and iOS. I had zero issues with the device. The one thing that I wish was better is the legs being a bit stiffer. What I mean is that I would like to position this mic at a different angle and the legs are not made to work that way. All in all, I highly recommend this microphone!

This is my second Samson microphone I'm really impressed with the quality of sound These microphones have. This is a good compact microphone I use around the house

Ever since the Samson meteor mic, I've been a fan. I had slid into the Blue Yeti world. Currently have the Blue Yeti X. The Satellite was always on my radar. I finally broke down and purchased it. This mic is incredible. I think its better than my Blue Yet X, out of the box. The travel capabilities and using it on the go with your phone are a bonus. I love it!

The microphone itself is decent, The feature of zero latency for monitoring is really useful. Another cool feature is the touch button that turns the microphone on (live). The sound is good... nothing to brag about though. It looks really sleek and modern compared to other competitors. Its a plug and play setup. All you need to do is plug it into the USB port and select your desired input/output in your system.

I’ve been using this mic for over a year now and the quality is fantastic and has help up to wear and tear (I’m a very clumsy person) definitely worth the money!

Set up was so easy, even for someone who is not comfortable with these types of gadgets. Sound quality is excellent and I would highly recommend this to anyone. Excellent value for money !!!

I've carried this mic with me and switched among a Windows machine, 2 mac's, and iPad OS running on an iPad Pro 2nd generation with no hiccups whatsoever. The sound quality and sensitivity of the mic are excellent and there are is no feedback when on meetings. I also use the mic for recording and the sound is very, very good.

Connects directly to iOS devices with a supplied lightning cable. However, I connect it directly to my Macbook Pro with a small USB-USB-C adapter. Set this device as your mic and hear the magic happen. Great for podcast audio. Can't guarantee how your guests will sound, but you'll sound like a studio host.

I picked up this microphone to use for live church services and it worked great. It was super easy to plug into an iPhone or iPad and increased the sound quality dramatically. If you’re looking for an inexpensive mic for recording, this is it.

This microphone works great if you're on the go, using it as a backup, or heck, using it as your main microphone for voice recordings, work, streaming, or gaming. If you're looking to start out in podcasting, streaming, or vlogging, but you don't want to drop too much $$$, this is the way to go. Oh, it can also take some punishment as well.

This unit replaced a Sampson Meteor unit which I loved! This new unit was equally as easy to use and the sound quality for recording narration was slightly better.

I found this microphone easy to use and it produced excellent quality audio. I have been using it to produce online video courses (via Vimeo) that I embed into a website. The cost was under $100 which is not bad for quality and ease of use.

Good portable mic great sounding quality would recommend

Got the Google Chromecast to help with getting the internet on my TV for distance learning and church. It is nice to see the big pictures of what I watched on my laptop screen before. It was easy to install and and to use.