Another new Samson microphone at the 2009 NAMM Show that seemed like it might of interest to podcasters and other media creators was their Q2U mic.

Already commercially available, the Q2U can be used as both a digital and an analog mic, depending on the needs of the particular situation. For instance, live sound (like a musical performance, or presentation) away from the studio might call for the mic’s analog capabilities. The same microphone, in the studio, can switch to USB for connecting directly to your computer.

The Q2U is a dynamic handheld microphone that features both an XLR output and a USB I/O, so it can plug directly into any live sound console or any computer outfitted with a USB input. The microphone’s on/off switch lets you control the audio to the XLR output, allowing performance in a live setting while recording to a computer simultaneously.

The Q2U also features a built-in 3.5mm stereo headphone jack output with volume control for no-latency monitoring during recording. The microphone has a cardioid pickup pattern and a high-quality A/D converter with a 16-bit, 44.1/48kHz sampling rate and is compatible with any computer based digital audio workstation.