I've been an audio engineer for more than 35 years, and I'm always on the lookout for useful new tools. Microphones are a particular obsession; I probably own a dozen high-quality models. For a long time I’d wanted a nice USB mic that delivers high-quality audio recordings, yet has a very small footprint. The Samson Go Mic fits the bill for me. There are several other mics that do the same job, but they’re more expensive and larger/heavier.

This mic is pretty small, and it clamps to the top of the screen of your laptop with its integral clamp. It also comes with a USB cable and stores neatly away in the included zippered pouch. It’s plug and play for both Mac and Windows. The best features? It has a 1/8-inch headphone output on the side for zero-latency (no delay) monitoring and both cardioid and omnidirectional patterns. The cardioid pattern rejects sound from the back and sides. The omnidirectional pattern picks up equally well from all sides. The cardioid pattern would be best for a person doing a podcast. This mic records in mono, so the omnidirectional pattern would work well when you need to record an interview across a table (one person on each side) or multiple sources from different directions and have them all heard well in the resulting recording.

I bought two: one for our daughter, who’s been using it for Skype, and one for myself. I've been using mine with a netbook to record music rehearsals. While it isn’t a U87, it gets the job done well. I'm also looking forward to using it to record a podcast series I've been planning.

Samson Go Mic - Portable USB Condenser Microphone
$45

Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Samson