After years of stagnation in hybrid mic innovations, things are picking up from at least 2 manufacturers.

At CES 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, Samson has just unveiled its new Q9U, a dynamic hybrid microphone for studio use. After Samson’s own Q2U and Audio Technica’s similar pair of ATR-2100 & AT2005USB (all of which I began to review in 2012), there was stagnation in hybrid mic innovation, until very recently. For those unfamiliar, hybrid microphones are those which offer both a broadcastable analog output and a digital output. Although there have been a plethora of microphones of each type (analog or digital), there have been very few hybrid models offering both broadcastable outputs… until RØDE announced its VideoMic NTG shotgun in November 2019 (review coming soon). The new Q9U is indeed hybrid, with both analog balanced XLR and USB-C. Ahead you’ll discover all of the details, prior to my upcoming review.

Official press release

LAS VEGAS (January 7, 2020) – Samson, an industry pioneer in professional audio products, announces the Q9U Professional Broadcast Dynamic XLR/USB Microphone at CES 2020. Featuring analog and digital connectivity with an XLR output and USB-C connection with 24-bit/96kHz hi-definition audio resolution, the Q9U is an effective solution for achieving professional studio-quality audio for broadcasting, podcasting and streaming. The Q9U will be available at major MI retailers in Q2 for US$199.99.

The right microphone for any setup

Equally suitable in a podcast studio, broadcast booth or recording rig, the Q9U features a humbucking neodymium capsule that offers enough output to seamlessly integrate into your current setup without the need for any external gain devices. The analog XLR output allows the microphone to connect to any standard preamp, mixer or audio interface.

Clear audio capture

An internal air-pneumatic shock mount isolates the capsule from mechanical noise and a cardioid pickup pattern with excellent off-axis rejection, isolating the sound source in front of the mic and minimizing ambient noise. The Q9U design includes a dual-layer windscreen that minimizes popping and plosives. Low-cut and mid-presence boost controls offer further onboard sound tailoring.

USB connectivity

The Q9U features a USB-C connection for instant plug and play connectivity to a computer without any driver downloads required. The microphone features a 24bit/96kHz analog to digital converter for vibrant high-definition digital recordings. The Q9U includes sought after features such as a zero-latency headphone output that allows users to monitor their voice directly from the source or from the computer and offers an onboard mute switch.

Product features

Samson Q9U Professional Broadcast Dynamic XLR/USB Microphone

Cardioid polar pattern

24-bit/96kHz resolution

XLR Analog Output

USB-C Port

Zero-latency headphone output

Integrated swivel yoke mount

Low cut filter

Mid-presence Boost

Mute button

Integrated, dual layer windscreen

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