Meteor Mic Owners Manual

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Meteo

rMic

USB

St

udioMicrophone

forComputerRec

ording


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Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Meteor Mic Layout 4

Installing the Meteor Mic 6

Quick Start 10

Recording Techniques 12

Specifcations 16

Polar Pattern & Frequency Response 17

v10 2010 Samson Technologies Corp


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Meteor Mic USB Studio Condenser Microphone

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Congratulations on your purchase o the Samson Meteor Mic USB studio condenser microphoneThe Meteor Mic represents the culmination o Samsons history o building world-class micro-phones, and is a product o Samsons position on the leading edge o digital microphone technol-ogy The Meteor Mic is a proessional studio microphone with a large 25mm diaphragm, housedin a die-cast old-up body The microphone eatures high-quality onboard digital converters anda USB interace, as well as a headphone output with level control or zero-latency monitoring, anda microphone mute switch or added control over your recordings The Meteors integral tripodlegs allow or limitless positioning to capture any sound source There is even an integrated standadaptor to mount the microphone on a studio boom With the Meteor Mic, you get everythingyou need to start recording on your computer - just plug in the supplied USB cable, launch youravorite audio sotware, and begin recording

With its extended requency and ast transient response, the Meteor Mic reproduces any peror-mance with incredible accuracy and clarity It is also great or VoIP, chatting and webcasting

Whether youre recording your latest song idea, a podcast, or your bands next big hit, the MeteorMic is the simplest and most comprehensive solution or high-quality recording on a Mac or PCJust plug it in and start creating!

Introduction


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In this manual, youll fnd a detailed description o the eatures o your Meteor Mic USB studiocondenser microphone, as well as step-by-step instructions or its setup and use, and ull specif-cations

I your Meteor Mic was purchased in the United States, youll also fnd a warranty card enclosedDont orget to fll it out and mail it! This will enable you to receive online technical support andallow us to send you updated inormation about this and other Samson products With proper

care, your Meteor Mic will operate trouble-ree or many years Should your unit ever requireservicing, a Return Authorization (RA) number must be obtained beore shipping your unit toSamson Without this number, the unit will not be accepted Please call Samson at 1-800-3SAM-SON (1-800-372-6766) or an RA number prior to shipping your unit Please retain the originalpacking materials and, i possible, return the unit in its original carton I your Meteor Mic was pur-chased outside o the United States, contact your local distributor or warranty details and serviceinormation Also, be sure to check out our website (wwwsamsontechcom) or inormation aboutour ull product line

We recommend you record your serial number in the space provided below or uture reerence

Introduction


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Meteor Mic Features

Proessional, large diaphragm, studio condenserUSB microphone

1-inch (25mm) microphone capsule

Onboard /-inch headphone output with vol-ume control or zero latency direct monitoring

High-quality A/D and D/A converters

Compatible with Mac and PC computers; nospecial drivers or external power supplies arerequired

Microphone mute switch or privacy, and tosilence noise during playback

Computer-controlled analog Input Gain Power, Peak, and Mute LED indicator

USB cable and carry pouch included


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1. Capsule - Large, 1-inch (25mm) diaphragm withCardioid polar pattern

2. Windscreen - Dual stage grille protects the cap-sule and helps reduce wind noise and p-popping

3. LED - Three-color LED illuminates blue to indi-cate power, amber to indicate that the micro-

phone is muted, and ashes red when the inputsignal is clipping

4. Headphone Volume - Controls the overall levelo the Meteor Mics headphone output

5. Microphone Mute Button - Mutes the output othe microphone to the computer and head-

phone output The LED will illuminate amberwhen the microphone is muted

6. Stand Mount - Standard 5/8-inch thread mountto attach the Meteor Mic to a microphone stand

Meteor Mic Layout


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7. Headphone Jack - /-inch (35mm) stereo jackor connecting headphones or studio monitors

8. USB - Mini-B size USB connector or interacing-with your PC or Mac

Meteor Mic Layout


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Installing the Meteor Mic

Installing the Meteor Mic is a simple procedure that takes just a ew minutes Simply connect theincluded USB cable and begin recording The ollowing sections o this manual provide detailedinstructions on setting up your Meteor Mic in MAC OS or Windows

Windows 7 & Windows Vista

1. The frst time you plug the Meteor Mic into a USB port, Windows 7 or Vista will install theuniversal drivers or that port A balloon will pop up, telling you the computer has ound theMeteor Mic

2. When it is fnished installing the drivers, a balloon pop up will say Your device is installed andready to useNote: This balloon will only pop up when you frst plug the device into a particular USB port.

3. To set the Meteor Mic as your deault device or sound playback and recording, or to changeits settings, click the Startbutton, clickControl Paneland then clickSound Under the Playback

and Recording tabs, you can select the Samson Meteor Mic rom the menus and use the SetDeaultbutton to set it as the deault device

4. To set the gain o the microphone, click the Properties button, and then select the Levels tabYou can choose to view the Microphone volume level as either a percentage or in dB, by right


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clicking on the number box I you fnd that the microphone red clip LED is lighting requently,turn this control down until the LED no longer ashes red

5. Select the Playbacktab, then select the Leveltab and set the computers Master Volume to100% Use the Meteor Mics ront panel Volume knob to control the overall output rom theheadphones or speaker

6. Adjust the direct monitoring level in the Playbacktab by moving the ader labeled Micro-

phone A good place to start is to set the monitoring level equal to the microphone gainRemember that the monitoring level is not the same as the microphone gain I the inputsignal is clipping, lower the microphone gain

Windows XP

1. The frst time you plug the Meteor Mic into a USB port, Windows will install the universaldrivers or that port A balloon will pop up, telling you the computer has Found new Hard-

ware2. When it is fnished installing the drivers, a balloon pop up will say Your new hardware is

installed and ready to useNote: This balloon will only pop up when you frst plug the device into a particular USB port.


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3. To set the Meteor Mic as your deault device or sound playback and recording, or to changeits settings, click the Startbutton, clickControl Paneland then clickSounds and Audio De-vices In theAudio tab, select the Samson Meteor Mic rom the drop-down menu

4. To set the gain o the microphone, click the Volume button in the Sound recording sectionto make the Microphone slider appear It will say Samson Meteor Mic in the status bar atthe bottom Moving this slider will adjust the analog amplifer circuitry in the microphone

5. To set the headphone level, click the Volume button in the Sound playback section, and setthe Speaker slider to the maximum position Use the Meteor Mics ront panel Volume knobto control the overall output rom the headphones or speakers

6. To set the direct monitoring level in the headphones, click the Volume button in the Soundplayback section Adjusting the Microphone slider changes the microphone monitoringlevel, and will not aect the microphone level sent to your sotwareNote: I the Microphone section does not appear at frst, click Options and then Properties, and

click the checkbox next to Microphone.


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Apple MAC OSX1. To start using the Samson Meteor Mic, simply plug it in The LED will illuminate to indicate

it is receiving USB power The MAC will recognize the USB audio device and automaticallyinstall a universal driver

2. To select the Meteor Mic as the computers audio input, open System Preerences rom thedock or the main Apple Menu

3. Next, open the Sound preerences, choose the Inputtab and select Meteor Mic To set thegain o the microphone, adjust the Input volume slider at the bottom o the Sound dialogbox The Input Level meter will show the recording level

4. To set the playback volume, click in the Output tab and select Meteor Mic, adjust the Outputvolume slider at the bottom o the Sound dialog box to the maximum setting and use theMeteor Mics ront panel Volume knob to control the overall output rom the headphones orspeakers

5. To turn direct monitoring on or o, open the Audio/MIDI Setup utility located in the Utilityolder inside the Applications older Then click the checkbox in the Thru column in Audio/MIDI Setup


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There are many ways to use the microphone, and our quick start example is a typical setup orrecording vocals Just ollow the simple steps below to begin recording

1. Unold the legs o the Meteor Mic, and position themicrophone on your desktop The legs can be adjustedto set the angle o the microphone

2. Next, connect your headphones to the Headphone

output located on the rear o the Meteor Mic3. Plug the mini-B size (small) end o the included USB

cable into the USB socket on the rear o the Meteor Mic

4. Plug the other end o the USB cable into an availableUSB port on your computerNote: Be sure to check the installation guide or Windows

and Mac OS in this manual to confrm your computer hasrecognized the Meteor Mic. Also, make sure your computers output level is set to maximum or

ull volume in the Meteor Mic headphone monitor.

Quick Start


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5. Launch your DAW, turn the microphones

Volume knob down, and select the Meteor Micor the input and output

6. Set up a mono record track in your DAW orthe vocal track

7. Next, set the level o the Meteor Mic Thereare ew ways to do this depending on your

preerence and computer setup One way tocontrol the gain is to set the microphones in-put level in the Sound playback in Windows, orin the Sound dialog box in System Preerences,i you are using a MAC OS You may also set thegain o the microphone by raising the Inputlevel control in your DAW I you see the Power/

Peak LED illuminate red, your signal will be distorted Turn the MIC level control down until itdoes not ash red

8. Speak or sing into the mic and raise the Meteor Mics Volume knob until you reach a com-ortable listening level

Quick Start


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Recording Techniques

The Meteor Mic is a great microphone choice or many instrument miking situations Below is abrie guide on using the Meteor Mic in some typical applications:

Vocals

Position the microphone directly in ront o the artist so that the microphone grille is between6 to 24 inches away The closer the artist moves to the microphone, the more the bass or lowresponse increases; this is called proximity eect To achieve the

ullest sound, the vocalist should aim the microphone centerline towards their mouth I p-popping (turbulent bursts o airproduced when uttering consonants) is occurring, rotate the mi-crophone a little bit away rom the artist so that sound arrives atthe microphone slightly o-center I space allows, it is preerableto prevent p-popping through the use o an external pop flterlike the Samson PS01 I recording a group o singers, ensure thatthey position themselves around the ront o the microphoneclose to one another


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Acoustic GuitarThere are a variety o ways that the Meteor Mic can be used to mike an acoustic guitar Optimalmicrophone placement will depend on the type o instrument, and what kind o sound yourelooking to capture It may be necessary to experiment withvarious positions to achieve ull and balanced tone Whenmiking a standard steel string acoustic, it is suggested that youbegin with the microphone at a distance o 612 inches rom

the sound hole, positioned slightly o-axis, and pointing to-wards the edge o the fngerboard From this position, movingthe microphone towards the sound hole will cause the mic tocapture more low requencies I, instead, you wish to capturemore high-end, or to remove any unwanted boominess, movethe microphone toward the fngerboard Unlike a steel string acoustic guitar, the sound o a nylon

string acoustic guitar that is played by fnger picking is usually naturally warmer To record aneven, ull tone, it is suggested that you begin by positioning the microphone 36 inches abovethe center o the bridge This will help emphasize the higher requencies and pick up the attacksound o the fnger picking I the microphone is picking up too much low requency rom thesound hole, move the microphone so that it is slightly o-axis rom the guitar I you have a pair o



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Meteor Mics, try one positioned at the fngerboard and the second over the bridge o the guitar,or have one microphone positioned close to the guitar and the second a ew eet away to pick upthe sound o the room, blending the two sources together

Piano

The grand piano is a very challenging instrument to capture, and can be miked in a variety oways For close miking the piano, position the Meteor Mic just inside the piano, centered be-

tween the soundboard and the open lid The closer you move the microphone toward the instru-ment the more low requencies the microphone will pick up For an ambient recording like thatused in a classical perormance, position the microphone outside the piano, acing into the openlid For a more contemporary ensemble sound, place two Meteor Mics in the piano, positioningone over the low strings and one over the high strings at a distance o 612 inches apart Whenmiking an upright piano with a single microphone, position the microphone just above and inront o the piano with the top open, centered over the instrument I you have a pair o MeteorMics, position the microphone over the open top o the piano with one microphone over the bassstrings and one over the high strings You can also position two mics in ront o the kickboardarea approximately 8 inches over the bass and high strings



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Guitar AmpPlacement o the microphone when recording an electric guitar can impact the tone as much asthe choice o instrument and amplifer Guitar amps are usually close-miked but considerationmust be made or the type o signal the amp will produce While condenser microphones like theMeteor Mic have ast transient response, they cannot handle extreme high SPLs The Meteor Micshould be placed approximately 4 inches rom the grill o the amp For a brighter sound, the mi-crophone should ace the center o the amplifers speaker cone By moving the microphone o o

the center o the speaker, the sound becomes mellow, rolling o some o the high requencies Toadd more o the room sound, the microphone can be angled away rom the amplifer, or placedurther away rom the speaker

Overhead Drum Kit

Because o its extended high requency response and ast transient response, the Meteor Micperorms exceptionally well when used as an overhead drum set microphone You can positionthe microphone approximately centered 5 eet in ront o the drum kit 1224 inches above thekit For stereo miking, use two microphones placed over the drum set at a distance o three to fveeet Even though overhead mics are mostly or the cymbals, you can get the entire kit to soundgreat with just two microphones You should experiment with the exact placement depending onthe size o the room and whether youre looking or an ambient or close-miked sound



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Polar Pattern CardioidCapsule 1-inch (25 mm) condenser capsuleFrequency Response 20Hz - 20kHzMax SPL 120dBSample Rate 441/48kHzBit Rate 16bitPower Requirements 5V 70mA (idle), 100mA (peak)

Controls Headphone Volume, Microphone Mute SwitchOutput 1/8 TRSHeadphone Impedance 16 ohmsHeadphone Output 85mW at 16ohmsTHD 001% unloaded, 004% @ 32 ohmsHeadphone Frequency Response 20Hz - 20kHz

Signal to Noise 96dB (A)Dimensions 192 x 39 (49mm x 100mm)Weight 57lbs (263g)

Specications


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Polar Pattern & Frequency Response

Meteor Mic Polar PatternMeteor Mic Frequency Response

0

-10

-30

-20

20 50 200100 500 500020001000 10000 20000

+20

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WARNING: Listening to music at high volume levels and or extend-ed durations can damage ones hearing In order to reduce the risk odamage to hearing, one should lower the volume to a sae, comort-able level, and reduce the amount o time listening at high levels

Please use the ollowing guidelines established by the Occupa-tional Saety Health Administration (OSHA) on maximum time

exposure to sound pressure levels beore hearing damage occurs 90 dB SPL at 8 hours

95 dB SPL at 4 hours 100 dB SPL at 2 hours

105 dB SPL at 1 hour 110 dB SPL at 1/2 hour

115 dB SPL at 15 minutes

120 dB SPL - avoid or damage may occur


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Samson Technologies Corp

45 Gilpin AvenueHauppauge, New York 11788-8816

Phone: 1-800-3-SAMSON (1-800-372-6766)Fax: 631-784-2201

wwwsamsontechcom

Documents

Meteor Mic Owners Manual