Studio GT4 Monitor Review - Reviews

Samson’s new monitors feature a built-in audio interface and two mic/instrument inputs. Huw Price gets connected.

Price: £235.00
Manufacturer: Samson Audio
Website: http://www.samsontech.com

Studio GT4
Manufacturer Samson Audio
Price £235
Contact Korg 01908 857100
Web www.samsontech.com

The Studio GT4s are unlike any other monitors we’ve ever reviewed. They’re part active monitors, part USB audio interface and part desktop audio controller. What’s more, the system can connect two conventional microphones to your computer via USB, plus it can be used as a DI interface for guitar, bass or keyboard. All inputs are on combi XLR/jack sockets with gain controls.
Provision is made for two sets of headphones on 3.5mm connectors and there are individual volume controls. When headphones aren’t in use, the second level control sets the overall volume of the system. A mix control allows you set the relative levels of the computer audio and the input from a microphone or instrument.

Can the cans
The left input is monitored on the left side of the headphones and the right input on the right. If you prefer to monitor input signals on both sides, the mono/stereo switch can be used to centre the input. This has no effect on the stereo image of the computer audio.
All of the controls are situated on the front of the right speaker enclosure. Samson provides a USB cable to connect the Studio GT4 system to your computer, along with a two-metre speaker cable that links the left speaker to the amplifiers housed inside the right speaker enclosure.
The onboard 16-bit/44.1kHz/48kHz DA (digital-to-analogue) and AD (analogue-to-digital) converters feed two 20-watt power amps. These drive a 4.25-inch inverted-cone copolymer woofer with santoprene surround and a 1-inch silk-dome high-frequency driver with a ferro-fluid cooled voice-coil and neodymium magnet set in a custom-designed wave guide. The package also includes a copy of Sonar LE.

Drive time
According to Samson, setting up the Studio GT4 system with a PC takes just a few minutes; the instructions certainly seem straightforward, and you’ll need Windows 7 or Vista. Mac users require OSX and the drivers were installed before we’d even finished opening System Preferences. Select Samson Studio GT on the Audio page and you’re away.
We then launched Logic Audio Express, went into Audio Preferences and selected Samson Studio GT once again. The channel input options came up as Channel 1 and Channel 2 and the whole system worked flawlessly, with no glitches or noise issues at all.
The biggest surprise for us was the sound quality. These aren’t expensive speakers and we hadn’t known quite what to expect from the lightweight enclosures and USB interface, but without doubt the Studio GT system provides very clear and usable monitoring. The bass is hyped up a tad and you can hear a bit of port chuffing at the back, but once our ears had adjusted we started enjoying the liveliness and exuberance of the bass and began to overlook any boominess.
The upper midrange lacks the refinement you might associate with more expensive and sophisticated monitors, so the Studio GTs can be a bit brash, especially when they’re pushed hard, but it’s nothing offensive or hard to listen to. There’s also a bit of hiss when the level control is turned beyond halfway, but you’ll probably notice that only when the Studio GTs are idling.
They’re certainly good enough monitors to carry around for songwriting and location recording duties. As long as you’re happy working at 44.1 or 48kHz the audio quality is decent enough and, unlike some USB products we’ve tried, the headphone monitoring sounds clean and noise-free. They’d also be ideal for podcasters and gamers who are looking for a cost-effective upgrade for their PC speakers. The Studio GT4s might even make you change your mind about buying that USB microphone… MTM

WHY BUY
Easy to use
Decent sound quality
Flexible monitoring
Competitively priced

WALK ON BY
44.1kHz and 48kHz only
Power switch at rear
Not especially loud

VERDICT
An unconventional, cleverly thought-out product that works flawlessly and offers better than expected monitoring quality.
★★★★★★★★ (8/10)

SEE ALSO
Studio Monitor Reviews
Choosing and Using Monitors (Feature)
Monitor Design (10MM)

Score: 8

This review first appeared in Music Tech Magazine issue 95
Filed under Home, PA Equipment, Reviews, Samson Monitor Reviews, Studio Monitors

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Samson Audio Studio GT4 Monitor Review

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