Trust GXT 241 Velica review

Our Verdict

76%

Great value for a full mic setup with a shock mount and pop shield, but the mic itself is pretty basic.

If you were to envisage an affordable alternative to other big-brand USB microphones, we bet you’d never imagine the peculiar setup of the Trust GXT 241 Velica. This little kit comes complete with a pop shield, anti-vibration mount, and mini tripod. Meanwhile, the impressively well-built metal mic itself is a front-address unit that’s the size of a tiny marker pen.

If you’re familiar with microphones, you might wonder if this microphone is shaped the way it is because the Trust GTX 241 Velica uses a shotgun pickup pattern (where it only picks up sounds directly in line with it), but it does just use a standard cardioid pattern.

Instead, the overall setup here is one that would certainly lend itself to podcasting on the move, as the whole thing packs down to a very small package. The tripod legs fold up, the pop shield can be removed and the mic slides out from its shock mount. It’s actually a bit of a shame Trust didn’t go the whole hog and include a carry case.

The downside to this setup is that the mic sits fairly low, with an address position that when set at 45 degrees has a height of just 17cm. Many users will be better off unscrewing the tripod and using the 5/8in mounting screw to fix the rest of the setup to a boom arm instead.

The addition of the pop shield and shock mount really can’t be overstated though. It immediately makes the Trust GXT 241 Velica the most complete USB/streaming/gaming microphone you can buy when it comes to cutting out the worst irritating noises on your stream or recordings. The included setup will also work for quite a few other mics too, as long as they’re not much wider than the 19mm diameter of this model, making for a potential upgrade path in the future.

Outside of the mounted features, this mic is fairly basic. It has just a USB Type-C port, a mute button, and an indicator light at the rear – that’s your lot. As such, you’ll have to adjust the mic gain and manage any monitoring via third-party software – there’s no headphone output on the mic itself. Trust doesn’t make a custom driver with any adjustable settings outside of standard Windows options.

Unsurprisingly for the price, the GXT 241 Velica also has modest sound quality specs, with a single capsule producing its cardioid pickup pattern. It has a 16-bit/48kHz sample rate, and its frequency range is narrower than most, at 30-18KHz, rather than the typical 20-20KHz.

Consequently, sound quality is a step down from more expensive options. There’s a slightly boxy, compressed quality that sucks a little of the life from recordings. There’s still plenty of range here – far more than any headset mic, for example – but paying more for a microphone does get you that extra clarity. Notably, though, the pickup pattern does a better job than most other similar cardioid mics we’ve tested of ignoring noises to the rear of the mic.

Trust GXT 241 Velica pros and cons

Pros

• Great value
• Useful pop shield and shock mount
• Very compact

Cons

• Middling sound quality
• Basic features on mic
• No control software

Trust GXT 241 Velica specs

The Trust GXT 241 Velica specs list is:

Trust GXT 241 Velica price

The Trust GXT 241 Velica price is £50 (UK only), making it a low-cost USB microphone, especially considering all the extra features you get, but its low cost is reflected in its sound quality.

Trust GXT 241 Velica review conclusion

The Trust GXT 241 Velica is a great option for those seeking a complete microphone setup for very little money. Just about any other big-brand alternative will require extra money to be spent on pop shields and shock mounts to reach the noise-suppressing prowess provided here. However, the raw sound quality of this mic isn’t all that impressive. It’s a big step up from the average mic you’ll get on a headset, but it lacks the clarity of more expensive options.

While the GXT 241 Velica doesn’t revolutionize the USB microphone market, it still does enough to earn a spot on our best USB microphone list as the best value USB microphone.