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Rode NT1A Studio Condenser Microphone
Low distortion. Higher SPL capability. SM1 shockmount included.
"Buy this microphone!"
Feature:
includes a shock mount, and also a pop filter (although that may have been included by the retailer). I have not had any problems with them, although I do not routinely mount and unmount the mic
Quality:
sturdy, well built, professional looking
Value:
There are some cheaper large diaphragm condensers in the $100 range, but like most rock-bottom accessories you buy, you will wind up wanting something better very quickly. Not so with this mic; it will last you until you start wanting something in the $5k+ range.
Sound:
outstanding sound. My vocals cut through the mix much better than with my previous mics, without needing to boost the gain. Subtle nuances are picked up also, which were missed with my other mics - picks up room characteristics (ambience) much more (could be a minus, but i think my other mics just sucked). I have also recorded acoustic guitar with this mic, and the results were incredible.
Ease of Use:
I sing into one end, and my voice comes out the other (sort of). I have trouble with the singing part, but I won't blame that on the mic.
Support:
Never needed support
Overall:
Like somebody else said, if it were stolen I would buy another one. I have no plans to buy another mic of this type for vocals or acoustic instrument recording.
includes a shock mount, and also a pop filter (although that may have been included by the retailer). I have not had any problems with them, although I do not routinely mount and unmount the mic
Quality:
sturdy, well built, professional looking
Value:
There are some cheaper large diaphragm condensers in the $100 range, but like most rock-bottom accessories you buy, you will wind up wanting something better very quickly. Not so with this mic; it will last you until you start wanting something in the $5k+ range.
Sound:
outstanding sound. My vocals cut through the mix much better than with my previous mics, without needing to boost the gain. Subtle nuances are picked up also, which were missed with my other mics - picks up room characteristics (ambience) much more (could be a minus, but i think my other mics just sucked). I have also recorded acoustic guitar with this mic, and the results were incredible.
Ease of Use:
I sing into one end, and my voice comes out the other (sort of). I have trouble with the singing part, but I won't blame that on the mic.
Support:
Never needed support
Overall:
Like somebody else said, if it were stolen I would buy another one. I have no plans to buy another mic of this type for vocals or acoustic instrument recording.
"Great sound!"
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Feature:Shock-Mount and Case.
Value:
This is as good as it gets for the price when buying a condenser mic.
Desirability:
Uhh. It's a very good-looking mic with shapely curves and a delightful coat of shiny wet gold.
Sound:
Noise free. What a beautiful microphone! I can't help but first comment on how noise-free it is. I understand condensers pick up a lot more sound than other mics (dynamic mics). This microphone is a condenser - it picks up a lot of sound, but it picks up very little noise! I love it.
Support:
I know nothing of their support services, but I do know this mic appears to be of good working quality and not the type to break in a long while.
Overall:
For as long as I own this mic, I will be most likely happy with it.
"The Best"
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Feature:There's not much to say! It comes with a pretty good pop filter and a sturdy shockmount.
Quality:
It doesn't get any better for the price.
Value:
Like I said, for the price it doesn't get any better.
Desirability:
Sexy.
Sound:
I produce and record alot of local artist and let me say that this mic sounds beautiful and very crisp. I have to do very little when it comes to cleaning up the vocals with this mic. The only problem that I have found with this mic is that if you have a bass type voice it doesn't record that well. That's fixable with the right equipment though. I highly recommend this mic to anybody starting off in recording whether it's home studio products or professional recording!
Ease of Use:
Self Explanatory! Run it through your equipment turn it on and your good to go.
Support:
Haven't needed support yet.
Overall:
I plan to have this mic for a very long time!
"This mic hears what your ears do"
Feature:
The shock mount is sufficient.
Quality:
Looks great, seems sturdy.
Value:
Not having been able to compare this to anything but a multi-thousand dollar Neumann I sang into in a "pro" studio, I don't feel too comfortable rating the "value" objectively. I'd like to hear the cheaper Marshalls and the slightly more expensive Rodes and AKG's, etc., before I said this was empirically a good deal; but I can say that I feel I got my money's worth.
Desirability:
It's a handsome mic, and Rode has a good reputation.
Sound:
I don't have a whole lot of experience with large diaphram studio condensers, but the NT-1A is pretty sensitive and captures the sound of the voice and the room very naturally. With headphones on, if you turn on the NT-1A, it suddenly seems as though you have taken the headphones off. That can be a good or bad thing depending on your setup. It can be less than optimum for a small "home studio." You really have to isolate the singer with some dampening material around as well, or you will get lots of reflections from the room, and will pick up the whirrr of your electronic gear. But you will have much more control over the sound simply by changing mic position, proximity and the acoustics of the space (via drapes, baffles, etc) than you will with a smal diaphragm or a lesser mic.
Overall:
I can't imagine ever needing anything more "pro" than this one for my home setup. It captures my voice exactly the way I sound, which gives me the perfect starting point to tweak during mixdown. I'm going to have to jury-rig some baffles, though, to minimize the natural reverb of my room and to keep the whine of my recording unit and rack gear (and transformers) from picking up.
The shock mount is sufficient.
Quality:
Looks great, seems sturdy.
Value:
Not having been able to compare this to anything but a multi-thousand dollar Neumann I sang into in a "pro" studio, I don't feel too comfortable rating the "value" objectively. I'd like to hear the cheaper Marshalls and the slightly more expensive Rodes and AKG's, etc., before I said this was empirically a good deal; but I can say that I feel I got my money's worth.
Desirability:
It's a handsome mic, and Rode has a good reputation.
Sound:
I don't have a whole lot of experience with large diaphram studio condensers, but the NT-1A is pretty sensitive and captures the sound of the voice and the room very naturally. With headphones on, if you turn on the NT-1A, it suddenly seems as though you have taken the headphones off. That can be a good or bad thing depending on your setup. It can be less than optimum for a small "home studio." You really have to isolate the singer with some dampening material around as well, or you will get lots of reflections from the room, and will pick up the whirrr of your electronic gear. But you will have much more control over the sound simply by changing mic position, proximity and the acoustics of the space (via drapes, baffles, etc) than you will with a smal diaphragm or a lesser mic.
Overall:
I can't imagine ever needing anything more "pro" than this one for my home setup. It captures my voice exactly the way I sound, which gives me the perfect starting point to tweak during mixdown. I'm going to have to jury-rig some baffles, though, to minimize the natural reverb of my room and to keep the whine of my recording unit and rack gear (and transformers) from picking up.
"This Mic is a Steal at this price!!! Buy 4 of them..."
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Feature:Came with the shock mount and protective case. This mic is perfect as is. I don't give a crap about things like roll-off switches on a mic. That's what a good console and EQ is for. Give me a mic that sounds great without the gadgets! This is the one.
Quality:
What more could anyone want? The NT1-A was rated better than a Neuman as far as low self noise goes. It's rated as one of the quietest mics in the world.
Value:
I've had higher end mics such as AKG that don't sound nearly as good.
Desirability:
It's plain Jane but what else does one need in a mic. Plug it in and just use the damn thing. It reproduces the source material perfectly before EQ and/or effects!!
Sound:
Great sounding mic for the money. Very clean and very quiet.
Support:
I remain neutral. Haven't had to deal with them...
Overall:
No plans on getting rid of it - EVER!! Like all the mics in my locker I'm keeping every one of them. You can never have enough!!
"Customer Service Story: Remarkably good service"
Support:
I placed my NT1 in a hard shell road case a year ago along with two silica packets and stored it in a dry basement. The microphone was in working order when stored. Recently I retrieved the microphone from storage and it would not work. I suspected my preamp; however, a multimeter quickly determined +48v were present at the end of the microphone cable. I removed the circuit board from the microphone body to check for broken wires. The multimeter confirmed voltage was reaching the board. At this point I contacted Rode USA about getting a wiring schematic. I was surprised to discover the microphone would be repaired for free if I returned it. Conclusion: Really nice mic, but astounding customer service. No receipt, no original packaging, no questions. I
I placed my NT1 in a hard shell road case a year ago along with two silica packets and stored it in a dry basement. The microphone was in working order when stored. Recently I retrieved the microphone from storage and it would not work. I suspected my preamp; however, a multimeter quickly determined +48v were present at the end of the microphone cable. I removed the circuit board from the microphone body to check for broken wires. The multimeter confirmed voltage was reaching the board. At this point I contacted Rode USA about getting a wiring schematic. I was surprised to discover the microphone would be repaired for free if I returned it. Conclusion: Really nice mic, but astounding customer service. No receipt, no original packaging, no questions. I
"How do they do it for the money"
Feature:
There are no features, which is why i rated it highly. Don't like mics with lots of added switches as my pre amp does all that. For reproduction of a given sound find it easier to have all the adjustments made from one place, if it has switches, someone will just play with them. Didn't really need a trim control, as the mic handles high noise levels very well.
Quality:
Only been using it for two months, quality seems fine, shock mount is a bit of a pain as the elastic kept slipping off, but easily rectified with a pair of pliers.
Value:
competes well for vocals against far more expensive mics. I'm going to buy two more to replace my current overhead cymbal mics. I'd happily pay three times what i paid for it having heard the sound quality
Desirability:
Pretty standard looking, wouldn't bother me if it was the ugliest mic on the planet, its the sound that matters. It is however, a lot easier on the eye than most of my more expensive models.
Sound:
Bought this mic to use with overhead cymbals, had a play, and decided that would be a waste. Directly compaired it with my usual u87, and found it actually quieter in use. Prefered the tone for vocals, and now use it as my main vocal mic for rock vocals. It also sounds superb with acustic strings. To compete this well against a mic costing over 10 times the amount is quite remarkable at the price
Support:
marked it high as i haven't had to use customer service. Have an original nt1 as well, and that has served me well for a few years without problems, so hopefully this will be the same
Overall:
Fot the tasks i'm using, i'm more than happy. It won't replace my u87 for all vocals, but for heavier vocals and string instruments i will be using it for quite a time yet. The low self noise is one factor that will guarantee this.
There are no features, which is why i rated it highly. Don't like mics with lots of added switches as my pre amp does all that. For reproduction of a given sound find it easier to have all the adjustments made from one place, if it has switches, someone will just play with them. Didn't really need a trim control, as the mic handles high noise levels very well.
Quality:
Only been using it for two months, quality seems fine, shock mount is a bit of a pain as the elastic kept slipping off, but easily rectified with a pair of pliers.
Value:
competes well for vocals against far more expensive mics. I'm going to buy two more to replace my current overhead cymbal mics. I'd happily pay three times what i paid for it having heard the sound quality
Desirability:
Pretty standard looking, wouldn't bother me if it was the ugliest mic on the planet, its the sound that matters. It is however, a lot easier on the eye than most of my more expensive models.
Sound:
Bought this mic to use with overhead cymbals, had a play, and decided that would be a waste. Directly compaired it with my usual u87, and found it actually quieter in use. Prefered the tone for vocals, and now use it as my main vocal mic for rock vocals. It also sounds superb with acustic strings. To compete this well against a mic costing over 10 times the amount is quite remarkable at the price
Support:
marked it high as i haven't had to use customer service. Have an original nt1 as well, and that has served me well for a few years without problems, so hopefully this will be the same
Overall:
Fot the tasks i'm using, i'm more than happy. It won't replace my u87 for all vocals, but for heavier vocals and string instruments i will be using it for quite a time yet. The low self noise is one factor that will guarantee this.
"Look no further than the NT-1 for the serious home studio."
Feature:
Mic comes with very nice shock mount, and bag.
Quality:
This mic is very well made. It is a high quality piece of professional recording equiptment. It turns the home studio into a semi-pro studio.
Value:
The mic is a great value. Other mics that come close to it, like AKG or M-Audio are at least double the price. If you can afford it, this is a great bargain.
Desirability:
This is great looking mic, and works great. Like I said above, this takes the home studio one step closer to being a pro-studio. After all, this is a pro mic.
Sound:
Very warm microphone, with a nice, flat response. I use it for vocals and acoustic guitar. Much truer than Behrenger B-1 or B-2. I am using the NT-1A with a Mac that runs Logic Audio. I love it.
Support:
I haven't needed to deal with Rode, and don't think I will. The mic is fine right out of the box.
Overall:
I'll be using this mic for years to come. I will probably by another one soon.
Mic comes with very nice shock mount, and bag.
Quality:
This mic is very well made. It is a high quality piece of professional recording equiptment. It turns the home studio into a semi-pro studio.
Value:
The mic is a great value. Other mics that come close to it, like AKG or M-Audio are at least double the price. If you can afford it, this is a great bargain.
Desirability:
This is great looking mic, and works great. Like I said above, this takes the home studio one step closer to being a pro-studio. After all, this is a pro mic.
Sound:
Very warm microphone, with a nice, flat response. I use it for vocals and acoustic guitar. Much truer than Behrenger B-1 or B-2. I am using the NT-1A with a Mac that runs Logic Audio. I love it.
Support:
I haven't needed to deal with Rode, and don't think I will. The mic is fine right out of the box.
Overall:
I'll be using this mic for years to come. I will probably by another one soon.
Rode NT1A Condenser Mic Customer Review
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Feature:One pattern, no low-cut filter. But the price makes up for the sound quality.
Quality:
The architecture of the mic itself with gold spluttered diaphram is exquisite. The qualiy of the shockmount is also great.
Value:
The manifacture and sound quality exceeds the price.
Sound:
Overall, you can say that this mic has a very natural response; both the dynamic and eq responses are close to flat and no frequency stands out. The self niose level however is terrific! It can't be beaten! The cardiod response and low noise is handy for home recording applications with noisy ambiances.
Support:
Didn't have to
"NT1Ahhhhh...."
Feature:
Apart from the shock mount, extra tension bands and the mic itself... there's nothing else.. which is PERFECT! No fuss, no extraenous variables which can change your sound. It is what it is.
Quality:
Hey... it's not a Neumann, but who cares? With the extremely low noise floor, and the actual cost of the mic; the quality is out-of-this-world.
Value:
I cannot see any other mic in this price range performing nearly as well. Superb value for its price.
Desirability:
It's silver... I suppose that helps.
Sound:
Although it feels like the high mids are slightly accentuated, the capturing a good quality recording with the NT1A is just too easy. Take it out, plug it in, and I've instantly got a good workable sound.
Ease of Use:
Superb. I can whip it out on a moment's notice and it does the job without complaints. It's surprisingly durable as well; has survived a few drops from my clumsy hands :P Very versatile as well... have used it very effectively with various things from vocals, to guitars, to wooden indian flutes :P
Support:
I have not needed to deal with the company for technical support, but through my contacts via music retail, I have found Rode to be a very helpful and professional outfit. Kudos!
Overall:
Whether you are new to the game, or a seasoned pro; you should seriously consider adding this microphone to your arsenal. For the price, you'd be stupid not to. :P
Apart from the shock mount, extra tension bands and the mic itself... there's nothing else.. which is PERFECT! No fuss, no extraenous variables which can change your sound. It is what it is.
Quality:
Hey... it's not a Neumann, but who cares? With the extremely low noise floor, and the actual cost of the mic; the quality is out-of-this-world.
Value:
I cannot see any other mic in this price range performing nearly as well. Superb value for its price.
Desirability:
It's silver... I suppose that helps.
Sound:
Although it feels like the high mids are slightly accentuated, the capturing a good quality recording with the NT1A is just too easy. Take it out, plug it in, and I've instantly got a good workable sound.
Ease of Use:
Superb. I can whip it out on a moment's notice and it does the job without complaints. It's surprisingly durable as well; has survived a few drops from my clumsy hands :P Very versatile as well... have used it very effectively with various things from vocals, to guitars, to wooden indian flutes :P
Support:
I have not needed to deal with the company for technical support, but through my contacts via music retail, I have found Rode to be a very helpful and professional outfit. Kudos!
Overall:
Whether you are new to the game, or a seasoned pro; you should seriously consider adding this microphone to your arsenal. For the price, you'd be stupid not to. :P
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