Rode Classic

I have University Degree in Music. Have recorded and produced my own albums and those of others. Never sold more than 28,000 units (I'm happy with that). These days I have 2 kids, a mortgage and a "real" job and write/record for fun....
I stick with my Fostex D160, Mackie desk, Focusrite/Joemeek/Lexicon type outboard, Fostex powered monitors.....I sold my NS10's to some poor bastard for nearly 3 times what I paid for them (fashion-led sucker). I stay away from computers if possible....

Rode Classic, Dual pentode 7062 Valve mic.
This was my first "real"mic. I don't break it out as often as I should these days.
I had looked at other mics in that price range but was VERY enamoured of the Rode when I first saw it. I bought it from "Mannys" in Melbourne. I was green at the time. Those bastards had been using it for themselves in down time but passed it on as new, and there were some small accessories missing from the case. I'll never trust or reccomend them to anyone from here on...it's their own fault.
Gripe over, I have used it on bloody everything and it all sounds great. Probably weakest with female rock vocals. Awesome close-up, ballad mic.
Slays on steel string and classical guitar. I use it as a room mic on kit w/lots of (good quality) compression to excite a track. Best as a room mic for lots of rock type things, o.k on bass amp but I seem to prefer D.I
It has a fairly high self noise but that doesn't seem to spoil anything, unless it's a boring song or poorly executed.
People get carried away with gear...for god's sake write a good song and IT WON'T MATTER so much what you use and what format it's on !!!
Honestly, this is a lovely microphone and at current prices is absolutely awesome value.......

here though is the kicker......

The mic shut down one day for no obvious reason. I went to Manny's and got a blank look (admittedly it was out of warranty by then) and so called Rode.
They took my details and suggested that I should send it up to them.
3 days later I got a call explaining what had gone wrong ( I can't recall now but it was small and atypical) with the mic, and sent it back registered with a NEW custom cable (I think that was partly to blame) and the mic internally checked over and all NEW minor accessories FREE OF CHARGE.
yes,...FREE OF CHARGE.
Rode have won me for life as a customer and I have turned many good friends onto their products. They go beyond their word and as you know that is exceedingly rare these days boys and girls ('specially in THIS industry)

The '10' rating..(Fantastic Value) is fair.
All the best Rode....(we make our own luck in this world.)
Strongly reccomended (any makes/models)

I operate a home based project studio. I use the studio to create domes for myself and other working songwriters. I have completed several recording courses. One of the classes was tought by and conducted at Capital Studios in Hollywood California. I have had the good fortune to use a great number of famous mics Neumann to Manley. I am currently running a Roland VS2480 coupled with a extended outboard rack . My monitors are event Project 6 's.

The Rode CLASSIC is a true very large studio tube mic. It offers an aray of pick up patterns selected from the power suppply. I first discovered this mic while recording some vocals for a friend's demo at a recording studio in Hollywood.
People associate the term "warm", when discussing tube mics. Tube mics actually highlight the lower "even" harmonics of the material being recorded.
These harmonics are responsable for the so called "warm" sound. Non tube condenser mics highlight the lower "odd" harmonics. The "CLASSIC" combines enhanced lower even harmonics with crisp, clean and bright hights. The end result, with controlled compression during tracking, is magic.

I was able, after getting my own CLASSIC, to A-B the mic against the Neumann U147. Clearly these are two different mic designs. However, every musician and person in the control room favored the brightness and presence of the Rode CLASSIC at this matching.

The CLASSIS I feel was designed for vocals. Its only short coming was the lack of a shockmount assemble. I and others voiced this concern to Rode and they in tern created a unique shockmount for the mike. The mic's seling price was reduced to $500 down from $2200, when Rode introduced the CLASSIC II mic. The CLASSIC is still avaible on line at reduced prices, by all means buy one, and let it be the wind in your sail.