Rode NT-1

Making music 25 years.
Professional musician for 8 years.
Recorded in Numerous studios. Now own a commercial home/media composition studio (244 track Digital?). Based around PC and Roland VS 1824.All timecoded and midi linked. Cubase software and numerous outboard effects/processors and gismo's.
Monitors are Yamaha's legendary NS10Ms.Using numerous Mics. My Rodes mic is a new NT1A. Lovely!

I'm working with the NT1A Rode mic. Bought it recently and it's an incredbly good sound and Quiet in terms of background noise..What a refreshing change!

Mainly used on Acoustic / Classical guitar. Aiming at the 12th fret(as instructed by a high profile Pro Producer!) Yes it works.. Lovely clean, even sound. No dodgy bassy booms..careful placement...

Didn't consider anything else in this price range, might, at some stage, look at the SE Electronics range..Heard good things about them..Never tried one; as they promised to send me one and never did!!!

Used Rodes before (NT2) in location recording enviroment, thought they were good,but slightly dodgy at the top end.This seems rectified in the NT1A, sounds very even to me.

Would recommend this mic to anyone,for all sorts of reasons, but i think the price nails it for me!!

I've been recording for 21 years. 16 track ADAT studio with a Mackie 8 bus.

Large Diaphram condenser mic. One polar pattern (cardioid).

This is a good all around mic for acoustic instruments or vocals. If you don't have a large diaphram condenser mic. This will be a good upgrade for you. Not as nice as my AKG C414, but still a great mic. Hey, it's only $200!!! Hard to beat for the money.

been playing drums and recording 25 years. Recording to analog 2" and digital DAW through various pres and converters including tube pre-amps.

Studied electronics and instrument making.

Film music and pro engineering background.

Plug-in Software designer

Listening through KRK V8 powered speakers.

NOTE I'M TALKING ABOUT THE ORIGINAL NT1

Large diaphragm 1" gold sputtered 48 Volt phantom. Pad switch and low roll off switch internally mounted. Cardioid pattern.

Have used this mic on absolutely everything from recording a clock ticking to timpani and vox. Sounds georgeous on Acoustc guitars with just the right blend of brightness and fullness. Superb as overheads for kit though sometimes they can sound a bit harsh with EQ...be gentle on the high end and they sound huge!

Great room mics as a pair though not as quiet as some newer mics from Gefell or the newer Rodes.

SOUND
People tend to hate RODEs without hearing them. This seems to be related to the low price but every engineer who uses them from my experience has had very positive things to say. Price blinds many a good engineer...use your ears!

I would say that the NT1 can sound a bit too HI-FI (all lows and highs) which does not suite all things...a bit of mid boost EQ can help to strengthen a shrill sound in a mix.

I was reminded of how good the NT1 can sound once after borrowing a friend's Neumann U87 which i wanted to use on an important vox recording. I was imagining all my problems with recording vox were about to disappear but after just a few minutes I had switched back to the NT1. U87 sounded dull and lifeless in comparison and even though I knew it was the NT1's over brightness i was hearing, I still preferred it to having to pile on lots of EQ to make the recording work. So in this case Rode-1 Neumann-0. These days I would probably go for the U87 though just as a contrast to all the overly bright stuff I'm hearing.

If you are after a much more gutsy U47 sound, go for the Rode NTK which is a fun mic to record with...Lots of character. Sits well in a complex mix without the need for EQ. Almost sounds like it was an expander at 12KHz given that slow attack, fast release rock compression sound I love.

I still prefer the NT1 to the Neumann TLM103 (at least 4 times the price) which to me sounds a bit plasticy. My voice just does not sound like me through a TLM103...

ACCESSORIES and BUILD

This is a real let down side of Rode mics. The included clips only lasted 9 months or so after falling apart and they are simply not strong enough to hold the weight of the mic. Horrible! Find another solution. Neumann?

The build of the original NT1 is cheap but functional. Definitely not inspirational to look at specially on the inside...yuk! Very poor soldering work in my opinion.

I know they've moved on now as most of their stuff seems to have gone surface mount which is much neater but nearly impossible for a soldering iron wielding hobbiest to tackle.

RELIABILITY
Highly recommend Rode for reliability though. I've had mine since 1991 and have used them thousands of times in the studio and live and even though mine are very beaten up looking, they are going strong.

There are some great mics out there now (Gefell 930, T.Bone RB500 ribbon and all the Audio Technica mics) but few have had the stamina of the NT1....Impressive workhorses.

How long have you been making music?

25 years

What kind of recording experience do you have?

4-track casette, 8 track Reel to Reel, through various A/D converters and DAW systems. Ridden the technology wave :)

What are you recording to?

DAW

What is your primary listening equipment?

B&W S3600, Alesis M1 Mk II,

What kind of mic is it?

Condenser.

Polar patterns?

What are you using the mic on?

Vocals, Acoustic guitar, Nature sounds.

Why did you choose this one?

Signal to Noise sppecs.
Price/Performance ratio.

What are your favorite aspects of the mic?

Low noise.
Sensitivity.
Frequency response (highs particularly).

Any areas where it falls short?

Not at this price...and in all honesty if you can't make a good recording with this mic you should give up and do something else for a living/hobby.

Would you recommend this to others?

Yes. This is the perfect project studio mic. If you only have one

Thank you Mr Rode, thank you mass-manufacturing, thank you economies of scale!...and I think this is what 98% of the establishment don't get. Most items are expensive because they are manufactured using high labour costs, or of components that were made with high labour costs. Rode (and indeed Behringer has caught onto this also) has a highly automated manufacturing process and an explosive home-recording market to sell into. Together these facts mean that Rode low manufacturing costs and a large market . This mic would cost $1500 if today were 1990. Let your ears tell you what's good, the NT1-A is definitely very, very good (at any price).

Regards.

I'm a broadcast "contract" enginner servicing radio stations, have been involved in broadcast for over 25 years and PA before that. Also have production and voice over experience. Our primary use of microphones is for on air announcing and voice production work, although we do have live bands at the college stations from time to time.

The NT-1 is a large diapharam condenser mike. We tried using these at a college station as interview mikes in the on-air studio, as well as for general production recording.

For a $200 mike, they didn't sound bad, but both of our samples seemed to overload badly. Yes, we put in pads and even tried two different mixers, same problem. One session, we had to fall back on some beat up EV 635s, the overload problem was so bad. As has been my experience with other large diaphram condenser mikes in an on-air studio, the NT-1 seems to pick up more extraneous noises than a dynamic mike.

We relegated our NT-1s to the back of the mike cabinet when we bought some good quality dynamic mikes for the station.

. I have been studying music since 1978 and performing since 1983.
. Started recording with a Fostex X-26 4 track cassette in 1988. I
used that machine until 2000. It recorded very good demos both live
and studio.
. Currently I use a Sony Net MD MZ-N707 mini disk recorder for live
recordings. I run sub-groups 1 & 2 out from my Behringer MX3282A
mixing console and pan them left & right using a Y-cord to a stereo
1/8" plug and connect to the "line in" on the mini disk.
. When I record studio demos or tracks I use my PC and Cakewalk Home
Studio. A Phonic MM1705 mixing console is used for input signals. It
features 11 channels with 3 band EQ and +48V DC Phantom Power. I
send the output signal to my sound card using Moster cables with
gold plating.
. Processors & Effects: Behringer Tube Ultrafex T1954, DOD SR231QXLR
dual 31 band EQ, Alesis Microverb III, Art CS2 & Yamaha GC2020BII
compressor/limiter gate.
. Of course Cakewalk Home Studio has support for real-time Direct-X
effects, Midi and so much more.

Ok, enough about that .... the microphone

The Rode NT1-A: Studio Condenser microphone, A 1" diaphragm condenser mic with cardioid polar pattern. Externally polarised 25 mm (1") condenser, JFET impedance converter with bipolar output buffer.

Multi award winning, and one of the world's biggest selling studio microphones, the NT1 original is now a legend. The NT1-A continues this tradition while improving specifications and tonal qualities.

I use the NT1-A center stage for bluegrass bands and singer songwriters.
I recently ran Front of House sound for the "Gibson Brothers" a well known bluegrass band that has played the "Grand Ole Opry" and earned
the 1998 award for Emerging Artist of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association.

I have also used this microphone overhead for drum kits and even on guitar amps.

When I setup in my home studio this microphone just seems to work really well for my vocals. A good EQ, compression and some effect and man, I could talk or sing to myself all day and still not grow tired of how it sounds in the headphones.

I did consider the AKG or Shure but, I decided to go with Rode for quality, reputation and price. I did good.

I have used other brands and they are also good quality microphones. The NT1-A is a major bang for the buck, multi-useful, filled with quality components and always pleasing to work with.

I strongly suggest you consider Rode as a first choice.

Michael D Shinn

http://soundwaves2.tripod.com

recording since 12 years old on harddisk, now 19 yrs old

great value, simply becuase of price and versatility. The mic excels on drum overheads (forget those pencil condencers always use large dia). On vocals it is nice and clean but completely lacking character, although not such a bad thing if u dont mind equing, compressing etc.
As for the person who said it is plastic what an idiot, it is machined out of aluminium (which is an elemental metal that does not corrode).

Been mixing audio (live) for over 10 years, recording for 8 or so. Started on a four track, now moving up to a digi002 system. have focusrite preamps, Mackie preamps, Yamaha MSP5 monitors (which i love).

This mic is an ok mic. Truth be told its bright, and the high frequncies are harsh on it. The funny thing about it is that it actually sounds BETTER though the cheap mackie preamps, rather than the focusrite - the good preamp exposes the flaws of the mic.

For a $200 mic, also consider the MXL stuff which tends to be darker. Do not be decieved by RODE marketing hype, just decide if you want a bright mic (NT1) or a warm mic (MXL). There is a place for each.

10 years performing
5 years recording
1 year with my own home/project studio

recording to DAW (ProTools).

I actually have the NT1-A, which has even lower self noise than the NT1. IMO, this mic, (and Rode mics in general) are some of the best value mics available. It is extremely quiet and picks up good detail. It sounds GREAT on acoustic guitar, good on vocals, and decent on probably anything else you might need a large condenser for. Great for project studios. In short, it would be difficult to find a better value large condenser at under $200.

6 years
Live and studio
DAW (Aardvark Q10+Logic Plat), digital multitrack (Akai Dps16)
Nad amp + Celestion speakers

Condenser
Cardio
Voices, strings, ethnic drums
XY or at least 3 feet appart 6" to 1' from source
Did consider the AKG1000, MXL992, GTMD1
Sound, quality and transparent (for that price)
Well built, sound is clear, no surprises on the actual response curve, can handle high spl pretty well
Definition is fine for the price
I recommend it for the budget home studio.

I am a recording engineer out of biloxi mississippi. I use a rode nt-1 with an ART tps through a mackie 1604 to an echo mia to logic audio. I have limited vocal experience but have done mostly hip hop and r&b.. i hve a pair of passive roland monitors powered by an alesis rm-300.

a very afordable condenser mic. with the price you loose pads, polar patterns and other luxeries but it sounds very clean. this was my chosie for a budget condencer mic. i had tried the marshall's and shure's but they were either too pricey or had too much noise. i record to a daw so i needed soimething very clean sounding. the rode can record any db level without too much noise. i really dont mind the lack of pad because the mic pre i use has one on it. overall the rode spounds great and cost pracically nothing.

I am the owner of a small recording studio and producer and songwriter.

This mic sounds great on a variety of sources. It is very natural and warm but lacks the high end sparkle that some may find desirable for recording vocals or acoustic guitar. However, in terms of product for the money this mic is absoloutly incredible. I wouldn't hesitate to recomend it to anyone looking to get into high qualityn recording on a tight budget.

Been playing guitar for 14 years and recording for about five - totally hobbyist. I record to 20 bit ADATs through a Behringer in-line monitor board - not pro but not too cheesy. Monitor using a pair of KLH home audio 3 way spkrs and a Kenwood receiver.

Rode NT-1 large diaphragm condenser, cardioid only, no pad, no roll-off. This mic is multi-purpose and can handle up to 135 dB spl. Chose it over other available (in yr. 2000) $200 LD condensers due to its freq. range (30-20k). I use it on almost everything:

Kick drum - this mic can just barely take the SPL outside of a kick drum without peaking. I place it in front of the air hole in the front head with a pop filter to lower the air noise escaping the drum. The sound is FAT and FULL and PUNCHY. I usually have to rig up a cardboard isolation panel over the top of the kick to minimize the bleed from the rest of the kit, otherwise there is far too much bleed to EQ the kick without affecting the rest of the kit sound. I prefer this mic for kick over my AKG D112 and a friend's EV RE-20.

Bass amp - sounds best about four to six feet in front of the amp, has a full range and great sound. No dynamic mic comes close to really duplicating the bass tone as well. Admittedly, I haven't tried a wide variety of mics on the bass guitar.

Guitar amp - close mic on a 4x12 cab, just off the center of the speaker. Can handle this high output just barely, and usually overdrive the tube mic preamp slightly even with it set at -50db of gain. Very dark sound - a SM57 in the same position sounds shrill by comparison. My guitar is pretty bright, so I prefer the darker mic to tame it and fill it in a little.

Vocals - not as nice as many many mics I've heard, but is still the best out of my relatively small collection.

This mic would be more versatile with a 10 or 15 db pad. Also, the plastic housing feels cheap, but hey, it's a $200 mic. I purchased it in 2000, and there are much nicer looking mics on the market now for the same money. If it was lost, stolen or damaged, I'd probably check out a Studio Projects C1 for an all-purpose replacement, but would definately try to find another NT-1 used if I could find it for cheap.